Christmas Cookies

 It seems that every family has its own list of Christmas cookies. In our family it was Toffee Bars, Cocoanut Toffee Bars, Peanut Brittle, Sugar Cookies, Scotch Short Bread, and in later years, Date Krispie Balls, Peanut Butter Blossoms, M&M Cookies and Russian Tea Cakes. Arthur's favorite from his family was his Grandma Donnay's White Cookies. When the neighbors blessed us with a huge platter of cookies this year, they had Peanut Butter Blossoms, Spritz Cookies, Pretzel Wreaths, Pretzel Rods, Date Sandwich Cookies and a few others. In another friend's package were Macadamia Nut Cookies, M&M Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Molasses Cookies, Snickerdoodles, and Chocolate Chip Cookies. When people ask me what I am baking, I usually say, nothing, since there is no need. Our Christmases are usually split between our two families, and everyone else makes enough that anything I would bring would be superfluous. We can only eat so much at our house, besides. But this year because of COVID, things were different.We were not going anywhere. Maja wanted cookies to take to her dad's house. Grandpa wanted his White Cookies. And Grandma kept reading Verily posts of cookie recipes. The result was a slew of new favorites, and a lot of fun.

On Christmas Eve I started to bake. I made Ande's Creme de Menthe Cookies, a definite keeper. Then I made Grandpa's White Cookies. Then M&M Cookies with the red and green M&M's of course. Then Date Krispie Balls, a recipe which I got when I babysat for Ransoms in high school. Then Pecan Dreams, very similar to Russian Tea Cakes, but another keeper. Most of them are now in the freezer. Maja packed a tin for her dad, and then forgot it. Those are also in the freezer. So are the remains of the cake I made for Ari and my birthday celebration. We have enough sweets to last us through the Sundays of lent, and then some. And the rest of the recipes are in my file waiting for my next baking day. 

Blessed be God.   

Should You Have Your Cremated Remains Made into Jewelry When You Die?

 I thought it worthwhile to share the sentiments which I wrote for my daughter on this subject.

Mom's Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Not Have Your Cremains Put Into Jewelry

1. Your kids might think it is morbid and gross to wear your ashes.

2. Jewelry gets lost. Bye bye, Mom's remains!

3. Jewelry goes out of style, and the recipient may want to stop wearing it.

4. Jewelry gets broken and thrown into a drawer, or into the garbage. Bye bye, Mom!

5. The jewelry bearing your cremains will probably be tossed aside at some point for something which has new sentimental meaning, like a wedding or engagement ring, or a gift from someone living. Or another person who has died and had their cremains put into jewelry!

6. You may die before your grandchildren are born. They may not want to wear you if they never knew you. Same with your great grandchildren and whoever after that would inherit the jewelry.

7. You may die before Dad and I die. We want a grave to visit. Dad will not wear jewelry other than his wedding ring. I will not wear you, either.

8. Your loved ones can be buried next to you if you are buried in a grave or your ashes are inured in a columbarium.

9. If you have a grave stone, long after you are dead and those who knew you are dead, others can look at your grave and pray for you.

10. You have been baptized. You are a temple of the Holy Spirit, and your body deserves to be buried in consecrated ground.