one more thing...
So, here we are on December's first day... Fall's is ending, winter's
settling in. Endings and beginnings. Thanksgiving done, counting
down to Christmas. Today I had to say these words out loud. To myself.
More than once. "Start your Christmas shopping"! I love Christmas, but
shopping? not so much. I admit it, I'm NOT a fan of shopping [especially during the holidays]. There, I said it, I almost feel like I committed a mortal sin, like I may be related to the Grinch. Sorry. I'm not sure where it comes from, actually. I suppose a large part of it is that as the years go by the stress of holiday shopping increases proportionately, until it no longer justifies the price attached. I'm just sayin', getting me there usually takes a bit of work. I have to plan it out. Write everything down. Again and again. My
list spills onto pages five and six. But still I sit, look and listen.
I'm waiting until the crabby passes, to face the dreaded chore that is
nagging me. I know, right. Just drop everything. But, all in all, once the cranky clears hopefully it's not so bad.
I know decorating like the back of my hand. Villages, check. Trees, eight in all fully decorated. Santas, snowmen, flakes and bulbs thrown about for extra cheer. Tinsel, garland, pine roping, twinkling lights sparkling everywhere. Everything crazy, upside down, topsy turvy. Familiar put away, festive is the new norm. Everyday another bump in the road, loose ends to tie up, jobs half done, it's anybody's guess. Baking, second nature, the likes of which I haven't done in months. But shopping, pffffff! And the retail community just will not bend to my will-so I preform little bursts of holiday shopping here and there [Amazon.com is my new BBF] a smattering of shopping, a smidge of gift buying, a dusting of commercial retail, so see? enough holidayness to go around...Plus ordering out of the magic catalog that sells the perfect gift for everyone on my list. Okay, not really! I'm just fantasizing. Throwing myself a bone. But seriously, I do the best I can.
s'ok...
I have this kooky knack for swooping in during the busiest of times, and adding just one more
thing to the mix. Preferably one more huge, labor-intensive, extravagantly messy, fabulously insane thing. It's one of the irritating charming things about me, that also makes helping me a bit challenging. My motto always, "more is one more"! Capricious, every which way, quirky, with an emphasis on priority, has gotten me into trouble on many occasions. It's just me...wanting to scale a mountain before breakfast, build the pyramids before sunset, one more string of lights on the tree, one more batch of cookies thrown in for good measure.
Somehow, finally putting one foot in front of the other makes starting this task a little easier, less evacuation of Troy, more fun, giddy even. But still, you know how it goes: no parking spots, wall to wall shoppers, long lines, fussy babies, fussier adults, the reckless purchase of huge, lusty bags full. Every year, I fail to anticipate them...without fail. I knew it was coming. I just wasn't
expecting it so soon, you see the problem don't you?
So, I got it in my head to make marzipan, after all, what embraces the season more than almond flavored Christmas trees. This recipe? A bit like shopping, you hate it and you love it, it looks so easy...but, a word of warning - this dough can be very sticky
and difficult to work with. Besides that though, it really IS a simple
recipe - and the final results, fabulous!
peace.
great blog
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