Day Sixteen 2016

Today is the winter solstice. The shortest day of the year and the longest night. Winter solstice is officially the first day of winter.  In this season of cold and dark, when things seem their bleakest, what would cause the ancient people to celebrate?  Because long before people celebrated the birth of Jesus, they knew that this day, this time of darkness and longest night was the worst that it would be.  From here on the days get incrementally longer, and in six short months we will be bathed in summers light.

I am trying something different this winter solstice; I am marking it down as darkest point of this year, the bleakest, the saddest.  This is the lowest point in my mourning.  Starting tomorrow I am willing it to get better.  Maybe not in leaps and bounds, but incrementally.  I choose to celebrate whatever tiny minuscule good thing that comes my way tomorrow and each day afterwards.

“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.”

― Albert Camus

Day Fifteen 2016

Tonight I am posting the best part of the party, no not the fabulous decorations, or the amazing food, but our guests, our friends who braved the cold to come out and see us.

From the very first year, where I wore sweats and sat on the floor wrapping presents, the party has been about inviting our friends into our home, (or in recent years, into the fireman’s hall) during the busy holiday season to relax and catch up.

I fully realize the irony in that because it has grown slightly out of control and we probably have too many guests to actually catch up with all of them, but when we make the list, it is so hard to take people off. (Even when people have irritated me, I am hard-pressed to take them off the list).

Some people asked about the reserved signs this year.  I have written about the loss of several friends this holiday season.  One of the last conversations I had with Jay was the first week of December and he said he wanted to try and make it to the party this year.  That and Geraldine and Becca’s conversation about just jumping in the car and driving in for the party made me want to honor that in some way, show that while my friends and family may be gone, they are not forgotten and I am honoring their presence in my life

Chris Young & Jay Kopp

Christopher Kinkade

Geraldine Black

Day Fourteen 2016

Party Menu in review

Best part of the party menu? Party leftovers!

Day Thirteen 2016

I was thinking about this the other day when Kat’s friends Summer and Hailey were in town.  We were discussing the fact that the boys go to NW Classen HS, and that it is not on NW Classen at all, and never was, it was so named because it is NW of Classen HS.  Go figure.  NW Classen boasts famous alumni Elizabeth Warren (yes THAT Elizabeth Warren) who got her start debating at NW Classen.  Another famous Alumnus is country singer Vince Gill.

In fact, they even have a life size statue of Vince Gill newly erected on campus in 2014.  Paul was telling us about the dedication after the fact.  As we understand it, Vince gave some money to the school and part of it was used for the statue.  To be honest the statue doesn’t really look like him, but he did show up for the statue dedication the first fall that we were back in Oklahoma City.

I asked Paul about it and he said not very many HS students showed up, because that is not exactly a popular style of music at NW Classen anymore.  I asked how the dedication was, and he said, very matter of factly, that it was alright, that he just stood there next to Vince Gill’s wife, and talked to her a little, since she looked bored.

Let that sink in.

Think about it.

My Paul stood next to AMY GRANT and chatted her up because she looked bored.

Say what you want about contemporary Christian music, back in the day she was the queen of it.  Not to mention, one could argue she is now the queen of Christmas music.  How many Christmas albums does she have? 3? 4?  Yeah, and that is my Paul right there.

Day Twelve 2016

Post Party Exhaustion.

24 hours later. My feet still hurt, and I missing my belt.  Still haven't found the fancy mustards and the spice gumdrops.

Also, just wondering if anyone else is trying to figure out if next years party is the 16th or the 23rd?

And Kat wants me to come up with decorations that can be thrown away at the end of the night?

Day Eleven 2016

Since 2011 I have asked the boys to help out and write a blog entry for me.  So far I have been less than successful getting a response.  UNTIL NOW... Here is my Matthew's contribution.

Year Of Firsts

Writing this I realized; I haven't actually written for this blog before. I've been recorded for it. I've been photographed for it. I've been quoted, and I have been the topic.  But I've never actually written anything for it yet. So this can be the year of firsts. For me, anyway.

It's the first year I'm writing something for the blog. It's the first year I don't want it to be Christmas yet. I'm sure you can think of why, (too much heartache). It's the first year I only asked for two things for Christmas. It's the first year I had to take midterms. It's the first year I haven't been able to help nearly as much as I wanted, (broken hand). Year of firsts for me.

It's also the year my father told me to 'liberate' an ornament #OrnamentLiberationFront.  I have been told that it's actually considered 'theft' if you attempt to liberate an ornament off of a tree in Walmart or Buy For LeSS. I'm fairly certain it's only theft if you get caught. However, I have not liberated anymore ornaments. That I will admit too, that is.

Although, I will admit that my family might be slightly insane at times. More so, when the year is coming near to an end. And this is something I've recently noticed. Just this year actually. All of these reasons make this year my year of firsts.

Day Ten 2016

Recipe for Disaster.

So today, despite my somehow managing to avoid it, we are in full party prep mode here.  So in the honor of party prep I thought I would share a recipe with everyone.  This is the top secret recipe for my famous cranberry salsa.  I can share it because Kat already shared it with Beverly.  Top secret indeed. 

Cranberry Salsa

1 one lb bag of fresh cranberries

½ an onion

2 or 3 jalapenos

2 oranges.

! cup sugar

1 cup water

First chop up the onion, go ahead and chop up ¾ an onion of that’s what you are working with.  Chop up the jalapenos too.  This is a good time to think about if you want to include the ribs or seeds.  OR wearing gloves, although if you didn’t think this far ahead it is too late for gloves. 

Peel and then section the oranges.  Sectioning is a fancy word for cutting up the orange so that you only get the fruit, you don’t get any of that membrane skin.  I actually do know how to do this, but usually Kat steps in and helps, i.e. takes over on this part.

 

Make a simple syrup of the sugar and the water in a pan on the stove, stirring with a wooden spoon.  

Add some finely chopped orange peel.  Did I forget to mention you need that?  Go ahead and dig it out of the trash can.  Or grab one of those tiny orange cuties and peal that instead, then do a fine chop on that skin instead.  Add that to the simmering simple syrup.

Wash the cranberries and add them to the simple syrup, wait till they all ‘pop’ like 3-4 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  If you go in the other room to talk to Kathleen or Paul, just don’t forget about the cranberries.  After the cranberries are ready, turn the stove off, add the chopped onions and jalapenos.  If you chopped up ¾ of an onion you have too much.  I did tell you just a half an onion but you thought you could wing it.  Typical.  Add the orange now too.  Stir until well mixed, leave to cool.  Once cool put in a clean glass jar or container and refrigerate until ready to serve.

I usually serve it over a block of cream cheese with crackers.  It is also delicious with chicken, or turkey, or pork. 

Now here is the rub. Or rather, if you didn’t wear the gloves, here is where you can’t rub, or scratch, or pretty much touch anything sensitive.  Tonight I mentioned to the boys that once, about six years ago, hours after making the salsa I scratched an itch in a, well, sensitive area.  Big mistake. Huge.  Not even funny. Not by a long shot.

And so, here I sit, with my contacts still in, afraid to touch my eyes to take them out.  I have itches I can’t scratch, and my lips are on fire from where I rubbed them.   

So go ahead, try this for yourself.  Or you could just buy some from Kathleen.