Homemade Cookies, Blackberry Wine, and Craps

One of things that my family did during the Christmas holidays was to visit our relatives. For the most part we visited the grandparents and several of my great aunts. The trip to Aunt D’s home was my favorite. Beginning the day after Thanksgiving, she would bake cookies in preparation for the Christmas holidays. My all time favorite cookie was a traditional German cookie made with anise that was a delight to the taste buds. In addition, we were able to enjoy the company of our cousins who were in town to visit their grandparents. My brother and cousin taught me to play dice games in the corner of my great aunt’s living room. One year when I was in high school I had a cold and felt bad. My dad gave me a small glass of blackberry wine. After I drank the wine, I felt better so I asked my father if I could have another glass. This time I filled the glass myself, but I switched glasses to a larger water glass. Let’s just say that I   really enjoyed playing dice with my brother and cousin. Once we went home I went to bed and happily slept in a wine-induced stupor. Sleep was a real benefit since I had coughed and sniffled for several nights in a row. Fortunately for me, my parents didn’t know about how much wine I had enjoyed and dad laughed when I told him how the wine had helped me to shrug off the cold.