The Lovely Folks I Work With

Today's Joy: Our Corporate Christmas Party.
Had a wonderful time yesterday, Reader. Our 11 store managers and the corporate staff gathered at Venuti's in Addison, IL for a last meeting & holiday party to round out the year. The food was amazing and it was great to be able to visit with everyone. I gave out a dozen of my Oreo Truffles to each store manager and they were met with much delight. We also did a gift drawing and I received a cute little lime green Ipod Nano. (Never had one before, so someone will have to show me how to use it!) The company I work for is incredibly generous. What a blessing it is to have this job and be surrounded by great people!


A Sampling of the Venuti's Buffet
(Clockwise from top: salad, green bean salad with white beans, roasted potato wedges, ziti with vodka sauce, cheese-stuffed ravioli, broiled tilapia, steamed broccoli & crusty Italian bread)


Got Some Great Stuff in the Gift Drawing:
A Yoga Mat & matching Ipod Nano

Confectionery Creativity

Today's Joy: Truffling.
Aunt, the English Teacher, has added a new verb to our family lexicon, Reader: truffling. Meaning literally: to truffle. It's an apt description of what I've been doing over the last several days. With the Christmas spirit coursing through me like some sort of holiday energy drink, I decided a couple weeks ago to make Oreo Truffles for all 11 of the stores I work with for Christmas. I love to make truffles and people really love to eat them, so it seemed a perfect fit.

Of course, rolling, dipping & decorating 11 dozen truffles (with an extra 4-5 dozen thrown in for family members and holiday parties) is no simple task. But I'd promised myself on Thanksgiving that I was not going to get caught up in holiday stress & anxiety this year. Instead, this season I'm going to give wherever I can and savor the holiday moments. So I've really enjoyed all the little things, like stuffing a few dollars in the Salvation Army Bell Ringer's bucket, getting gingerbread lattes from Starbucks, decorating my red & white candy tree, drinking Tom & Jerry's and Christmas shopping with my family. Being mindful has made this the most enjoyable Christmas season I've had in years.


The Truffle Assembly Line


But, back to truffling. I'd set myself a serious truffle challenge, Reader. And it took me Sunday afternoon as well as couple evenings this week to finish them all (thank goodness for Aunt's help with the sprinkling!). My favorite part was drizzling the last batch with white chocolate. There's just something Godiva-decadent about drizzle on chocolates. It takes a truffle to the next level. But I digress.

Once all 11 dozen were nestled in their little tins and packed up, I felt so good! Couldn't wait to give them out at the office Christmas party. Funny, how all the joy more than makes up for the work I put in.


Trufflicious

Little Elf

Today's Joy: Giving Of One's Self.
Brrrr!!! It feels more like January than December here in Chicago, Reader. But I was on a mission this morning, so I braved the frigid wind gusts and blowing snow to drive cross-town with my camera.

I have a coworker who's had a big year. Her 2nd child, a beautiful daughter, was born much earlier than expected this summer and required an extended (and expensive) hospital stay before she could come home. Add to that the family's recent move to a lovely new home--plus all the usual holiday hooplah--and my poor coworker is exhausted. She's been feeling guilty about not having enough energy to pack up her significant other, 2 year-old & new baby and stand in line at the mall for Christmas pictures. Well, that is something I can help with.


With Big Brother

So, I volunteered to go to their house and shoot the family portrait right there in front of the Christmas tree. Dog and all! Fast forward to this morning and no amount of cold, freezing rain or sleet was going to keep me from using the gift God has given me to bring joy to a friend. After all, it's her daughter's first Christmas. And long after she forgets how tired she feels right now, she will remember how adorable & precious her children are. This gift I'm able to give will bring joy for many years. It doesn't get much better than that.


The Best Gift This Year

You don't have to spend a lot to give a meaningful gift this year, Reader. Just give of what you have in abundance: your strengths. The effort may well prove to be the best gift you receive this Christmas.

We are volcanoes when we women offer our dreams and experiences as our truth. All maps change and there are new mountains. ~ Ursula K. Le Guin

Today's Joy: Remembrance & Contemplation.
You may have heard, Reader, Elizabeth Edwards passed away this week. I've been thinking a great deal about the graceful and gracious way she lived her life despite several very public & painful chapters. She refused to be defined by the things that happened to her. Instead, she turned each setback, humiliation and tragedy into an instrument of strength with which she made a difference in the lives of others.

What an example she set! If Elizabeth Edwards could accomplish so much as an advocate, political figure & mother--all the while walking in faith and hope--what can I accomplish in my own life with the time I've been given? What could you accomplish, Reader? How would your life be different? How many lives could we change?

I am moved by the words Elizabeth posted on Facebook Monday--they turned out to be her last offered publicly:

"You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces -- my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined.

...There are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn't possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know. With love, Elizabeth."

An amazing and well-lived life. May we all be so blessed and strive to make the most of what God has given us.

Say you are well, or all is well with you,
And God shall hear your words and make them true.
~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Today's Joy: A Quiet Evening at Home.
As my appointment book fills up with holiday-related engagements over the coming weeks, a quiet evening at home suddenly seems precious. So, Reader, here I am on the couch, enjoying the glow of the Christmas tree with a pleasantly full tummy. You'd never know it's bitterly cold outside my window. Tucked in safe & warm, I'm blissfully content and feeling very blessed.

When I think of all the things others are facing on this December night that (God willing) I will never have to, I'm deeply grateful for the life I've been given and the people I share it with. Am looking forward to praying tonight for those in need, those in pain and those who aren't as fortunate this holiday season. May God ease their burdens and dwell in their hearts during this blessed season.

I have found that if you love life, life will love you back. ~ Arthur Rubinstein

Quotes courtesy of the Quote Garden.

Ginger Snaps

Today's Joy: Cookie Baking Part 1
Spent a lovely afternoon in the kitchen with friends and family whipping up all kinds of holiday cookie joy, Reader. The best part? This group always makes way more dough than we can use in one afternoon. Which means we have to get together again. Ah, ginger snaps, pecan tarts, snicker doodles & fruit-filled whatsits. Here are my favorite highlights:


Our Fearless Trail Leader Shares About Her Recent Trip to Savannah


Grace Grinds Her Own Nuts

World's Best Cookie

Making Snicker Doodles

Tart Dough

The Electric Cookie Gun

A Little Brandy for the Cookies, A Little for Aunt Chef...

Cookie Elf

Assorted Cookies & Pecan Tarts

A Little Quality Time with the Kitchen Aid...

Uncle & Aunt Chef

Aunt Making Ginger Snaps

First Snow of the Season at Our House (HGR Effect), Dec. 2010

Today's Joy: Oodles of Holiday Cheer.
What a wonderful day, Reader! We got our first snow of the season--4 inches of the wet, heavy stuff perfect for making snowballs. All that magical whiteness made the perfect backdrop for a holiday shopping trip to downtown Geneva, IL. Every store Mom & I visited was decked out in Christmas finery and smelled of hot chocolate or spiced cider. We had such a good time being out and about & sharing holiday cheer with our fellow shoppers. It's really nice to see the spirit of the season so prevalent this year. Would that peace, love & good will were always so common!


Mom & I Going Out Holiday Shopping

Carriage Rides, Downtown Geneva, IL

Mom & Brother