Traveling this week

My in-laws picked this weekend to come visit, which made sense since they both had today off. But, instead of driving, they came on the train. On Friday night, leaving from 30th ST. Station in Philadelphia.
The inaugural train was leaving from Philadelphia on Saturday morning, but the soon-to-be First Family was arriving near the station Friday evening. Security was paramount, naturally, and the trains were significantly delayed leaving. I don't know what they'll run into, going through Washington on the way back.
We've had a fairly good visit; we're going over to the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond this morning before they need to get back on the train to head home.

Gumdrop Cookies

It has long been something of a family joke that I love traditions. They're all quite correct in their accusations! Perhaps this comes naturally with a love of history, for that means that the things you do have a history of their own. I'm not quite as bad as my mother makes it out; she always says that if we've done something twice, it's a tradition, and if we've done it three times, "we've always done it". Well...maybe she's more right than I want to admit; I was pursuing the possibility of doing something again this year that we'd done last year at Christmas (and let's admit it, a ton of traditions surround Christmas!)

Of all the traditions we keep, not very many of them come from my father's side of the family, and consequently those are some of the ones I'm more tenacious about keeping. One of those is an old Christmas cookie recipe. I don't know how long my grandmother has made Gumdrop Cookies, but my father grew up with them. They're extremely easy- really just an oatmeal cookie with gumdrops, and they don't make a lot. They must, however, be quite unusual because they always seem to get people's attention. Bluebonnet and I just finished making a batch for this year. She helped by stirring the oats and gumdrops together, but decided that she didn't especailly care for the yellow gumdrops.

Oh, and you must use spice gumdrops, not fruit flavored ones.

I guess it's official....

this is now a Harley household! My Knight bought a blue motorcycle from one of the other guys in their unit ( who was himself buying a brand new one). He's learned to ride it and has been having lots of fun practicing. He has ridden to work once; now will come the real fun when we move!

Our best friend, whom I shall refer to as Owl (long story!), has been riding a Harley for several years. Owl grew up around motorcycles, as his grandfather does work as a motorcycle mechanic and has several antique motorcycles as well. Owl and My Knight are planning to ride together when we move, so it'll be a caravan and a very different kind of trip than most. I'm looking forward to it, though.