Jim Henson and I were contemporaries so it stands to reason that it was my children’s generation who grew up with his Muppets – though, truth to tell, we didn’t have television during most of their early years. Kermit and Miss Piggy and the Cookie Monster were probably not as influential to them as book characters such as Maurice Sendak’s Wild Things or Tomi Ungerer’s Three Robbers.

Nevertheless, Henson’s characters have crept into our lives one way or another, and this Christmas it seems to be the Cookie Monster who has come to visit.  We haven’t seen him, mind you.  But then, neither have we ever seen Mrs. Crouch, our resident ghost, and she’s been here since 1893.  She hangs around, according to family lore, because she was happiest here in Oysterville when her husband was preacher for the church across the street and she lived in this house that was then the parsonage.  Or so the story goes…

Why the Cookie Monster has taken up residence is far easier to determine.  Cookies!  Dozens of them!  Our house, which year in and year out seldom sees sweets of any kind, has become some sort of giant magnet for cookies.  Boxes of cookies!  Tins of cookies!  Fancy Christmas Bags of cookies!  There has been a parade of friends dropping off the most amazing (and delicious!) assortment of Christmas cookies imaginable.

I think the most unusual came from our neighbor, Celtic Harp player/teacher extraordinaire, Kathleen – shortbread cookies with the Celtic Harp or the Celtic Knot ’embossed’ on each!  Stephanie dropped off a small hatbox full of brownies with just a hint of mint and Fred delivered a variety of yummies from Vicki, some with cream cheese icing, even!  A labor of love, for sure!  And there was a special box of Jayne’s Christmas Cookies, arranged for by Martie and Steve who couldn’t be here for the holidays.  And our own Marta’s oatmeal cookies with nuts and raisins.  (I’m not counting Kitt’s banana bread or Marta’s pumpkin bread or even her pumpkin pies.  Though I do suspect that the Cookie Monster doesn’t stand on ceremony when it comes to which sorts of sweets to sample!)

About ten years ago, the Cookie Monster became sensitized to the problem of obesity in children here in the United States, so his tune changed a little.  In an appearance in a 2007 Martha Stewart TV program, Cookie Monster explained his new philosophy that “Cookies are a sometimes food.”  Thank goodness for that!  Otherwise, we could have a problem on our hands. We are assuming that once the holiday is over and the cookies magically disappear, the monster among us will disappear, too.  Meanwhile… we sure are glad that ‘sometimes’ is now!