Our daughter brought the boys to see us the week before Christmas while her husband was at work. She wanted to introduce Theo to his great-grandfather, Theodore who lives about two hours away. I went with her to be an extra pair of hands. I mostly entertained Alex while Catherine and Theo stayed and visited with Opa.
Alex loves to be outside and the arctic air had not blown into town yet so we walked around the block. Actually, we ran – Alex doesn’t walk very often.
I must confess, normally when I walk, I focus on where I’m going and don’t pay much attention to what is around me. With Alex, however, we examined the many different Christmas lights and decorations we passed. He gave a running commentary – “Christmas lights, reindeer, Christmas tree, Santa”
The decorations that were not inflated were “sleeping.” They wake up at night. I tried to teach Alex the world ‘nocturnal” but he didn’t quite get it.
We also counted fire hydrants – there are seven fire hydrants around Opa’s block. Alex touched everyone.
For small children, every day is a new adventure. So, the next morning, we walked/ran around the block again. There were still seven fire hydrants.
It is such a joy to be reminded of the wonder in the world as seen through the eyes of a child.
It’s that season again. Time for New Year’s resolutions and goal setting.
I set objectives every new year. It’s a holdover from my teaching days and another name for goals. Sometimes I achieve my objectives. Sometimes I don’t.
The fact is, too many of us end up in a mire of guilt, weighed down by our failure to meet our expectations.
Many years ago, Juliet Marillier offered what she called magic wand gifts to use instead of goals and resolutions. Ideas that would help increase productivity and creativity.
I’ve adapted her list below. They’ll be my objectives this year.
Feel the wind in your hair, the rain on your skin, the sun on your back, the richness of freshly turned soil underfoot or in your hands. Plant some flowers or veggies in pots if you don’t have gardening space. Take regular walks and use your five senses to experience nature.
Have more social interaction, and I don’t mean online! Online socializing is not great for physical or mental health. Make the effort to go out to coffee with a friend once a month or once a week, join a book club, walk your dog at the park, and meet like-minded people in person.
Write or do whatever you do because you love it; love whatever you do. Because otherwise what’s the point? Life’s short. Enjoy the ride.
Realize motivation for getting on with things – your work in progress, your diet/exercise plan – does not come from the note on the fridge, but from deep within you. Change your mindset. Do the right things not because you ought to, but because you want to.
Most importantly, take time to breathe. Stop whatever you’re doing periodically. Step away, go outside and breathe slowly for a few minutes. You’ll be amazed at how your perspective can change.
If you’re not one to set goals or resolutions or even if you do, give Marillier’s magic wand gifts a try this year.
As this year rolls to an end, it’s time for Chicken Wrangler Sara and me to begin our annual holiday break.
Before we leave, we want to offer a special holiday greeting to our blog community and let you know how much your thoughtful comments have brought pleasure. Thank you for being a part of our community all these ten years.
We leave you with an Irish Christmas Blessing to keep you through the holiday season.
See you back right here in the New Year with more thoughts and views from the front porch and Miller farm. Until then enjoy the archive posts.
The day we planned to go caroling was predicted to be a stormy day. This is Texas – no one can accurately predict the weather. It did storm for about 30 minutes in the middle of the afternoon but by the time we gathered to start walking the neighborhood, the skies were clear.
We divided into two groups and began caroling. My group finished our houses first and went to join the other group thinking they were almost to the end of their route as well.
They were not. In fact, they were less than halfway through their list of houses. We combined groups and continued caroling.
After an hour, most of the group was ready to return. We had told the students we would be gone for about an hour. When I mentioned this to Mr. Kipp, who was leading the second group, he said “but there are still more people expecting us.”
I explained that we had only allotted an hour and his response was “You knew how many houses there were.” And he was right. I had misjudged the amount of time it would take.
Those who were ready to be finished went back to the school with another teacher. I kept going with Mr. Kipp and those who were willing to continue. I must confess, I was ready to be done, too. As we kept walking we were greeted with smiles and “thank yous”. Some people even joined in singing with us.
We finished and went back to the school for hot chocolate. As I reflected on the experience, I wondered how many of those people would have sung “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” if there weren’t a group of schoolchildren in their front yard singing.
I believe we brightened the Holidays for those people. Well done, students, well done!
Christmas tunes are everywhere this time of year. One of our family traditions is to gather around the piano and sing holiday songs. I love sharing the origins of the songs we sing.
“The Holly and the Ivy” is one that’s not heard much, though it dates to medieval times. It has an interesting history and staunchly Christian words set to a haunting melody.
There are five verses of the carol. You can read all the words here. I’m sure you’ve heard it. This is the first verse with the refrain to refresh your memory.
The holly and the ivy
When they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown
Refrain:
The rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing in the choir
The history behind the carol: Holly and ivy were gathered along with mistletoe and other evergreens to decorate churches, houses, and streets at Christmas as early as the 16th century and probably before. Their shiny green leaves brim with life throughout the winter when most other plants and trees are leafless making them perfect for decking the halls for the holiday.
It may be a relic of pagan midwinter celebrations with the evergreens symbolizing rebirth, the return of the light, and the greening of the landscape in spring. Holly with berries and mistletoe are still used as Christmas decorations.
The words appear in the early 18th century Broadsides printed lyrics, but not the tune. Most likely because different melodies, with local modifications, passed between generations as part of the oral tradition.
One of several carols from medieval England, “The Holly and the Ivy” tells of the rivalry between holly and ivy for mastery of the forest. The holly “bears the crown” so wins the contest; perhaps that’s why we hear no more about the ivy.
Holly was seen as a masculine symbol because of its stouter prickly leaves and ivy is a feminine symbol with its softer leaves. The carol may, therefore, hold a gentle reference to the difficulties of relationships between men and women. The seasonal Christian message is clear in how the song’s words tell the story of Christ’s life interwoven with the life of the holly tree.
Verse 2: “The holly bears a blossom as white as the lily flower” refers to the white flowers Holly produces in late spring. The white signifies the purity of Mary and Jesus.
Verse 3: “The holly bears a berry as red as any blood” refers to Christ’s blood.
Verse 4: “The holly bears a prickle as sharp as any thorn” refers to the crown of thorns.
Verse 5: “The holly bears a bark as bitter as any gall” is another reference to the crucifixion.
The most popular version was first published in 1911. Folksingers popularize the carol in the fifties and sixties. It continues to be a much-loved, traditional Christmas carol immersed with Christian and pre-Christian symbolism.
Christmas is a busy time for everyone but I honestly believe music teachers are particularly busy. Music is an integral part of the season so concerts and programs start the day after Thanksgiving.
The newly formed choir at the school where I teach sang Christmas carols at a retirement home this week. This was their first performance and the students did an outstanding job. It was good practice for next week when they will be leading out in caroling in the school neighborhood.
One of the older gentlemen in the neighborhood frequently substitutes for teachers at our school. He volunteered last year to arrange for us to carol at specific houses, guaranteeing a good response. It went so well that this year we are dividing into two groups and going to twice as many houses. Mr. Kipp was excited to be able to help again.
On the day of the choir’s field trip, he came to the school to show me which houses would welcome carolers. I was pretty tired and had no desire to think about the next performance. I could tell he was determined so I walked the neighborhood with him while he told me about the houses.
At one house he told me there was an older lady who lived alone so we needed to sing extra songs for her. Another house had declined the offer and another was vacant. He called out to a man in his yard to remind him we would be back next week to sing. In the end, we had mapped out what would be a successful evening of caroling.
As I thought about it the next morning, I remembered Mr. Kipp’s wife died this past year. He lives alone in his house and really loves being involved at the school. This was not just another Christmas performance for him. It was an opportunity to talk to his neighbors and bring them the joy of children singing.
I was reminded that one of the privileges of being a music teacher is spreading the joy of Christmas. Now to remember that during the next two weeks of performances.
Long before I was born (and probably before most of you were born) on this day in 1941, Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii.
The day after the surprise attack Congress approved President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s request to declare war on Japan with only one dissenting vote.
Then three days later, Germany and Italy also declared war on the United States. Congress reciprocated. America had finally entered the fray known as World War II.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, “This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.” Our national history (and many of our personal histories) changed that day forever. Fathers, husbands, boyfriends, sons, and daughters went off to fight the war. Brave soldiers who answered the call.
My father did.
My uncle did.
So did my father’s sister.
Let’s take a minute this Pearl Harbor Day to remember those men who Tom Brokaw duped the Greatest Generation.
Men who willingly gave their all to provide protection and security to our nation and the world.
Why do we hang stockings at Christmas? The origin of the tradition comes from a folkloric story. The Cliff Notes version goes like this:
A kindly Saint Nicholas learned of a penniless widower with three daughters and no dowry for them. St. Nick came to the widower’s house and filled his three daughters’ stockings, hanging on the fireplace to dry, with gold coins.
Different versions, each with its own twist, have continued to fuel Christmas decorating for hundreds of years. You can read more details here.
Our family’s Christmas stocking tradition started with my Irish grandmother, who made stockings for each of her grandchildren.
Every Christmas morning we’d go over to her house to find Santa had left our stockings. We never questioned why there and not at our house. Instead, on Christmas morning we piled in the car with our mother and went to her house to find our stockings stuffed with small gifts like jewelry or nail clippers, an orange, an apple, Hersey kisses, pecans, almonds, walnuts, and Brazil nuts.
The orange supposedly represented the gold coins the three impoverished girls found. The nuts, I think, were merely filler. I never ate them as a child.
That ritual continued until I got married. Then Grandmother made a stocking for my husband soon to be followed by three more for our children.
We always hung the stockings and opened them on Christmas morning along with “Santa” gifts from under the tree. Because we never lived nearby, we never got to continue the stockings at grandmother’s house tradition.
Time passed and our children married and had children. We’d lost Grandmother so making Christmas stockings fell to me.
I made four stockings for children’s spouses and twelve grandchildren. Plus, a couple for nieces and nephews.
Our grandchildren started getting married which meant more stockings to make for spouses and three great-grandchildren. I’ve made seventeen!
Grandmother would never make stockings for pets. I couldn’t say no and have stockings for granddogs and grandbunnies.
She’d shortened long names like Stephanie Jean, to the initials S.J., which troubled my youngest all her life. Remembering how she felt, I don’t shorten names on stocking instead I substitute nicknames like Alex for Alexander and Theo for Theodore. I’m hoping the guys won’t mind when they’re older.
Making Christmas stockings is a labor of love, a family tradition, and this Nana’s Christmas legacy.
We also counted fire hydrants – there are seven fire hydrants around Opa’s block. Alex touched everyone.
