We had Christmas in Effingham this past weekend. Bob, Maddie, the Amazing Barking Dog, and I (Rob did not accompany us) got there on Saturday afternoon and had supper with Bob and Darlene at the Lone Star. Lindsey stopped by on her way in from Indy. Then we went to Maw-Maw's and met up with Lori, Baleigh, Jeff, Conni, Chad, Megan, and Landon, and we tried again, to do some caroling. You may or may not recall, that last year it rained so we couldn't go and had to resort to singing to each other in the living room. First, we ran through our repertoire of three songs (with just a small disagreement about correct lyrics) - The opener - a peppy Here We Come a Caroling - the middle song, something slow and meaningful, Silent Night, and, for the big finale, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, as we waved and exited the premises. We also had jingle bells and we had candles.

Well, we got outside and it was very, very windy, which blew out our candles. And then, you won't believe this, but, it started to rain. Again! Conni turned around and went back in the house. The rest of us trudged up the road to carol our cousin, Lisa, and her family who just happen to live on the same street as Maw Maw. We sang and sang and they finally came to the door, and Lisa had a terrible cold, and truthfully, it looked like they had all been asleep, but they were very gracious and appreciative of our singing (I think) and we got the opportunity to point out to them that the wind had knocked over their Christmas lawn gee-gaws. Then we went to another neighbor's house and I guess they must have been in their basement because they never came to the door. Then we went to Baleigh's old second grade teacher, Mrs. Carpenter's house, and sang there, but they weren't home. It started raining harder then, so we went home. sigh. Maybe next year.

The next day we all went to church. Jeff and Conni both sang in the Christmas Cantata. Landon and Lindsey got a little loud in the pew discussing a monster book. That afternoon we added more family peeps to the crowd and had a fine time together. Here are some pics:Lovely ladies on the couch - Lori with broken finger from quarterbacking the women's faculty team that pummeled the senior girls at Carbondale high school a few weeks ago. Landon entertains us all with a little Christmas ditty.

Snacking

Baleigh and Baby Layla



From the Archives: It is a family tradition each Christmas to take the "couch picture." which means all the grandchildren sit on the couch and get their picture taken. Here's the very first couch picture, taken in 1983. The color has really faded. I don't know why that is. Michael didn't feel well that day, as I recall. Here are six of the grandchildren and one spouse in 2008. Five of them are absent. It's hard to get everybody together.










The Best Christmas Songs - and there certainly are a lot of really good Christmas songs. I guess these are my favorites:

10. Joy to the World
9. Deck the Halls - Puts me in a Christmasy mood, just like that
8. O Come, O Come Emmanel
7. Good King Wenceslas
6. Come Thou Long Expected Jesus - I hope we get a chance to sing this one on Christmas Eve
5. Sleigh Ride - Love it!
4. Silent Night - THE Christmas hymn
3. White Christmas - From one of my favorite movies, Holiday Inn
2. Carol of the Bells - Here come the bells, I hear the bells, you hear the bells, we hear the bells. Great song
1. Oh Holy Night - Beautiful


This Week in Cakes:


Happy Birthday Cindy!











And Happy Birthday to my great-nephew, Landon, who will turn 2 on the 28th. He loves the Muppets, and most especially, the Swedish Chef, so Aunt Lou made him a cake, which will go into the freezer until his birthday celebration in Springfield on Saturday. Bork, Bork, Bork.


Finally, the Recipe of the Week: Revival of the Other Cheeseball Long ago, in another state, I used to make a cheeseball that we liked a lot. But that was twenty years ago, before we moved to Indiana, before the Tri Kappa cheeseball came into our lives, because after that, we would have no other cheeseball. Lindsey asked me for this recipe, so I decided it might be a good time to bring it back. I plan to make one for Christmas. Here's the recipe:



The Other Cheeseball

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
1 small package of cream cheese with chives
1/2 pound shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 package Buddig pressed beef
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Finely chop or shred the beef and mix all the ingredients. Roll the cheeseball in the pecans.



"If you ever feel like you're on the verge of a nervous breakdown, just follow these simple rules: First, calm down; second, come over and wash my car; third, shine all my shoes. There, isn't that better?" Jack Handey