As some seasons rev up other seasons come to a close.
The Holiday season is definitely on the up swing. Everything is decorated except for the tree and we plan to do that today. The first of the Christmas gatherings started on Friday and it was a joy to take a breather from our regular routines to enjoy fellowship in a variety of settings. Conversations are different at the holidays with some happy and some sad memories shared this week in offices, homes, shops and the grocery store aisles. I think what makes the conversations different this time of year is because while things are very busy we take a breather from routine and share a little more.
For the first time in my life, I have completed Christmas shopping in one day. This was partially due to the fact that I didn't have much time and partially because our Christmas shopping list is short, simple and streamlined. Not surprisingly, our big families on both sides get together for fun, food, and fellowship during the holidays, but we have minimal gift giving. This has been a good change in tradition.
Changes are always coming and a big one came yesterday as Wofford played in the quarterfinal FCS playoff game against Georgia Southern at Gibbs Stadium. Carol, Jim and Jamey were coming from Shelby to watch and to meet the Wofford tailgate crowd. We were excited to have a home playoff game and we were lucky that our friend, Harry and his cooking crew were available to come do a post game fish fry for the tailgate crowd. Harry's fish fry menu includes fresh fried fish, fresh cut french fries, homemade slaw and homemade hushpuppies. Everything is breaded and fried on the spot and it is wonderful. Harry is a lot like Santa Claus with a twinkle in his eye and a sweet disposition as he goes about making miracle meals in a quiet and unhurried way. His crew are like the sweet elves who make Santa's workshop run like clockwork.
We needed this miracle meal because at the end of the game the score was Georgia Southern 23 - Wofford 20. Wofford had a rocky start but had made a huge comeback in the second half. The sweet gentleman sitting on my left said he had been watching Wofford football since 1945 when his parents brought him to games. When the whistle blew, he said, "Well they didn't really lose this one. The time just ran out."
True to the excitement of playoffs, time ran out on the 2010 Wofford season. But these senior players have had a tremendous run over four years with 2 championship rings and three visits to the playoff series. And we all had a tremendous run with life long relationships that were built between players, parents and families. As David pointed out it was a real treasure for our family to enjoy football, food, fun and fellowship with such a wonderful group of people. Our sons brought us all together and we are proud of them and proud of their hard work and dedication.
So we accept the passing of time and the changes that come with it. And we are grateful for all of the blessings.
In several conversations this week, as people acknowledged life changes that are tough to handle, the conversation has ended with someone saying "well, it is what it is". Daddy told me that his father (Pawpaw) used that phrase a lot to say that there are some things you just have to accept and move forward. The big thing is not to let the changes stop you in your tracks. I laughed when Daddy quoted PawPaw in the Lattimore vernacular saying, "Tiz what tiz and can't be no tizzer!"
Russian Tea
It's a cold rainy day and that makes me think of Russian Tea. This is a hot spiced tea that Mama or Judy always made in the winter or when somebody needed to rest and regroup. The warmth, the smell and the flavor are magical. Try it when you need to take a breather and remind yourself "Tiz what tiz!"
This takes two large pots and is done on the stovetop.
In First Pot:
2 Family Size tea bags (or 6 regular ones)
1 Quart water
1 or 2 sticks cinnamon
1 Tbsp whole cloves
Put tea, water, cinnamon and cloves in a pot and bring to a boil. Steep 20 minutes after boiling starts.
In the meantime, in another large pot mix together the following:
1 cup of orange juice
1 Tbsps liquid artificial sweetener like sucrose
(with the diabetes gene in our family, we always used artificial sweetener)
Juice of two lemons
1 quart water
Strain the first pot into the second pot and heat. Relax and enjoy.
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