December 22nd; --- it is officially winter and now the days will start to get longer because the winter solstice occurred at 2230 hours last night.

If you were here on the porch with me having coffee this morning you would smell a house filled with the wonderful oder of anise, which if you don't know is the smell of licorish (sp?). Ms. Kate made and rolled out the Sprngerlie cookies yesterday. The need to set for a few hours and dry out a bit before they are baked. Springerlies are an old German cookie that I love. My Grandma Heumann used to make them; my Aunt Louise makes them, and Ms. Kate makes them. You can get a version of them at the local Donut Bank but they are not the same at all as for as quality is concerned, and I am very particular about my cookies. Springerlies  are rolled out, and then you use a cookie stamp to make some very intricate designs on them, and cut them into squares. We have several of the stamps and they make beautiful cookies. But -- they are a cookie that you either like or can't stand. I've always claimed that it can't be Christmas until the Springerlies are made and bless Ms. Kate's heart, she makes them for me every year. Now, we can have Christmas! And as my oldest grandson Josh used to say --- "only three more sleeps!"

Today Ms. Kate and I have a "day-date". We are doing lunch and a movie at the "luxury theater" to see the new Star Wars. After that, we have a couple of places we need to run to, and then back home for more cookie baking. I've asked for snicker doodles and maybe some peanut butter cookies yet if we have the time. And --- since I had to make a run to the store for oatmeal yesterday, I suspect that some oatmeal crisp cookies might be on the agenda too. What a perfect season Christmas time is. We have a Savior in the manger and cookies in the oven; I'd call that "Heaven on earth and heaven above."

I had feeders full of cardinals earlier but at the moment the back yard is deserted. Not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse, or a squirrel. I need to refill the bark butter paste feeders again today. I also bought some suet the other day and I might as well put that out too. If it ever does get cold enough, the birds are going to need the high energy they get from suet. Ms. Kate has made suet in the past and the birds really gobble that up. But -- at $1.00 for a suet cake verses the mess and time it take to make them, --- we'll go commercial.

Well, I just spoke of it and here come the cardinals back in for another round at the buffet. I think I will just get another cup of coffee and sit and enjoy what God has to offer for a little bit. I hope you can take the time to do the same thing today; stop and enjoy what God has to offer. Just sitting here looking at the brilliant red of those five cardinals sitting over there in the fire bushes just seems to be a "thumbs-up" from God that all is right with the world, or at least in my micro-portion of it. Have a blessed day.