Cookies, Cookies Everywhere and Not a Crumb to Eat

So for the last two days of our lives we've been occupied with cookies. When we lived in Livonia, a neighbor from across the street just showed up at our door one night with a plate of assorted goodies and treats. They were really good. She said the four or five houses at that end of the street used to trade cookie plates every Christmas but, as time went on and people moved, she ended up being the only one who still did it. We thought it was very nice of her to bring treats to the weird Mormon family that was just renting.

Suzanne brought that experience up the other day and said she thought it would be a good idea if we did that for our neighbors. Now, understand that, out here, folks mostly keep to themselves. (To be said in taciturn, corn-fed farmer voice.) We've lived here for a year and, while we wave and say "hi" to our three immediate neighbors, we're not exactly buddies, you know? So I agreed with Suze and figured it couldn't hurt to take a plate of sugar to Chris (guy across the street who grew up in the house we now own), the Millers (retired couple across the street who go for daily, vigorous walks when the weather allows), and the Hanks (kind of scary, tattooed, pierced, messed-up teeth family at the end of the road).

So Tuesday we made peanut butter cookies with Hershey's kisses, Andie's mint chocolate chip cookies, and fudge. It took all afternoon to mix, bake, cool, and decorate them all but, for the most part, it was an awful lot of fun. The girls were enthusiastic and helpful which makes all the difference. By evening, we had trays of cookies everywhere. Suzanne put together some artfully arranged plates and the girls and I walked them across the street. Chris wasn't home but the other two were excited and enthused about their free goodies and they wished us a pretty sincere "Merry Christmas." We also took a plate (because we had extra) to the Obermillers, some friends of ours here in town.







Yesterday, we delivered plates and tubs of the extra goodies to home teaching families, visiting teaching families, Activity Day girls, and the like. All in all, it was a big undertaking and it wouldn't have happened without Suzanne's idea and determination. But I'm glad it did happen. It was fun and very Christmasy which is perfectly appropriate.



So, having said that, Merry Christmas, dear readers -- to all four of you.

P.S. A shiny, gold Christmas star goes to the person who can name the thing I'm referencing in the title of this post (and it's not the Gene Wilder Willy Wonka movie). Clark D. is disqualified as are all other English teachers.