Getting ready for the party

I have let go of doing crafts at M's Party tomorrow. It will be just food, music and dancing. But my sister is picking up my bakery order at Whole Foods on the way here tonight. That saves me over 3 hours of driving!

I managed to finish two crafty projects myself. First, I finished my felt christmas tree. I tried to take a good photo but the lighting was never quite right. I am going to try to keep making more so I have different sizes to place next to each other. The children at our house this week helped me make paper roses that now decorate my dining room table. I cut construction paper into swirls, rolled them up and placed on the branches. I really like how they turned out.

So, notice the swirling mass in D's kombucha experiment? He has a new pet name for the experiment. He called it his "embryo". So gross, I laughed.

It was announced yesterday that a little girl at M's preschool has the chicken pox as of this past monday. I am going down the invite list letting everyone know before the party tomorrow. There has been a lot of sad news from friends and family this week about health and life related issues. It has weighed heavily on my heart. I constantly struggle between my own inner demons related to sickness and also wish I could be closer to all my friends and family during their struggles. After getting the flu last year I have had thoughts of getting a flu shot this year, but never would because of thimerisol and potential immune reactions. I will keep taking my homeopathic flu vaccine hoping it is effective. Time to order this years batch!

I made Mormor's Christmas cake for M's party. It is my special way of celebrating my grandmother every Christmas. Thin cake with layers of rasberry and apricot almond filling. Oh, it is soooo good. She has always been my inspiration for becoming a good cook. I always marveled at how effortless she made wonderful food. Her brown bread, vegetable soup, irish soda bread just to name a few. I remember her making her special "tea" for my sister and I. It was lipton tea, sugar and milk. So simple really, but it seemed exotic to us; a special grandmother treat. Looking back upon it now, I see those efforts as a way of easing us during the transitions of our mother or father leaving us with her for a summer vacation and the immense saddness I felt of the fragmented, broken family I had. Just before the tears started rolling, she would announce it was time for special tea. And the three of us; Mormor, my sister and me would sit and get settled. I am really happy to say now, that even thinking about those times do not make me sad now. So much pain that defined my growing years and my 20's have healed.