I got a Christmas tree this year, which seemed a little silly since it’s just me (my roommate is out of town with her family for three weeks) and I’m spending Christmas at my parents’ house, as usual, but it’s not silly because it makes me happy every time I walk through the front door and see it. I also have to resist the urge to lay on the floor under it. It’s perfect for wrapping presents in front of, and now all those wrapped books – I mean gifts – I mean books – are sitting under it. Yes, it’s a book year. Once I got started with buying books for all the kids, it was hard to stop when I started shopping for the adults. After some late-night gingerbread baking, I feel on top of things. Today is (hallelujah) my half day, which means plenty of time to frost that gingerbread, throw together some cinnamon roll dough, and get a last-minute gift for my dad, if I’m lucky. 
Last night I made two pans of Dorie Greenspan’s Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread (follow the link for the recipe, which is online as part of the Tuesdays with Dorie project). I tried turning the first cake out of the pan like the instructions call for, but it just started to fall apart into big chunks as soon as it was out, so I quickly flipped it back into the pan to finish cooling, in the hopes that it will seal itself back together. The other pan I left alone – I figure I can just frost them in-pan, which is probably better since they both need to travel before they get eaten. One for the church potluck tonight, one for Christmas dessert tomorrow.
It’s hard to believe that last Christmas we were up to our ears in snow (which reminds me that I still need to finish rereading The Long Winter) – right now the sun is out and it’s cold, but the only snow I’ve seen when I was visiting Olympia a few weeks
ago.
It was a thrill to finally have a white Christmas last year, but believe me – I like this weather a whole lot better, especially now that I live on a hill. Last year, barely anyone made it through the snow to the Christmas Eve service, so it will be good to have the usual bustle and crowd (and early morning feasting).
The library has been full of kids out of school and people looking for Christmas movies, and storytime is on hiatus until February. The breakroom is full of treats and the staff is often unable to answer the phone due to caramel consumption. 
I finally got my meet my new god-daughter the other night, the sweet sweet Linnea, who was a model baby all evening. Which probably means she’ll cry through her entire baptism on Sunday. I’ll love her anyway. Hopefully someone will take pictures, because my hands will be full. The perfect Christmas present.
It’s hard to believe, though, that now I have three godchildren – and all very nicely spaced, from an infant to a six year old, two girls and a boy. And since both of the girls are daughters of good friends, who both happened to be named Katy, that’s extra sweet. Gosh, I’d better get to work before I get too sentimental.
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December 26, 2009 at 9:42 am
Ramona
Christ is Born.
Glorify Him.
I loved reading this post. I am so glad you had a tree. I am sitting in full view of ours. And it is lovely. It was a bit of a book year for us too. Both of my children were assigned “the Uglies” over the break and so my daughter asked for the 2nd book in the series and we managed to find the 3rd at the library so that is what they are reading. I am still reading Her Fearful Symmetry and then I have the new B. Kingsolver novel.
Have you ever heard of Runnerland by John Burns? It is a YA novel that takes place out here. My son loved that book.
Your gingerbread sounds quite yummy.