Christmas Lights

Last night while Shaun and Kristal went out to celebrate their Anniversary, we took the kids to White Spot and then drove around looking at light displays of various homes around town. It was a fun way to spend time in the car with them.

This first house was hardly visible behind all of the blow up decorations and the kids were quite impressed. I decided to take some quick photos from my window so we could choose a winner at the end.

So much creativity and work went into these displays.

We stopped to take in the views and  then moved on.

It didn't take Evy long to figure out how this worked, and she'd call out

from her car seat, "Next one!" 

I think my favorite one was when Natalie suddenly started singing

 "Oh come all ye Faithful , , , " and we could not help but sing along.

A beautiful way to share the joy!

And yes... I know this one does not fit in at all, 

but I thought I'd add "home sweet home."

Hot chocolate with mini marshmallows finished off the evening perfectly

just before mom and dad came to get their sleepy kids.

Mom, I'm so Sorry!

Alzheimer's is a terrible disease that is slowly stealing pieces of my mom's mind. Looking back over the past year, it has manifested itself by blurring her sense of time. It is a confusing concept - she can recite the months from the childhood memory part of her brain but she forgets what month we are in now. For those of us who plan each day, we have no idea how we depend on this awareness of time. Not knowing, creates panic and undue stress for her even in the mundane daily tasks.

At the beginning of this year, feeling some sense of urgency, mom made a trip to the Dollar Store and bought cards in mass amounts, Soon she was overwhelmed with all the cards for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, strewn about in piles - missing envelopes, partly written -  frustrated at not being able to figure out an order. Monika and I organized a filing box with the designated cards filed behind each month of the year so she could write them when needed. What we learned is that this new concept was not teachable. By the next day all of the cards were out of the box and many were sent out within weeks. So then, when almost everyone received their greetings at the beginning of the year, we thought she was done! However, as the months went by, birthdays came around and she thought they needed a card. We told her not to worry because she had already sent one. Her response was always, "but that was last year!" . . . making this a very long year, mostly because she has had unnecessary stress about writing cards over and over again.

You see, my mom is was  is caring, beautiful, smart, tidy, hard working and organized. But when the fog settles in on her, her living space becomes a whirlwind that tells a hundred other stories.  We don't know this new mom, and walking in on this scene, knowing it's not how she wants things, is hard. How can she create order when it does not happen in her mind?

The second thing and the one most of us think about when we think of Alzheimer's or dementia, is forgetfulness. A normal phone conversation between us can go like this:

me: Hi, Mom! How was your day?
mom: Oh, I'm so tired. I was so busy!
me: Oh, what did you do today?
mom: I don't know. (laughs or sounds sheepish)
me: (I let her think . . . and ask questions to stimulate her thinking, before she resorts to asking, Abe, what they did.)
me: So, did you go out at all? ( I know because I called and she was not home)
mom: Oh yes! Abe took me to Sears to get a jacket for my Birthday! (and we are both so happy when she remembers this special event!! Because the connection happened.

Now I know the card writing is something that will pass and leave only good memories of how she loved us, and we can all forget what we did yesterday, but there are things in everyday life that don't come out quite so sweet. At times I catch sight of her "in another world" unaware of the conversation we're having. She may be focused on a children's book or a photo, seemingly having shut us out. Sometimes we are misunderstood while trying to help her see things, such as her unsafe ideas of food storage. We sense her distrust in our advice which she will act upon in her own way with uncharacteristic stubbornness, and I come away, from what is supposed to be a nice coffee with mom, feeling sad, angry and frustrated. And then guilty.  Maybe it helps to realize it's because I love her and this is not how I want to lose her.

On Saturday we will celebrate her 82nd birthday. Excited to come for dinner, she will depend on Abe to tell her when the day is here.  This year, in spite of the early signs of the dreaded disease, I'm thankful  that we still have so much of her, the most obvious one being her awareness of and love for her family. I thank the Lord for her and for the blessing she has been and always will be to me as I continue to learn from her.

A MGCC Party

Getting together with the Mennonite Girls has become one of my favorite Christmas parties.

This year Kathy invited us all, with our husbands, to their new home.

Judging by the pictures we take, it may look like it's all about the food.

It isn't. But it sure was good!

Kathy's table was exquisite! 

I don't  use that word much. 

She told us what was old and what was new.

She had taken time to borrow and polish silverware 

and also made the beautiful napkin rings.

We all brought something,

but the main meal was prepared by Scot and Kathy

and was so delicious!

You can see the beautiful table here.

After dinner we ladies had a small gift exchange game.

We each brought a tea towel and went home with one.

A number of these are Ellen's photos and that is why she is missing in them.

Dessert was yummy ... but sad to say I was too full.

By then it really was more about hanging around the table 

and enjoying a friendship we never
would have guessed possible when we started blogging. 

Tis the Season

The doorbell rang as I was making dinner.

When I opened the door the delivery person was back in his truck

and the first brown boxed parcel was laying on the mat.

I felt a mix of wonder and excitement . . .

even if I did order it . . . whose gift arrived?

The lights on the timer go on outside . . .

While inside I'm enjoying the greenery.

I love wreaths hung on picture frames, knobs and doors.

The nativity scene on the mantle is another favorite  . . .

as are all of my sheep

and angels.

This year, in Indiana, we purchased this battery operated canvas picture.

The candles light up and flicker. 

While this centerpiece, with some sprucing up,  has been part of most of our married life.

This year, I set it inside a black metal tray that I brought  up from the basement 

and left it as it was.

Candles, berries, pine cones 

And birds perched on the window sill garland . . .

are just some of the simple joys of the season!

Paper Bag Stars

I saw the idea for these paper bag stars at an Amish Farm tour shop

and it was fun to see how my American Thanksgiving Day visitors got into them!

I bought a few packages of lunch bags and we were set.

For each star we used about eight or nine bags -

gluing the shape of a T on each bag -

the top of the T on the closed end -
stacking them and letting them dry for a bit.
Well, that was the goal. It seemed to work not to let them dry.

The open end got marked off to make a tip.
Stars will vary in size and shape, depending on angles and  how much is cut off.

 and cut - using sharp kitchen scissors.
Some supervision was needed for the younger ones.

 It was fun to see how they fanned out!

Koen imagined himself being a helicopter. (Of course!)

We clipped them with paper clips 

so that way they could be closed and stored.

Natalie found out that the cut off parts made fun chains

or crowns.

Just another easy and fun way to 

hang out in Mimi's kitchen!

After School Peppernut Baking Party

I went to sleep last night with an old song by Steve and Annie Chapman
(changing the words to fit my sentiments . . . )
I count it as a privilege, I count it cause for praise.
To pick these girls up from school
and be greeted by their smiles!
For I know too soon  the time flies by
and older they will be.
Making memories is for today
to be part of us for life.

 When a Grammy gets reminded and asked . . .
you know it's important and it's time.

Peppernuts . . . Pfeffernuese . . . Paepanaet . . .

whatever you call them . . .

I did not grow up with these tiny German Mennonite spice cookies -
maybe because we lived far from extended family -
but they are becoming an adopted tradition now.
It's never too late.

The name reflects the size and the fact that you tend
to eat them by the handful, like nuts . . .

strangely addictive.

Depending on the amount of time they are baked,
they can be a little chewy or crunchy
and they keep for weeks at room temperature.

When I've made them before, I rolled snakes, about the thickness of my ring finger,

but we found it a lot easier to simply cut thick strips and slice them,

skipping the rolling. 

So, as in any good party, there was a goody bag for each girl to take home

and I have a feeling they were guarded like candy.

I wanted to try something new with the same dough, since it keeps so well.

Before baking them I punched a little hole in them, using a plain piping tip.

(the hole tends to close while baking, but is easily repunched with a toothpick while still warm)

These were done up in a hurry, but  they could make 

fun gift tags or rustic tree ornaments.

Natalie, Lacey and Teddy . . .

Thank you for such a great time around the baking peninsula . . .

where the seating order is important and special

where flour is liberally sprinkled, getting on sleeves and laps,

where cookie dough gets sampled again and again

and where stories and giggles abound.

I count it as a privilege.