The Smorgas-Ford

It isn`t pretty and God knows it`s not the best use of a classic car, but it`s become an annual event.    Every Christmas is shared with our 1970 "Houndstooth" Cougar XR7.  After all, it`s been a part of our family for more than 20 years.

Job one for the Classic Cat is to become the storage facility for baking and any food items we don`t have a place for in the cupboards or in one of our two refrigerators.  You can clearly see the mix for drinks, the potato chips, a few breads, but front and center is the baking.

Here`s the back-story

My wife Terrie is a Christmas fruitcake.  The minimum number of decorated trees in our house is three and the one in Ted`s Man Cave must to be the real deal.  The first one goes up around the third week of November and nothing gets taken down until after the New Year.

Not that I keep track or anything, but If you count the small fake tree just outside the front door, the number of Christmas trees in the Farr house is four.  Add the little gold foil trees in the main bathroom and the number grows to six.  Plus the 18 inch ones on the dressers in our spare bedrooms and the number becomes eight.  She never does use all the decorations she has collected over the years.  We even have a lacrosse player ornament, a most important sport for our family.

Nutcrackers 

They stand watch along the ledge on the staircase to the basement.  There must be thirty of them.  Terrie finds new ones every couple of years.  A small concession to me, yes, but we have a nutcracker decked out with the helmet, logo and colours of my favourite NFL team, the Baltimore Ravens.  

Oh, and there's her collection of Santa`s gracing the mantle and nearby flat surfaces in our family room.  And, the Nativity scene displayed on the table behind the sofa.  She wraps wreaths around the chandelier in the dining room, complete with mini-lights.  Even the headboard on our bed has greenery and mini-lights and so do the bannisters.  

Outside we have lights along the eaves in front of the house, the umbrella willow tree is covered and out back we mount lights along the railings of our sundeck.  Our dog, Normanski Poops-alot has a special scarf, although he`s not impressed!  Usually tries to lose it within minutes of having it tied around his neck.

Don`t get me wrong, I love Christmas and I love how Terrie makes sure we celebrate family, friends and our traditions.  She always says our job in life is to make memories and we do.  

Butter tarts and chocolate drops

Terrie is a marvelous cook and Christmas is a festival of tastes.  So the XR7 plays its part perfectly.  I really don`t mind because the Smorgas-Ford is out of sight in the garage.  The baking is kept in Tupperware or easily opened tins.  I should probably weigh twice as much as I do.