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Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

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The Music of Christmas - Part Three

When I think of Christmas, naturally I think of my mom.  And while she wasn't really into all the decorating, although there was always a tree a few small items set about on the table, what mom loved about Christmas was the food, especially baking Christmas cookies. She also enjoyed going on drives after dinner to see the Christmas lights. 

We were blessed for most of the years of my childhood to live near a neighborhood that went all out at Christmas with every street having a different theme, like Candy Cane Lane (my favorite), and I remember a street with large oversized Christmas cards made out of wood depicting various Christmasy images. It was so much fun! 

Sitting by the tree and listening to Christmas music was something my dad loved to do, and Mom would always join in. But more than listening to the music Mom really loved watching tv, especially the Christmas variety specials that were popular in the day, such as The Bob Hope Christmas Special, The Dean Martin Christmas Show, and Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas. But of all the variety shows that mom enjoyed watching, especially at Christmas, there was one artist that stood out high above the rest, Andy Williams. My mom simply adored the man! She listened to his music year round, but she especially loved his Christmas music and yearly holiday shows. 

I was excited when I came across this video, posted on You Tube, which is a compilation of his Christmas specials from 1962 to 1973.

In addition to the yearly variety shows, Andy Williams had a number of Christmas albums and my mom owned several of them. But the one I recall with the most fondness is The Andy Williams Christmas Album.

This was another album that we listened to regularly at Christmas, and my mom's favorite song was Oh Holy Night. I would have to say on this album favorites are;

The Holiday Season

The Christmas Song

and

It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

I have many fond memories of baking with my mom.  After I got married and had children we typically celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve. My mom usually made finger sandwiches, a couple of different kinds of dip and chips and TONS of different types of candies and cookies. I still have the recipes for the cookies she made, and her recipe for butter cookies is by far my favorite. 

❊ BUTTER COOKIES 

1 lb. butter 

4 c. flour 

1 c. chopped pceans 

1 c. sugar 

1 Tbsp. vanilla 

Cream butter and sugar. Mix in flour until well blended. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Drop by spoonsful on to ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. 

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Two Lovely Picture Books For Christmas

Celebrating The Winter Solstice - My Day

By the time you read this it will most likely be evening, the longest and darkest evening of the year. By now I will have filled this day with a number of small but significant rituals and activities, which in these empty nest years have become very much a personal day for me. I thought that perhaps I would bring you along on that journey, I hope you'll enjoy.

The sun rose this morning at 7:28 a.m and will set at 5:02 p.m., that's just a little over 9 and half hours of daylight.

My day began before the rise of the sun, I awoke around 6:00 a.m. made myself my favorite blend of coffee, Starbucks Peppermint Mocha with Peppermint Mocha creamer, yes that's a peppermint mocha overload, and warmed a slice of ham and cheese quiche I made for our breakfast yesterday, and as I ate I read, Grandmother Winter, by Phyllis Root, and then listened to Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, followed by The Shortest Day by Wendy Pfeffer. and finally The Winter Solstice by Ellen Jackson, which sadly, I could not find a very good reading of, the one I've linked is the best that I was able to fine, but the stories are all sweet just the same! I don't think I'lll ever outgrow my love for a beautiful picture book!

After my little "solstice storytime", I suppose you could call it, I began making our solstice soup, which this year is a recipe passed down to me from my mom, Santa Fe Chicken Tortilla Soup!

❊ Santa Fe Chicken Tortilla Soup 

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
4 carrots, cut matchstick style
1 medium onion, chopped
3 whole boneless chicken beasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 (4 oz) can Mexican tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 c. frozen corn
6 c. chicken broth (3 cans)
Limes
Tortilla Chips, broken

Put oil, vegetables, except corn, and chicken into a large soup pot. Cook over medium heat until chicken is done; reduce heat to medium-low and add tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes. Add cumin, corn and broth; raise heat. Bring to a boil uncovered; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in juice of one lime just before serving. Serve with broken tortilla chips and lime wedges

This year I used a snowflake shaped cookie cutter to make tiny snowflake tortillas and then toasted them in the oven. It was a lovely addition something I now plan to do every year.

And for our dessert, I made up another recipe handed down to from my mom, Hummingbird Cake!

❊ Hummingbird Cake 
Mix well by hand;
2 c. sugar
1 c. Crisco oil
2 whole eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Then add
3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 diced bananas
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple
1/2 c. coconut

Mix by hand. Bake in a bundt pan for 1 hour at 325. Let cool before removing from pan. Or use an 8x12x2 inch loaf pan and bake at 325 for 45 minutes.

This cake traditionally calls for cream cheese icing, but I opted for something a bit simpler and just dusted it with some powdered sugar to resemble snow.  The cake itself is pretty moist, so it is fine without icing.

Typically on the Winter Solstice I make orange pomanders and dry oranges, as oranges represent the sun. But I ran out of steam today (battling some seasonal allergies), and didn't get around to making them. I did make a tabletop solstice spiral and placed white birthday candles in four apples, placing them at the four cardinal points. I lit them after dark and spent a few minutes in prayer and reflection. Unfortunately most of those pictures turned out a little dark, but it was beautiful.  I plan on leaving it up and enjoying it during my quiet time tomorrow, so maybe I can get a better picture then.

Tonight I'm going to watch another cartoon. It's an episode of Little Bear, Snowball Fight, Winter Solstice and Snowbound. I'll probably only watch the Winter Solstice episode because it is just lovely! If you have littles in your life, you should share it with them! Afterwards, if I can stay awake, :), I want to work The Christmas Oranges, which is movie I discovered a few years ago and is the sweetest addition to your holiday movie collection! I highly recommend it!

Overall, it's been a lovely day, and by far one of my favorite days of the year!

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Vintage Christmas Music

A Little House Christmas

 If you grew up in the 70's, like me, then most likely you grew up watching Little House on the Prairie. It was a staple in our home, and still a favorite that I enjoy rewatching to this day.

Recently I came across some **free** books and other resources that I wanted to share with you here today. I realize Christmas is just a week away, but even if you don't use these this Christmas, you could bookmark them for next season.

❉ A Little House Christmas
In her beloved Little House books, Laura Ingalls Wilder describes some of the Christmases she and her family celebrate on the frontier. Even if they don't have much money for presents, they always have one another, and that's enough to make any Christmas merry. This lavish gift book gathers together five of Laura's classic Christmas stories from Little House in the Big Woods, Little Houes on the Prairie, and On the Banks of Plum Creek, and is illustrated with gently colorized versions of Garth Williams' original art. 

Available for **FREE** from the Internet Archives, just click the link below.

A Little House Christmas

❉ A Little House Christmas - Volume II

The follow-up to the best-selling A Little House Christmas, here’s another chance to celebrate the special magic of the merry Christmases Laura and her family shared by the shores of Silver Lake, and during the happy golden years in De Smet, as well as Almanzo’s special Christmas days spent in upstate New York. With foil-stamped and embossed title type, a Christmasy green background and holly border, lavish cream-colored paper, and full-color Garth Williams cover and interior artwork, here’s a classic Christmas story collection that will be treasured year after year.

Available for **FREE** from the Internet Archives, just click the link below.

A Little House Christmas - Volume II

If you have younger children or grandchildren you might enjoy some of the My First Little House Book Series, including Christmas in the Big Woods, Winter Days In The Big Woods, and Sugar Snow.

IMBD TV is a free streaming channel available with Amazon Prime. All of the seasons of Little House are included and I'm linking below to three of the Christmas episodes.

- Christmas At Plum Creek (Season 1)

- Blizzard (Season 3)

- A Christmas They Never Forgot (Season 8)

~ Enjoy!

Small Things

 In no particular order, here are six small things that inspired, uplifted or motivated me this week.

1. Find your word 2021.  I've been asking the Holy Spirit to speak a word over my life for the upcoming year for serveral years now. If you are interested in choosing a word for 2021, Susannah Conway has a free email course to guide you.  Sign up here.

2. I've added this book to my list to read in 2021, The Way of the Happy Woman: Living The Best Year Of Your Life by Sara Avant Stover. Have you chosen any books to read in the new year?

3. I've had this album almost on repeat this week, playing in the background. I discovered it last year and I just love listening to it in the days leading up to Christmas.

4. I came across this recipe this week, which sounds interesting, Pine Needle Shortbread Cookies. I've never made anything that included pine needles, but I gathered quite a few last week and I might give it a try. You can also make tea, which is a good source of Vitamin C.

5. Becky O. Cole of Nature and Nourish is one of my favorite discoveries in recent months.  I came across this post on her blog earlier this week, and I love the idea of choosing a theme for each month to focus on in your journaling. I hope she'll write additional posts for the upcoming seasons.

6. When I was compiling A Winter Idyll and pulling together favorite recipes and resources, I came across this point, Cranberry Self Care, which includes a recipe for cranberry orange muffins which I am considering making for our winter solstice breakfast, there's also diy instructions for a a cranberry sugar scrub and a recipe for cranberry maple bourbon smash, which sounds wonderful!

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My Gift To YouA Winter Idyll: Self Care and Pleasant Pastimes For The Holiday Season

 

Last year I decided to make up a little something as a gift for you, my readers, who have faithfully supported my ventures here. Many of you were appreciative and truly seemed to enjoy, A Cup of Cheer: A Selection of Seasonal Beverages. So this year I wanted to do the same thing and I've compiled something that I hope you will enjoy equally as well;

A WINTER IDYLL:

Self Care and Pleasant Pastimes For The Holiday Season

It's a small collection of craft ideas and recipes including bath salts, body creams, a recipe for a scrumptious stew that you could slow cook all day while watching old Christmas movies, and to help you I've even included a list of some of my favorites, perhaps even a few gems you aren't familiar with, and there are other lovely things, as well. It isn't much, just a small token of my gratitude and appreciation for the all the lovely comments you've left this year, especially since posting here has become more difficult with our transition to traveling full time.

You have no idea how excited it makes me to come here and find that one of you has downloaded my season keeper and shared how you're using it and how much it has blessed you! That just makes my day! My objective here has never been to garner a mass following, but rather to bless the lives of perhaps one or two with my offerings, and I hope this little gift blesses you as well. You'll find the link to the download below, and just in case you missed last year's offering, I've included a link to it as well.

I'm sure I'll be popping in again this coming week, thought it's going to be a busy one so perhaps not with quite the same regularity, but I'm already thinking ahead to the new year and have plans for some wonderful posts that I hope to get working on and get a number of them scheduled so that the time lag between when we have signal and when we don't won't be so long.

With that I pray you and your family are safe, healthy and blessed this holiday season, for you have truly blessed mine!

Download 

A Winter Idyll

HERE

Download 

A Cup of Cheer

HERE

The Music of Christmas - Part Two

This is me, Christmas, 1962. I was 13 months old and this is my first ever picture with Santa Claus. That Santa, though. Not the jolly old elf you often see depicted in ads from that time. As young as I was you can see the look of hesitation on my face. It reminds me a little of the expression on Macaulay Culkin's face when he splashed the aftershave on his face, right before he . . . . SCREAMED! :)

This was taken at Cox's Department Store in downtown Fort Worth, Texas.  My first three pictures with Santa were taken there, afterwards at Montgomery Wards after a new mall was built closer to our home. I actually still remember the elaborate set up that Cox's set up, and this was back in the day when most department stores throughout the country decorated their store windows with holiday displays, much like the one below. Awww Christmas in the 50's and 60's, perhaps I'm showing my age here, but at least in my lifetime, there was never a more magical time to a kid. Some of the holidays songs, movies and television specials came out of that era that we fondly enjoy to this day

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer made his television debut in 1964, A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas in 1966. I also loved the holiday specials hosted by Bing Crosby and Andy Williams, there were Christmas staples in our home for many years.. Though they were released before I was born my favorite Christmas movies are all from the 40's and 50's, Christmas in Connecticut (1945), It's A Wonderful Life (1947), and a little known gem released that same year, It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947), and finally White Christmas (1954).

Part of what made these tv specials and movies so enchanting was the music, and that was certainly true of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer sung by Gene Autry. Though the song and album was released 15 years before Rankin Bass immortalized the story in 1964. But it was because of this holiday special and my fondness for the song that I was introduced to Gene Autry. My dad bought me the album one year for Christmas and it quickly became my all time favorite. That album was played so many times during the holidays that I eventually had to staple the cover back together. And while I loved Rudolph, there were a few other songs on this album that quickly became my favorites, including Here Comes Santa Claus, Up On The Housetop and Santa Claus is Coming To Town. From then on and perhaps to this day Gene Autry was the voice of Christmas, or at least, the Christmases of my childhood.

Last week I mentioned my dad's love of Christmas and for turning out all the lights, lighting up the tree and listening to Christmas music. Typically we would listen to one album all the way through and more often than not my dad let me or my brother choose, and this album was one we both chose often. I still own the well worn gem with the stapled cover, though these days I listen to almost all of my music on Spotify. But in honor of Gene and the fond memories of those cozy nights by the tree, here is my all time favorite Christmas song from my childhood, Up On The House Top by Gene Autry. What was your favorite Christmas song when you were little?

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**NOW AVAILABLE**The Ordinary Days of Small Things Winter Season KeeperWith New Seasonal Goal Setting Supplement!

Ordinary Days of Small Things

WINTER DAY KEEPER

DOWNLOAD HERE

**NEW THIS YEAR**

Ordinary Days of Small Things

WINTER GOAL SETTING SHEETS

DOWNLOAD HERE

This year I've created a little something that I think will serve as a nice supplement to the Season Keepers, Goal Setting Sheets! 

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that it does little good for me to WANT to live my life and spend my days intentionally and productively if I don't make a plan and write things down! Now, that being said, and I'm being completely transparent here, there have been many times when I've devoted a large chunk of time to sitting down and writing out all of my goals and intentions, closed the cover and that was the last I looked at it, until the next season rolled around! But this year things have been really different for me, not only because of the pandemic, which has taken a toll on everyone's life. But for me personally, my husband I transitioned from a brick and mortar home to living full time and traveling in a van. To say that I've lost my rhythm is an understatement. I'm really needing to establish some routines and structure to my days and in true fashion, I'm developing some resources to aide in that and that is the purpose for this supplement.

I'll be sharing more in the coming days about how I plan to use this to give you an idea of the thought behind why I included the things I did. I've purchased and downloaded a number of such resources over the years but as is common in most cases, it never really encompassed everything I had in mind. And so I borrowed, tweaked, combined and made it my own. Who knows I may revise it yet again before the Spring edition comes out? However, ff you download it and use it, I would LOVE to here what works for you, what doesn't and any ideas you have for things to add. The same for the Season Keepers! 

I will have the seasonal phonology wheels ready to download later this week. I realize we are WELL in to December and I apologize for that. I don't know why but I had it in my mind that this didn't need to be uploaded and ready until the first day of Winter, when in fact I should have had it ready just after Thanksgiving. So if you're one of my faithful followers who looks forward to these resources, my apologies! I'll do better in the Spring!

~ Enjoy!

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The Beauty and Wisdom of Winter

“Winter, while it can be one of the hardest seasons to embrace, has a lot to teach us about true beauty and wisdom. Stripped of her flowers, leaves, and warmth, the earth reveals her naked self through her skeleton branches and barren ground. She becomes completely simple, having discarded everything but the bare essentials. Her scarcity and fierceness command our respect and attention, and, without apology for not being a warm and gracious hostess, she retreats into frozen silence.

When we look to nature as our teacher, we see that she’s reflecting back to us a prolonged opportunity to hibernate and renew. Arriving with the shortest day of the year on the winter solstice, December 21 (June 21 in the southern hemisphere), winter slowly grows brighter from this day on as the sun’s presence gradually beams stronger and stronger until its apex on the next summer solstice.

Hanukkah, Advent, Christmas, and Kwanza, along with many other holidays and rituals, celebrate the return of this light. We’re reminded to connect with the sun within us, which is the bright potential of our souls, even amid the darkness and the holiday frenzy. We also celebrate New Year’s, a call to reflect on the past, appreciate the present, and dream about our future.

This truly is the time of year to go inside and ripen in our womanly wisdom before stepping out into the world again. Use the darkness all around you to explore your inner world. There you will find that flame inside of you that can never be extinguished. You can only make this descent when you commit to stillness, solitude, and deep soul-searching. You must become quiet, less social, more introverted, and–despite the negative connotations in most cultures–lazy. Just as fields need to remain fallow at times for their soil to stay fertile, we need to leave our innermost beings barren of new projects, adventures, and activities.”

If we don’t take time each year for deep rest, then authentic healing, rejuvenation, wisdom, and softening are not possible. It takes so much energy to burst forth into the world and to birth something new. This winter, treat yourself like a pregnant mama. Rest, nurture yourself, rebuild your vital life force, and prepare for the coming of new life. And if you don’t live in an area with a pronounced winter season, you need to be more disciplined about getting quiet. This is also an opportunity to listen to the subtler rhythms of nature. Yet while nature’s saying one thing, society’s saying another.“

 - Sara Avant Stover 

The Way of the Happy Woman

AVAILABLE MONDAY, DECEMBER 14- The Ordinary Days of Small Things Winter Daybook

 

Small Things

In no particular order, here are six small things that inspired, uplifted of motivated me this week.

❈ 1. Out of the Ordinary Podcast with Lisa Jo Baker and Christie Purifory.  In particular Episode #102 - What Home Smells Like (I plan to elaborate on this in an upcoming post!) What are your favorite podcasts? I'm always looking something new!

❈ 2. A Christmas Handmade, **FREE** download packed full of Christmasy crafts and recipes for the season.

❈ 3. This recipe for Winter Solstice Brew. I just might have to make some up!

❈ 4. These recipes for body scrubs, perfect for the season and Christmas gift giving!

- Orange Clove

- White Pine

- Orange Chocolate

- Pepperimint Mocha

❈ 5. Cultivating Christmas 

The Christmas edition of The Cultivating Project is up! This is one of my favorite websites and their Christmas edition does not disappoint!

❈ 6. Old Time Radio - Christmas Episodes 

Here's something fun, old time Christmas radio shows from days gone by!

Ordinary Days of Small Things - The Four Cardinals PlaylistA Winter Solstice Companion

If you recall, I mentioned in this post of a new solstice tradition that I was made aware of, Calling To The Four Directions. A friend of ours has graciously allowed us to park our van on his land through the month of December, and we are surrounded by wide open fields. As such,  I am hoping that be able to go on a solstice walk somewhere close by and spend some time in nature.

Ultimately, my dream is that one year I will be able to make a large solstice spiral as I mentioned in that same post. But regardless of the size or location, I am planning to spend some time in nature even if it's just sitting outside our van with a small tabletop spiral, my bible and . . . MY PLAYLIST!

Yes I've made another playlist! I linked to the songs for each of the four cardinal points before, but to make things a little easier, I decided to make another stand alone playlist so that if you do decide to listen to the music you won't have to come here to find it. You can follow, favorite and I think even download my playlists on Spotify, although I think to download you do need to have a premium account?

I also found a few other songs and decided to add them as well. I chose songs that seemed related to the them of the four cardinal points, and I'm pleased with the end result. I hope you'll enjoy it!

Listen on Spotify

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The Ordinary Days of Small Things Winter Solstice Playlist