#3920

Merry (post) Christmas, all. It was a white Christmas this year, cold and a nice couple inches on the ground, with a light snow falling much of the day. The day was nice and much of it was spent with family.

After my morning routine, I helped prepare the table and the food for our family linner (late lunchtime dinner). We again aren’t having a larger family event, so it was just five people. Prep was relatively easy and stress free. I helped cut and mash the potatoes, put out the Christmas table cloth, set the table, and various other smaller tasks.

Our remaining members (two humans and a dog) arrived a little later than expected, but just in time to start getting food to the table. Soon after, we started eating. Food was delicious and we all ate quite a bit. Beef roast, brussel sprouts, corn, mashed potatoes, stuffing, biscuits, gravy.

A Christmas Story was on TV, so we finished watching that after the meal. We slowly moved into handing out gifts. My mom got us younger folks some scratch off lotto tickets, so we spent some time scratching those off. Tiffany won $10 and I won $1, but that was it. We continued on with the presents. I gave much less than last year, but still I think the gifts were liked. I got some nice stuff, including a new video game (Collection of Mana, three 90s era games), a nice flashlight / emergency tool for the car, a vacuum insulated drink bottle, a USB electric candle lighter, some loose chai teas, and some snacks. I will probably start into playing that game this week.

We eventually moved to dessert. On Christmas Eve, I had baked my pecan tassies while watching the Browns game. My back got pretty sore even though I took my time and sat to put the tassies in the pan cups. But that was all fine by Christmas. Those were on the dessert menu, and were well liked. This year I added cinnamon, which I have been doing for a few years now. They weren’t as moist as the first day, but still good. I was so full that I didn’t have one then though. There was a store bought nut roll that I had a thin slice of, which was good. My brother baked some kolachy-like cookies with sugar-cookie dough and pecan filling. I had one and it was good. Lots of nut desserts. My brother baked an apple pie, but I didn’t try that. I was so full at that point that I couldn’t eat much. I also made some of my new earl gray chai tea in a fancy glass teapot of my mom’s. It was good but nothing exciting. Tiffany tried a bit as well.

We talked and watched some TV before our guests left. I watched some TV with my parents and went on my evening walk before heading home. Then I watched Better Off Dead as my final Christmas movie of the day.