Christmas Simplicity, The Polar Express, Sunday Thanksgiving, Oxford Thanksgiving, Blog Linkage AND Old-Fashioned Fruit Drop Cookies

Good Sunday afternoon!

AGAIN WITH THE DISCLAIMER - I still cannot figure out how to edit my pics using the same editing stuff I've used for over a year now.

Someone changed the super easy instructions, and didn't send me the memo.

Until I figure things out, my pics will continue to be totally uncropped and unedited, which drives me a little crazy...

But you probably would never have noticed.

Onward!

Blog Linkage - It is unheard of for me to put Blog Linkage ABOVE Randomness on the blog, but this post is so lengthy I was afraid you might skip over this, and it's too good to miss.

Okay. Go to Nesting Place under My Blog List and read yesterday's post entitled, "How to Have A Simple Christmasy Home Like A Normal Person Who Loves Beauty."

When you finish reading the above, type "We Want to See Your Winter & Christmasy Home" in the Search Box and enjoy that post, too.

Old-Fashioned Fruit Drop Cookies

For the same reason I put Blog Linkage at the top of the post, I am doing the same with the recipe.

I just don't want you to miss anything important!

You will need the following items:

2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup shortening
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups candied cherries, cut in half
2 cups chopped dates
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
Pecan halves, if desired

1. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, shortening, buttermilk and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed until blended, or mix with spoon.

2. Gradually stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in cherries, dates and chopped pecans. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

3. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheet. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet. Place a pecan half on each cookie.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched lightly. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

RANDOMNESS #1 - Christmas Simplicity - I'm sure a lot of you are well on your way to finishing your Christmas decorating.

What am I saying?

I bet you're already finished, aren't you?

If you haven't finished (or even started)...

Get ready!

I'm about to make you feel better about yourselves.

But first, a story...

Every year since we've lived in The Dale, we have gone to Pine Hill Farms the Sunday after Thanksgiving to cut down our Christmas tree, visit the reindeer, partake of free hot chocolate, ride the tractor-pulled wagon, etc., etc.

This was our 25th year.

Can you believe it? Twenty-five years have come and gone, and I have had 24 hand-cut trees in my den from this particular farm.

Twenty-four, but not 25.

This past weekend, most of us went to the Tree Farm. (Austin and Roxie had work and school obligations... BAH!)

On the way to the reindeer, Josh asked me if I wanted him to get a saw.

"No. That's okay. We'll look around first," I replied.

No questions were asked until an hour later while we were drinking our hot chocolate.

"Mom... Are you NOT getting a tree?"

"Oh, yes. I'm getting a pre-cut tree this year," I said.

"Well, point it out to me, and I'll load it for you while you pay," Josh told me.

"No need for that. I'm just going to pay for it and pick it up in a couple of days." By this time, I wasn't making eye contact with Josh at all.

"Why wouldn't we take it now?"

And then I saw it finally dawning on him.

Josh worked at the Tree Farm two or three seasons when he was in high school. He loved working at the Tree Farm except for one particular chore.

He hated flocking the trees.

Despised it!

And on days in December when I would say aloud, "I want a flocked tree one day. I think they are so pretty," he would almost pitch a fit.

"I cannot believe you are getting a flocked tree," he said, accusingly.

"It's okay, Josh. I'm not asking you to personally flock it. Don't take it as a personal attack on your character. I talked to Dad, and he said it was fine for us to have a flocked tree."

"I cannot even look at you," he said, and he walked to his car.

All of my kids are so dramatic.

I have no idea where they get it.

Anyway...

I now have a lightly-flocked Christmas tree in my den. It isn't big. It is quite small and perfectly shaped. There isn't a light on it, and I'm honestly thinking of just putting a medium-sized twig star on the top (I saw one at Target) and getting a pretty plaid ribbon to wrap around it.

Simple.

Pretty.

Festive.

When I told Roxie my idea on the phone, she sputtered a few times before she said, "What did Josh say about it?"

"It isn't Josh's decision."

Total silence on the other side of the phone.

But wait...

There's more.

I think this year, my decorating is going to consist of a lot of candles (at least 100 per room), semi-brightly wrapped packages (red and brown), my gold Angel tree in the living room, Christmas cards trimming the doorways throughout the house and my new Pentatonix Christmas CD playing in the background.

My plan is to take A Simple Life to a whole new SIMPLE level.

I'm also thinking about throwing a Christmas pillow here and there.

I'll let you know what the kids have to say about it when (or if) they visit during the holidays.

There now.

Don't you feel so much better about yourselves!

You're welcome!















RANDOMNESS #2 - In case you've ever wondered, this is what a ten month-old Thanksgiving Indian looks like.


I know he's a little fair and blue-eyed, but I think he makes a fine, fine Indian.

RANDOMNESS #3 - The Polar Express - I bought the tickets as soon as they went on sale, and we were all scheduled to leave at 4:30 to get there at 5:30 and depart the train station at 6:30.

What went wrong, you ask...

1. OVER two hours to get to a destination only 45 minutes away.

2. Josh was unable to join us because of work.

What went right...

1. Mike bought everyone chicken strips and biscuits from Bojangles to eat in the car, so dinner was taken care of completely.

2. Roxie came from Auburn, so she got there with time to spare. Even though the tickets said something like, "Under no circumstances will we hold the train for latecomers," she kinda got one of the conductors to hold the train for four minutes while everyone parked and ran.

She's good at things like that.

3. RT and Judith had no idea what was going on, so running to catch a train to the North Pole was all fun and games to them.

I, however, was slightly stressed and had that flop sweat thing going for me.

Looking back, I now think it might have been fun to jump onto the MOVING train...

Like in the movies...

But as we all know by now, my life is not anything like the movies.

Heavy sigh.


I used to think there was no reason to take a baby to special events they were never going to remember, but Little Man thoroughly enjoyed everything about the train ride...

The lights, the sounds, the ride.

He might not remember it, but he sure did have a good time.




These shoes slay me.

Get it?

S-L-E-I-G-H me.

Ha!






Finally...

The giant cookie!




We thoroughly enjoyed our train ride to the North Pole.

RANDOMNESS #4 - Sunday Thanksgiving - My side of the family celebrated Thanksgiving the Sunday before the actual holiday, and for the second year in a row, we had our Thanksgiving at the Palisades in Oneonta.


















Stephanie's Rice Krispie Treat Drumsticks were a big hit with the two and under crowd.

Who am I kidding?

The 56 and older crowd liked them very much, too.



This was Judith's contribution to our Thanksgiving meal AND my front porch this past November.


RT is beginning to think this "holiday stuff" is pretty fun.

And he would be correct in this assumption.


Note to self...

Let's get the "little kid pics" out of the way at the beginning of the evening. Everyone is more than just a little pooped in this photo.

RANDOMNESS #5 - Oxford Thanksgiving - Everyone was in attendance for Thanksgiving lunch with Grandma. Good food, fantastic weather, lots of kids and everyone in between made for a really nice holiday.

M


As the oldest female "young" cousin, Lauren is the Little Mother who brings all the little girls together.




It wasn't real turkey, but he was satisfied.

Just wait until next year.


Brandi and Matthew.




Mike, Judith and Grandma.


The background is almost as entertaining as Little Man.


Micah worked very hard on his Thanksgiving artwork.



Have a great weekend, and I'll be back soon with holiday stuff galore!

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda