Tuesday, December 11, 2012

The Christmas Spirit

Exams are quickly approaching at Davidson. Friday is the first day of exams, but already the stress is suffocating. I just don’t like being in an environment of sleep-deprived and stressed, often sick, people. Therefore, I find it very difficult to have Christmas cheer at this time of year here. Christmas in Davidson, a community Christmas celebration is an exception.

This year to get in the spirit, Jerry and I decorated a gingerbread house together (from Trader Joe’s). Jerry was definitely better at cementing everything together and other important things like decorating the roof and gluing the people on with the royal icing. I was the one that was more creative. I incorporated cereal and other random food laying around into our design. I was a little bit more fearless decorating; for example, I put the gummy fruit on the Christmas tree. I didn’t even realize how little sense this made until Jerry so kindly pointed it out to me. However, it was so much fun to do this. With a stomach full of Pops (I didn’t even know these existed) and royal icing, I was able to start to anticipate the Christmas season.

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The Masterpiece, left: back of the house, right, front of the house (the people and dog/cat? were included)

Earlier, over Thanksgiving break, I participated in the centuries old Christmas tradition of making fruit cake. My parents like it (I do not but am always up for baking) and had not made it in several years. So, my dad hauled the huge pot done from our attic and we scraped out the cobwebs. He repeated many times (I think it was directed at me) that we could not mess this up because it was an expensive cake to make. I think this clues you in to my unreliable track record with baking. After 16 hours of steaming on the stove, the cake actually turned out just as it was supposed to. Whether it is making a fruit cake or decorating sugar cookies, whatever fun food tradition (or soon-to-be tradition) you have  I encourage you to do it with people you love and get in the Christmas spirit!