Christmas Cookies and All the Bliss

Every year there is one day set aside for baking cookies. My mother, sister, and I try to collaborate and make Christmas cookies. We give these cookies as gifts to neighbors and friends. Each year we try to simplify this task by making 4 or 5 different kinds of cookies, so we are not overloaded.  We made fudge, toffee, sugar cookies, cornflake cookies, and chocolate covered pretzels. Everything made out good except the fudge. There we stood over the two pans trying to get  the fudge up to 235 degrees Fahrenheit and for some reason I thought my oldest son Adam and my sister said 220 degrees Fahrenheit....so hence the double batch of white chocolate fudge...is taken off too soon, causing complete failure! The double batch of chocolate fudge never came up to heating point, so it was just overcooked.  So we had 5 recipes...hundreds of cookies...and the fudge didn't make. I know to concentrate on the good...right?

Well of course we all know to do this...but do we do it? Ummm... no we don't. So I fumed about that fudge, probably myself reaching 235 degrees Fahrenheit but forgetting about the kids spreading the icing on the sugar cookies...my oldest son helping in the kitchen and laughing...my sister and I having a great time and laughing about little things...my mom enjoying a houseful of family, while her foot is still healing from surgery...my dad and his ability to be able to fall asleep no matter what is going on around him...my daughter just calling from the college letting me know she aced her last finals...and that part of my life where we make memories together, good memories together. So as I look back tonight over the blissful day of Christmas baking and Kris Kringle cut out sugar cookies, it doesn't look so bad...it looks pretty serene. Can I find serenity in cookie dough, flour spread from one end of the kitchen to the other, red and white sugar sprinkles that got knocked of the counter and spilled all over the floor and completely failed fudge? Yes I believe I can and I will dream tonight of sugar plums and cookie crumbs ;)