Family Ties

I suppose some of you thought I had abandoned this blog as it had been so long since I posted anything. I know you will understand when I tell you there was a death in the family which made it difficult to think about live's more mundane things. However, I am back and with some good news. I am going to be a great-great-grandmother. That's right, two greats in front of the grandmother thing. When the baby is born in May he will make five generations of our family on this planet at the same time. I don't know how the planet feels about this, but we think it is pretty cool. There were five generations when I was born, so I have come full circle.

Merry Christmas

All the gifts are wrapped and ready for Christmas Day. Those for out of state delivery have been mailed, and those for giving here at home are ready for their spot under the tree.

Although our family is now spread out from coast to coast, and we can no longer be assured that everyone will be at the table Christmas Day, we hold each other in our hearts, as I hold all of you in my heart this Christmas season. Have a wonderful Christmas surrounded by joy and love.

Christmas Candy

Christmas is the time we bake and make all kinds of goodies for family and friends. Many of us are pressed for time, however, Well here is the easiest candy recipe you will find. A friend from my days as a Girl Scout leader gave it to me and it has been a holiday mainstay ever since.

Potato Fondant

Ingredients: 1 small Russet potato
3 cups confectioner's sugar. You may need more as much depends on the size of the potato.
1 tsp. vanilla

Peel, boil and mash potato. While it is still warm begin to add confectioners sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla. Wrap fondant in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to firm. Fondant should be firm enough it will hold it's shape when formed into balls. If it is too soft all is not lost. Just put some confectioner's sugar on your board and knead it into the fondant until you get a consistency that you like.

Now you can make little balls and roll in chopped nuts or coconut. You can use it to stuff dates. My family favorite was p-nut butter fondant. Working with half the fondant at a time, roll out your fondant to a sheet about 1/4 inch thick. To keep it from sticking cover your board and pin with confectioner's sugar.Cover the sheet with p-nut butter. Roll up like a jelly roll and cut into pieces. With any candy you make it is a good idea to let the pieces sit out on a clean towel to dry for about an hour.

It has been my experience that if you are giving this to neighbors or taking some to work it is a good idea to have the recipe typed up on a few cards because someone will want it. Enjoy.

Package Returned

Well, that is what one gets when one has smugly announced to the world their Christmas mailing has been done. Today one of the packages was returned. It apparently had been stomped on and the address label was gone. Sigh---. I repacked it in a new box. All the contents were there and intact. Then I readdressed it, and my husband will make yet another trip to the post office, not his favorite thing to do. I have never had this happen before and have no idea what went wrong. The recipients should still get it before Christmas. With the blizzard back east I wonder how much is getting through. Well, no problem. I know Santa can make it.

Christmas Packages

The Christmas boxes are in the mail and on their way. Didn't think to take a picture of the pile of knit goodies that were sent, but almost everyone got a knitted gift.

I have such a large family I long ago established a routine I have followed through the years. I never stop knitting for Christmas. Everytime I see a pattern I know someone would like, or I am asked by someone if I can make a specific item or when I simply become aware of a fashion trend I know the young people will want, I make it. I have a plastic storage bin into which each item goes when finished. As Christmas approaches I sort everything, wrap and for those in other states pack and mail. I don't know if this system would work for others, but by preparing all year I am no longer rushing around at the last minute with that sinking feeling that someone has been overlooked.

Of course there is one draw back. Items left out where visiting family members can see them often end going home with someone.

Fall Color Tour

Yesterday my husband insisted I go to the front door and take the "fall color tour". Many of you may live in one of those areas that becomes a mass of brilliant red and yellow each year as the leaves turn color in autumn.

Here is our example. Okay, so it lacks a bit in dramatic impact. but are the red and gold leaves in the East highlighted by a background of palm trees? I think not. And you can look at our autumn splendor wearing a T shirt. It is seventy three degrees outside.

December 7

As some of you may all ready know I am a survivor of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. For those history buffs among you, my personal account of the bombing is here in three parts. Scroll down to start at the beginning.

I referred to myself as a survivor, but don't really think of myself that way. I think of the survivors as all the sailors, marines and soldiers who rushed to their duty stations and tried so valiantly to fight back without the resources to do so. How does one shoot down an enemy plane with a hand gun? My father broke open a locker that contained machine guns, and the men with him set them up, but a machine gun is a poor weapon against an enemy plane overhead.

Let us hope that someday human beings will learn to settle their problems without war. The cost is too high.