Twelve Christmas Treats!

Okay friends... we are coming into the home stretch... I notice the boards are slowing down... people are abandoning the nets for... you know... REAL PEOPLE (the nerve!). I always called this Christmas Eve Eve and have ALWAYS loved it. You see... things converge here—it is my half birthday, which means I am exactly half way to 89... for what that's worth, I intend this to be exactly MIDDLE AGE. Not sure why I don't intend to go into my 90s except people in their 90s seem crabby—now people who live into their HUNDREDS—THOSE people are a kick in the pants. So first... a story (don't panic, it's short)

So my great grandma (mom's dad's mom) was pretty stuffy and proper, like, yeah? She was alive when I was born... in fact I spent about 40% of my 'daycare' time with my grandma (mom's mom—this would be Alyse the fabulous) and we went to the nursing home to see my great grandma a couple times a week until I was... must have been 4 or 5. But in Moscow, Idaho, people make friends for life, and my great grandparents had made friends with this couple, Frank and Kitty, who were childless... so my GRANDPA, an only child (adopted) ended up with 4 parents. Now that might sound like a crummy deal, but really, it is fairly cool. Because while his OWN parents were proper, Kitty (I never met Frank) was warm and wonderful. She was FUNNY, feisty, and FABULOUS. She was all of 4'10” or so when I passed her in height, though I suspect she might have peaked at about 5 foot... but she was always a part of our family. Kitty lived to be 103... and catch this... she belonged to a bowling league to the end... bowled twice a week STILL at 103.

So there... I've had my daily digression... But WAIT! Kitty's last name was Hosley, and she had monogramed pillowcases and hankies... as HART... the only H in my family... I got them all... So I have some Kitty stuff, which I love.

Okay, NOW I will get down to business...

On the... erm... whatever day of Twelvsies, her Tartness gives you YOU... Twelve Christmas Treats! (warning... a few of these you are just going to have to enjoy vicariously, as really I was the one who got them...)

1...is it POSSIBLE to say Christmas without FUDGE? I'm not sure it is. I LOVE fudge!
2...Sugar cookies. In the shapes of trees, stars, angels, santas... I'm not picky... erm... so long as they have frosting... and sprinkles... okay, so maybe I am a little picky. (I have a GREAT recipe, by the way)
3...Toffee. This is my favorite candy EVER. I like the almond roca estimation...toffee with chocolate around it and then sprinkled with crushed almonds... but so long as there is toffee and chocolate, I am pretty happy.
4...Chocolate oranges... do you know... hubby and I have searched high and low this year and not found them... Christmas may not come... these are orange hinted chocolate, shaped like an orange, that when you smash it, breaks into orange slice pieces... they are HEAVEN. [somehow this treat seems SCARCE this year and we are starting to panic]
5...Egg. Nog. Man, I love eggnog. Though I confess to doctoring mine... shot of rum, dash of nutmeg.

6...Baked brie... oh... hubby makes the BEST baked brie... he wraps it in puff pastry and... there is more too it than that... and it is the best food ever...
7...Movies with kids... lots and lots of movies with my childings... (Last night we watched Inception, but we RENTED 5...two I won't watch—their taste in comedy leaves something to be desired, but the scary ones, I will...
8...Seasonal ale. My time in Michigan has proven that not everybody GETS this... you see something like 'winter white'? Erm. No. A Christmas ale should be brown, hearty and spiced. The best one EVER is Wassail Winter Ale from Full Sail brewing in Hood River Oregon. But provided it is nut brown or darker and spiced, it is a good one to try.

9...Reindeer antlers. Got some. (modeled here by Joel who hides his head if not helped to look at the camera--I
d say he's embarrassed, but he does it even with no antlers or camera).
10...Pedicure... oh sure... who sees your feet at Christmas... UNLESS YOU ARE NAKED! My feet are currently sporting a festive teal shade... they are soft and loved... I have the best boss ever, and this was only the beginning...
11...Facial—a full HOUR...cream it up, massage it in, wipe it off, cream it up, rub it in, wipe it off, nice hot cloth, cream it up, steam it a while... it sounds so naughty, doesn't it?
12...FULL BODY MASSAGE: HEAVEN!