holidays Archives %- – Rock The Wrinkle

They’re everywhere.

On the kitchen counter….

In the refrigerator….

Lurking in tiny bags with ribbon….

On top of the desk, in the break room, on the car seat….

Cookies!

If you’re not baking them, your neighbor is, and she just has to share. Chocolate, cinnamon, oatmeal, ginger, sugar…they’re out to get us. Even if we don’t usually have an appetite for them, right now, during the holidays, we feel compelled to eat them. Just one. Well, maybe just one more. After all, you don’t want to be rude.

_MG_3286_ And it’s that time of year, right? When eating is akin to caroling, wrapping presents, and trimming the tree.

You take a break, you get a cookie. You take a walk, you get a cookie. You breathe, you get a cookie.

Cookies invoke memories of Christmas past, when everything was filled with wonder. When anticipation just about killed you as you wondered if you really had been good all year, or was Santa listening when you yelled at your brother/sister?

Mothers just know how to bake them, at least mine did. From scratch, of course. By the time Christmas came, there were endless round tins of all kinds of cookies everywhere. Decorating the sugar cookies was especially fun, even if I wasn’t very good at it. At least they tasted good.

Truth be told, I still could probably take the tube of icing and go sit outside and consume it outright. (Of course I can do the same thing with homemade macaroni and cheese, but that’s another story.)

Every year, I resolve to amp up my exercising during December and stand firm against the temptation of the round devils. Yet there they are. Somehow, they’ve entered my house. As each day goes by, they seem to multiply. It’s like a trance comes over me and I find myself reaching for them more times than I would ever do in the middle of summer. Like a 1950s black and white horror movie, they take over my brain.

The Cookie Blob. The Dough That Ate Godzilla. Invasion of the Chocolate Snatchers.

Even Oreos. Especially fresh Oreos, followed by tart lemonade. Research conducted using Oreos’ effects on lab rats concluded that high-fat/high-sugar foods stimulate the brain in the same way that drugs do.

Duh.

Is there any escape? Maybe not. Maybe that’s okay. Of course, moderation is a good idea. I’m still working on that.

But I’m not ready to give them up completely.

I like how baking cookies fills my kitchen with a wonderful aroma. I like how in the winter, they make everything feel cozy and warm, especially if the cold wind is howling outside. I especially like how they make me feel like my mother is standing next to me, smiling as she watches me do what she did for so many years. (Or perhaps frowning when I drop the pan and eat them anyway.)

Which cookies are your favorites? Do you carry on traditions you learned as a child? I’d love to know.

As for me, I’m thinking maybe I need to make just a few more batches. After all, I sure wouldn’t want to run out….

“Cookies are made of butter and love.”

Norwegian Proverb

Hard to believe Thanksgiving is almost here. Getting together with the family over the holidays can be an interesting experience. It can be great fun catching up on the latest news, seeing the photos of boyfriends, high school plays, and meeting the new pet.

But sometimes knowing what to say to someone you never are around isn’t the easiest thing.

You know this is a great opportunity to bond. Share your wisdom as a boomer and beyond. Be inspired by some of the younger spirit.

But what do you talk about? Will your younger relatives be interested in anything you have to say?

One group has come up with a way to start a conversation—and a unique one at that. It’s called “Family, Let’s Talk! Starting Conversations Across Generations.” It comes in a small box filled with cards. A different question on is on each card. Members of your group take turns asking a question.

A sample of some of the questions:

If i was 20 years older, I’d ______________________________

If I died tomorrow, I’d most regret _______________________

The most thrilling sports event I witnessed was _____________

My favorite holiday memory is ___________________________

Granted, some questions are tougher than others. But what an interesting way to break the ice between generations, and maybe help one another gain a new appreciation for family history.

Imagine the pioneers, sitting in a dark and drafty cabin for months in the winter, with nothing to do but maybe knit, whittle, or rock back and forth. Granted, they were probably so exhausted by 6 p.m. they preferred to just go to sleep. But would guess these were the times when fathers talked to their sons. Mothers read to their daughters. by candlelight.

No television.

No phones.

Egad….no Facebook.

Just each other. And a very strong bond.

Of course most of us don’t want to go back to those days (though some still choose to live that simply), but I think many would agree there’s a loss of connection between the generations. Back then, families usually lived in one house, or very close by. These days, we’re spread all over the place.

It’s hard. Even with a cell phone growing out of our hand.

So maybe this Thanksgiving, after the feeding frenzy subsides, the football is becoming boring, and there’s still some time left together, you might pull out “Family, Let’s Talk” and see what happens.