Christmas Again

Well, it's Christmas Eve. I'll be working as usual, but maybe I can find time to straighten up the house for my Christmas Day.

I think this is the first time I've actually planned to cook a full holiday meal for my family in over 8 years. I hope this will help take the edge off the holidays for us a little...

Thanksgiving 1999, after being married 26 years, I finally made the perfect meal. The turkey was golden brown, my special dressing was seasoned just right. My husband had sneaked some of the delicious banana pudding before he headed out the door to go get a load of Christmas trees to sell on our farm. (We grew trees, but he would buy larger trees that were requested by our customers.)

I had everything done, even the table was set. I washed up the preparation dishes and waited for all of his family and mine to arrive.

Shortly after 11:00, my husband's brother called and told me that my husband was at the hospital because he had collapsed and suffered a seizure. My rock-solid husband had never been seriously sick, except for some recent stomach problems.

That was the end of my perfectly-prepared holiday meal, that sat on the stove and spoiled, foreshadowing the death of my husband. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor, the cancerous demon that took him away from us the next February.

Anyway, I have a very hard time thinking about holiday meals, much less cooking them, even after all these years.

This Christmas(tomorrow), I am cooking turkey and dressing and all the trimmings, and my daughters and their husbands will help me try to get back a little holiday spirit.

Merry Christmas to All. Enjoy your loved ones and rejoice in the Spirit of Christmas.