<p>I agree with CO_mom–try to get to see your mum in UK, no matter what juggling you may need to do to work it out. Memories are so dear!</p>
<p>Sounds like these years of baking hold a lot of treasured memories for many. We baked sugar cookies with my tribe (my kiddos & their cousins). It was fun, but not sure whether we’ll do it this coming year–we shall see. Maybe we’ll do it at the upcoming mini-family reunion or maybe we’ll just do a lot talking & lazing about.</p>
<p>Unfortunately we have a very small family. My Husband’s mom died last year and his dad died a couple of months ago. Our son just moved 1200 miles away for his new job. There is no way I could take off and leave my husband at Christmas. </p>
<p>To be honest I think the doing Mum’s online Christmas food orders got me all nostalgic and pining for previous times the other day.(the supermarkets there will deliver, she has a telephone that does emails but does not have the internet, so she emails me the order and I do her grocery shopping online every couple of weeks).That combined with my son having moved right before Christmas, not knowing my daughter’s plans etc etc had me feeling a bit sorry for myself and thinking how lovely it would be to go over there for Christmas. Not on the cards, but I do go over and see my Mum every summer for several weeks. </p>
<p>It’s all this talk of making fruitcakes that brought back memories and got me started being all emo you know :rolleyes: Caught me at a being sorry for myself moment!!</p>
<p>SCM- a new discovery for trips to the UK has been Iceland Air. We’ve had good luck with one way tickets, with late flights having the connection held, with seat room (on the 757, row 17 has the exit row extra leg room), and just in general with the experience (assuming you, too, cannot afford BA 1st class ;)) and the price (less that $400 each way from the west coast)</p>
<p>SCM - Can’t help but read your posts now with a British accent. :D</p>
<p>Right, she is now SwimcatsMUM.</p>
<p>LOL, mafool!</p>
<p>Back from sandtart baking. I did not write down the recipe, but my beloved friend was talking about a pound of butter, 4 cups of sugar, 4 cups of flour, vanilla. At least that’s what I thought she said. I couldn’t listen after the pound of butter. Thank heavens I don’t like sandtarts. </p>
<p>My hairstylist loves them and I usually bring a container to her each year. She is a slim, health conscious woman. Maybe I should tell her she is just eating butter and sugar with a little flour to hold it together.</p>
<p>For years, we lived on the west coast and my family was nearby. DH’s mom was back east and we “had to” visit her during the holidays. So, we’d have a Christmas dinner with my family the night before we flew out. Usually, we’d meet at some restaurant overlooking a harbor and exchange gifts over dessert. It actually turned into a much enjoyed tradition. Perhaps, SCM, you can do something like this with the daughter- meet her someplace, ahead of Christmas Eve. Make it a happy get-together, despite where she’ll be on the actual holidays. No cooking, no cleaning.</p>
<p>I am going to try the fruitcake recipe. Our joke is that we were the last ones to get a fruitcake that had been serially regifted for a few seasons. We found it in the back of a cupboard (in a tightly sealed tin) after years and a few moves. It was great.</p>