Christmas Lights

We're busy making preparations for the holidays. Today is day 1 of the Lefse Fabrication Extravaganza. Dr. B promised to come home before lunch (yeah, and if he makes it, I'm a monkey's uncle) to help with the baking of the spuds, peeling, ricing (twice), mixing, portioning, and chilling of the dough. Then tomorrow our friends Seth and Erin come to help us roll and "bake" on the griddle. This year we're only doing a half batch, since we didn't get around to it before Thanksgiving. This will yield 160 pieces (40 rounds), instead of 320, like we usually make. (Now you can see why we need help.) Much beer will be consumed, appetizers eaten (including MIL's smoky salmon and pecan cheese ball), and all will be followed by a traditional North Dakota My Mom's Meatballs dinner, with potatoes and gravy, my cranberry-almond squash, and of course, lefse with butter and sugar. Mmmm... Everything for dinner has been prepared ahead, and just needs to be thrown in the oven while we work, except for boiling a few spuds. I may have baked nary a Christmas cookie this year, but most of our favorite holiday foods will be present on this one day. Yum.

Then on Saturday, we load up the car to head north. Rowan gets her second international trip before she turns one--how many babies can say that? We're off to the suburbs of Toronto, to visit Jeff's aunt and uncle and cousins Steph and Scott and their families. Steph's got a lot of really fun stuff planned, and we can't wait to see them all and to visit Toronto--I've never been there, and Dr. B hasn't for many years. It will be good to get out of Dodge for a while, and go somewhere a bit more, um, shall we say cosmopolitan? (Not that Central PA isn't lovely, but frankly people, the mullet is over. Like fifteen years ago. Give it up.) We'll open our gifts here on Friday. I have no qualms about it not being "the day", and Dr. B is rapidly getting over his. I reminded him, "you're a Buddhist. What does it matter to you when Jesus was born? And we don't even know for sure what day it was, anyway." Being the logical sort he is, the insistence on opening the gifts on the same day as "everyone else" petered out, but quick. I can't wait to see his face when he opens his presents, and to watch Rowan enjoying, um, well? Likely the wrapping paper and boxes mostly. Toys, too, but I'm thinking it will be the garbage that really excites her.

So, if you don't hear from me, may you and yours have a wonderful celebration of whatever you're celebrating this time of year. May you have lots of good food, good bev, and good cheer. May your pants fit the next morning, may there be no need for Pepto, and may Santa and his reindeer clean up the kitchen for you while you sleep.

Happy Holidays!