I finally paid the price for all these parties. Not usually eating very much, the rich food Friday evening did me in. I don’t know what I was thinking. A deep bowl of pastry covered lobster bisque, walnuts with goat cheese, and some kind of especially gooey chocolate dessert covered in vanilla bean ice cream. The main course was fine…if only I’d left the bisque and chocolate alone :( Serious tummy ache for the following 24 hours.

Nonetheless, it’s been a weekend of cooking and wrapping. Paper, bows and dirty dishes abound. I don’t seem to have enough time nor enough people around anymore to cook very often. So when I put that apron on and push up my sleeves, I seem to try to make up for lost time. And with the Christmas carols playing on the Bose, well, there’s just no stopping me. We now have a significant amount of chili, chicken salad, and split pea & ham soup. Christmas Pecans and cookies should happen tomorrow evening after work. Chocolate covered toffees are waiting under the tree for visitors. Pops is planning to make his very special brownies sometime this week.

After church this morning, Pops and I delivered Christmas presents to a family our church adopted. It’s in a poor part of the city, really the barrio, but the little place, sans children since gifts were coming, seemed warm and inviting. The old couple are raising five of their grandchildren; all boys from pre-K to sixth grade. The grandmother, Loretta, smiled her huge grin, teeth missing and all, and smacked our cheeks with kisses of gratitude. The grandfather moved slowly using a cane but was insistent on rising from the old couch and holding the door for us – while very grateful, he was a little more restrained and proud. Loretta caught me in one more bear hug as I was leaving. It’s strangely hard to leave such a home without turning back one more time to think…to hope the children being raised there have an appreciation of the love being so freely given.

I was out back clipping the Hibiscus plants near the pool this evening and as daylight was fading, I found myself wondering if there are still groups of Carolers. Do people still congregate in groups to go door-to-door singing Christmas carols? My youth group would go out each holiday season and end the evening with hot chocolate back at the church. Once a friend’s parents pulled us on a hay-filled wagon. Good times. Hope that tradition is still around somewhere.