My Advent Calendar

December 15th 

A small ceramic Christmas tree, purchased in the 80s or 90s at a church holiday bazaar.  The granddaughters like to rearrange the lights.

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Just updated my Books Read 2025 listing.  I'm up to 84 books this year.  I still have three weeks of reading left so will beat last year's count of 85 for sure.

If you look at the list you'll see a lot by Archer Mayor.  He's a mystery writer based in Brattleboro Vermont.  I really enjoy he's writing and though I imagine you can start reading any of them I'm reading in order. The first one is Open Season if you want to look for them in your library.

My Advent Calendar

December 14th

 

 This was likely a teacher gift to me.  I don't recall much more than that.  Over the years its glasses have become askew.  I've never really checked to see if it really is a light bulb under that decoration.

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Light snow here this morning. Dan says there is rain in our forecast for this week.

My Advent Calendar

December 13th

 

This ornament was purchased at a Native American craft stand in Arizona, probably Navajo potters made it but I don't recall.  We were visiting by brother and sister in law in 2013 I believe and took a road trip to Sedona than the long way back to Anthem where they live.

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Busy day today.

More cookies plus other stuff to do.

Molasses this time.  They smell so good. For me it's one of the fragrances of Christmas. I've made double batch.

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David, I'd love to do a comparison cook off of lemon meringue pies with Miriam.  How in the world can we pull that off?

The one I made yesterday was delicious.  Ed, who was one of our hosts for dinner, said it's his birthday pie of choice.  A June birthday, this was his half birthday pie.  I have vague memories of having one of these for a birthday when I was in my single digits 70 years ago?

My Advent Calendar

 December 12th

Christmas bird, one of two, made for me by daughter Emily years ago.

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It's been a baking day so far.

Lemon meringue pie to take to dinner at friends' house this evening.

Two kinds of cookies.

First these are Oatmeal Almond with golden raisins and coconut.

This recipe is based upon a oatmeal chocolate chip recipe I got from a colleague when I worked in DC 50 years ago.  It's a delicious chocolate chip cookie but I have used it to make Oatmeal Almond cookies - leave out chocolate chips and change the 2 tsp of vanilla to almond extract.  This time instead of chocolate chips I used shredded coconut and golden raisins and of course the almond extract.  My taste tester, Dan, proclaimed them delicious.

The other batch made was peanut butter cookies, a recipe from a neighbor almost 40 years ago.

Funny how most of my cookie recipes are ancient!

I'm planning to make two or three more kinds tomorrow and then with granddaughters #1 & #2 over in the afternoon while Emily and Matt go Christmas shopping, I hope to package some up for the neighbors. I figure I need 6 plates of cookies.  3 of those are for singles, 2 for couples and one for a family of 7!