Last weekend I made the hour and a bit trip down to my Dad's house to help my sisters and a number of our family and friends make my mom's annual Christmas cookies.
Every single year for as long as I can remember my mom has made dozens and dozens and dozens of cookies and candies, the sort of thing I only ever experienced at Christmastime, separated them all onto plates and then proceed to give them to at least 30 families in our acquaintance. Usually Anne and I spent Christmas Eve driving around New Concord, drawing straws to decide who would knock on each door as we arrived and often coming home laden with some goodies of our own.
Last year Mom did her best, but Jennie ended up making most of the treats (I would have helped but by then I had moved to Cincinnati). It's a huge job, often taking Mom a week or two to accomplish (usually surrounded by her daughters who claimed that the cookie they had just eaten "broke" and practically begged to be eaten) and Jennie does not have that kind of time on her hands. So this year we did something a little different. With the help of our aunt Jennie made an order form so that anyone who wanted to could order Lynn's Special Christmas Cookies for I think $25 per plate depending on the size of the plate and whether or not you wished for it to be nut free. All proceeds would a) pay for supplies and b) be given to the Sarcoma Foundation. Jennie also told her boss (she works at a supermarket) about this and he donated some of the supplies, such as sugar, flour and butter. Then Jennie, two of our aunts, one cousin, and at least six family friends and myself got together last Saturday and spent the entire day, from 8am until I don't know when, making all of Mom's special cookies. We made everything from white chocolate covered pretzels to Buckeyes to pecan tassies to mint chocolate brownies to the extremely popular white chocolate peppermint sugar cookie snowflakes (I know, ridiculous long name, right?). Thousands of cookies, all in one day, all to be delivered following church the next day. It was incredible considering we had a select number of cookie sheets and only one stove to work with, and I wish I could tell you I stayed for the whole thing but unfortunately I was only able to be there for five and a half hours. Living over an hour away has its disadvantages, and having a poor sick husband who left work early means leaving earlier than originally planned. However, everything got done in due time and Jennie decided that next year we'll allow ourselves more than a single day to get it all done.
Even though I wasn't there for long I made sure to bring my camera and will now post for your enjoyment pictures of the day! If I don't post again beforehand, Happy Christmas (or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or whatever)!!
