“The smell of pine needles, spruce and the smell of a Christmas tree – those to me, are the scents of the holidays.”
Today is a busy day for me. My first concert since the mighty fall is this afternoon. I have collected everything I need: a festive red shirt, red Converse, bells and silly hats. I also have my music and my music stand. I’m ready.
I swear I am living under a cloud. This morning I toasted a lemon, blueberry muffin. I grabbed it and my coffee, went to the den, put my coffee down on the table and was about to sit when one side of the muffin slid off the plate. It landed in the coffee cup, and coffee flew all over the table. Of all places to land!
My father always put the tree in the same corner, the one between the windows where the TV usually sat. It was moved for the holiday. One year, when my parents were out, the tree fell. My brother and I rushed to save it. I grabbed the trunk, and he grabbed the base of the tree which was leaning out of the stand. We tried to get it to stand on its own, but it kept falling so we took turns holding it up until my parents came home. My father used wire around the trunk and attached the ends to the two windows. The tree stayed tall.
The tree was decorated the same way every year. First, my father put on the lights but only after he had untangled them. Next came the tinsel, strands of sparkling aluminum in silver, red or gold, strung around the tree. The ornaments followed. My mother’s favorite Christmas ornaments were giant, colored balls. We were not allowed to touch them. She always put them on the topmost branches. We decorated with the smaller balls. They were different colors and had designs on one side like a house with a star above. The ornaments were silver, gold, red and green. We made sure to place them on sturdy branches. I remember we also had a Santa drinking Coke with a hole in the top of the cardboard for hanging. That was one we put in the middle to hide a hole. We made ornaments every year so they were on the tree. One of my mine was voted the ugliest, but it went on the tree anyway. Icicles were last. My mother was patient. We were not. By that time we were tired of decorating. We tossed the icicles in bunches. She hung them one by one. She made the tree beautiful.
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December 8, 2023 at 2:37 pm
Hi Kat,
Today is another beautiful and pleasant day with a high temperature of 79°. Except for the falling leaves in the breeze it’s almost like springtime.
Good luck with your first concert after the accidental fall. And, please don’t trip over anything.
My remembrance of odors for Chanukah were the aroma of frying potato lakes especially the aroma of onion. My father put lots of onion in his potato pancakes. I am not a fan of them. If I have enough applesauce I can eat them. Some people eat them with sour cream, but I don’t like that either. Also, I don’t like yogurt. When I was a kid, we were unaware of the Israeli Chanukah tradition of eating sufganiyot, jelly donuts. I adore donuts of any kind. I think that the three major food groups should be salt, fat, and sugar, especially sugar. 🙂
I believe that on your last day on earth you won’t say, “Lord, if I only ate fewer donuts would I have an extra day on earth?” I will go out smiling as I enjoy that last chocolate pastry. 😦
December 9, 2023 at 10:55 am
Hi Bob,
It was downright cold yesterday. I think the high was in the mid-30’s. The one good thing was it stayed sunny all day.
The concert was excellent. It was good to be playing again. The crowd sang along with the carols, and it was a good number of people.
I’m with you about yogurt. I there is a lot of fruit, I can eat it, but the fruit is just disguising the taste of the yogurt. I like applesauce and usually have a jar sitting around. I love onions, but I don’t remember putting them in my latkes. Lately I have been frying onions with baby potatoes.
Lately I have been eating Snickers. I have no regret. I figure I deserve treats!
December 9, 2023 at 11:09 am
My father would prepare his latkes in a blender and put in onions, potatoes, and baking powder. I assume he got the recipe from his mother. The ones I like best are made with shredded potatoes without onions.
In descending order, Milkyway, Snickers, and Mars Bars. I love chocolate in any form except the dark bitter variety.
December 9, 2023 at 4:43 pm
I make mine with shedded potatoes. I always add onions.
Snickers is first for me. I also like chocolate of all flavors..