Blueberry Muffin Morning

In the jade-ite mixing bowl this morning, I stirred together blueberry muffin batter. 

I used the recipe from the Joy Of Cooking cookbook, a sorely-needed wedding present. The muffin page is coated yellow with oil stains--that happens when you've used a cookbook nearly 26 years.

My family was sleeping when I warmed up the oven and turned on the little tv to play Home Alone. Christmas is coming and I need to brace myself with all the Christmas movies and books I can. It takes much preparation to get through what the world calls Christmas.

I still need more light in my kitchen, especially on these dark-cloud mornings. Always, I set my cookbook on our stove beneath the light and must sock-slide from there to the counter, back and forth, to read the list of ingredients. You'd think I'd have the muffin mix memorized by now, having used it since my young aproned- wife years. 

I'll make coffee for Tom when I run back upstairs to the kitchen and then he'll read the newspaper at the dining room table. While reading my books at my quiet corner table Naomi will come down sleepy-eyed from upstairs at a later hour and then Carl will join us.

But minutes ago I slipped the muffins into the hot oven while the ending credits of Home Alone played (that tape has been in the vcr for three days). For years I've wanted the Home Alone soundtrack on CD and just this week I finally ordered one from Amazon. I hope it arrives soon and plays us into more Christmas.

But that's the thing-- it's Christmas in our home most days of the year-- the Real Christmas--and we don't take that for granted. The world can have their political arguments and Christian bashing and just plain major-unrest.

But as for me and my house? We will have blueberry muffins and Peace.



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