If there is one thing consistent every Christmas in my life, it’s butter. I eat plenty of it daily and this year has been no different. But even with plenty of butter eating, Christmas on the prairie has been a bit different.
We’ve been celebrating with out snow. It didn’t even freeze last night. Normally we spend hours during Christmas snowmobiling around the farm.
This year, we are romping like Butler the farm dog in brown grass.
Actually for the first time in anyone’s memory except maybe anyone remembering no snow in 1957…not me…we had family basketball instruction outside on the driveway today. Even in 1957, I don’t think anyone was playing basketball on the driveway. But today, my dad and brothers had some hook shot and John Wooden offensive tips for our son.
Grandpa Fred can still get it done on the driveway in cowboy boots Hunter learned.
And post playing uncles are smarter than an 8th grader from experience and lessons learned. Hunter listened and practiced…in relatively warm and windy conditions on the prairie.
Often I take pictures of these trees by the lake at my parent’s farm the day after Christmas when they are covered in fresh fallen snow and frost. A reprieve from Christmases past is okay this year.
A brown Christmas is welcome as long as we have plenty of family time…
with plenty of butter to spread on homemade lefsa (a staple in our holiday eating regimen which is a heritage Norwegian potato flat bread that needs plenty of butter and cinnamon and sugar).
We ate Oyster Stew with plenty of butter and cream at our house on Christmas Eve.
The traditional Christmas Eve program was held at our church. Our once nervous 4 year old Miss E pulled off her program line without pause. It was a happy, snow free Christmas. I’m going to relish in the snow free prairie with plenty of walks this week in sweatpants and a heavy sweatshirt and burn this into my memory to remember when snow drifts surround me! Hopefully walking will burn off the extra butter too.
Rodney Southern says
December 26, 2011 at 10:52 pmWhat a wonderful post! Made me feel as though I were on the prairie right along with you and your family. Looks like you had a wonderful time. Glad I found your blog! Merry Christmas!
TexWisGirl says
December 26, 2011 at 11:35 pmi am so happy for you and your family and all the time you get to spend together. the butter is just icing on that cake. 🙂
Sarah says
December 26, 2011 at 11:53 pmMmmm … butter!
I am glad that you have a great brown Christmas! We never have a white Christmas – usually a wet Christmas but never white. Oh, wait there has been frost all over the ground every morning – does that count?
Megan says
December 27, 2011 at 12:49 amEven without the snow, it looks as if you had a wonderful day! We used to have oyster stew on Christmas Eve when my grandma was still living…nice to know it’s a tradition with your family too. Here’s hoping New Year’s Eve is brown too!
Farmchick says
December 27, 2011 at 2:13 amButter is best. ALL of the time! lol I remember eating a lot of lefsa while living in Minot. A favorite of mine at festivals.