I am always somewhat melancholy at this time of year.
There’s such a big build up before Christmas as we anticipate the excitement of the season. We’re buying gifts, decorating our houses, radios turned into our favorite Christmas stations, and for some reason we are all more congenial and pleasant to others, always with a “Merry Christmas.”
What happens after the holiday is over? Do we lose all our niceties and compassion kind-heartedness? And why if we do lose it why do we lose it? I had people say to me so many times, “Merry Christmas” or happy holidays, or some other uttering of friendliness from some I never even knew.
What would it take for us to keep this feeling all through the year?
There is so much distress and suffering in our world, yes, even right here in our hometown. I have lost so many friends to COVID this past year that I sometimes reel at the loss. I have at times, had intensions to call or speak to ones who are gone. So many that I sometimes forget I have lost them.
Our entire way of life has changed in the past two years. The carefree, take-for-granted attitudes we all enjoy are gone. We seem to be constantly on guard with our lives and those of our loved ones. I sometimes have no idea who the person is talking to me because I can only see half their face, the mask hides the bottom part.
Sometimes I just say, “Will you take your mask down so we can talk like normal people?”
And the hugs! I miss the hugs from friends. I am a hugger and sometimes I forget that the other one is afraid to hug me. HOW DEPRESSING!
These days remind me of the days my mother and Daddy used to talk about the times of World War II. She said that things were rationed and apportioned to everyone. You had vouchers to buy just so much gas and lots of groceries were not available and substitutions had to be made to cook regular meals. I remember my grandmother tells me she used homemade molasses to sweeten the foods needing sugar as sugar was scarce.
Owning grocery stores, we now see so many of our food stuffs are disappearing from our shelves. This is due to the COVID epidemic and shortages of workers in the factories to produce the foods we need.
Remember the toilet paper shortage early on? I often wondered why there was a Sears Roebuck catalog in my grandmother’s outhouse….
I, for one, am going to try to keep that feeling of comradery and friendliness to others that I chance to meet on the street and even though it’s not the holidays, I can say “Have a great day!”
A friend gave me this recipe and it is good and easy for you biscuit makers.
SEVEN-UP BISCUITS
½ cup butter
4 ½ cups Bisquick
1 cup of 7-Up
1 cup sour cream
Melt the butter in your skillet as you preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix remaining ingredients and either roll out and place in butter or drop with a large scoop, the way I do.
Bake 10-12 minutes.
