A Christmas stranger...

It's been a year of changes for Paul - including removing the beard he had for almost 40 years!

He made this decision because of two surgeries… one for a growth that had recurred in his sinuses and required extensive surgery last January… and the other was for an enlarged right thyroid - he was told it was the size of a cantaloupe - in August.

He is doing well now. The pictures show the progression of shaving off his beard as a goatee,

then a mustache, and then just Paul!

Yes, after all those years with a bearded man, it was a little unnerving

at times to turn around and see this "stranger" hanging around the house!

Ray Kimmes carries the tradition on…

"Grandpa's Peanut Cake"

Just like Mom used to make!

Ray Kimmes was a teenager back in the 1950's when his mother had him help her shell the peanuts for her special Christmas cake. Those peanuts would have a red skin on them so next they had to roll them in a dishtowel to remove them.

Then he had to crush the nuts in a hand meat grinder.

Ray has changed the ingredients a little bit when he does it today. He uses mixed nuts that are already cleaned. But he grinds them up as before.

Ray admits that it is still a lot of work but "the reward is great!"

That reward is not only the yummy tasting dessert but the "oohs" and "ahs" of those who get to eat it.

Grandpa's Peanut Cake

3 tbsp butter 1 c sugar

1 c milk 1 egg

2 c flour 3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla (or you can use lemon or almond)

¾ tsp salt

Beat eggs until fluffy; add sugar and butter and mix well. Add milk, and then flour and baking powder and salt mixture. Mix well and then add extract. Pour into a greased, floured cake pan. Bake for approximately 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Before it is too cool, remove from pan and place on baking sheet.

Frosting and nut ingredients:

2 # powdered sugar

3 tsp. butter (soft)

1 tsp vanilla extract (or lemon)

Approximately ½ c milk until spreading consistency.

3-5 pounds of peanuts or mixed nuts

Chop or grind the peanuts or a combination of mixed nuts and set aside in a bowl. Leftover nuts can be used in other cooking projects.

The next step is to frost the cake.

Mix powdered sugar with butter, vanilla and enough milk to mix well to frosting consistency. You will probably have to make more frosting to complete frosting this cake.

Frost one side of the cake and then spread and pat in the chopped mixed nuts. Leave set for five minutes and then turn the cake over onto the other side with the nut side on the baking sheet.

Then frost this side of the cake and cover with mixed nuts.

Then cut your cake into small rectangular pieces. Frost the remaining sides and cover with chopped nuts.

Be sure the frosting is dry before storing in a covered container.

These also freeze well.

.

When the "Merry"

is gone

from "Merry Christmas!"

If you think you won’t be able to stand it if you hear another Christmas song telling you to be “merry and bright”, keep in mind that you are not alone.
The Christmas season can be a wonderful time. But it can also bring to mind the sadness of missing loved ones or watching someone suffer with disease or pain.

Some of these folks recently met for an ecumenical service at the Lundberg Funeral Home.

Part of their tradition, explained Sue Klicka, funeral director, is to put the names of loved ones who had died during the year on ceramic decorations and hang them on a Remembrance Tree. After the service, folks gather around and look for their ornament to take home.

But also, they are mingling with other people who know the heartbreak too.

And nothing needs to be said. But you might like to share a knowing look or a hug.

A similar service is held at First English Lutheran Church. Pastor Phil Ruud has asked folks what was their most difficult time? Some of the answers were:

“The first Christmas that I spent without a loved one, who had died.”
“The first Christmas after my divorce and my kids were with my ex-husband and I was all alone.”
“I remember Christmas during WWII. My brother and my husband were overseas. I was worried about them. It didn’t feel like Christmas at all.”
“The Christmases when my family member was drunk. They were at their worst during the holiday.”

Actually, these thoughts weren’t just from Pastor Ruud's congregation. A couple were from himself. One Christmas he had to confront a relative who had a devastating alcohol problem. Another time he had a relative who was dying.
And, he reminds us, heart attacks, SIDS, and car accidents also happen around Christmas.

"The thought that everyone else is merry at Christmas when you are anything but merry can make Christmas even more difficult."
So he asks: "What can we say to people who are having a hard time at Christmas? What can you do when you find yourself not so much in the Christmas spirit?"

His answer is: "It’s helpful to have people who will listen… and listen… and listen some more to our real feelings and emotions.
“It’s valuable to have people who will accept and empathize and respect our feelings without trying to cheer us up or change the way we feel.”

And "remember that Christmas is the story of how God comes to meet us in all the broken imperfections of ourselves and this world."

The Christmas story itself is not only about the joy of the birth of a child, our savior, but about physical discomfort and fear of the authorities of that day. And soon, "even the wood of the manger would become the wood of the cross."

"But," Pastor Ruud concludes, "Christmas is a story that tells that God comes to be with us… and it can be a time for receiving Christ’s blessing even though we are not merry and bright."

.

(Photos from Brian Robison and the Minnesota Vikings.)

Minnesota Vikings

"Benchwarmer Bob"

could advise

"Blitz 'Em Brian"

He's copying me!
Or so it seems to former Minnesota Vikings football player, Bob Lurtsema as he talks about Vikings Defensive End Brian Robison.

Benchwarmer Bob" Lurtsema, Vikings Defensive End 1972-76.

Lurts was a darned good player. But he is also remembered for his endearing commercials for Twin City Federal Bank (TCF). In these he showed his sense of humor when featured as "Benchwarmer Bob". He could kid about sitting on the bench instead of being out on the field playing.

Now it is reality that in pro football you don't always get to be the star. But Bob made that fact less embarrassing as we empathized with him in these commercials. They ran on the air for about 12 years and even showed Lurts being traded to Seattle. According to the commercial he didn't get to fly out there... he drove an old rusty pickup!

So how does this relate to present Vikings defensive end, Brian Robison?

As a rookie last year, Robison ended up being a starter. That looked pretty good for this year's season.

Until the Vikings hired Jared Allen as probably the highest paid defensive end in the league! And Robison got a taste of the sidelines again.

That brought a reminder of "Benchwarmer Bob", all right! And that brought the thought of updating those commercials by having the old "Benchwarmer" train in his successor!
But with one change... we'll leave the benchwarming to the fans and have Robison known as "Blitz 'Em Brian"!

So I contacted the Vice President and Director of Marketing at TCF and told him of my idea. He was kind enough to explain that they weren't running any TV commercials right now but may decide whether to add some next year.

So going back to writing my column, I asked folks for questions they would like to ask "Blitz 'Em" Brian.

Here they are:

Q: What’s the most surprising thing you have learned in your first two years in the NFL?
A: How hard it is to keep my mind off football when the game is over.

Q: Calls of “holding” appear to vary from ref to ref… do you believe that offensive linemen "hold" on just about every play?
A: Without a doubt.

Q: Do you think “trash talk” is effective?
A: It can be if it get's in your opponent's head.

Q: What kind of superstitions or rituals have you seen?
B: One of the guys has to hide his shoes under the training room table, before every game.

Q: Who is the biggest worrier about the games… you or your wife, Jayme?
A: Definitely Jayme.

Vikings Defensive End, Brian Robison and his wife, Jayme
who is a competitive barrel racer. She trains her horses in a stable near Cannon Falls.

Q: How do you wind down after a game?
A: Eat a good dinner and relax for the rest of the evening.

Q: How long does it take for you to stop hurting after a game?
A: About a day and a half.

Q: In the off season, where do you live?
A: We have a ranch in Texas.

Brian's dog, Sadie, shows her preference is for #96 of the Minnesota Vikings.

Now whether "Benchwarmer Bob" ever gets "Blitz 'Em Brian" trained or not...
it's been fun to think of these two Vikings as part of a sport that has fascinated so many people all these years.

.

Missing you...

I came home on a flight from the west coast late Tuesday evening

and found a phone message telling me that my friend, Judy, had died.

We had gone to school together from Junior High through college.

She was a bridesmaid in my wedding.

I have had a picture of Judy and me on my desk for several years.

(Or is the correct grammar: "Judy and I"?
Judy would have known.

I always had trouble with those terms!)

The picture on my desk was taken in our Journalism class at Roosevelt High School.

I have looked at it often and smiled as I recalled our enthusiasm and dedication.

Judy was a friend and encourager.

In fact, as I remember her words and her smile, she remains that still.

But this is hard.

I miss you, Judy.