The Trusty ole Red Book

It wasnt until today that It hit me. ITS JUST US HERE. No friends around, no family to visit with. No bouncing from House to house, no exchanging of gifts and being stuffed with deviled Eggs and Cherry cheesecake.
So we are opting to start our own annual Traditions. Traditions that I hope we will see through until the Children Make families of their own.
So while thinking about What we can do And Having to cook our turkey a head of time, and not liking its flavor. I thought, WHY NOT slow cook the turkey in a pool of flavor and create a homemade turkey pot pie. For Christmas Day.
Im going to also try my hand at Grams Buttermilk Biscuits, and the best Chocolate Cake recipe comes from the side of Hershey's cocoa Powder. So their we go. its set and if it turns out well...TRADITION set.
So Of course I start looking up recipes for the pie crust. remembering I do not know the recipe that came from my fathers infamous RED COOK BOOK. The Trusty OLD, ratty, falling apart book. That has the best pie crust recipe in the pot pie area. SOOOOO yum. His Trusty ole Red Book is so old, its missing pages, and has hand written recipes and cut outs he has collected along the way. Black and white photos of certain recipes and I can RECALL it from my Childhood.
Which of course, makes me miss the good times with my dad. The little traditions we had as a family while I was growing up. The Video Camera always plastered to his eye every Christmas morning. The Going around the circle of us kids, allowing us to only open one gift per time. Torturing us, and prolonging the JOY. Chocolate Cream pie with Cool whip. Runny Eggs and Fatty bacon the Morning of. The Yule Log and Christmas Music playing on the TV as we opened our Gifts. Dad either Falling asleep on the sofa or purposely taking a nap. His Chocolate chip cookies. "Its a wonderful life" in the kitchen, while he was baking.
All remembering this from his trusty ole Red book pie crust recipe.


As for Traditions, I cant wait to bake cookies on Christmas EVE, let the kids open stockings and Listen to Grandma Lights Voice from "the night before Christmas" book.

Im really looking forward to this Christmas.

IS IT HERE YET?

Oh I Wish I had a river you could skate away on

Joni Mitchells "River"
It's coming on Christmas
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on

But it don't snow here
It stays pretty green
I'm going to make a lot of money
Then I'm going to quit this crazy scene
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on

Love this classic Beautiful Song. Most of Ms Joni Mitchells songs always get to me, but this time of year. I so love to hear her voice. I sink into my seat each and every time I play this song. While its Beautiful and Sad, it also reminds me about WHY I SO LOVE this time of year. And How I wish, That everyone come be filled with Joyful spirit during Christmas.

The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear.
OHH Buddy the Elf. How Fun of you. It fits my personality so well.
Though I sing aloud for all to hear all year long,I couldnt agree more with his elfish quote.


Merry Christmas.
YES I SAID MERRY CHRISTMAS. Not happy holiday's. My christian and I believe in Christ. And even though Christmas might have no REAL reason to do with the birth of the Savior. The Fact that he is used as one of the many christmas stories. Is good enough for me. I do my best not to offend my fellow readers. But I must say this. Being "insulted" for one to say Merry Christmas, as if its to DOG your personal religion is quite...unkind...and a few other choice words. No one used to be offened. No one used to make it their goal in December to pick fights about word choices. Everyone was KIND, and gentle, and celebrated according to how they saw fight, with out a care of what people knew about their family.
Snobbish Consumers who huff and snuff and spit at the employee for Receiting a Little Christmas goodbye is more dirty then that employee sending them off with a little Jolly.
Its so sad what the World has become. I see more people fight Merry Christmas for the Fact it has the Word CHRIST. I see people Fight Merry Christmas because of Stories that portray the Lord. I see people fight it, because they are lost and confused and full of hate instead of compation. They dont know what to believe or who to believe in so pretend that there is no higher power. What a sad little life to live.
So Im here. SINGING LOUD. "I WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS I WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR"

Christmas, a time to give...and receive. To be thankful, to show your thankfulness. To be united as a family. TO join in Christmas cheer. TO eat hearty foods, indulge in sweets and a bit too much nog. A time to throw snowballs at your brother or help decorate a palm tree while in FLorida. ;)
Its a time for Story telling, and wishful thinking. To use your imagination and through yourself into make believe.
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT friends. Why are we lacking Christmas SPIRIT. Who cares if your kids are grown, your all alone. You arent a believer in anything magical. This is the time of year to let those walls down and just enjoy.
I get so sad that people rush through christmas. That they cant wait for it to be over. They arent excited for it. They put no thought or effort into creating a twinkling red and green feastival of cheer.
SO what if you feel its too Commercialized. GOT OVER IT FRIENDS. Just because the hustle and bustle of shoppers gone wild leaves the shelves a bit bare, and mom's a bit frantic. Doesnt mean you have to partake in all that. You can celebrate, and be thankful, and share in the stories. You can make a beautiful meal and drink to your hearts content. You dont have to get all scrooge and ruin it for other people who LOVE even the mere thought of Christmas. There is no harm in the thought, in the meaning and believing of a tradition.
I dont care about where it started, how we adopted it from pagens. Or that Santa Claus was really some crazy man that broke into homes.
The spirit of what it means. Is what this Decker Family cares about. We care about the Joy the Thought of Santa coming gives our kids. How they talk about the flying and the presents and the cookies and the candy canes. The North pole and Santa's workshop. and the other end of It being jesus Birthday, and we sing a Joyous Christmas Christian melody. WE care. We enjoy, we play make believe for our children and we light up because of their excitement.
Commercialized? Sure....but all you scrooges out there are whats bringing down christmas. So grab a candy cane, put on a classic Christmas Movie, share a laugh. Throw back some nog and GET IN SOME CHRISTMAS SPIRIT~