Past Santa Traditions

Here are a few Christmas traditions I had when my children were little:

 
1.) Santa's kiss - I always kept a cheap tube of bright red lipstick in my medicine cabinet. Every Christmas Eve - after the kids were asleep - I would coat my lips with red and then kiss each girl on the cheek. On Christmas morning, Mommy or Daddy would point out the Santa kiss and the girls would be so excited.

 



2.) Magic Reindeer Food - On Christmas Eve before bedtime, the girls would go into the front yard and sprinkle a trail of Magic Reindeer Food to attract the reindeer. The Magic Reindeer Food is simply rolled oats and white glitter mixed together. The glitter helps the reindeer see the lawn and the oats give them something to eat. Luckily for parents, the trail melts into the lawn with the first rain or snow.

 



3.) Presents from Santa - We always wrapped all the gifts from Santa and each girl had a different kind of wrapping paper. This way, we could hide presents all around the tree, but still know which girl got which present.

 





4.) Presents in the tree - This was a tradition in my hubby's family, so we adopted it for our own. We typically hide smaller packages up inside the tree branches. The girls enjoyed finding new presents throughout the tree. The problem is, I always seem to forget one present and we find it when we are taking the tree down. My family is always excited to see who will get the "forgotten" present every year.

Was Jesus born on Christmas Eve

Was Jesus Born on Christmas Eve
The star in the East
As my Granny used to say
Will lead to the baby
Asleep in the hay

Though steadfast and true
This story is alive
Through the magical month
Of the Christmas hour

He was sent to earth
To save us all
Tiny and pink
And swaddled in clothes

Supposedly on a cold winter's night
But was it really Christmas Eve
When the babe was born
Or springtime when the dogwoods bloom

The story's been told
All of my life
But my aging heart wonders
Is this really right

The 12 days of Christmas

The 12 Days of Christmas

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.







Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.







Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.





The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.






The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.







The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.







Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.







The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.






Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.






The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.







The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.







The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.




Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone

Amaryllis

Now that the winter has turned colder, it's time to turn our attention to indoor garden. With the upcoming holiday season fast approaching, plant gift giving may be at the top of your list

One of the best-selling flowers for the holidays is the beautiful Amaryllis. Amaryllis start out as bulbs you can buy from the garden center and at many discount stores. Currently, Walmart and Kmart has a large selection of Amaryllis bulbs for sell. To start your Amaryllis bulb on its growth cycle to bloom, follow these directions:

Remove Amaryllis bulb from box and read all enclosed directions. For best results, soak the roots for 12 hours (overnight) before planting.

• Amaryllis love to be root-bound, so choose a pot that is only 1 inch in diameter larger than the bulb. When you plant the bulb, leave the top half uncovered.

• Water lightly and make sure soil is packed around the lowered half of the bulb. Keep watering until bulb blooms, but do not overwater.

• When bulb starts to grown, it will send up a thick stalk. Rotate the pot daily to keep the stalk from bending toward the light. You may have to eventually stake the stem in order to support the bloom.

• Amaryllis love warmth, so keep out of drafty areas. Place in a south-facing window because higher light will give you a stronger stem.

• When the bloom opens, move the pot to a lower light area to prolong bloom time. The best room temperature for a blooming amaryllis is 65 to 70 degrees.

• Remove spent flower stalks on the Amaryllis to 2 inches above the bulb; occasionally you may get a 2nd stem with bloom. Cutting the bloom after it fades will prevent seed formation.

• For extended blooming, pinch the yellow centers from the open blooms (the anthers). This will keep the energy directed toward blooming instead of worrying about pollination.

Amaryllis make wonderful gifts for the holiday season. They are easy to care for and make a great addition to any living area.

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol (full title, A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being A Ghost Story of Christmas) is a novella by English author Charles Dickens

This book was first published in December 1843 and quickly became a commercial success and won critical acclaim. The story has been credited with returning the holiday to one of merriment and festivity throughout Britain and America. A Christmas Carol remains popular, has never been out of print - it has been adapted to film, opera, and other media.

Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly, cold, unfeeling, old man who denounces Christmas. In one last attempt to redeem his soul, Scrooge is visited by four ghosts on Christmas Eve seven years after the death of his business partner, Jacob Marley. The ghost of Marley is the first to appear before Scrooge and warns him that his soul will be bearing heavy chains for eternity if he does not change his greedy ways. Marley tells Scrooge he will be visited by 3 more ghosts.

The first, The Ghost of Christmas Past takes Scrooge to the scenes of his boyhood and youth which stir the old skinflint's gentle and tender side. The Ghost of Christmas Present, takes Scrooge to the market with people buying the makings of Christmas dinner and to the family feast of Scrooge's near-impoverished clerk Bob Crachit. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows Scrooge his impending death.

I'm sure most of you have watched some version of A Christmas Carol on television or at the movies, but you are missing a treat if you have never read the book. Why not check it out this year with your family? It could be the start of a new Christmas tradition for your family.

Christmas is green

Christmas Is Green

Cold, damp, dreary. Why did she love these types of days so much? Everyone else hated these days, but she relished them. Maybe it’s because they reminded her of the holidays.

The holiday season was fast approaching. Just today a Christmas commercial came across the television screen. It’s amazing how those types of commercials could make her tear p. She wanted her girls to have the same kind of feeling for the holidays that she had. Sure things were different now. Kids were different, environments were different, and demands were different.

When she was younger, she simply lived for the holidays. She would start drawing pictures of Christmas trees way before Halloween. She loved to read any books that dealt with the holidays. She loved to pretend she was Snowbound with Betsy, or fantasize of a Christmas in the Big Woods. Reading only served as the fuel source for her imagination.

Christmas music; beautiful gospels, traditional tunes, and children’s classics - you could hear them everywhere during this season. Her favorite song used to be “March of the Wooden Soldiers.” Even though it was an instrumental song, she would always make up dances to match the movements of the music. Even today, at the age of 35, this song makes her well up with tears.

Christmas lights – oh, how she loved Christmas lights. Sparkling red, yellow, blue, and green … especially green. She would dig in the basement until she found the worn box of Christmas decorations. Then she would plug the lights in just to watch them glow.

At Christmas time, she used to lie under the tree just to look at the lights. Beautiful, dancing. She would always sneak out of the bed at night, turn on the tree lights and fall asleep on the couch, dreaming of sugarplums and the anticipation of the season.

Green was always her favorite color. Back when she was a child, Christmas tree lights were the large, screw-in types. She and her two siblings each had a particular side of the Christmas tree that they called their own. Mother was always complaining because the children would change the colors on the tree. One side would be all red, another blue and yellow, and of course, the green side.

It gave her great pleasure to have one side of the family Christmas tree to call her own. She would place her handmade ornaments upon the branches, as well as the traditional ones. Santa always left her presents beneath her side of the tree. Always …

Snowflakes, the Christ child, Granny Devine’s home cooking, and the color green ...these always reminded her of the Christmas season. She now wants the same for her children. Christmas Eve Church services, a birthday cake for Baby Jesus, supper at Nana’s and MaMaw’s, and the color green … no, not green. Her three girls are all passionate about the color blue. Blue for Christmas? Oh well, times are changing.

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch

Don't laugh, but here is one of my favorite Christmas songs!!

You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch
You really are a heel
You're as cuddly as a cactus
You're as charming as an eel
Mr. Grinch

You're a bad banana
With a greasy black peel

You're a monster, Mr. Grinch
Your heart's an empty hole
Your brain is full of spiders
You've got garlic in your soul
Mr. Grinch

I wouldn't touch you, with a
thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole

You're a vile one, Mr. Grinch
You have termites in your smile
You have all the tender sweetness
Of a seasick crocodile
Mr. Grinch

Given the choice between the two of you
I'd take the seasick crockodile

You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch
You're a nasty, wasty skunk
Your heart is full of unwashed socks
Your soul is full of gunk
Mr. Grinch

The three words that best describe you,
are, and I quote: "Stink. Stank. Stunk."

You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch
You're the king of sinful sots
Your heart's a dead tomato splot
With moldy purple spots
Mr. Grinch

Your soul is an apalling dump heap overflowing
with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable
Mangled up in tangled up knots

You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch
With a nauseaus super-naus
You're a crooked jerky jockey
And you drive a crooked horse
Mr. Grinch.

You're a three decker saurkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce.

Copyright © 1957, Dr. Seuss

Favorite Dolls and Christmas

Growing up in the late 1960s and early 70s, dolls were one of my favorite things; they are probably the favorite toy of most girls all over the world. All I ever wanted to be was a wife and mother, so dolls were my childhood playmates, and a way to let my maternal side show.

Aunt Virginia Ann, my Momma’s sister, got me a baby doll in the mid-1960s and I cherished her for years. I honestly don’t remember what happened to my baby doll, but within a few years Barbie and Skipper had taken over my life. My babysitter’s daughter had a Barbie trunk with all types of Barbie and Skipper clothes and accessories. During the summers I could spend all day playing with these dolls and clothes, as well as my own. When school started again in the fall, I played with all my Barbies after school; that is until reading entered my life. I was so proud of my Barbie clothes because my Granny Devine had made many of the outfits. I only have one of the “polyester” dresses my Granny made for my Barbies and I still have my very first Barbie.


My most memorable Christmas centered around one toy, which I still treasure today. The entire Harrodsburg family was at my Granny Devine’s house and after a huge meal, my Aunt began to hand presents to me and my brother and sister. I was around eight or nine years old and I couldn’t wait to tear into my package, but as usual, we had to wait until everyone had a present before we could open anything. Ready, set, go…away we went, ripping the paper and ribbons. I loved all my presents, but this year held a delightful surprise. Granny had given me a china doll…my very first china doll. She was so beautiful with porcelain black hair on top of her creamy porcelain face, with blue eyes, just like mine, and pink rosy cheeks. Her dress was pink with tiny white polka dots and she had a matching bonnet on her head. She even had a crinoline skirt and petticoat underneath her dress. I was ecstatic! It was such a grown up present and I was so happy my Granny thought I was old enough to have my first china doll.

This was 1970 or 1971, but I can still remember the excitement of this particular Christmas Eve. When the present were all finally opened and the wrapping and ribbons cleaned up, the kids watched television while the adults talked. This particular year, I took a long hot bubble bath in Granny’s miniature bathroom and changed into the new pajamas my Aunt had given me; new pajamas were a must for Christmas. I was all ready to go home to bed so I could wait for Old Saint Nick. I couldn’t wait to rush my parents home so I could jump into bed, listening to every creak of the house, just knowing that Santa would arrive at any minute. As for my china doll, Miss Betsy, she is still one of most treasured possessions. She holds a place of honor in my glass cabinet where I can glance at her every day. All three of my daughters have several china dolls apiece, but they never cared for dolls as much as I do. My dolls are a significant part of my heritage and, although I have had many china dolls since Miss Betsy, none will ever remind me of Christmas, or my Granny Devine, like this one special doll.

Momma also loved dolls, although her obsession started when she was much older. Whenever she would go shopping or was on vacation, she would find another doll for her collection. At the time of her death, she had two china cabinets filled with porcelain dolls and stuffed Boyd’s bears. What I like about her dolls is the fact they all have real hair; I always wished Miss Betsy had real hair so I could brush it. Most of my girl’s china dolls also have hair, but as I said, they never seemed interested in the dolls. It took Momma about five years before she realized my girl’s had no desire to have a doll collection. Most of these dolls are put away, and when my grandchildren get older, I will give the back to their mothers. Some of my dolls are 40 years old, but the girl’s dolls are from 10 to 25 years old; what a collectable “hand-me-down” these dolls will be.

Aunt Joyce, my Daddy’s sister, also has a large doll collection. Here dolls are all over the house and in the bedrooms. Several of these dolls I recognize because Momma would have one just like it. As with Momma’s dolls, my aunt’s dolls mostly have hair, and they all are very beautiful.

Another person in my life who loves dolls is Mrs. Gertrude Reed of Harrodsburg. Gertrude’s daughter is in the process of having her mother’s old dolls restored. One that is my favorite, is a doll with a porcelain head and stuffed body and she rides in a little wicker stroller. Gertrude said her sister had a duplicate doll in a stroller, but she couldn’t remember if it is still around. Gertrude, or rather her daughter, also had several other of her old dolls refinished, and she is happy to show them off when she is feeling well enough.

I still love my dolls, even though I do not play with them anymore. I will occasionally take one out of the cabinet and just sit and hold her. Every doll I own brings back certain memories, most are good memories, but I do have one or two bad memories mainly because of the person who gave them to me. I can’t wait to see if my grandchildren are going to love dolls. The youngest is only six months old, so she is much too little to show an interest; the other will soon be three years old, but right now she loves all kinds of toys

What dolls or old toys do you have lurking in your attic or basement? You never know what item you will find from your past. These things would make wonderful keepsakes for your loved ones. Anything you hand down to another person will have its own heritage, but it will bring precious memories of loved ones you’ve lost.

Poinsettia

The Poinsettia is the one flower that always signals the beginning of the holiday season, especially in the Bluegrass Region. Right after Thanksgiving, these beautiful flowers beginning showing up in nurseries and florists, grocery stores and discount stores. Here are a few tips to help you pick a healthy plant:

First, choose Poinsettias with stiff stems, good bract retention (the flowering parts) and no signs of wilting, breaking or drooping. Try to avoid Poinsettias that are displayed in plastic or mesh sleeves, or plants that are crowded together on a display shelf. Poinsettias need space and air circulation, so the longer a plant is in a contained sleeve, the faster the quality will deteriorate.
Make sure the plant's soil is not waterlogged because this could mean the plant has irreversible root rot.

When taking a Poinsettia home from the store, protect it was chilling winds and temperatures below 50° F. Cover the plant with a shopping bag to help give added protection.
Once you have your Poinsettia home, here are a few tips to keep it blooming all through the holiday season:

Keep the Poinsettia in indirect sunlight for at least 6 hours daily. Direct sun can not only "burn the leaves" but will also lead to wilting. Try to keep the room temperature constant at about 70° F. Remember, temperatures below 50° F can mean disaster to the plant. One rule of thumb, if you are comfortable in the room, then your Poinsettia will be comfortable.

Do not place Poinsettias near doors or heating systems because they cannot tolerate cold drafts or excessive heat. Water your plant when the soil feels dry to the touch. Don't overwater or allow to sit in standing water. Do not fertilize your Poinsettia when it is in bloom. However, immediately after blooming season, fertilize with an all-purpose fertilizer.

After the New Year, I will give you some tips on keeping your Poinsettia for re-blooming next year.

Monday Musings - Mary and the Manger

Mary and the Manger
By Bobbi Rightmyer


The day’s been long and I’m so very tired,
but there is nowhere for us to sleep.
My burden is heavy with the blessed one,
so I’ll carry on the best I can.

I’m sorry, little mother, vessel of the Holy one,
but my comfort is crudely made of wood and hay;
And although I nourish the lowly beasts,
I promise to provide warmth to the child.

An inn should be the proper place
for the birth of this precious son;
But with no room to find, no place to spare,
I’ll settle for your cozy little shelter.

O Holy night, O precious night,
my hay is clean and dry.
O blessed one, O special child,
lay down your head, don’t cry.
O God above, O Father and Spirit,
I will cradle and protect this babe.

Now I lay me down to sleep,
the prophesized child is born;
But God above took away my fears, my pain
and guided me through the night.
Now my precious child is here
and the world has one last hope.

O, what a beautiful boy, this glorious child of God;
And thou my accommodations are not grand or spacious,
they hold all the love and hope of kings.
I’ll keep him safe, I’ll keep him warm
in this stable in Bethlehem.

Monday Musings - Candy Cane Day

(This is a piece of creative writing for the holiday season)




Candy Cane Day

Susie licked her lips again, savoring the fresh, crisp taste of peppermint. The candy cane was down to a slivered point, but the wonderful pepperminty flavor was still there.

Candy Cane Day has always been her favorite holiday - second only to Christmas. Falling on the first Friday after a full moon after Thanksgiving, Candy Cane Day typically fell before Christmas. Only once in her lifetime had this holiday fallen after Christmas, but she had been too young to remember this.

Susie would start collecting candy canes immediately after Halloween - all shapes and sizes of candy canes. There were the traditional red and white ones, but also green and red, green and black, and sometimes just solid colors. Most were the traditional shape of a shepherd's hook, but she held a special fondness in her heart for the log rolls. These canes were straight and as big around as the miniature Louisville Slugger she displayed in her room. Her grandmother always gave you a log rolled candy cane and Susie could eat on the stick for weeks before it disappeared.

Standing in the front yard, she stared at the lovely cedar tree growing near the mailbox. This tree was the same age as she - 31 years - and was a volunteer seedling that appeared the same year she was born. Her parents had left the tree growing and now it stood over 20 feet tall. This was Susie's favorite tree.

Her parents had been gone now for almost 3 years, but Susie would continue the tradition of hanging candy canes from the cedar tree. It reminded her of the parents she missed so much - and it helped her to celebrate Candy Cane Day.

Candy Canes

Candy Canes
By Bobbi Rightmyer
Red and white swirls
shaped like a shepherd’s crook,
is this an obvious reference to
the shepherds tending their flock by night?
But when you invert this classic shape
what to my wondering eyes should I see,
just the letter “J”, a simple J
maybe to remind us of the Christ child, Jesus.
Pure white color, the exact shade of snow
or does it signify the virgin birth
purity proclaimed from on high.
And what of the red,
just another jolly color of the season,
or the blood of Christ for all to see?
Peppermint flavor with a hint of a bite,
or the occasional cinnamon taste as a change of pace,
are these just the spices used today
to replace the frankincense and myrrh of old?
And the sugar is sweet and oh so addicting
whether eaten alone or stirred in a cup of cocoa,
maybe this is a sign that God’s words are addicting
and offering an love everlasting.

The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree

If you are looking for the perfect Christmas book to read to you children, I highly recommend The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston; illustrated by Barbara Cooney

Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Dial; 1st edition (September 30, 1988)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 080370299X
ISBN-13: 978-0803702998

Although this book was published in 1988, I didn't discover it until 1995, when my youngest was 3 years old. We first read it from the Mercer Public Library, but we checked it out so many times, I finally had a local bookstore order it for us. The library was kind enough to laminate the dust jacket for us.

Ruthie has been waiting patiently for her father to return from the war. As Christmas approaches, Ruthie's mother begins to worry about the Christmas tree tradition in their small Appalachian town of Pine Grove. The Pine Grove Church chooses one family each year to supply the Christmas tree. Ruthie and her father were so excited, because their family had been chosen to provide this year's tree.

During the spring before Papa left for the war, he and Ruthie climbed to the top of the rocky ridge to pick out the perfect tree. To mark this tree from all the rest, Papa takes one of Ruthie's hair ribbons and ties it to the top of the tree. Ruthie is so happy, because as the provider for the traditional tree, she will also get to portray the "heavenly angel" in the Christmas pagent.

When Mama realizes her husband may not make it home for Christmas, she and Ruthie set out in the wee morning hours of Christmas Eve in search of the marked tree. The trip is long and hard, but Ruthie and her Mama stick together and after many hours of hard work, they are able to deliver the tree to the church.

Back at home, Mama settles Ruthie in for a long winter's nap. Exhausted herself, Mama can't sleep because she is determined to make Ruthie's wishes come true. Because her husband had not returned, there was no money to buy Ruthie a new dress for the Christmas pagent or to buy her the doll she asked for from Santa. But Mama has a plan.

All day as Ruthie slept, Mama was at work on a new dress. Taking her beloved wedding dress, Mama cuts it down to make Ruthie an angel costume. Then she takes her last pair of stockings and fashions an angel doll, using the rest of the wedding dress to cloth the angel just like Ruthie.

When Ruthie awakens on Christmas Eve night, she is overjoyed with her angel costume. When they arrive at the church, Mama and Ruthie are so proud of the beautiful Christmas tree. After the Christmas service and pagent, Santa arrives to hand out presents to the children. Santa hands Ruthie the beautiful angel from the top of the tree (Ruthie had no idea her mother made the angel).

But the best present was yet to come. Leaving the church happy and joyful from the pagent and the present, Ruthie sees her father waiting outside the church door.

No matter how many times I read this book - and I still read it yearly, even though my children are grown - I still cry. This book has such a good morale and it makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough - it is the perfect Christmas story.

Vintage Silver Christmas Trees

SILVER TREES

Silver tinsel shimmers and reflects
the multi-colored lights -
red, yellow, green, pink and blue -
a glistening holiday sight.
Although much better than trees from the past,
a silver tree is still unique
with the characteristics of its green counterparts,
but daintier, fuller, unusually pretty.
Memories of vintage 70s trees
without the retro color wheel,
no Christmas lights could be applied
and only round glass balls were allowed.
O, how the colored lights were missed,
but these trees were all the rage
and for a few holiday seasons
they were displayed with pride,
until the next fade came to town.
Things have changed in 40 years,
C9s replaced by multi-strings
and most mass produced ornaments are no longer glass,
but made from unbreakable plastic for keeps.
The new little tree is nostalgic in color and size,
but modernized to accept miniature lights
and the eclectic array of ornaments
collected from year to year.





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Ode to Orange Slice Cake

Last year, my youngest daughter, Chris, baked me an Orange Slice Cake for the very first time, but I was unable to enjoy because of my illness. I'm hoping she will indulge me again this year and bake another one because I will gobble it up! The following poem was written three years ago.

 

Ode to Orange Slice Cake

By Bobbi Rightmyer

Although butter is no longer my friend

it is hard to resist the creamy fluff it makes

when blended into sugar so pure and so white.

The eggs combine to give more texture still,

to the all-purpose flour that forms the cake.

Yummy dates so sweet

with pecans and coconut

give an irresistible taste delight to make a mouth water.

But it is the candied orange slices that make this dessert

a heavenly, to die for treat.

Orange slice cake comes but once a year

at a time when Old St. Nick is near. 

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