Memories

Dec
19

Post by community member:

001-copy

During this busy time of year, it is hard not to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of it all. We all have visions of our perfect Christmas. The twinkling Christmas tree set in its place of honor for all to see. Friends and family sitting around the table wearing their best holiday attire. The food, steaming and perfectly seasoned, is set on a table that would make Martha jealous. Everybody is smiling. Not one worry on this occasion.

Despite all of my best attempts, this type of holiday has never happened for me. The kids are running around, half dressed and screaming. I am covered in flour and whatever else I’ve been cooking. Dishes piled high in the sink. The pride and joy casserole somehow winds up dumped upside down on the floor. The family member that is bringing the main dish winds up sick and can’t come. The “Surprise! We’re here!” guests! At some point there are tears. Sometimes, I feel like we are in the middle of a Griswold Family Christmas.

I am starting to appreciate the not so perfect holiday. I still have visions of a flawless Christmas and I strive to make it a reality. Even though, I know it will never be as perfect as I see it in my head. I have come to realize that it is the Christmas gone awry that is the most memorable. All of our conversations about the holidays start with “Do you remember that time when (insert catastrophe) happened?’ Then we laugh about it.

This year I am going to embrace the imperfections. My tree is decorated by my kids and it is a little ornament heavy on the bottom. I love that it is not perfectly symmetrical. It is full of memories! The ornaments from long ago and the tree skirt made by my grandma. The ornaments made by the kids. The packing peanut garland that my mother in law helped the kids make. They are so proud of their work!

I know something in the kitchen will go wrong. I just hope it doesn’t involve smoke! Something will be forgotten. Something will be missed. We will talk and laugh about it for years to come!

So what if the tree doesn’t look like a picture from a magazine. So what if the presents are not all wrapped with coordinating paper, ribbons, and bows. So what if the holiday table will make Martha cringe. We are making memories!


Do you have a recipe post or kitchen-related story to share on the Farm Bell blog?
See Farm Bell Blog Submissions for information, the latest blog contributor giveaway, and to submit a post.

Want to subscribe to the Farm Bell blog? Go here.

What can you enter to win this month? Click here.



Comments

  1. oneoldgoat says:

    You are right – these are the Christmases we remember 🙂 Perfection is highly overrated and catastrophes (as long as no one gets hurt) make for much more memorable stories!

    Merry Christmas!

  2. VaGirl2 says:

    Sounds perfect to me. 🙂

  3. Barbee says:

    Those are the kinds of Christmases I’ve had ever since I married; I know what you mean. I loved them. We had four babies in six years, so life was “interesting”. One Thanksgiving my bother-in-law’s wife and I both depended on the other knowing how and having experience in cooking a turkey. Turned out neither of us knew the first thing about it. But, we did it! Loved your post. Brought back good memories. Good post.

  4. Kenya Cook says:

    Er. DH just asked me what I had planned for our Christmas meal. Er. I don’t have anything planned. We shopped in early November. I won’t be back in the city shopping again until mid-Jan. And while I planned for Thanksgiving and a Nov. b-day, I didn’t plan for Christmas. oops. We may just end up having hot dogs.

  5. Pete says:

    Absolutely correct! It’s been an extremely stressful few months here, so another orphaned couple and we are going out for Chinese food for Christmas dinner! We’ve done it before and will probably do it again. Strange, we know, but it works for us.

Add Your Thoughts



Search Farm Bell Recipes

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Filter by Categories
All Recipes
Appetizers & Snacks
Bagels
Bean Soups
Beans
Beans, Grains & Rice
Beef
Beverages
Biscuits
Blog
Boiling Water Bath
Bread Machine
Breads
Breakfast
Brownies
Budget
BWB Condiments
BWB Fruits
BWB Jams, Jellies, Butters & Preserves
BWB Marmalades & Conserves
BWB Other
BWB Pickles & Pickled Stuff
BWB Salsas
BWB Sauces
BWB Tomatoes & Combos
BWB Vegetables
Cakes
Candy
Canning
Casserole
Casserole
Casserole
Cereals
Cheese
Cheesecakes
Chilis
Chowders
Cobblers
Coffee Cake
Cold Remedies
Condiments
Cookery 101
Cookies & Bars
Cream Soups
Crisps
Crock Pot
Crowd-Size
Crusts
Cupcakes
Cure & Smoke
Dairy
Dehydrating
Desserts
Diabetic
Dips
Doughnuts
Dressings
Egg Dishes
Eggs
Entertaining
Fat-Free
Featured
Fermenting
Fillings
Fish
Food Photography
Freezing
Frostings & Icings
Frozen
Fruit Breads
Fruit Cakes
Fruit Salads
Fruits
Gift Basket Goodies
Giveaways
Gluten-Free
Goat Cheeses
Gourmet
Gravies
Griddles
Grill-Outdoor Cooking
Hard Cheeses
Herbs & Spices
Holiday
Homemade Cheese
How To
Ice Creams
Ingredients
Ingredients & Mixes
Jell-O
Jell-O Salads
Kid-Friendly
Kitchen Gadgets
Kosher
Lactose-Free
Lamb
Leftovers
Lettuce & Greens
Low-Carb
Low-Fat
Low-Sodium
Main Dish
Marinades
Meat Salads
Meet the Cook
Muffins
Non-Dairy
Old-Fashioned
One Dish Meal
Other Breads
Other Breakfast
Other Condiments
Other Dairy
Other Desserts
Other Main Dish
Other Salads
Other Side Dishes
Other Soups & Stews
Other Special Diets
Pasta
Pasta
Pasta Salads
Pastries
PC Beef
PC Chicken
PC Meats
PC Other
PC Poultry
PC Soups & Stews
PC Veggies
Pets
Pickling
Pies
Pizza
Pizza Crusts
Pork
Potato Salads
Potatoes
Potluck
Poultry
Presentation
Preserving
Pressure Canning
Pressure Cooker
Puddings & Custards
Recipe Requests
Relishes & Chutneys
Rolls
Rubs
Salads
Salads
Salsas
Sandwiches
Sauces
Scones
Seafood
Side Dishes
Soft Cheeses
Soups & Stews
Sourdough
Special Diets
Special Occasions
Steam Juicer
Stocks
Stuffings
Substitutions
Syrups
Tarts
Tips & Tricks
Tortillas & Pitas
Using FBR
Vegan
Vegetable Breads
Vegetable Salads
Vegetables
Vegetarian
Wild Game
Yeast Breads


If you would like to help support the overhead costs of this website, you may donate. Thank you!





Thanks for being part of our community!