Looking forward to baking, spreading cheer
Published:Saturday | December 12, 2020 | 12:12 AMJonielle Daley/Staff Reporter
It was all smiles and laughter with Jamaica Labour Party councillor of the Norbrook Division, Susan Senior, and People’s National Party councillor of the Papine Division, Venesha Phillips, at Tuesday’s sitting of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation at the Jamaica Conference Centre.
They joyfully shared their favourite Christmas memories and anticipation for the season with The Gleaner.
Senior said that celebrating Christmas as a child helped her to grow an appreciation for family and, by extension, the community.
She is aiming to be in relaxing mode for this Christmas instead of her customary rushing in and out of the house.
Naming that she has her own challenges as a parent and grandparent, she is greatly appreciative of a switch in tempo as before, she would “get dressed, run gone, tell dem ‘goodbye’, ‘later’, but now, I am more into them. I am seeing them growing”.
Senior said that with schools operating remotely for the most part, she has been more hands-on supervising online learning and looked forward even to cheeky comments and complaints.
“As politicians, we are always out there serving and sometimes our children are left behind,” she said.
‘Little dip and little taste’
One memory that lives with her is how excited she was, anticipating the moment of doing a “little dip and a little taste” of the Christmas cake batter.
It was a friendly competition between the two councillors as they belted out melodious rifts and runs, sharing their favourite Christmas carols. Senior went for Ring the Bells while Phillips opted for Silver Bells as she recounted her years singing in the church choir.
Phillips’ face lit up with memories of getting all the gifts at Christmas time.
She told The Gleaner of her favourite childhood Christmas gift – “a red shirt set with a horse on the front and I think that tied on the shoulders, and my brown shoes with the white socks with red and gold around the socks” – given to her by her father.
Though she was raised in the Seventh Day Church of God, her mother still allowed them to celebrate Christmas.
Coming straight out of her Christmas family tradition is her love for cooking.
“Me is the biggest cook and chef ‘round town. Me cook everything,” said Phillips, disclosing her guilty pleasure of cooking pork as well.
All her fruits have been set to soak for baking to begin this week and ribs are well seasoned and ready to be cooked and consumed with her favourite drink, rum and authentic Jamaican coconut water.
Navigating the new Christmas atmosphere, they are still committed to spreading Christmas cheer, making plans to give Christmas packages to the members of their division.