The View From Mrs. Sundberg's Window

It all happened so fast, and now it's over

January 5, 2009

Listened to the show Saturday and it was not bad. Spent a good part of the day with the kids putting away the rest of the Christmas decorations. It's always a little bit sad to pack away all those ornaments and dishes and ribbons and lights, though I'm not sure I know why. It's not as if anyone in their right mind could keep up that holiday pace for very long. I know the kids are going to have one humdinger of a time getting up at 6 a.m. for school this week since they've been staying up way past their bedtime for nearly two weeks, and we're back to meals featuring food groups other than the fat group. There aren't any parties on the calendar for the next month, and the FedEx man hasn't knocked since last Tuesday.

It all happened so fast, and now it's over, so you pack everything away for next time around, and while you're packing, you remember things. You remember the year the tree tipped over and that's how the porcelain house ornament got cracked. And you remember how these tiny, multicolored lights were your godmother's favorite so long ago, and she's gone now, and now they're your favorite. You remember the year one of the aunts made a pumpkin drink for a special treat and the thick liquid looked like baby poop and no one really liked it until someone figured out if you poured in just enough rum it wasn't half bad. And there was the year you were alone on Christmas Eve, all alone.

So there it is. I think that what makes people sad when the party's over is that you can't turn back time. While days fade into memory, time keeps marching on. What's gone is gone. Poofty. Glorious thing is, we can look forward. Now we're on to what's next, the resolutions and inaugurations and groundhogs. Valentines are on the shelves already, and you can buy a swimsuit now, if you'd like. So much to look forward to, don't you think? I mean, really. Think about how your life has changed, even in a year. Think about how it could change. Isn't it exciting? Onward, then. Get those holiday decorations packed away. Vacuum up the pine needles and polish off the fudge and get on it with. This New Year is waiting, and you just never know.

Swiss Cherry Cheese Torte
This lovely twelve-layer dessert is as good to look at as it is to eat. When the kids were young, I made it 'most every Christmas Eve. I made it this New Year's Eve for a change, and I imagine the kids will still be talking about it when I am long gone.

1 Swiss chocolate cake mix

1 can cherry pie filling

4 ounces cream cheese

2 tsp lemon juice

1 can vanilla frosting

Prepare cake mix as directed; bake in 8" greased and floured rounds. Cool. Slice each layer into two thin layers.

Make frosting by beating cream cheese and lemon until smooth. Fold in vanilla frosting. Spread frosting toward outside of first cake layer, overlapping with a layer of cherry filling more toward the inside. Place a cake layer on top of the first layer, and repeat with frosting and cherries until you've reached the top. It's normal for frosting to be dripping down the sides and cherries to be sliding off the top. Refrigerate.

OR

Blend 1 softened stick butter, 8 ounces cream cheese, and 1 bag of powdered sugar together for homemade cream cheese frosting.

Enjoy!

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