Christmas 2023 is behind us and as we look forward to a new year ahead, it is always exciting to think of what may happen in the new year! As Randy and I sit each night (well not each night as we do get out of the house every few weeks to go grab a hamburger or pizza). But, as most evenings find us waddling to our comfy chairs after dinner and seeing if we can solve the puzzles on The Wheel (we feel that it makes us sound not quite so old to say The Wheel instead of Wheel of Fortune), we have now joined the really old folks and see if we can at least answer one question on Jeopardy, each night! We have finally figured out that we actually do know sometimes more than one answer, but we also realize that we are slower than the young whippersnappers that are vying for the money in actually understanding the question! As I listen to their answers, I’m still sitting there trying to figure out what the question is in order to see if I know the answer! So it is true what they ( whoever they are) say, your brain does slow down as we age! We sit and stare at each other and Randy says (I’m still trying to figure out what that last question is asking!

So we sit night after night and see if our brains actually might begin to turn from mush to Mensa brains ! We are still waiting!

But Christmas has come and gone and we have a stack of returns just like everyone else! A brand new toaster that worked for 4 days before shooting the bread slices out! A pair of jeans that I ordered for Frosty that are 10” too small in the waist! And one bottle of perfume that I received! We have both realized that no matter how expensive the perfume, no one can smell it on me as the Ben Gay that covers now 25% of my body covers up any attempt at trying to smell good. In fact, the drawer that is right beside my easy chair use to be filled with seasonal coasters I could change out as seasons changed. It had a fingernail file I kept so as I sat at night watching TV I could file my nails as needed! We kept the EarPods in it, a candle lighter for the nights we wanted the scented candles burning……but that was 2022! Just a year later, all these items have been replaced with: Triple antibiotic for when Randy falls and skins his knees (due to Parkinsons balance problems), lidocaine for our sciatica that pops up quite regularly, and the most pungent of them all…a giant tube of Ben Gay! In fact, as soon as I open the drawer, the aroma fills the living room and any scented candle is quickly overpowered! Our home has become the perfect advertisement of what it is like to walk into a nursing home! So I am giving up perfume! We figure with the money we save buying it, allows us to buy more Ben Gay and jars of lidocaine for our aches and pains! Besides, who needs perfume to watch The Wheel?

Shannon our new DIL requested some apple cookies she had seen ! ! I promised her I’d have them the next time they came for dinner which was tonight. Since it is December and I was wanting to bump them up a notch, I used minI gingerbread boys and Christmas tree 🌲 cookie cutters for the pie crusts for the top decor!

Using a can of apple pie filling, I emptied the can of fruit into a saucepan! Adding 3 tablespoons of butter, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, I chopped up the apple slices into small pieces! Cook over low heat heat until butter is melted and cinnamon is mixed with the chopped apples. Using a glass or biscuit cutter, cut circles of pie crust and press into cupcake (muffin) pans. Fill pie crust with about 1 heaping tablespoon of the apple mixture. Top with pie crusts and sprinkle with colored sugar! Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for about 25 min or until crusts are done ! Before serving, drizzle a little caramel over the top. Serve warm!