Christmas Eve

ok, so....i have the day off, much like i had yesterday off...which means only means that i will not bet at my regular job, getting paid....i will certainly be hard at work making all of the meals and events go smoothly.....last night was the annual Christmas dinner at Shaker Village ...we have been gathering with my parents and our children as they came along as well as with my brother and sometimes his son for nearly 30 years....most memorable was the first year we celebrated with our daughter to be, the year before the adoption was finalized.....she had to be dragged kicking and screaming into our car....years later she was able to verbalize her fears that shaker town somehow meant an earthquake zone....just too funny....this year we were nine, including the eldest's beloved and her twin brother who is in town to celebrate their almost-Christmas birthday....sadly, i neglected to take pictures.....but i digress from the food....i had my usual- egg in aspic on anchovy toast, a delicacy for which only my middle child shares a fondness....when asked why i have never attempted to recreate this dish at home, i simply shrug and say that having it often might ruin the magic.....i was a bit surprised with the newest version of the dinner menu....country ham and fried chicken were there, of course.....with fried catfish.....pot roast rather than steak, a quiche dish, garlic sauteed shrimp.....the shaker dish was fried cod....huh? there is already a fried fish dish....rather than something missing from the menu like pork of sme kind or turkey.....ah well...we are having roast pork so i will have my fill by the time the week is over....i was also disappointed by the lack of the traditional salsify casserole i enjoy so every year...seems the gardener could not get the seed this year and so i will have to hope and pray that next season fares better for salsify on the menu....the dinner topped off a day spent in pleasant solitude...i stopped by the office to make sure that i had no phone messages re: foks having trouble signing up for healthcare on the ky site.....and then proceeded to wander my way through four antique malls and two goodwills....the antique mall out by the bowling alley is by far the best in two counties...i did manage to find two more brass stocking holders and a last minute gift.....and i was reminded just how particular i am about the scents of many holiday candles.....pine and spruce....yes......gingerbread and pumpkin pie....yuck....and so, at 7:42 am on Christmas eve i am already in procrastination mode...i have to made the stuffing to go with the pork, a raspberry cake, bread to go with the bean soup for tonights supper, the pineapple kuchen for xmas breakfast, a ham and cheese quiche for breakfast as well.....thankfully all my errands are done and i need not leave the house unless provoked or tempted....