Happy Holidays!

This is Dido. He was given to me for Christmas many years ago by my mother inlaw. I admit it -- he is the best gift she ever gave me. Yes, I wanted him. I saw him and I wanted him on my front porch. For several years he sat there proudly, cheerfully guarding our home. I love the image of my mother inlaw carrying his happy ass all the way through Hudson's and out to her car. She complained up a storm how carrying him broke her back. I think this makes me love him all the more!

In '99 we moved during the winter. If you look you will notice that poor Dido has a crack in his right foot. That crack is where his poor foot came off. He was frozen to my front porch and I refused to move without him. I pulled, and pulled, and PULLED! He broke free of the ice and almost lost half his foot! I had to boil water to recover the other half. Then, through the surgical use of Super Glue, Dido was once again whole.

After the frozen toes incident I moved Dido indoors. He now sits on the hearth of the fireplace. No longer does the weather challenge his constitution. He is pampered and loved. The kids love him and I love him. Hubby thinks we are nuts. Every year when I take out the Christmas decorations I find his hat and put it on him. The kids put a bigger hat on him this year until I had unpacked the tote with Dido's hat. It isn't Christmas until Dido has his hat!

I love to bake during the holidays. Today was baking day and I got quite a bit done. I love it that Hubby went shopping for me. I hate grocery shopping! I'm glad he can stand it!
I was able to complete many batches of kisses cookies and aggression cookies. Tomorrow I plan to do the thumbprint and Russian Tea Cookies. Wonder Boy and I made the kiss cookies too big, so we put two kisses in some of them. Wonder Boy calls the "Double Love" cookies. Is he great or what?
I need to get more cookies sheets. Four is not enough when you are on a roll! I'm not planning on eating all of these cookies (we are making half a billion). We give them away. I have a few Aggression Cookie addicts in the family (I am convinced this is why my mother inlaw tolerates me. She freezes the cookies I give her and rations them through the year -- no lie!) I'm selfish, I make them and I don't give out the recipe. I admit it -- these cookies make me special, I don't give out the recipe. I make them and get you addicted, then I give them to you yearly and make you love me for my cookie skills. If I kick it, Hubby had permission to release the recipe. We don't broadcast this fact -- I'm certain my mother inlaw would kill me if she knew.

I'm finishing the "farewell to food tour." I made a beautiful Black and Tan tonight, it didn't photograph well, but here it is:


I start my big diet this week, so I've had a farewell to food tour this past week prior to starting. No more fun food or beer after Tuesday. So this weekend I have enjoyed some nice treats -- and how can you not love a Black and Tan? (half Bass Ale, half Guinness).

Here is to a happy holiday season to all -- may you enjoy any holiday you celebrate!
Wishing you the best :-)