Gearing up for Christmas

December sun: York Road, 1:30 yesterday.

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Boxed Meat Revolution has bags of sixty frozen croissants. You just thaw them and throw them in the oven at 350°F for 15 or 20 minutes. These are one of Brenna's favourite things. At Tim Hortons she will usually choose a butter croissant over a sticky sugary doughnut. Of course I was also thinking, for me something I can quickly fix when I get out of bed and have fresh, warm croissants with jam and butter for breakfast. And so healthy, too. So I bought a bag last night. I've already eaten seven.

This is the season for baking and fattening the goose. Last week I made Christmas cake, an old Harrowswith recipe incorporating all kinds of candied fruits, raisins, currants and almonds. It's expensive to make, holy, but I love it, and it will make nice hostess gifts over the holidays. If any of it lasts that long. One of the three loaves has already disappeared, can't imagine how. I must have mice.

Shortbread cookies are still on the agenda, one of my very favourite things. But last night I didn't have the patience, so it was a batch of butterscotch pecan cookie squares. I have this phenomenal recipe for basic cookie mix. You blend a large quantity of dry ingredients and store them. When you're ready to bake, just mix a quantity with butter or oil, eggs, vanilla, and anything else you want to throw in. Usually I use chocolate chips, but this time I got experimental. Nice combo. There's going to be plenty of chocolate over the next couple weeks, of that we can be sure.

Last night I spend a couple hours on the phone with my parents, mostly Mom. They were quite understanding of Marian's situation. It seems they have been listening to a Doctor Someone-or-other who broadcasts radio parenting advice from New York. The hairs went up on the back of my neck, thinking of Dr. Laura, but of course it wasn't her. Anyway Mom and Dad were quite tuned in to the fact that what Marian needs at this age is listening and support, not the censure and insults she has received from her other grandparents.

Mom seemed a little bewildered by it all. She can't comprehend evil people. I had to remind her of the letter my parents received from my ex-in-laws a few years ago, shortly after the separation. It was basically a threat that they had the power to ensure I didn't meddle in my own children's affairs. My father-in-law had joined the town's police board, and thought he could use that to keep me away. They had trouble understanding they couldn't use the Law against people they didn't like, it only works against those who break the rules.

So now I just have to work out when we're going to visit my parents. We've officially been invited for Christmas Day, and as long as we want to stay. Marian doesn't have to make any concessions about how she dresses, in fact I found out she has been calling my parents to chat to them, too. This is a relief, because I have sometimes seen Marian getting impatient with my parents' fussiness. I guess she is realizing people can be old-fashioned and still thoughtful and compassionate.

I just wish my parents had listened to Doctor Whoever when I was a teenager.