Monday, December 22, 2014

Monday, December 22, 2014

Tonight's picture was taken in December of 2006. Mattie was visiting Peter's parents in Boston for Christmas and that afternoon we took him out for a walk. Behind Peter's childhood home are woods and "Long pond." Peter spent many days exploring these woods as a child and he introduced Mattie to these woods each time we visited. Mattie always enjoyed the adventure and the opportunity to learn from his dad. 


Quote of the day: A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal. ~ Steve Maraboli

When Peter was in Boston this weekend, he sent me this photo!!! This photo is of Long Pond, the same pond you see in the above photo as a back drop for Mattie! I love the ducks swimming around despite the frigid weather. Mattie would have appreciated that sight!














I was running around doing chores today and while out I had the opportunity to interact with several store clerks. As I checked out of the grocery store and then
out of a pharmacy chain, I learned both of these store clerks had to work on Christmas day. Mind you both of these individuals celebrate Christmas. Yet they both will not be able to because they are working. When I asked one of them, if he could gather with family once work was over, his response to me was..... once work is over, he rather not talk to another person after helping people all day long at the store. Somehow this whole commentary was sad to me. I know people need to be grateful they have a job and so forth, but I also know life is short. We do not get this opportunity again to make a memory especially around a holiday. Time with people in our lives are not guaranteed and it saddens me we live in a world that gives us less and less time to take these moments or to even view these moments as important. 

Peter brought me back these wonderful gingerbread cookies from Boston! They are made by his mom. It is not unusual for people to see gingerbread all over the place during the holidays, but most of it comes from kits. However there is nothing like homemade gingerbread! It tastes and SMELLS very differently! It is heavenly. At first when Peter handed me the bag of cookies, I thought they were sugar cookies, until I opened the bag! As soon as I opened the bag, I knew instantly that these were NO sugar cookies!!! The cute story about all of this is back in 2005, when Mattie was in Margaret's preschool class, I decided that I wanted to do a holiday activity in Mattie's classroom. I consulted with Margaret and she asked me to make gingerbread houses for the classroom, for the kids to decorate. I said YES, but in all reality I had NO IDEA how to do this!! Margaret gave me a gingerbread house baking mold but then I had to do the rest. So I emailed Barbara, my mother in law. She gave me her gingerbread recipe (and she has some secret ingredients), and told me how to make the royal icing to hold the pieces together. When I ate this cookie tonight, in a way I was transported back in time to 2005! It reminded me of my days with Mattie. They are just delicious and since I am not going to holiday parties for the most part and so forth, I am not likely to get Christmas cookies! So these are very special treats in my book.