New Words

I guess I am going nuts. I was playing the word game on freerice.com, and I was suddenly aware that our language has gone to pot. We never use these words anymore. What happened? Do we just get into habits and get lazy? I guess we could play the game that we played in college and write down one new word from the dictionary and make a sentence. But I certainly don't remember some of these words. Oh, well!

I have declared that I am through with this Christmas mess! I hate the traffic, I hate the nutty people, etc., etc., etc. Of course, my job requires that I do drive into the mall mess, or the Wal-Mart Mess. Yesterday was shopping day for most of my seniors. "Please let me stay until 2p.m." What do they do in the grocery store for 3 hours? I guess I don't really want to know. Wal-Mart is a heavenly place when you are 85 years old and cannot go very fast. One told me she just slowly goes up and down each aisle. I asked if she had a list of things she needs. "Oh, yes, I have my list right here." Oh, well! I guess some day I will be there too. But not in Wal-Mart.

It was such a glorious week of windy, warmish, sunny days. Yesterday someone pulled the shades down, and it was cloudy, dreary, and chilly. It is still dry, and everyone is complaining of no rain again. I noticed there had been a sprinkle out here in the country when I got home. But no rain. I finally broke down and ordered a full-spectrum light at a greater price than I have seen on Ott lights. I found the ad in the Alaska magazine. I was thinking I probably really don't need one. When the true drab, dreary colors of winter appeared, I was happy that I have ordered one. I will give a report when I get it.

I have been doing non-knitting things this week. I did start an oven mitt that I am knitting and will felt. But since I finished my little projects over Thanksgiving, I am really only working on the two afghans. I am so lazy, but I do have to start my holiday cooking soon. I want to make some of my Sherry Pecans. It is a wonderful recipe from my grandmother, and it is like a soft praline. Really, really sugary goodness! With a little Sherry thrown in the last step. The alcohol evaporates, but the taste is there.

My family was always big candy makers when I was little. It was my parents favorite thing to do. After the all-night candy making that my parents would do, all the family got into making cookies, cakes, and "stuff". We would assemble tins and baskets of goodies to give to the elderly people and shut-ins from our little church and town. We would deliver all of these on Christmas Eve. We started our Christmas on December 6, which is St. Nicholas Day. We would leave our shoes out, and leave carrots for the horse. And we always got a little gift of some kind. Never much. It was the week after this that my parents would do their all-night candy making. We were also required to make our Christmas gifts. I cannot tell you how many handkerchiefs I embroidered as a child. After I learned to knit and crochet things, I made hats and scarves.

My favorite story my grandmother told on us was when my brother and I came up with a wonderful idea of how to put more presents under the tree. We didn't care about what was in them, just having the pretty packages under the tree. I was probably 5 or 6, and he was 8 or 9. Everyone knew that we did it because of the wrapping. My father was one of those artistic wrappers that made it look BEAUTIFUL! But not our wrapping. So when everyone unwrapped the presents, there were our beach towels, our swim suits, a pair of shorts, or even summer shoes. Anything that we could find that no one would miss. And we just covered the floor under the tree with pretty packages! Such silly children!

I guess I better get ready to go. I wanted to go to the alpaca show, and to the library in town. I guess I better look at my recipes and get the stuff I need. I will also get a new candy thermometer. I can't make divinity, but I think some of the other stuff will make in the weather we are having.