Christmas was good, good in the way it was supposed to be, with lots of food, friends and good times. I got lots of toys to play with. I got a really really really nice microscope so I can look at cells and the things that live on my toothbrush. I got a talking Ann Coulter doll (which satisfies my inner child’s wish for the Barbie I never got when I was a kid), books I wanted, and the first four seasons of South Park on DVD, which I will always cherish. And my housemate hunted down a children’s book that I had when I was a kid that I always remembered and wanted to have again! Butterball the Little Chick! It was truly a child-like Christmas! On December 25th in the evening, I then went down my wish list and bought the things I didn’t get, to complement the things I did.


One of the things I’m kind of proud of is that I didn’t overdo everything like I always do…I plan big complicated meals and desserts and bake lots of bread and cookies, and have lots and lots of dirty dishes afterwards and a fair amount of resentment that someone who lives here is not pitching in to help. This time I cooked 2.5 meals, but they were fairly simple and easy to serve and clean up after. I announced after Christmas morning breakfast that I had pretty much had it with the kitchen and everyone else could pitch in to get the dinner meal together—I had already prepped the potatoes au gratin, the bean casserole, the artichoke dip, etc. and that needed to be done was cook/serve. I still ended up finishing the dishes that were left two days later, but at least I had one relaxing holiday evening.


I felt the urge this year to roll out the old Slovak traditional food that we always had for Christmas eve. My grandmother always cooked Christmas Eve dinner: pierogies of many stuffings, halupki (cabbage rolls) and I had intentions of making the vile sour mushroom soup I used to loathe as a kid, but decided to let it go at pierogies and halupki. I will make it sometime before the season ends though. We also made artery corks (aka roski) whose dough consists of equal parts cream cheese and butter, and a bit of flour to hold it together. I was trying to go easy on myself, so I looked all over for lekvar (plum/prune filling) but no store in town carried it. I made my own, which was much better in the end; used canned apricot filling for the rest of them. There was also shortbread and fudge, holiday sugar cookies and gingerbread. Found a great gingerbread recipe…different from any I’d seen before and delicious to die for!


I seriously suffered from post-holiday depression on the 26th. There was no way I could do anything to keep my eyes open. I napped a lot the whole day, and counted the minutes until I could pop an Ambien and sleep through the rest of the night. I did much the same thing the next day too. I would be doing it today but I am having plumbing work done, and we’re going to the movies later today to see the Narnia movie, which I hear is pretty good. I really want to see the Potter movie too, but don’t know when that will happen.


I’m so glad my friends Clay and Christopher drove down from Pennsylvania to spend Christmas here…I miss them a lot. But absence makes the heart grow fonder and thus their presence was really really special. Christopher LOVES his new job, and I’m so happy for him; I hope Clay finds work soon, and I’m sure that soon he will. The two pups of theirs are staying here with us and that makes 6 dogs total. You’d think it would be chaos, but it’s really not. The only thing that bothered me was that the weather did not cooperate this week.


I got a nod, weather-wise, for a white Christmas—it snowed big fat flakes all day and covered everything. Then the temp shot up and everything melted by evening. But the only problem I’m having is that it’s not cold. I wanted things to stay frozen so that there would be a minimum of muddy paws. Alas, that was not to be. But it all works out, and I’m sure I’ll get my cold weather soon. It’s almost 60 degrees today, which is unbelievable.


So the only traumatic holiday left is New Year’s Eve and New Year’s day. I plan on drinking a bottle of Pinot Grigio and going to bed when the urge hits me (which is getting earlier and earlier every year…to hell with midnight and auld acquaintances and confetti. I want my sleep! And then it’s back to school and work. But it is a great break and a great holiday and I’m very pleased with it all, which is unusual. I’m normally the scrooge in the house!