As the pies came out of the oven, my dad came down stairs followed by my younger brother ready to open his presents. We made another pot of coffee and while sitting there at the kitchen table my father looked up and said “what is that on the ceiling?”
Mom and I looked up and started laughing. “That’s pie crust. We had a little pie dough fight while making the pies last night.” Dad just shook his head, but everyone remarked that the pies were the best we’d ever made. They wanted to know what we’d done differently this year. I think we filled them with the spirit of Christmas.
Since that Christmas I have endured colds and the flu, but no major illnesses. Since I got married Christmas Eves were spent at my wife’s parents’ house where talk of corn, beans, trucks and fertilizer fills the air. I have no interest in any of these topics so interest was replaced with boredom. We took over the Christmas Day meal, so I get to spend my time cooking which I love and watching the grandkids open their presents. Christmas has become much better, but I will never forget that Christmas Eve/Morning in my neighbors’ front room. That was a Christmas to remember!