wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

Here it is, December 31, the last day of 2025. 

Last night, was the final illumination for the Tree of Lights to shine for 2025 so I leave you with some parting shots of this beacon of Dayton's holiday season.

Each of us has a light within. It's there to pass along to others. 

“We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won’t need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don’t fire cannons to call attention to the shining—they just shine.” – Dwight L. Moody

From a c-c-c-cold Dayton, Ohio, I wish you a year filled with love, laughter, and new adventures, where each new day is a celebration of life, and may 2026 bring peace and joy to your hearts and homes. xoxo ~ 

6-7 (pronounced six-seven)

Once a month a group of retired teachers from Van Buren Middle School meet for lunch. I am one of the newer members of this group and am in total awe of these women. (Retired men teachers are invited, too, but none of them have decided to attend). Many of these women are in their 80s and 90s and teaching was their entire career, whereas teaching was a second career for me. I did not put the time in that these ladies did. They have seen so many changes in the teaching profession: going from the junior high concept to the middle school approach, if the student got in trouble he or she would be in double trouble at home (nowadays many parents are of the opinion that teachers don't give Little Johnny or Little Suzy enough chances to get themselves together), teaching methods have changed numerous times (no more drill, drill, drill), technology has become a part of classroom tools as is making sure students become literate using technology. Can't forget about teaching to the State Achievement Tests in order to get a good rating for the school district. These seasoned veterans are just amazing, are still on top of what's going on in the building, and are glad to have passed the torch to the next generation of teachers.

A couple lunches ago, one of the ladies says, "What do you all think about this 6-7 thing that all the kids are saying? It's driving some of the teachers nuts! And to boot, it's a Word of the Year for dictionary.com!" People chime in about this saying, how ridiculous it is, how it has no meaning, how it's just another distraction for the students. I love to listen to these women and am so impressed with how they still keep up with what's happening in the school.

So what is 6-7? It's a nonsensical expression that is a meaningless inside joke used by Gen Alpha and Gen Z on social media and in schools. Its lack of essential meaning is a central part of the trend. 6-7 is frequently accompanied by a specific hand gesture involving moving both upturned palms up and down alternately, as if weighing options. This has led some people to interpret the meaning as "so-so" or "maybe this, maybe that," though this interpretation is secondary to the term's absurdity. 6-7 is often cited as "brain rot" slang, referring to trivial, low-quality internet content that becomes a widespread, nonsensical shared experience among younger generations. 

So, ya little whippersnappers, what's your bag with us boomers? Don't flip your little wigs when you don't get us old cool cats. We can give you the skinny on lots of groovy stuff. Understand what I'm sayin'? Oh, P.S., 6-7. How 'bout them apples?!

monday's mulling: joyous noise and boom: loud silence

One week ago today, the first of my Gang of Four arrived from Chicago. Earlier she and I planned menus for the holiday week, made extensive lists so we would do a  one time big shop, and then hit the stores before the big Christmas blitz began. Oh my...the counter-depth refrigerator was packed with food. Thank heavens for the fridge in the garage.

Christmas Eve afternoon, the second Chicago family arrived. Shortly after that my two brothers and their families came to celebrate the holiday. My nephew is quite the grill master and he grilled steaks, and his homemade cheese and jalapeno sausage. Let the Christmas feasting begin. Our families haven't been all together like this for a long time and it was so much fun to see all the kids have such a good time together. Adults did, too. We celebrated a recent engagement, the last of my nieces and nephews to get married.

Christmas morning was quiet but busy. My son, daughter-in-law, and two little grandchildren opened their Christmas presents in their Cleveland home and then made the trek to Dayton. While waiting for them, my girls prepared our Christmas meal and it was glorious to put two leaves in the table to seat our party of 10 adults. The little people had already been fed and their parents were up and down from the table checking on them. Life with little ones keeps everyone on their toes. 

December 26 was our opening Christmas presents day. Such excitement from the 3 1/2 year old and almost 2-year old grandsons! "Look what I got!" "Wow!" "Wow!" "Wow!" So much energy, so much joy. In the eyes of children we find the joy of Christmas. Just three days earlier, I completed my granddaughter's Christmas stocking. Nothing like cutting things close! (I had so much fun making it.)

Then as quickly as they arrived, my Cleveland family left at noon on the 27th to go to my daughter-in-law's family's Christmas. The house got a little quieter with four people gone. And then yesterday, the Chicago clan headed back to the Windy City, but not before my 2-year old grandson found a couple of old pan lids and discovered the joy of clanging them together. Who needs fancy toys? I told my daughter that she could take those home and she quickly responded, "They can stay at Didi's house." 

After waving good-bye, Todd and I went back in the house, and I got a big lump in my throat. "It's so quiet, too quiet." But soon, the TV was on, Todd was watching the Browns v. Steelers football game and this time cheering instead of yelling at the TV. The Browns won and once again there was joyous noise.

adult "kids"

This is so true. Watching the lives my adult offspring have created has made me so proud. They all have good, stable jobs, incredible spouses, a couple are parents, they are all around good people in so many ways. They have an incredible sibling bond and are always there for one another. That line that says "you're just here pretending you're not terrified..." is a little exaggerated. Of course as a mom I do worry at times (it's part of the "mom job"), but as they grew Todd and I gave them the advice and support they needed to spread their wings and handle life. We are always here if any of them need us and they know that. And did I mention that I am so proud of each one of them...and their spouses...and my grandchildren? So very blessed.

the friday feed: buckeyes

Buckeye. What is it? It refers to so many things: the Ohio buckeye tree (the state tree), its shiny, deer-eye-like nut, the nickname for Ohioans (this dates back to the 1788 Northwest Territory agreement) , Ohio State University (mascot and teams), and a popular popular peanut butter fudge candy dipped in chocolate to resemble the nut, all deeply tied to Ohio. 

Back in my teaching days, a couple of the life skills classes would make buckeyes and sell them for $4.00 a dozen at Christmastime. What a bargain for these candies that were the size of golf balls! The students were guided through the whole process of buying the supplies, advertising, making, packaging, selling, and delivering the finished product with a thank you note. It was a learning experience that covered so many aspects of learning for the students. I would buy six dozen and give them as gifts. After I stopped teaching, the teacher would contact me to see if I wanted to buy the buckeyes. Of course! And then, for unknown reasons, the project stopped.

This past November I received an email from my teacher friend telling me that she revived "Project Buckeye" and would I like to buy any? Of course! They were still the size of golf balls and the students still included a thank you note. Nice to see things some things haven't changed. 

Peanut butter balls

dipped in melted chocolate

lessons can be sweet.

From the first Friday in January to the last Friday in December, 52 haikus for 2025. It was fun to share my thoughts on food and cooking in seventeen beats.

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.

conquering the sky: december 17, 1903

The Starfield in the dome of the Schuster Performing Arts Center portrays the constellation in the night sky over Dayton, Ohio, on the night of December 16, 1903. 

The following morning on the sands of the banks of Kill Devil's Hill, North Carolina, at 10:35 a.m., December 17, 1903, two brothers from Dayton, Ohio, Orville and Wilbur Wright , changed the world.

Orville flew the first flight for 12 seconds, covering 120 feet. Three more flights occurred that day, with the longest by Wilbur covering 852 feet in 59 seconds. The landing from the last flight slightly damaged the aircraft, the Wrights intended to quickly fix the Flyer and attempt yet another flight. Unfortunately, a sudden gust of wind picked up the aircraft and tossed it along the beach, causing extensive damage. The world's first successful airplane would never fly again, but that didn't deter Orville and Wilbur from moving forward with their dream of powered flight.

 

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

A trip to Chicago for a few days. At my high school reunion, when making conversation with people you remember from 50 years ago but haven't stayed in touch, one of the questions was, "Now that you're retired, do you go anywhere for the winter." My answer, "Cleveland and Chicago to visit my grandkids." That always got a confused reaction.

Friday morning my daughter and I took the little guy to daycare so we could spread Christmas joy to school children. Such a pretty sunrise over the bitterly cold city as we started the day.

The Museum of Science and Industry's annual Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light was a fun excursion to get out of the house. It features more than 50 trees and displays, each decorated by community volunteers who share family and cultural traditions drawing on their global heritage. This beloved annual exhibit started in 1942 as one tree to represent unity during World War II and has since turned into an engaging winter wonderland. It brings a whole world of holiday joy under one roof.

The United States' tree has an ornament for each of the 50 states. We had to hunt for Ohio and finally found it in the back of the tree.

England and France's trees. England's tree topper is hard to see but it is a crown. The sparkling Eiffel Tower tops France's tree.

Todd and my son-in-law were supposed to go to the Cleveland Browns v. Chicago Bears football game but it was too bitterly cold. The wind chill factor was around -10°F (-23°C) and as much as Todd loves his Browns, watching them in the bitter cold was not appealing. However, my daughter, who loves football as much as her dad, did go to the game with a bunch of her crazy friends and appeared on the television screen for a brief moment. She's the blonde in the left corner.

My little grandson loves to organize his animals. As he lines them up, he says each one's name, and then looks at Didi to repeat what he says. This was a great source of entertainment and now I hear his little voice, "brown bear, turtle, tiger, toucan, crocodile, flamingo, elephant..."

The I-65 wind farm is always a boredom buster on the journey to and from Chicago. 20 miles of driving through snow-covered, frozen Indiana farmland. 

We got home to witness this knock-your-eyes-out sunset. Mother Nature sure put on a color show.