A funny Christmas Story

This afternoon I had a conversation with my Mom about my post yesterday Christmas past. It was fun remembering past Christmas's. Here is a funny story about a Christmas a few years after Larry & I were married. Larry's friend talked him into buying a Virginia ham. Well that Christmas I said Larry you prep the ham I will cook it. I always thought you had to soak the ham at least overnight in water in the fridge. Well Larry thought it would only take a couple of hours. Well let's just say it was more than a tad bit salty. We had several people over and let's just say the sides & desserts were almost completely gone by the end of the evening and we had enough ham left over forever is what it seemed like. I don't remember if we kept it or dumped it. but we all had a good laugh that night and agreed if we ever have Virginia ham I would make sure it wasn't so salty.  Just thinking about this now makes me laugh.

Christmas past

Last night & today I have been thinking about Christmas & what it was like when I was a kid. My favorite memory was when we would spend it at my grand parents house in California City. Grandpa would make porridge and hot chocolate. If I remember correctly we opened one gift on Christmas Eve after we went to Church the gift was from my grand parents, my grandma made us pajamas's for us to wear Christmas morning. Some years we would celebrate with my Aunt, Uncle & cousins. Every year Dee & I had matching jammy gowns and my brother Jim, my cousins Curtis & Ray they had matching p.j.s. Christmas was about family and necessities and the occasionally we got stuff just for fun. I miss this, because now days it is all about I want this and I want that. My friend has this and I don't. I just wish that we and yes I am including me weren't so materialistic. This year I have hopes that Nikita will understand this as well as Larry. We need to go back to simpler times. I am trying it this year, no I will not be sewing like my grandma did but I truly believe we need to take care of our necessities if we can and not charge away with no idea of when or if we can pay it back. Let alone the interest rate that will kill you. Are you going to do necessities this year or go overboard with the credit cards and this and that, or my friends have this and I don't?  

What I have been up too

I have been way too busy. First Thanksgiving, Larry's surgery. Now I am taking care of Larry and that is a challenge for me. I have had to lift, bend and do things I am not supposed to do. Nikita is helping some but all she does us whine about it. I have hopes that when Larry has recuperated he can do the lifting and bending. Currently Larry can't lift anything over 10 lbs. I am not supposed to even lift that much but until he can do more I will try my best. I just hope that I don't fall apart before he is better.
I have been browsing sales online for possible gifts for Christmas. This year will be a hard Christmas with Larry not working and waiting for disability to kick in, which god knows when that will be. Now we wait and see how Larry does & when he can return to work. Our first priority is to take care of paying what bills are the most important and then food for us. If there is more we will get presents. Nikita has never know what it is like to have to deal with things like this. Nikita keeps asking for the this and that. We will find money for what is necessary but other than that we will have to see.
Also this year I will not be baking like I usually do for others to save money as well as I can't do what I use to do my body just won't cooperate to do all that I would like to do. I am planning on making for dessert for Christmas apple pie Nikita asked if I would make it and I said yes. I am making something chocolate too haven't figured it out yet. Haven't decided on what we will have for Christmas dinner yet either, it will depend on how much money we have as to what I will make. Well got to get back to looking at chocolate recipes for Christmas.