Cookies

Christmas Memories 2

I'm baking for Christmas. Though the recipes don't turn out the same (chalk it up to substitutions I have to make living here in Venezuela) Farmer's Cookies and Stained Glass Window Cookies always remind me of Christmases past.

These two cookies were standard Christmas fare at our house.

Storage was no problem for mom. We had an enclosed, unheated, porch. When the cookies were cooled and packed in their respective cookie cans, mom took them out to the porch. It was as cold as a freezer out there! Of course, being in the porch, within easy access of all of us, made temptation a huge issue—I love both those cookies!

During my growing up years, eating cookies was not a problem. Unhappily times have changed. As a kid none of those cookies ever went to waste and I never put on an ounce. As an adult, they all go to waist (you know what I mean!) and we aren't talking ounces anymore.

Oh well …

Christmas comes but once a year and if I can hold out, most of the cookies coming out of my oven this minute will actually make it to church on Sunday as my contribution to our after-service snack.

A friend posted today on FACEBOOK that she was missing her father. Today is the seventh anniversary of his death and she was feeling his absence. He made Christmas very special for his family. I could relate—on the 22nd of December it will be 18 years since my mother passed into the presence of the Lord.

The cookies were waiting for us in the porch even though she wasn't there.

So as I bake today, I remember the blessing of a mom, who left the heritage of Christmas cookies behind so that I could remember fondly those past Christmases and rejoice in the present ones.

Nope, those cookies don't go to waste.

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