It is that time of year when the word “busy” barely explains what life feels like. And I love it…every last gift-wrapping, tree-trimming,  pine needles all over the floor, menu planning, cookie dough snitching minute of it. But there are times when I am exhausted, addle-brained, and tied up in knots. At these times I like to leave the “busy” behind and go for a walk.

After the holidays, a winter trip is always nice and relaxing. Today is the first day of winter, and I love winter…every bone-chilling, snow covered landscape, scarf over my nose, I need some hot chocolate minute of it. So in addition to getting ready for Christmas, I am also dreaming about those winter journeys, long or short, that Jim and I will be taking in January and February.

So, I thought I would take a few minutes to reflect on the beauty of the winter, as we have seen it, over the years…and to share the most important part of Christmas dinner in this house, the Christmas cookies we have made for decades, the one my mom made for decades earlier.

First, winter through my eyes…

I love walking in our neighborhood after a good snowfall…and in south central Missouri, a good, heavy snowfall is really special.

This picture was taken on a visit to Missouri wine country on a beautiful, snowy day.

I love seeing the first snowfall of the year. We caught this one in Indiana, at Turkey Run State Park.

We traveled to our son’s house in Michigan last year and went on a hike in the woods on a very cold day…

we even found our own Charlie Brown Christmas tree!

This is Bayfield, Wisconsin, the gateway to the ice caves of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Jim says it looks like a Currier and Ives print…our younger children have no idea what he is talking about.

Ice that forms along the edge of the Missouri River makes beautiful patterns’

We make frequent visits to Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, on the Mississippi River, in West Alton. Missouri. There are many eagles along the river in January and February, but on this day we found this heron and a beautiful white swan.

And after a day of snow crunching by car or on foot…

we are often treated to a gorgeous winter sunset.

I love winter!

And now those really good Christmas sugar cookies…

All the grandchildren like to come and help decorate the cookies.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt

In a mixer, cream together the butter, shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Chill for at least one hour.

Roll dough to 1/8″ thick on a lightly floured board. Cut with various Christmas cooky cutters. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes on an ungreased baking sheet. About 4 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!

This recipe is adapted from Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book, which was first published by General Mills in 1963.