On Sunday, we had “Make Your Own Pizza” Night and “Christmas Cookie Creations: Another Chapter” here at our house.
Both were good. And fun.
The pizzas were delicious. Well, I can’t speak for all of them, but mine certainly was extraordinary. It was a lightly sauced Proschiutto and spinach with four cheeses number. Gone, but not forgotten.
Then we went on to the cookie decorations. The baking of them was the hardest part. Mary insisted on going the “homemade” route, and I suggested those nifty rolls from the refrigerator case at the grocery store — the ones that the cute little Dough-Boy hawks on TV. The recipe insisted that it would yield 8 dozen cookies. We were lucky to get eight cookies, total. Midday on Sunday, we sent the oldest grandson to the grocery in recovery mode. Us, 0. Laughing Dough-Boy, 2.
Either way, once the icing came on the scene, no one noticed. Yes. Icing, in the traditional red, white, and green. There are a lot of theories about why “red” and “green” are the go-to colors for Christmas. People try to link them to “green” as the life of Christ, and “red” as the color of the apple that befell the Adam, Eve. But that’s a stretch if you ask me.
Most historians agree it had largely to do with the ancient Winter Solstice Celebrations, the presence of Holly and its Berries. Which rhymes with Polly and her Mary’s, Jerry’s, Gary’s, Larry’s, Harry’s, Perry’s, Carrie’s, Terry’s, Dairies, and Faeries. Which, as you can see, turns into a big old Christmas Party.
Anyway. Back to the icing.
Red and green. Which combined, I’ll say for the record, turns into a lovely shade of gray/brown, which looks remarkably close to the color of the underside of a raccoon. We also had contraptions for the icing. Not just spreading knives and spoons, but fancy fill-em-up-and-squirt-em-out plastic devices. I steered clear of the mechanics, as they yielded unpredictable results among the ranks. Although, I must say, some of the cookies took on lives of their own, complete with interactive experiences.
It was a warm and happy night, except for the small, sugar-buzzed humans, who could not explain their sudden urges to throw anything round in shape, or to run in dizzying circles. Actually, there were some larger, sugar-slain, humans too, but they mostly just slowed into clutching positions, like sloths with tree branches.
I took the dogs out, on a few occasions, to find myself in the clear and crisp chill of the night, looking up in the quiet darkness. Up, at the scattered stars above. I listened deeply for the sound of angels singing, and in my mind and heart, I could hear their good songs. At times they sounded like Diane Ross and the Supremes, at other moments, like The Mamas and the Papas. Hey. They are my angels. They can sound any way I want them to.
Anyway. I stood and gave thanks for the good gifts of life. Not only at Christmas time. But all the time.
Then, I went back in and began washing icing off the walls, and prying sprinkles from the backs of chairs. And I gave thanks for that too. It is amazing what a few cookies, and a few angels, can do, for the good of all things.
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“The most beautiful moments in life are moments when you are expressing your joy, not when you are seeking it.”
― Jaggi Vasudev
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“Thanks for this day, for all birds safe in their nests, for whatever this is, for life.”
— Barbara Kingsolver
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“Images are deceiving. Salt and sugar look exactly the same but taste very different.”
― Suzy Kassem
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