Just About Ready

We are all ready for Christmas, well just about.  Sunday we finally decorated the tree.  It has been so fun to sit and watch the lights.  Why this is so relaxing I don't know, but it is.  Today I went to our mini post office that sits just inside of our little hometown supermarket and mailed out all of my packages.  I've sent out most of my Christmas cards and have purchased as much as I'm going to this year.  Now it's time to start wrapping.  Mom and I have determined that we want to have all of our wrapping done in the next few days so that we can spend next week making holiday treats.  I have been craving these cherry filled cookies that my grandma use to make every year.  I really have missed these the last several years since she quit making them.  I have spent several hours every day this week with my grandmother, because she was in the hospital and is now in a rehab center.  I've talked with grandma about her cookies.  Sometimes she remembers them, but most of the time she doesn't.  She did tell me that she use to spend 2 months before Christmas baking.  One of my favorite childhood memories of my grandmother or really my grandfather is when he would bring me a cherry filled cookie from the outside freezer before Christmas and I loved Christmas eve when we would get our plater of cookies, including my favorite cherry filled cookies.  I'm determined to make these this year.  Grandpa told me the secret to them today, roll them out very thin.  He said those who have tried to make them have made them too thick.  Grandma also use to fill cookies with apple and raisin filling.  My favorite of course were the cherry, but she told me today her favorite are the raisin ones.  Grandma has no clue who I am.  She keeps telling me I'm a stranger, but sometimes she tells me I'm her niece.  I of course keep reminding her that I'm her granddaughter.  I am so glad that I've been able to have the time to take care of the things that I have this week.  I was there when she got to the rehab center yesterday and today I was the only one who was there when she had her initial assessment by PT.  I'm glad I was there, because I was able to see a lot of progress from Sunday to today.  Grandma use to love Christmas.  Her house was the most decked out Christmas house I've ever seen.  It was sad to me today that she didn't know what month it was and that she didn't realize Christmas was around the corner.  She did point out her Santa Clause decoration sitting on top of her TV.  There's a reason for everything...even though I still want to go back to Charlotte.