The After Christmas Let Down

Well it's over.  All the excitement and preparations done and over.

I don't know about you, but I always feel a bit sad the day after

Christmas.  I think I will take up the British tradition of Boxing Day

to cheer me up.  

We had such a fun day at home yesterday.  Our first Christmas in our

new house.  The tree was fabulous (thank you David for selecting such

a huge one) and we really enjoyed it's glow all Christmas eve and 

Christmas day.  I will say though that I am dreading having to take it

down.  But as I was saying, I am feeling a bit blue today.  I have so

enjoyed all the prep work and all of the Christmas movies I so

dearly love.  I watched Christmas in Connecticut, Home Alone (that

one is special to me because it has so many scenes of where I grew up),

White Christmas, The Man Who Came for Dinner,  The Bishop's Wife

( original with Cary Grant and Loretta Young) and other vintage flicks

along with the Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel.  The radio in

the kitchen was tuned to Christmas music 24/7.  I am a self professed

Christmas junkie.  Love everything about it.

So the presents are all unwrapped and everyone is basking in the gift

giving glow.  We had our first fire in the fireplace despite the fact that it

felt like spring outside.  I was going to burn some mesquite, but the chimney

sweep warned me against that because it burns to hot.  So until we get

a cord of oak delivered, I burned one of those artificial logs.  Does anyone

remember the old Mary Tyler Moore episode where Lou Grant took

home an artificial log to burn in the fire?  I am sure my sister Robin does!

We had our traditional cheese fondu again this year.  HEB does not sell any of the pre-made

packages, so I made my own.  Wow what a difference!  I can't believe I have never ever

made it before.  It's easy and it tastes so much better.  I will have to share the recipe

with you.  I served the fondu on the tea table in front of the fire.  It was cozy!

I spent all day Monday baking Christmas cookies and we hand delivered them to many

of our new neighbors.  Sometimes I think I should have gone to culinary school 

because I really like to feed people.  I am not Jewish, but I could easily be a Jewish

mother.  You will often hear the phrases ~ "Are you hungry?"  "Can I make you

a sandwich?"  "How about a big bowl of homemade soup?"   Especially soup.

I love to wrap everyone up in a quilt on a chilly day too.  I was born to nurture.

My hubby is a spoiled baby and you know Bentley is too.

I enjoyed baking the cookies, but I don't eat them.  I really am not that crazy

about sweets.  I am a savory lover.  My next door neighbor Katherine sent over

a plate of little meat pies and I ate the lion share of them.  I am fortunate because

both my Mom and David go for the cookies leaving more of the little meat pies

for me.  That's good because I really did not want to have to share.

Oh and we started a new Christmas Eve tradition in our house.  Our new

friend Bridget delivered so home made tamales to us.  Some of them were

spinach and feta, some cheese and some traditional.  They were fabulous!

David smoked some ribs and chicken and I made a pot of beans and we 

had a huge south Texas feast.  Thank you dear Bridget for the tamales

and for introducing us to an new Christmas Ever tradition!

So after all that fun I am feeling a bit sad that it's all over.  No worries

though.  I am not the type to stay sad for long.  I have plans!  I pulled

out my sewing machine and set it up in my studio.  The thought of sewing

puts a smile on my face.  And I am planning a garden for the spring and

knowing south Texas, spring will be here before long.  And besides

that, with the few hours left of this day I should google Boxing Day

and find out just what I should be doing today.  

Bentley and I both hope you had a wonderful Christmas with family

and friends and that you are not too sad today.  And if you are, well

then stop by tomorrow and we will do our best to cheer you up!

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley