Seasonal Potpourri

 

First, I must say that I WISH I could have painted this scene. 

Someone else did, and someone else posted it on a Facebook  Border Collie site.

It spoke to me, as is often said about pictures, songs, essays, poems, etc. 

In my unique perspective, the scene says so much about what is very dear to my heart. 

Twas a no brainer to lift it from the site and add it to this morning's post.

Definitely a classic in the minds of Love family Border Collie lovers. And, the rest of the elements are pretty special too. 

Thirteen days until Christmas and just nine days until the shortest day of the year.  We are moving along quickly through this December with days highlighted by annual and beloved elements of the Christmas season. 

Cookie baking. 

Beautiful holiday music. 

Decorations. 

Writing notes in cards. 

Going down lists and making sure about gifts for each individual on the list. 

Attending the usual stuff like horses hooves trimmed, which happened yesterday. 

Telephone calls to friends.  

On Saturday,  I spoke with Erroll over the phone. He lives in Chicago, and he had called me to let me know that he had received his ZAGS poster.

Bill, Willie, Debbie and I met Erroll a few years ago when we were riding in his van from downtown Chicago to Midway Airport.

Talk about a happening that has stuck with all of us ever since.  In short, Erroll is unforgettable. 

By the time we left his van that day, a promise was made:  yes, we would send Erroll a Gonzaga T-shirt. 

We did, and since that time I have sent Erroll a ZAGS poster every year.  

Plus, Erroll told me that he has a nephew in Spokane who has sent him two additional ZAGS T-shirts. 

Erroll knows his college basketball teams, and after our conversation the other day, I know that Erroll has an encyclopedic knowledge of ZAGS players, like where they're from and where they've gone after leaving the university. 

He knows about Zach Norvell, Jr. from Chicago, who earned distinction for his 3-pointers while a ZAG and now working as an assistant coach at Gonzaga. 

He also knows more than most of us about Braden Huff, last night's player of the game and distinguished as Mr. Basketball for Illinois.  

Erroll told me that he had heard that Braden tried to lure other players from his high school to Gonzaga. 

Erroll and I had a great visit.  Next time we go through Chicago we're supposed to let him know in advance.  And, he wants to meet Mia Wallace aka Annie, the one Love family member he hasn't met but follows on Facebook. 

I love these catch-up conversations with folks we don't often see.  They are usually rich in interesting information, and they remind us why that person means so much in our lives. 

I've also talked with my friend Mow and briefly to my friend Susie and will try to add a few more to the list before Christmas. 

The season offers such a wonderful opportunity for connecting and reconnecting with the cast of characters who make our lives both interesting and inspiring. 

And, we all know, as we get older, how meaningful they can be. 

Anywho, please don't tell anyone but while dogs were snoozing next to each other nearby yesterday, I baked gingersnaps without the ginger. 

Anyone who does holiday baking knows this situation.  You mix up most of the cookie recipe in a bowl with sugar, shortening/butter, eggs, vanilla, etc.  

Then, it's time for dry ingredients.  Easy to find the flour but more of a challenge with soda, salt and spices cuz they're in the upper cupboards with a zillion other items. 

Some of those dry ingredients get used only once a year, and so when you have used the last of certain item during the Christmas baking season of 2022, you don't necessarily remember to go to the store the same year for a refill. 

That's precisely what I discovered after emptying two shelves of items in a cupboard yesterday.  It was a fairly safe search as only a couple of items fell off the shelves and threatened to bounce off my head. 

After a thorough search and a counter top filled with assorted ingredients, I put everything back in the cupboard and resolved that these cookies would have no ginger---even if they ARE gingersnaps.  

They have cinnamon and All Spice and even a little pumpkin-pie spice.  They look like gingersnaps, and after sampling a couple of the cookies, I'm thinking only home economics specialists like my friend Pam would notice the absence of the essential spice. 

And, I don't think I have to worry about Pam because she's pretty wary of getting any cookies from me.  The last time that happened was about 30 years ago when Pam and Marian came to my house and I didn't have any treats to serve them 'cept for the six-month-old Christmas cookies in the freezer. 

I was honest, and there was a little banter about the aged cookies.  

And, then, over the years, the banter intensified as that tin of Christmas cookies went back and forth from Idaho to California, usually with hilarious reactions from the recipient who always recognized that tin.

I don't know whether Pam or I have the Christmas cookies, and we'll probably never know until both of us dies and someone has to clean out the cupboards. 

For now, I think I'm pretty safe from Pam's critique of my gingerless gingersnaps UNLESS some happen to be left over, stuffed in the freezer and brought out next time Pam comes to Idaho. 

Okay, confession completed.  If anyone reading this bites into one of those cookies during the holiday season, you won't need to tell me that they seem to be missing something. 

They still taste pretty good AND they may not have ginger, but they have raisins and pecans, so that should make up for the missing ingredient.   

Well, I guess that's enough seasonal potpourri for now.  Time for me to get on with the variety of to-do's in this 13 days before Christmas.  

Happy Tuesday, and good luck to Willie and the SHS girls basketball team as they take on one of their most formidable opponents tonight:  Lake City. 

GO, Bulldogs!