Several years ago I visited a Butterfly Garden near Charlotte, SC. It was the most amazing experience. When you enter into the garden, which is an enclosed space, you can actually feel the silence. The butterflies glide through the air gracefully and if you’re very still they will land on you as if you’re a natural part of their world. There are no words to describe the peace and wonder that surrounded me as these magnificent and beautiful creatures went about their business.

Every winter, I’m obsessed with staying warm so adding sweaters to my cookies was a natural complement to the layers I was wearing myself when I made these Christmas goodies. Sweaters, hats, scarves...every cookie (even the alpaca) had to have at least one cozy item of apparel. The cats were the least successful but I refuse to take the blame for that. Like real cats, the cookie cats refused to cooperate.

Today is the twelfth day of Christmas. All the decorations will soon be tucked away until next Christmas. White Christmas Tree Cookies are a yummy treat to munch on while we take down the tree, write thank you notes, and eat turkey soup made from the leftover Christmas “beast.” It’s time to ponder the memories we’ve made and all the lives we’ve touched during the past several weeks. Let’s also lift a mug of hot cocoa to the new year. May it be filled with joy and may our hopes be realized beyond our wildest expectations.

I have a friend who used to sew matching pajamas for herself, her husband, and their 3 kids every Christmas. The fabric was usually flannel and covered with Santas, snowmen, reindeer and other Christmas-themed designs. I’m fairly certain that no one in my family would have wanted matching pajamas so I didn’t even think of going there. But I always thought that was a fun idea. In my own way, I adopted her tradition, but for me it was Christmas slippers. Every year I buy a new pair of holiday slippers.

One of the first Christmas decorations that goes up is the wreath on the door. It’s first because decorating the door only involves two minutes. But once the wreath is in place, the holidays can begin. The wreath says “Come inside...Christmas is happening in here!”