Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Christmas Tradition

It was a long time ago, "when I was a little girl"....

We would travel to my grandparents house in Northern Virginia for Christmas. After 10 hours in the car, as I began to notice familiar fencelines and subdivisions, my excitement would rise.

Not only would I soon be seeing my aunts and uncles and grandparents, but I'd be able to check to see....

We pulled into their driveway, and we'd rush out. Hugging grandma and grandpa, we'd carry our suitcases to our rooms - but I always took the long way... through the dining room.

As I stepped in, I'd look. There it was, behind the table on the cupboard that sat at Grandma's end of the table. It was huge and it was filled! The blue cookie jar filled with Grandma's Sandies.

I didn't dare grab one RIGHT away. I put my things in my room, checked out the "road race room", and headed back upstairs to update my grandparents on my happenings of the previous year.

It was a wonderful tradition. Every year, we'd arrive. Every year, there they were. She knew they were my favorite, and it felt like she made them JUST for me.

Periodically, throughout the week, when I thought no one was looking, I'd sneak in, quietly lift the lid and pop one into my mouth. I'd then carefully inspect to be sure there were no tell-tale traces of powdered sugar on my shirt or fingertips.

We quit making the trip when I was in high school, so for a while, there were no Christmas Sandies. When I was in college, I asked her for the recipe.

A few years ago, I was given the cookie jar. That first year, my kids were small, and so I housed it - full of sandies - atop the refrigerator. One day, while my kids were playing, I sneaked into the kitchen, quietly lifted the lid and popped a cookie into my mouth. It was just like being eight years old again, reaching high onto my grandmother's cupboard...

My kids look forward to this time of year because they know that it is the only time I pull out that recipe card, in their great-grandmother's handwriting, and whip up a batch or two of sandies.

I'm sure they sneak like I did, but I've yet to catch them.... and they've yet to catch me. :)

No comments: