Thursday, December 17, 2009

Baking, Cooking, Making...

Well, it is the season for it ~ all the baking and cooking and making!

I have resisted the sugar plum making and cookie baking and the storm cooking.

I think that now it is time. It has taken all I can do to hold back. A few posts ago I talked about not being in the Christmas Spirit. I think that part of the reason is that I've not been in the kitchen with flour and sugar all over me and the floor. This is what makes me happy and brings so much satisfaction and pleasure.

I LOVE to bake! I love to make fudge and peanut butter balls (Buckeyes) and all sorts of fun things like haystacks and White Trash and Chex Mix and cookies and pies and breads and and and and ... well - just things in the kitchen.

So, now I need to get busy. I have resisted because I don't want to eat it. I just want to make it. BUT, I know that if I make it, I have to eat it and test and taste to make sure it is good. One bite leads to another. After all, will the next pan of cookies be done or burned? What if the candy cooked too long or didn't get mixed well and one piece is not as good as the next. Or maybe the first was bad and so I need to see if it gets any better.

The pressure is on. You see, our neighbor is leaving on Saturday to be gone for 2 weeks and we want to make sure we get our gift to them before they leave. Plus, it is the third Friday and Sunday. That means that we have a covered dish dinner Friday and Saturday and also a gift exchange.

The double/triple meaning here is that we are leaving Friday to go to Oz and will be gone for the weekend (staying for a parade late Sunday afternoon). This makes for a VERY long weekend. It also makes for a stressful day in preparation for all the clothes, food and gift needs.

I have gifts ready for all the members of the church - adults and children. That was a fun activity and I am excited about them. They have special meaning to me and I pray that they will for them. It is something that I made - but not food. (I'll share later what it is just in case someone reads it and it spoils the surprise.)

I'm sure that Jesus did not come from Heaven to earth for all this frantic busyness. He did come to set the example of love and giving until it hurts. I think that we put the pressure on us in the wrong ways to "give until it hurts"... financially, physically, and emotionally.

I want to remind MYSELF again... it is most important that at this time of the year and life, to keep Jesus right in the middle of my mind and focus and activities. If I don't, I'm not happy and you know the saying... if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. With a name like "Merrie", I should be the chief of "happy"!

So, in the midst of the hustle and bustle and hurry and scurry... stop, take a minute and look around you. Count your blessings. Be thankful. Say a prayer. Check your attitude and make sure it is one of gratitude!

Blessings on you~ May this be the Merriest Christmas yet for you and your family!

1 comment:

Chel's Leaving a Legacy said...

You and I have a lot in common...I love to bake and cook and prepare...for others. :-) I just today mailed two big boxes full of homemade goodies to our families in Texas. I do taste test, but at least the bulk of it gets out of my house in a hurry! LOL But then I've got 3 hungry boys and one hungry man to help out in the tasting department, too.

Merrie Christmas, Merrie! ;-)