Happy December

Happy December

Happy birth month, all you December angels, everyone born in this first winter month. You really shine with turquoise as your birth stone and tanzanite as your second choice. By the way, your lovely color is blue. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Narcissus and poinsettia are your flowers. Two of everything for you!  Here’s a fun […]

A Conversation at the North Pole

Mrs. Claus: Are you feeling better, Dear? How about a nice, hot cup of coffee?   Santa (throwing back the quilts and rolling out of bed): Just what I need. The trip was hard this year.   Mrs. Claus: Did the reindeer behave? Was the sleigh over-loaded? Did you face a head-wind?   Santa: Yes, […]

Just Box It Up

Just Box It Up

In many countries, this is Boxing Day. This special day after Christmas is a tradition started by elite Britishers of giving gifts to those who serve them throughout the year. The gifts are boxed and I suppose that’s where the name comes from. This is also St. Stephen’s Day, in honor of the first Christian […]

What Happened With the Night Before?

The Night Before Christmas is a beloved story/poem by Clement C. Moore, first published in 1823. It is a classic, a favorite of children, and one of my favorite children’s books too. But, I wondered, how would it have sounded if Mr. Moore had not told the story in rhyme? What if he had just […]

Peace

Peace

The older I get, the more I value peace, the kind of peace that calms worry thoughts. To me, Christmas brings that kind of peace along with a quiet feeling of joy. I like to imagine the first Christmas night with Mary and Joseph, tired and amazed and filled with awe, gazing at the baby […]

Quiet Thoughts

Our family has the tradition of lighting Advent candles on the Sundays before Christmas, then reading  Scripture. The soft glow of the candle is peaceful and silent but it reflects a powerful message of hope and love.  As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, “For hate is strong, And mocks the song Of peace on earth, good-will […]