CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN DAY 8

 A CHRISTMAS WISH:

Have a jolly holiday filled with surprises.

I spent five Christmas seasons (2015-2019) as House Mom for a fraternity. I lived there with 25-30 young men. I always thought of them as boys. It would be an understatement to think of my life as an adventure. The House never looked the same when I woke up in the morning as it did when I went to bed!

I always decorated for the holidays and I think most of them appreciated it. I didn't have much of a budget for decorating so I borrowed a tree and made most of the decorations myself.

Of course, the tree decorations were unbreakable!

My bedroom, sitting room, and bath were on the main floor at the end of the hall. I lived there full time. Oh, the stories I could tell.

I had a little tree in my room .

One year I pretended it was a big tree and placed it on top of a cabinet.

I always felt pretty proud of the young men (boys) and hoped that I made a small difference in their lives. I got married in 2019 and when I was undecorating after the last Christmas, and feeling very sentimental, I found these black bikini underwear hanging on the tree right in front of the window. And that's what it's like to be a House Mom.

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN DAY 7

 A CHRISTMAS WISH

It was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas well.

Charles Dickens

What does it mean to keep Christmas well? The most obvious meaning involves goodness and kindness to all, but I want to talk about the mechanics of getting things done today. I am still in the process of decorating this year! Usually by St Nicholas Day on the sixth I will have the tree up, and maybe even have some wrapped gifts under it. This year I am a little bit slow. Boxes are scattered everywhere, and we are still bringing decorations up from the storeroom. I love going through the boxes, because each one is like opening a gift. Some years I am more organized than others, but I always keep most of my ornaments in small tins, and wrap them in tissue paper, or even paper towels or napkins to keep them safe. I even enjoy wrapping them back up again when it is time to put everything away. I don't really decorate a lot compared to some people. I think my key word is probably Simple. I don't have a lot of shine. The colors I like best are still green and red and gold. I don't like to start until after Thanksgiving. Years like this one make me feel behind before I have even begun.

I have several small vignettes around the house, and parts of it look almost finished. But I'm afraid the tree still needs a bit of work. That will be my plan for the next few days.

I like this vintage store sign I bought years ago. It reminds us to do our Christmas shopping early. I never have. If I start early then I will buy more. It is as simple as that. No control. Really, we are not extravagant gift givers. Back when I was much more clever I made a lot of Christmas gifts. We have a large blended family now, and each one gets one gift from us. 

There is a saying about gifts for children. I can't remember it exactly, but it goes like this:

ONE TO READ, ONE TO WEAR, ONE TO PLAY WITH, AND ONE TO SHARE.

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN DAY 6

 

A Visit from Saint Nicholas

A CHRISTMAS WISH:

FIND TRADITIONS YOU LIKE AND

MAKE THEM YOUR OWN

 Happy Saint Nicholas Day! This is the feast day of Saint Nicholas of Myra. He was an actual bishop in the fourth century. Stories of his generosity and devotion to the poor were the inspiration for our modern Santa Claus. He was known as the patron saint of travelers, the clergy, and school children. He devoted his life to serving those in need. Some stories say he often sold his possessions and gave the money to the poor. The story most often told is that he left gifts for three girls whose father could not afford to pay their dowries. Legend says he would leave gifts for children in their shoes.

In many countries, it became the custom to leave shoes outside the door on December 5, and to discover a gift the next morning. Typical gifts were often small toys, candies, and oranges to represent gold.

We are all a mixture of many customs and traditions. There is no better time than the holidays to choose and adapt these different traditions to our own families. I had never heard of this tradition when I was growing up, but I liked it so much that we began celebrating Saint Nicholas Day when the children were very young. We would all leave our shoes outside the bedroom doors on the night of December fifth. Often straw and carrots would be left for Saint Nicholas's horse. He would take those treats and leave chocolate gold coins, other candies, and a new Christmas ornament in each of the shoes.

On the next day, we would draw names for our own  "Kris Kringle". This was the parent, brother or sister that each one would be personally responsible for during the holiday season. This meant buying a present, and also doing secret good deeds for that person. Some years it worked out better than others. On Christmas Eve, we opened our Kris Kringle gifts.

     

I still have the tin and little cards that we used every year. As the kids grew up and left home, they continued the tradition with their own families. They were able to start trimming their trees with the ornaments they had received. Of course, our own trees became a little barer every year!

(Reprinted from December 2021)

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN DAY 5

 A CHRISTMAS WISH

What is Christmas without goodies? Find a recipe and make it your specialty

I don't think I have ever had a baking specialty.  No one ever begs me to bring my wonderful whatever to gatherings. I have to admit I look for the easiest and quickest recipes. My motto is "If it takes longer to make it than to eat it, then I probably won't make it."

But there is something about this time of year that makes most of us want to stir up a little something in our Christmas kitchens. Or at least to put on a cute and festive apron. This year we almost had a mother and daughters baking day, but it had to be cancelled at the last minute. Maybe we can still make it happen later. I do like Christmas goodies. Especially if I have helpers.

When my oldest son was in kindergarten, he brought home a recipe from the teacher for cranberry orange bread. This was fifty (!) years ago and I had only heard of pumpkin and banana breads, so I thought it was very exotic. It did become a favorite.

CRANBERRY ORANGE BREAD

• 2 cups flour
• ▢1/2 cup sugar
• ▢1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢grated zest of 1 large orange
• ▢2/3 cup fresh orange juice
• ▢2 eggs lightly beaten
• ▢1/3 cup vegetable oil
• ▢1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries
• ▢1/2 cup chopped pecans are optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.  Stir in the orange zest.  Make a well in the center and add the orange juice, eggs and vegetable oil.  Stir gently, just until almost combined.  Fold in the cranberries and nuts, making sure you don’t over mix the batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.  Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. 
• Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Please note this is made with fresh or frozen cranberries and fresh orange juice. That is the secret.

I have also made cranberry orange cookies especially when I need to take something to a cookie exchange. These are made with dried cranberries .

Cranberry Orange Cookies

3/4 cup softened butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries

1 T orange zest

Preheat oven to 350. Mix butter and sugar til light and fluffy. Add egg. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl. Add to dry ingredients  and mix lightly. Fold in berries and orange zest. Shape in one inch balls and roll in orange sugar (1/2 cup sugar and 1T. orange zest.) Place on baking sheet and flatten. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes.

That's it for today's baking lesson. Like I said, I never claim to be an expert cook.  That's really quite ironic since I have spent most of my life married to restaurant owners. Twice. But that's a story for another day.

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN Day 4

 A CHRISTMAS WISH

May you enjoy a cup of steaming cider and a good book

BOOKS AND LIBRARIES

I have always believed that every house should have a library. If not a separate room, then at least a space with a chair and a place to set a cup of tea. This is my favorite bookcase, and it has moved with me four times since I fell in love with it in 2006. We bought it in an antique shop and it is rumored to have come from a library of a state university. I love it because of its' size and the different heights of the shelves. The top is quite narrow, only about three and one half inches wide, and has holes to hold wires or dowels for periodicals. I usually just put larger books there. The next shelf is wider, but it is angled so the books slant. And then there are two wider divided  shelves at the bottom. I usually have seasonal books on the top shelves.

I've lived in a couple of places with tiny rooms and tall ceilings, so I always seem to decorate up. I was lucky to live in a house with a separate room with built-in bookshelves for our library. We also had built in shelves in all the bedrooms. When we downsized, I think we had over 2000 books. I donated a lot of them. Our next house had 15 bookcases. I think I was down to 10 when I rented. (That is the photo above). And then when I was a fraternity house mom, I only had room for two, and most of my books and furniture were in storage for four years. Then when John and I got married, I was able to move my books back in and have a library again. Our library room didn't have built-ins but did have several book cases. That house had a total of twelve. Now we are here and have approximately ten plus cupboards and niches, and book racks. These are estimates. I will probably do a recount when I am all snug in my midwinter bed. (I do love the "Night Before Christmas" books with charming illustrations)

Here are a few of my Christmas books. I do like children's books so I always seem to be drawn to them.  And Christmas decorating and crafting books are popular too. Oh, and vintage books. I guess you get the idea and now everyone knows my secret vice. 

 A Christmas Wish

Remember the joy of snowflakes falling on your nose and eyelashes. Don't forget to try to catch them with your tongue.

Last night we had our first snow of the season. Actually it was late, because we often have at least one good snow in October or early November. We only got a little bit, about an inch to cover the ground. Everything looks pristine with new snow. The leaves and branches covering the ground just disappear.

Most of my life, I have lived in the country. Not deep in the country, but outside the city limits. When I was younger, sometimes we had to wait for the snow plow to come along before we could leave. Those were the days of snow boots, and scarves, and hats and mittens that I didn't think I needed to wear. That's probably why I am always cold now! Do you remember snow forts and snow balls? Snow men and snow angels?  Maybe I'm wrong, but I remember long winters with lots of snow and hot chocolate and waiting to see if school was going to be closed for the day. We used to make snow ice cream without even worrying about the eggs and the chemicals. I guess the first snow must make me nostalgic.

It's been a long time since I've made a snow angel, but I still try to catch snow flakes on my tongue. I'm sure it must be a sign of good luck. 

A LITTLE BIT OF PAPER CRAFTING

Making paper snowflakes is a fun and easy winter craft. Snowflakes can be made from all kinds of lightweight paper. Some examples are computer paper, brown paper, book pages, coffee filters and cupcake papers. There are lots of directions for 3-D snowflakes on the internet. Surprisingly, they are made from paper lunch bags and are quite striking.

If using regular paper, you will need to start with a square. Fold into four quarters and then fold those into triangles. And then start cutting. V-shapes, hearts, and slits along the folded edges work the best. Use a paper punch if you like to make holes. They come in all sizes, including hearts and stars. Experiment. Just like real snowflakes, every one should be different. Round papers can be cut the same way. Decorative scissors can be used on the edges, or they can be dipped in glue and glitter if you like.

Christmas Countdown

 CHRISTMAS WISH

Send a surprise Christmas card to someone who isn't on your usual list

I don't think people send Christmas cards the way they once did. There are lots of reasons, I am sure. Probably the cost of postage and the cost of the cards is a factor. And the fact that it is so much easier to send greetings by email or text. It is a disappointment not to get cards by mail though. I always look forward to it. I think a lot more people send out family photos cards. Since I am always forgetting to take pictures, that doesn't happen here.

Last year I did send a lot of cards because we had just moved, and only a few people knew our new address. I hope to hear from them this year. I haven't bought any cards yet, but have a few I haven't used before. When I've shopped in  England, I always try to buy cards from the charity shops we love. They always have a large number of cards sponsored by the various charities. I've noticed I am drawn to the houses with villages, and with birds. The card above is from the British Red Cross. It is lovely with lots of gilding. I also have a few that I have been hoarding that picture a peaceful English country church. Of course, it has a graveyard, as most English churches do. It just seemed so unusual to me as a card to send to American friends. I worked at a funeral home at the time, so it was very normal for me to buy. But it's not every ones' cup of tea.

I try to send cards most years. Sometimes they are a little late. One year I deliberately bought New Year's cards and got them out on time. 

One of the few disagreements I had with my first husband was over our first Christmas cards when we were newly married. I had signed and stamped our cards and was ready to mail them. He thought I should be sending cards to everyone we knew and include a Christmas letter. I said I wasn't mailing cards to all our neighbors and had never even heard of a Christmas letter.  I ended up burning all the cards in our backyard burning barrel. I don't think he ever knew, and he really didn't take any interest in who we sent cards to after that. I think it was probably pregnancy hormones.

I did resist sending Christmas letters for several years, but I have often sent an original Christmas poem. I think they are usually pretty good, both informative and funny. The Christmas after my husband died in 2011, I sent a very sad poem. It was still a little bit funny, but several people left tearful messages on my answering machine. I lightened up a little after that. No poem this year, but I am hoping to get cards out in a timely manner.

The earliest Christmas cards were postcards. They were first sent by Henry Cole in 1843. He was very popular and very busy and just couldn't find the time to keep up with his holiday correspondence. Just like me, he didn't want to have to write a Christmas letter, which was the polite thing to do. He gave an idea to a friend, Mr J.C. Horseley and hired him to design a card. It had a happy family scene with a Christmas greeting and could be personalized with lines for To: and From: at the top and bottom. There were also pictures on the sides of charitable good works.

It wasn't until 1875 that the first Christmas card appeared in the United States. It was very simple with just a flower and the words "Merry Christmas" on the front. In 1915 the Hall family in Kansas City created the cards that opened up and required an envelope. This gave people more room to write their messages. They founded the Hallmark company. The most popular card for them was in 1977 and was three little praying angels. They still make that one today!

More joys for your Christmas than words can convey

And then a lot more for New Years Day

Christmas Countdown

A CHRISTMAS WISH

" Every day a little treat

Will help to make the wait complete!"

Advent is a time of waiting and anticipation. It is the period of four weeks leading up to Christmas. Each week has a different theme of hope, peace, joy, and love. I know that not everyone celebrates this holiday, so you might not agree with the religious significance. This year I am going to talk about some of the customs I love and that I hope I have passed on to my children. My plan is to have a message every day in December.

Like many Christmas customs, Advent calendars first became popular in Germany in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They really weren't known in the United States until the 1950's when President Eisenhower's grandchildren were photographed with one for Newsweek magazine. Later, in 1958, the first ones with chocolate candies appeared.

Advent calendars have been a part of my Christmas for as long as I remember. When I was young, I picked out a calendar every year for myself. After I was a mom, I got calendars for each of my kids every year. (And one for me) At one time I had a large box of them. I have given quite a few away but still have my favorites. I never wanted to get the ones with candy or chocolate. With five children I didn't want any fights over disappearing candy and doors that mysteriously opened before their time. Instead, our calendars always had a pretty little picture inside, or a message. The ones with glitter were always the prettiest. I really liked the calendars from Kim Jacobs. 

They were usually scenes of a cozy kitchen or garden with a perfect little happy family. Tasha Tudor also had wonderful calendars. Another of my favorites one year had a different craft project for children to do. We tried to complete as many as possible. I remember young Meg made a braided bookmark and gave it to her dad. He carried it in his wallet for the rest of his life. 

Advent is also a time for remembering, things both happy and sad.

Years ago I created little messages in bottles. I called them Wishes. For Advent, I would put 25 of them in little star containers decorated with charms, ribbons, and bells. There was one message for each day. I will put a Wish at the top of each of these December messages.

I enjoy making banners and buntings. This one is made from five inch packaged quilting squares that can be purchased pre-cut. I folded them into little pockets and finished them with pins with Christmas figures and numbers 1-25.

This year I purchased a new one for myself.  The box is so pretty and has little packets that look like books! It's called a stationery calendar, so I am expecting it to be filled with papers, pens, stickers, etc. I am excited since I don't know what's in it. I love the surprise!

In 2018, when I lived in a fraternity house in a very small space, I purchased a tea calendar. It had teas and accessory items packaged in bags. I managed to not look at them and put them into decorated numbered bags that I made. Then I tied them all onto a wooden ladder and picked one every day.

The last one I have to show is my wooden lighthouse. The light house has a sentimental meaning for me, so when I saw this one I had to get it, even though it was over my usual budget. It's been several years now, and it still brings joy. Each little door and window is a drawer. They aren't too big, but hold a chocolate and an inspirational message each day. I think I will surprise myself with a pair of Christmas earrings in one of the spaces. 

Today Advent calendars are available in just about any subject I can think of, including alcoholic, pet treats, jewelry, toys, craft supplies, and tv and movie themes. There are even "adult themed" calendars. There are many You Tube videos featuring people opening calendars and rating them. Now, there is a job I would like to have!!!

Sort of A Travelogue

 My trip to Italy began with a trip. A few days before I left, I tripped over an acorn, and managed to painfully bruise a large part of my body. There were no broken bones, so I was fortunate. I thought it very ironic, since I really like acorns. I even have a small collection of acorn related items. I have always thought of them as my lucky talismans.

I have been planning this vacation for several months, and felt more prepared for it than any of my previous travels. I was wrong. When we left, I was still limping on my bad knee. My friend had just recovered from Covid, and still had a terrible cough and sinus issues. We were a pair.

On the way to the airport, my suitcase almost fell out of the back of the pick-up which hadn't latched properly. A driver in the next lane spotted it, and we got it just in time. I also realized I had forgotten my raincoat. 

Our flight was pretty uneventful, in one of the most uncomfortable planes I have been in. There was very little room to move. I'm not sure why seats are so different, but they are. 

Once we got to Rome, we had a little miscommunication with our driver and found ourselves stranded at the airport. Yes, there really is a language barrier. Finally, things were sorted out, and we made it to our hotel, after the most harrowing hour long ride I have ever experienced in my life. Traffic in Rome is something I never would have believed if I hadn't seen it myself.  One man threatened our elderly driver, and demanded he pull over. After lots of shouting and hand gestures, the issue resolved itself.

Our hotel was beautiful. As were all three places we stayed. Everyone at the hotels and restaurants was very gracious and kind. I found that most of the other people were very abrupt. Even when answering questions, I never seemed to get the answers I was needing.

Everything is only "5 minutes away" . So many people told me to "just turn left and then turn left again, and there it is."  That is so not true. We had small private tours in each city. These were quite expensive compared to the regular tours, but so much better. Long lines are everywhere for every place that you go. And when I say long, I mean one to two hour waits.

The highlight of the tour for me was to see Pompeii. I have wanted to see it for as long as I can remember. We took the train to Naples, and were met by our driver and guide. There were just the two of us and it was an all day tour. Pompeii in the morning, then a "light lunch" (4 courses and delicious), and a driving tour through Naples. I was surprised by all the graffiti. It is everywhere in Naples. 

Pompeii is huge. We only got to see a part, because it would take much more than a morning. My only disappointment is that we didn't get to go to the museum of artifacts. We had 5 minutes in the book shop, and I bought the smallest, most lightweight book. There were so many, and it pained me not to be able to browse. Every building I saw on this trip was empty. I am so used to my trips to England with lovely cottages and manors, and cozy homes and shops. This was nothing at all like that. I guess big cities are not my thing! The guides always held up pictures of what the ruins used to look like. And we saw a lot of ruins, throughout the tour. And we walked by the outsides of many buildings. I want to see furniture! And the ways that people lived.

The Colosseum is spectacular. So is the Archway. And I really loved seeing the Roman Forum and especially the place where the Vestal Virgins lived. I am anxious to study these areas and learn more about them.

I liked Florence much better. Calmer and more beautiful. And we were able to find a small leather shop. I bought a very nice purse as a memento of my trip. It rained a lot while we were there. I missed my raincoat and bought a plastic bag poncho. I was still pretty wet most of the time, and was sharing Kris's cold by then. Ah-choo!!! We had a great tour in the rain, and went inside the Academie. There we saw the statue of David, and some beautiful paintings.

We had four train rides through Italy. The first one was Rome to Naples and then back again on the same day. And then another to Florence and to Venice with our luggage. By our last trip we were feeling like pros. The trains are very nice and much more roomy than the airplanes. The train stations are very crowded with 15 to 25 trains at each one. Everyone is looking for their train number. There is no place to sit. I read somewhere that it is easy to spot an American because we are always looking for a wall to lean on. That is true for me. I am not used to standing for long periods of time. The track number is announced ten minutes before the train leaves, so everyone rushes to the gate to the tracks. Coach numbers were written on the tickets. Ours was always toward the end. The train doors close one minute before the train leaves, so there is no time to dawdle. As I mentioned, I was feeling pretty good about it by the last train. Unfortunately, we were on Coach 9, the very last one, and there was no Coach 9. An employee sent us to Coach 7 with just minutes to spare. And then when the train was already starting, a man said I was in his seat. The lady next to me told me not to move, and he glared at me. The employee came along again and moved us to the end row. My luggage stayed in the middle though, and the nice lady said she would keep an eye on it. All ended well and we got off the train in Venice, luggage and all. Our driver met us and a water taxi took us right to our hotel.

Venice is a magical city. There are no cars and even no bicycles. There are 450 bridges over the canals. The streets are confusing because there are so many crooked alley ways. We walked and walked and climbed many, many stairs. We window shopped because every designer I ever heard of, has a shop in Venice. I don't think there are any regular stores. 

Every meal we had was wonderful. The restaurants were all very formal, with real linens and nice china. And all the food is reasonably priced. The restaurants mostly closed after lunch and didn't open again until about 7:30 pm. By that time we were often too tired to go out again. I never thought I would go to bed hungry in Italy!!!

Much of the time, I felt that I was in a dream scene from an old Hollywood musical. Everything I wanted to see was so close, but I couldn't seem to get there. It would just be on the other side of the city, or only a left turn away, or we couldn't find it. That was disappointing. I missed seeing a famous perfume store, a book store, and a yarn store. All were quite well known, but impossible for us.  

All in all, it was an unforgettable trip. And I was never so happy to be home after a vacation. And, of course there was a flight delay in Chicago. I know I would have enjoyed it much more if I hadn't been in a lot of pain. And I was not prepared for the walking, even though I thought I would be. Any pictures I have of myself are still on my friend's camera. And I look pretty bedraggled most of the time. By the end of the trip, I was feeling that I was much too old to ever travel again. But, now, after a few days, I am starting to revive. And from now on, I am not so sure that acorns are my good luck charm.

A Fable

Once upon a time there was a girl. One day she had an idea. It was a marvelous idea. She was excited by this idea and wanted to keep it forever. But she was so busy, and didn't have time to share. she wrapped it up in a pretty box with a big bow and put it in a closet. Safe and sound, she sighed with relief, because now that idea was there whenever she was ready for it.

Life continued on, as it does. Soon she had another idea. This one was even better, so she put it in another box. This was a bigger box, with shiny paper, and gold ribbon. Years went by, and she kept saving her ideas. Things to make, stories to write, things to do, and things to think about were all put away in boxes in her closet. Eventually she needed more space, so she transferred all the boxes into a bigger room. She marveled at how all the boxes were different. There were beautiful boxes with big shiny bows, brown boxes with string, and even several that weren't much more than scribbled words on a tiny parcel. Some she remembered, and some she did not. But, luckily, they were all packed away. And so she went on with her life, secure in her mind that someday, all these wonderful gifts would be opened.

It's not that she wasn't busy. She grew from a girl, to a woman, from a mother to a grandmother. Her life was full of joy and abundance. At other times it was filled with sorrow, and unfathomable grief. At times it went slowly, and at other times she could barely turn around before another year was gone.

Eventually she began to notice that her ideas were starting to show up in other places. She didn't understand, because she knew that they were all locked up in her secret hiding place. But it happened more and more. She was confused because she knew those were her thoughts. Finally she decided it was time to open the boxes and put her wonderful plans into action.

She picked a sunshiny day for her mission, but the sun didn't last. She opened the nearest box and it was completely empty. She turned it upside down and shook it, but it was still empty. How odd, she thought to herself. She picked another one. It was round with amethyst paper and silver stars. She was sure it was probably a good one. Empty again, except for a tiny bit of star shaped glitter. Now she was starting to worry, and tore through all the other boxes, finding nothing but a little more glitter and plain old dust. Paper and ribbons of every color were all around. The little room seemed to be bursting with them.

She was despondent. What had happened to all her beautiful ideas? 

And then she had one more idea and decided to open a Ribbon store. She lived happily ever after, selling ribbons and dreams. She would always give this advice to all her visitors--"Don't tie them too tightly and be sure to use them up".

NOT QUITE THE END

Every fable needs a moral. Remember that our great ideas are not really our own. They are floating around in the universe, waiting for some one to grab them. If you wait too long, they will find someone else.  Don't let that happen.

 So many times in my life I have considered something, and then watched as another person turned it into a successful venture. I'm not nearly as ambitious as I used to be, but I am trying now to use the things that I have been keeping in boxes and in my head.  This little story of boxes of ideas first appeared to me almost half a life ago. And now I have finally written it down.