christmas day

When my daughter was in 2nd grade, all the second graders sang a song in the Christmas program at school. It was beautiful in its simplicity - the words, the music, the student's sweet faces, the fidgeting as they stood on the risers, and their angelic voices. 

While home for Christmas break, the kids did their usual things - hang out with friends, play games, decorate cookies, lots of arts and crafts. One day Lauren came into the kitchen from the dining room, "Look what I made for you." She handed me a stack of papers. "It's the song we sang at school."

Very simple drawings, very phonetic spelling, which made this gift so very precious.

 

C is for the Christ Child born upon this day

H is for herald angels in the sky

R means our Redeemer

I is Israel

S is for the star that shone so bright

T is for three Wise Men, they who traveled far

M is for the manger where he laid

A is all he stands for

S means shepherds came. And that's why there's a Christmas Day.

“I like to compare the holiday season with the way a child listens to a favorite story. The pleasure is in the familiar way the story begins, the anticipation of familiar turns it takes, the familiar moments of suspense, and the familiar climax and ending.” – Fred Rogers

A Merry Christmas to one and all!

milagros christmas tree

Six years ago I was looking through the Sundance catalog and saw a Christmas tree filled with milagros. Milagros are small metal charms are used throughout Latin America to symbolize prayers. They are pinned to crosses, statues of religious figures, and altars to petition for help and protection. They can also represent thanks for an answered prayer. Some people carry milagros with them for good luck, healing, or protection. I love Christmas customs from other countries/cultures so with a point and a click this tree was on its way to my home to become part of my Christmas traditions.

The tree has now become a little more special because my son-in-law's heritage is Latin American. My mom gave the little nativity scene to me many years ago and it now sits in front of the milagros tree because it's "Hecho en Mexico" (made in Mexico). Poinsettias are native to Mexico and are known there as la flor de la Nochebuena, the Flower of the Holy Night.

Couldn't resist taking a pic of the shadows.

When my children were little, one of our Christmas traditions was to read a Christmas book every night starting December 1 and ending on Christmas night. I wrapped each book in holiday paper and each night one of the kids chose a book, unwrapped it, and I read it to them. One of my favorite stories was The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola. He was a wonderful storyteller and artist.

This story is a Mexican legend of the poinsettia about a little girl who offers weeds to the Christ Child as her gift for Christmas. The towns people were aghast at this gift  but after everyone went outside after mass, all the clumps of green weeds were shining with red stars. ¡Es un milagro navideño! (It's a Christmas miracle!)

seasons' greetings!

It's the eve of Christmas Eve so from my house to yours...Season's Greetings!

 

monday's mulling: time for a visit to the eye doctor

Christmas stockings have always been a big part of Christmas in my family. My mom made each of her four children a stocking from a kit - red felt, Christmas figure cut outs and rick rack, all glued onto the stocking. That was a '60s thing. When each of my children were born, I followed in Mom's footsteps and made each of my children a Christmas stocking. That was back in the 1980s when counted cross stitch was popular and I did their stockings on linen. Fast forward to 2018 when my son got married in September. A new family member who would need her own stocking hanging on the mantle. I wanted the look to be similar but didn't want to do an entire stocking on linen. The solution: cross stitch the name on linen with some Christmas ornamentation and then attach it to fabric. Voila! That's what I have done for my two sons-in-law and recently finished the last one for my new daughter-in-law. Rather than whipping through it like I did for the last three, hers one was a chore. I put my reading glasses on and they helped but I needed more light. I sat by the sliding glass door with my readers on and that was a little better but it was still slow going. At that pace, I'd be finished by Valentine's Day. I needed more light and more magnification. The solution? Buy one of those magnifying lamps that have LED lights. And I did. The sewing was much easier and quicker.

It's been a while since going to the eye doctor and I've noticed the ole eyes aren't quite what they used to be. This Christmas stocking is the kick in the pants to schedule an appointment...after New Year's. Here's a little preview of what caused my eyes to go buggy. I'll share the finished project once Christmas has passed.

winter solstice

 It’s that time of year...

The winter holidays are upon us once again. Twinkling lights, decorated trees, candle lighting, gift giving - all the usual trimmings for this time of year.

It’s also the winter solstice and one of the most enduring symbols of this solstice is the importance of light. In the depths of winter, when days are short and nights are long, people have long sought ways to bring light into their lives to combat the darkness and cold. This is reflected in the many winter solstice traditions that revolve around light, such as using candles, fireplaces, and lanterns to brighten homes and public spaces. And much of this naturally overlaps with Christmas and Hanukkah. Whether it is the warmth and comfort of a fire, the light of a candle, or the twinkle of holiday lights, this is a time when people come together to celebrate the return of the sun and the promise of new beginnings. From this day forward the days will start to get longer and we experience more daylight.

Today is also a big day at Stonehenge. The stones of Stonehenge have silently marked the winter solstice for thousands of years. The Druids of ancient Britain also saw the winter solstice as a time of renewal and rebirth, and it was an important event in their religious calendar. 

This was a few years ago at the Tree of Lights on Solstice Day. It was turning dark  and I was waiting for the lights to bring brightness to this day with the shortest daylight hours.

"After the longest night, tomorrow we sing up the dawn. There is a rejoicing that, even in the darkest time, the sun is not vanquished." - Dacha Avelin

the santa tree

Ho, ho, ho...Merry Christmas! This little Santa tree is placed close to the front door where it greets anyone who comes through that entrance. Quite a few years ago when decorating the big Christmas tree, I noticed that there were a lot of Santa ornaments amongst the other tree baubles. Why not have them all hang out together?

This guy is the STAR of the tree. Back in my teaching days, Wendy, the creative App Tech teacher, was the head of the "Morale Committee," where Super Teachers Are Recognized. One year before our holiday break, she hung this Santa ornament on each classroom door. I always think of Wendy when placing Santa star on the tree. Her classroom was a couple doors down from my room and we had so many wonderful conversations. Lots of good memories from those hallway chats.

The trains underneath the tree are a nod to my Dad. He loved trains and as a young boy started collecting Lionel trains. He carried this hobby through his adult life. He discovered a Lionel store in Cincinnati, made friends with the owner who called Dad whenever he found something he thought Dad might want to add to his collection. Every Christmas Dad lovingly set up his trains around the Christmas tree. He put the smoke pellets in the engine and blew the whistle, would dump the cargo when it passed over a switch and would switch the trains to go right or left. It was such a treat to see Dad act like a little kid. My brothers now have the trains and occasionally will  set them up. When my grandchildren get bigger, I would like to borrow the trains to set up around my Christmas tree so they can experience the magic of their great-grandpa's toy trains.

 

the friday feed: tiramisu

One last Chicago post...

After a lovely evening of driving through a huge Christmas light display in Northbrook, we stopped for dinner at Tutto Fresco. We all enjoyed our meals with everyone requesting a take home box. You think you put a big dent in that bowl of pasta but when you're sufficiently full, there's still enough left over to make a meal for the next day. Anyway, as full as we were, my daughter with the sweet tooth asked if anyone would want some tiramisu. How can you say no to that light, fluffy, whipped-creamy with a cherry on top dessert? We sure didn't!

Spongy decadence

With caffeinated sweetness

  Need spoons for five, please.