In Honor Of

Today I had a quiet Christmas day with just my fur babies. We do our family Christmas time together on Christmas Eve. Now that all my children are married or on their own they have Christmas day for their own families. We had a wonderful time at my daughter's house last night.

I had planned to roast a small turkey breast when I got home to have for my dinner today, but I was just too tired. It was after 10 p.m. and it had been a long day. As I sat in the semidarkness with just the Christmas tree for light, I pondered over many things. It was my third Christmas without my husband. Although I miss him so much and always will, I can think about him without breaking down. I thought about our times with our children at Christmases past. They are good memories. I thought about what this beautiful holiday is all about. The baby in the manger, the man He would become, His death on the cross for the sins of mankind, for my sins, His resurrection, and the assurance that I will be with Him one day. Then my thoughts turned to the two women who had the greatest influence on my life and I began to plan for today.

I decided my Christmas dinner would be in honor of them. Normally things are done in memory of someone who has died, but I chose this to be in honor of and not memory of them. I became as excited planning my dinner as I did when I was a little girl planning a tea party with my dolls & stuffed animals. I planned what dishes I would use and why. I planned my menu which was pretty simple and straight forward.

This morning I got started on my cooking. I had brought a couple of things home from our Christmas Eve dinner. I roasted my turkey, made my dressing, and gravy. For me a complete meal would be dressing, gravy, a little bit of turkey, cranberry sauce, and a deviled egg. But I know I needed some vegetables so I heated some beans and corn. Of course, no Southern Christmas dinner is complete without sweet tea (although mine was sweetened with Stevia not sugar).

Now for the ladies I was honoring. My mother, Bennie Bell Sutton, and her mother, my grandmother, Emma Phillips Bell. My mother was one of the most generous people I have ever known. Although her health was never really good, she was always doing for others. She sang hymns when she washed the dishes, hung the clothes on the line, or shucked corn. She bound our family tightly together and her loss was a great one. My grandmother always made me feel that I was the most important grandchild she had and she had a lot. I am sure she loved us all the same, but it was just her way to make each of us feel special. She told me Bible stories the way a child could understand and be excited about what she was hearing.

I used a hodgepodge of dishes in honor of my two special women. My turkey and dressing and my cranberry sauce were on dishes that belonged to Mama. The deviled eggs and my chocolate meringue pie were on dishes that belonged to Grandma. The divided vegetable dish, salt & pepper shakers, and the teapot are all of the same pattern Grandma used, Autumn Leaf by Hall. Those from the south who are old enough may remember the Jewel Tea man. His truck would come to houses and sell tea as well as dishes and other kitchen necessities and he was a regular at my grandmother's house. Now you can find these dishes in antique stores or on web sites. They are not only beautiful but very durable. So this explains my choices for dishes.

I know there were others today who ate alone and maybe it was a little selfish of me not to share my meal with them. I just needed to be alone to honor the two special women in my life who helped make me who I am today.