Peanuts, chocolate milk and dandelions

     We attended the Christmas Eve service at our church — Pilgrims Mennonite Church — which rents and meets at the MCC Meeting Place in Akron - right behind the MCC headquarters. Our church small group was in charge of setup and cleanup which includes beverages after the service. We have missed the traditional Christmas choir program "afterglow" at Salem-Zion, so Barb and I decided to share/introduce the chocolate milk and peanuts roasted-in-the-shell tradition to Pilgrims and .... it was a hit! There were, of course, fruits, cookies and bars as well.
    Christmas Day was nice and relaxing; a chance to slow down the whirling in the head from last week's numbing news. Like much of the US, it was not a "white" Christmas, but it wasn't a "brown" Christmas either, but a "green" Christmas with verdant lawns and meadows. During our walk in sunny Roland Park we spotted several dandelions – a most unusual Christmas flower. We also still have fresh cilantro, chives, parsley and rosemary growing with vigor outside our home.