It's Christmas Cookie time

The Christmas tree is up and lighted. Ornaments will find their way onto its branches over the next week or so. Nevertheless, our current weather has been a hindrance to getting into the Christmas spirit. Last night's fog and mist could have created navigation problems for even Rudolph. Fortunately, the Better Half [BH] has been inspired to start the Christmas Cookie baking sequence today. I'm too big and too old to qualify as a Smurf, but I'm enough of a Cookie Monster that I'm surprised I haven't yet turned blue.

untraditional shapes, traditional orange cookies

Photo by J. Harrington

I suspect BH's working on the orange-flavored cookies that have been a Christmas tradition in her family of origin. Not my favorites, but no matter. Eventually some of my preferences will come out of the oven and get covered with icing or turned into gingerbread houses. I also need to remind the Daughter Person that she's overdue on a promised batch of my favorites, oatmeal cookies with craisins and white chocolate bits.

A Christmas village of gingerbread houses

Photo by J. Harrington

It's been a very long time since I've felt the uninhibited childish sense of joy, delight and glee that Christmas brings out in young ones, but I come close as the cookie cutters fly and the kitchen takes on a light coating of flour dust. And, I've learned to be sure to always leave enough cookies for Santa to have some to go with his glass of milk on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Mail

By Ted Kooser

Cards in each mailbox,

angel, manger, star and lamb,

as the rural carrier,

driving the snowy roads,

hears from her bundles

the plaintive bleating of sheep,

the shuffle of sandals,

the clopping of camels.

At stop after stop,

she opens the little tin door

and places deep in the shadows

the shepherds and wise men,

the donkeys lank and weary,

the cow who chews and muses.

And from her Styrofoam cup,

white as a star and perched

on the dashboard, leading her

ever into the distance,

there is a hint of hazelnut,

and then a touch of myrrh.

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