A Tradition.

Several years ago Blipper Nana K published an entry about the family Christmas cookie recipe handed down from her mother. In extras she put a picture of the recipe card written in her mother's handwriting. I have always loved a little notebook with handwritten recipes from my grandmother and I have never had a good recipe for Christmas cookies, so I copied it and made the cookies. In fact I made Christmas cookies for days for the recipe makes A LOT. However, they are delicious and I have made them every year since, but this year I cut the recipe in half. Otherwise, this year especially, we would still be eating them next Christmas! 

NanaK won't be making  cookies this year because she fell during a zoom tai chi class and broke her arm. I'm wishing I could send her a batch of these cookies, but her irrepressible granddaughter is stepping in and doing the honors this year. See the extra in the link.

I was covered in flour and powdered sugar when Caroline came by. It was her day to clean our house but I gave her the day off . She just had to come by and check that there was nothing needing her immediate attention.  She had just been to her burned down house, which is practically next door as the crow flies, but has Wildwood Mountain in between. She was feeling depressed so we had a glass of wine together and she told me about the plans for her new house. I don't know if it was the wine or thinking about the new house, but she seemed much more cheerful by the time she left with a plate of cookies.

Juan and Gustavo were here today, and got a tremendous amount done. The took out a large photinia roots and all; they planted a Chinese Pistache down by the street where it greet us with its beautiful fall foliage; They helped John move a heavy pot and overturn the backyard fountain so he could clean the filter which was clogged with soot; they pruned off all the bottom fronds of the massive agaves on the hill; They hauled away what i hope is a final truckload of branches and debris. These are all jobs that we either can't do or don't want to do, but they do them all with good humor and amazing speed. 

They are worth their weight in gold....