Holiday Traditions, memories and meanings

Tis the season. We’ve had snow, ice and meltings. I let all my snow people out of their storage bins. Gosh, it must have been claustrophobic cooped up in the dark all these months! Speaking of which, yes, I am an obsessed  with snowman/woman  Snow PEOPLE collector. I find them EVERYWHERE whispering to me..take me home leelee, I NEED to be with you leelee! Don’t leave me behind! It’s crazy and a bit “cat ladyish” about my snow people….but it amuses me. I recently added a white snowpeople tree 99% snow people adorn it. I find myself giggling when I decide not to buy one and bring it home.  No one will “get it” only snowman/woman devotees will relate. My daughter video taped them last Christmas. I suppose she got a kick out of 150 of them strewn all over the house and outside. My joy is simply no 2 snowmen/women are alike. They may be related, but each are totally unique to themselves. I love new ones, little ones, big ones, vintage, frayed, homeless,  mamed! you name it, I just love em. I seriously started baking last weekend. Candies and cookies, dozens and dozens fill my cookie tins. I enjoy sharing them with everyone for the holidays. My brother hosts a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner, so I bring a huge Dessert Table of goodies. The kids love them (and so do the adults!) I make care packages for my neices and nephews and brothers. I try and  send alittle bit of home and tradition with my cookies and candies.  My daughter joined in this year and  enjoyed helping me. She insisted on  making my Mom sweet butter cookies. They are pressed cookies. I found a vintage cookie press at a thrift store. Wild but true! It turns out it is the identical one that my mother used for 40 some odd years. Copper and stainless with a dozen different cookie designs.  This press was never used, original packaging and everything. The moment I opened the package I cried. The memories of my Mom came flooding back. She worked for days and days and made over 20 lbs of cookies for our family. I can still see the huge mound covered in powdered sugar she would produce by hand each Christmas. My daughter  had a blast making her unique decorated sugar cookies. I had a bite of one the other evening and I swear I tasted my Mom’s unique cookie. I miss her dearly, so much during the holidays. I am glad we have traditions like Mom’s sweet butter cookies. We are making new traditions now and new memories each year. I figured out a few things over the years. Those that wish to spend time with you and your family  – will. It doesn’t matter who “hosts” the holiday, as long as you are together, that is what matters. So, I keep on baking and wrapping and prepare special dishes. I learned them all from my Mom and I plan on passing them on to my children.  May your days be Merry & Bright xxxx ~ leeleeSpritz-Cookies-006-copy-e1288360847442