."...We have seen His star in the east..."

When we were with old friends we were talking about the diseases we used to have (as children) and don't think children have many or these any more. I had scarlet fever and missed three months of school in the fifth grade. When I recovered, they threw away all my paper dolls and anything I had played with during that three months in bed. Skin peeled off my hands and feet. A friend said she knew those whose hair fell out. I did not lose my hair but, I surely was sick! I think I may have told this before, about how Daddy was oversees and finally got a letter saying I was "better" and he did not know what I was better from!

A cousin wrote after seeing the blog and said she never had a "jam cake"...this must be a Tennessee or Kentucky item because I never knew anyone who did not have Jam Cake at Christmas. The old time ones had homemade blackberry jam which of course was full of seeds. Today I use the seedless jam and you don't have to pick the seeds out of your teeth! I did find some pear preserves to use instead of watermelon preserves but a friends said she had seen some (watermelon).

I made a buttermilk pound cake this week and made the caramel icing for it today. Normally the saying is that icing will not "make" if the weather is rainy but I made the icing today (has to come to a soft ball) and it did OK, even in a wet day.

I plan to make that jam cake tomorrow. I felt kind of weak today (chemo-weak) and did not do a great amount of house work or baking. With chemo you just feel like no energy, and no ambition to do anything!

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked 'Where is the one who has been born, king of the Jews? We have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him.'" Matthew 2:1-2