It's the most wonderful time of the year...

I haven't had much time or the desire to post anything lately, for obvious reasons... tis the season. Things are coming together and although it's always hectic, we're better prepared than we have been in the past. We're done buying for the boy and all of his things are wrapped. I have a few minor things to get for the wife and we've got small things for other family members to purchase but, they consist of things like books, movie tickets or gift cards. All of those things can be purchased at the last minute if need be. I bought a number of items online. Every year I buy more gifts online. I personally can't stand shopping at the mall or stores. People are so stressed out that they begin to do crazy things... one of the many reasons why I stay away. I'm expecting a few more things to be shipped - I've gotten to know the UPS man pretty well in the last few weeks. With all the chaos that the delivery guys have to deal with they have been very friendly. So much so that they take the time to chat for a minute or two. Since I've been home more this year, I've gotten to know the mail carrier fairly well. He came to the door last night at 6 pm with a package from my father. His normal delivery time is around 3 pm. He looked like he had been pulled through the ringer. He's counting the days till it all ends.

Since Sunday, the boy has been with his grandparents in South Carolina. We miss him but, the wife and I have enjoyed the time alone. We've gotten a number of things accomplished without our "shadow" following us. The remarkable thing is the quietness in the house. It's kind of spooky. Grandma and Grandpa are bringing him back tonight - I think they are ready. They are used to a sendentary lifestyle and the boy is far removed from that.

Tonight we have a little family get together for a cousin that came into town with her family from Ohio. They have a daughter that is a few months older than the boy, so we are going to exchange gifts with them and have a little dinner. My sister-in-law is flying in Friday and the in-laws are coming back in Saturday. The sister-in-law is going to take the boy to see Santa, although he's seen him at the wife's work party already. Can't the kids tell the difference between these imposters?

I'm gearing up for baking in the next few days. Following what my Grandfather always made, I am going to make a batch of Chex party mix, chocolate chip cookies and a couple of pies - apple and pumpkin. One thing I do miss is his pizelles. He had an old waffle iron that his father had passed to him and now my father has it. I'm pretty sure they don't use it and I would love to try it out a time or two. Grandma and Grandpa would be at the stove working as a team to make dozens upon dozens of the things. The pizelles had a black licorice taste to them and they would make so many that they would have to freeze them so they wouldn't go to waste. Grandpa would call my sister and I to come help him make cookies. We would spend a whole day helping him. I can smell the baked goods and hear Bing Crosby in the background now. Grandma would help with the pizelles but, all the other baking was done by him. She would come into the kitchen once in a while to refill her Tab and then retreat into the living room to read her blabber papers. What a wonderful teacher he was... ahhh I'm lost in thought now.

Err ahh, where was I? Um, yeah I'm not going all out like he did but, just enough to bring back those precious memories. For the most part Christmas Day dinner is going to be your standard fare of ham, scalloped potatoes, asparagus with hollandaise sauce, creamed corn and dinner rolls. One tradition from my mother's side was oyster stew on Christmas Eve. We are going to be celebrating the wife's Cuban tradition that night so, the stew will have to wait till Christmas Night. Well, that's about all for now. I've got to keep marking off my list of things to do. In the next few days I'll post thoughts on my wife's traditions which are quite different from mine. Till then...