Lord Tennyson’s Advice for 2017
4
01, 2017
2
01, 2017
Black-eyed peas and Lucky New Year’s Foods
If you’re born-and-raised in the U.S. south, you never skip eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day.
It doesn’t matter whether the peas are fresh, frozen, or canned, you must have at least one pea if you want good luck in the coming New Year.
The tradition originated with Union General William Tecumseh Sherman’s march from Atlanta to Savanah, Georgia, in the fall of 1864 during the War of Northern Aggression. (Okay, it’s called the Civil War. I’m using the term preferred by diehard southerners.)
Sherman’s soldiers stripped the Georgia countryside of crops, robbed food stores and killed or carried away livestock as they progressed toward the sea. The troops passed over the field peas, what we call black-eyed peas, thinking the legumes were for animal feed. The plantation owners with untouched fields of black-eyed peas felt lucky to have food for the winter.
There are other foods here in the U.S. and around the world considered “lucky” to eat on New Year’s Day.
Greens. Collards, kale, or chard because they’re green like money.
Grains and noodles. Grains (corn, rice, quinoa, barley) are symbols of long life and abundance.
Ring shaped cakes and pastries. The circular shape suggests coming full circle. In Denmark, you might be served a dramatically tall, ringed cake called Kransekage, a cone-shaped pastry constructed of ever smaller concentric circles.
Pork. Pigs are a worldwide symbol of prosperity and a lucky New Year’s food, especially in Germany. The symbolism dates back to old decks of playing cards, in which the ace was known as die Sau (a sow, or female pig). The expression Schwein haben became a synonym for being lucky.
Fruit. In Spain, Portugal and many Latin American countries, New Year’s revelers eat 12 grapes at midnight— one grape for each stroke of the clock. If one grape is sour, that month might not be so fortunate. Other lucky fruits include pomegranate and figs. Pomegranate seeds suggest prosperity and figs fertility.
If you didn’t try any lucky foods yesterday, you might consider eating a few today just in case. After all, you can’t have too much good luck.
30
12, 2016
Christmas Black and Whites
A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
My best friend in high school had a job at the local bakery – The Little Cake Box. We lived in a small town and the bakery served as a social gathering place.
They sold Black and White cookies, one of my favorites. I would go by The Little Cake Box after school, buy a Black and White, and visit with Kathy.
After graduation, I moved away and eventually Kathy married the baker’s son. I looked for Black and Whites in Texas but have never found them. Kathy developed a malignant tumor in her leg and despite replacing her bone with titanium; she was unable to overcome the insatiable disease.
The year after Kathy died, Good Housekeeping magazine published the recipe for Black and Whites in their December issue.
It became part of our Christmas traditions to make Black and Whites.
This year we began a new tradition. I had icing left over from frosting the sugar cookies so I used it on the Black and Whites.
My only concern was in the name – could I still call them Black and Whites? The consensus on Miller Farm was “yes.”
28
12, 2016
Honoring Christmas
Today’s words of wisdom come from the novella Charles Dickens wrote in December 1843.
Dickens also published two other Christmas stories, but A Christmas Carol was by far the most popular having never been out of print. It’s also been adapted many times to film, stage, opera, and other media.
Dickens divided his novella into five chapters, labeled “staves” or song stanzas or verses, in keeping with the title of the book. The short tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s strange night visitors continues to send a message that cuts through all the trappings of the season and straight into the heart and soul of the holiday.
Dickens described Christmas as “a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of other people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.”
This description became known as the “Carol Philosophy” and Dickens strove to live accordingly for the rest of his life.
Wouldn’t honoring Christmas by opening shut-hearts and thinking of others as fellow-sojourners on the same path, not another race of creatures, be an excellent way to end this holiday season and begin the new year?
26
12, 2016
Goodbye Christmas 2016 – 8 Tips for Packing Decorations Away
Yesterday we celebrated Christmas. Are you removing the Christmas decorations today? Or, do you wait until Epiphany or Twelfth Night?
Either way, the tree must be unadorned. The things we carefully placed to put us in the holiday spirit must be stored until next year.
Exhaustion has swallowed the enthusiasm we experienced setting up and the task of taking down decorations can be depressing. Still, the job must be done and being systematic with undecorating can make the decorating task go faster next year.
Try these eight tips to ensure everything you take down this year is in good condition and ready to be displayed next year.
- Start by deciding whether you’ll use the Swiss cheese method or devote an entire day to the task. Me, I prefer the Swiss cheese method. I gather things into one spot before I begin loading my plastic containers.
- Dismantle holiday displays and pack them up according to specific areas of the home.
- Store decorations in plastic containers marked with the location for the decorations.
- Launder fabric items before you put away. Always make sure the items are completely dry before packing them up. Oversized zip-top bags or vacuum bags work perfectly for storage. Or place folded items in one plastic container.
- Bows made from wire-edged ribbon should be gently loaded into plastic containers. Wads of tissue paper stuffed in the loops will help keep their shape while in storage. Even if they get a bit smashed, they can easily be refreshed for next year.
- Wrap fragile ornaments in tissue paper or bubble wrap from holiday deliveries and gifts if you did not save the original packaging for storage. Plastic ornament boxes with dividers are a great investment. It makes undecorating the tree go quickly and delicate ornaments are well protected.
- Light strings, either indoor or outdoor, should be wound and stored in individual zip-lock bags to prevent tangles.
- Outdoor displays should be covered in large, heavy-duty contractor bags that can be used more than once.
Can you add any tips you have for undecorating? If so, share in the comments.
25
12, 2016
The Christmas Scale
This is my all-time, very-favorite Christmas video. I can totally relate to the young narrator and rejoice with him in understanding what his Momma meant.
If you have a piano around round your house, give the C scale a try. Play the C scale starting on middle C playing up to the next C. Then play the scale again starting on the 8th note. As you play the scale back down, pause on the 1st note, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th. That’s the good news today.
Merry Christmas!
21
12, 2016
The Presence around a Christmas Tree
I saw this quote recently in a magazine and thought it perfect for Wednesday words of wisdom. What do you think?
14
12, 2016
Making Holiday Memories
This picture was snapped many years ago after the gift unwrapping. The grands are sharing their gifts with the others.
We never hurried to clear the chaos of twenty family members tearing into their gifts. The room was often covered in wrapping paper and ribbon and you had to tread carefully.
Once everyone had their gifts open then they’d huddle to examine the treasures each had received. Such fond memories of the young ones excited about their gifts.
Do you rush to clear the clutter after gift unwrapping? If you do, why not linger and enjoy the moment.
I’m so glad we didn’t rush AND that we snapped such great photos. Be sure to capture the memories.
12
12, 2016
Christmas Trees – the custom and traditions
A small tabletop tree with candles stands as a tribute to our German grandfather’s ancestry. A hand sewnSt. Nicholas doll stands beside the tree.
The tradition of putting up and decorating a Christmas tree began in Germany in the 16th century.
Legend has it that Protestant reformer Martin Luther, who was awed by the brilliance of twinkling stars amidst evergreens on a nighttime walk, wired candles to Christmas tree branches to recapture the scene.
The idea of a decorated Christmas tree was slow to gain popularity in Puritan America. Puritans held to a strict sacred observation of Christmas. In fact, in 1659, hanging decorations brought fines for breaking the law against observance of December 25 (other than a church service).
The Puritan legacy diminished with the influx of German and Irish immigrants and Christmas trees became the focal point of those who celebrate Christmas in America.
Thinking about Christmas trees from childhood is sure to stir a bit of nostalgia.
I can remember piling into the family station wagon and driving into the Texas hill country to cut the perfect tree. We’d sing Christmas carols and eat a picnic lunch. Fun times.
I’d stare for hours at the icicles reflecting in the multi-colored bulbs then beg to be in charge of cutting off the lights before bedtime so I could stay up late. I might add that those icicles had to hang single strand over single branches. Daddy was always watching to be sure.
Once I married and we had our own tree, I’d planned to throw the icicles haphazardly on the tree. Somehow, it didn’t look right. Or maybe it was Daddy’s voice echoing in my head.
Christmas trees continue to play an important role in our holiday decorating.
In Houston, we placed multiple trees around our Victorian home. Most were artificial and each tree had its own theme.
For years we’ve collected White House and Texas Capitol ornaments. Those collections hang on gold-branched display trees every year.
With the Rio Grande National Forest as our backyard, we can secure a permit, take a short hike, and have a fresh cut tree whenever we’re ready to decorate.
I do miss all the little helpers I had in years past. Putting gumdrops on the gumdrop tree by myself (a tradition from my Irish grandmother) isn’t the same.
This year our new four-legged baby, Finnegan MacCool will be helping, which may or may not be a good thing.
Here’s Finn helping me make a Christmas stocking for the newest family member-our granddaughter’s new husband.
Should be fun time decorating the Christmas tree this year with an Old English sheepdog puppy. At five months everything is a chew toy.
How’s the decorating going at your place? Is a Christmas tree part of your holiday tradition?
9
12, 2016
If You Chase a Chicken Into the Coop…
A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
If you chase a chicken into the coop and close the door behind you, you may get locked in.
If you left your phone in the house you are really stuck.
If you stick your fingers through the chicken wire to reach the latch they may get stuck.
If you get your fingers unstuck and look around for something to stick through the wire you may find only a feather.
If you use the feather, it will not be sturdy enough to unhook the latch.
If you realize you are still holding the chicken you chased into the coop, you can put it down – it can’t get out either.
If you take your glasses off to use the ear piece to reach the latch, you will not be able to see.
If you look outside the coop you may find a twig that will work to reach the latch.
If you can’t reach the twig, you can use the earpiece from your glasses. You can see well enough to get the twig.
If you get out and go into the house, you may find your daughter came home and took a shower while you were stuck.
If you didn’t love your daughter so much, she would be locked in the chicken coop.