Greetings!

A few months ago, when I was visiting my mom, I asked her about my great-great grandfather Abbott who made his way to the US from Scotland. Before the conversation ended, my mom pulled out a box of mementos that belonged to my Grammy, Grandpa Abbott’s granddaughter. Among the ephemera we discovered a few Christmas cards.  They dated from the 1920s and were just beautiful. I am a crafter, and I studied digital design so I appreciate the graphics and fonts on the old-fashioned cards. I also enjoyed seeing my great-grandmother’s signature and greeting.

Happy Christmas!

The old cards made me wonder when the tradition of greeting cards started. Henry Cole commissioned J.C. Horsley to paint the first printed Christmas card in 1843 in England. Then in the 1860s when color printing made the greetings more affordable, the Victorians shared cards with family and friends. In the United States, Louis Prang began printing cards in 1874 using eight to twenty colors. The heart-warming tradition caught on and now almost two and a half billion Christmas cards are printed in America. (Jock Elliot, Inventing Christmas, How our Holiday Came to Be)

Personally, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with Christmas cards. I love to receive them, but I haven’t always enjoyed sending them. In lean years, they were an added expense. Some years the time just got away from me. But in recent years, I’ve made an effort to not only send, but to create the image on the front. By designing my own card, with the help of my talented daughter, I feel that I’m sending a small gift-from-the-heart to every recipient, and now I enjoy the whole process of sending cards. I’ve also gotten onto the habit of praying for the person or family who receives my greeting. What was once a chore has become a joy.

What is your take on Christmas cards?

A Sparkle of Fun

Santa Claus was introduced to America in 1823 when Clement Moore put a fresh image of giving on the face of Christmas. In A Visit from St. Nicholas also known as, The Night before Christmas, Moore created a story for his children based on a man named Nicholas, born around A.D. 280 in the small town of Patara (Turkey). As a believer in the Bible, Nicholas showed great compassion for others. He gave so much to so many that legends spread about him. Eventually, Saint Nicholas became an icon of generosity.

Growing up, my family celebrated the birth of Jesus by reading the Christmas story and attending church services. The stereo played Perry Como’s rendition of the holiday hymns. Mom positioned a crèche on the mantel and one year we even had a live nativity on our porch. So I knew that Christmas honored Jesus birth. On the other hand, I remember my delight when I found packages that appeared on Christmas morning from “Santa”. The magic and wonder that surrounded the mystery gift giver added a sparkle of fun to the day.

When my children were old enough to understand the traditions of Christmas, I puzzled over whether to introduce Santa Claus into the gift giving. I wanted them to know that Christmas centered on the birth of Jesus, but I also wanted them to be acquainted with the kind, caring legend of Saint Nicholas.

So much of the modern version of this December holiday centers on retail sales. Rather than focus on receiving gifts from Santa, I taught my daughters about his giving spirit.  We read the story of how he gave gold to the daughters of a widower in the middle of the night and how he cared more about others than himself. We also shared the story of Jesus’ nativity and talked about why we set aside Christmas to observe his birth.

I wanted my daughters to recognize that giving was more important than receiving. St. Nick’s story offers hope in mankind, Jesus story offers hope for mankind. Joy fills my heart as I hear my children teaching their children about the spirit of giving and the wonder of the season.  What a blessing to share the joy of Jesus and the legend of Santa.

Icicled Porches and Shining Stars

My husband and I made our first annual trek to look at twinkling displays set up in the local neighborhood. We’ll go out several times and view the icicled porches, decorated yards and shining stars that luminate the season.

According to Tabya Gulevich in Christmas from A to Z, Thomas Edison strung the first outdoor lights. In 1880 he hung them outside of his Menlo Park Laboratory. But, pre-strung electric lights didn’t catch on until after World War II when the average American had electricity and could afford the lights.

I can imagine that first holiday when neighborhoods joined together to create shining light shows. The pure joy of colorful vibrant lights must have brought a happy buoyancy to the night.

Before the holidays end, I hope to take a ride with my grandchildren and enjoy the sparkling holiday lights near their homes. We’ll ohhh and ahhh over our favorite displays. Take an evening and pile the family in the car. Drive around, view the lights and spend time sharing this joy of the season.

One of my favorite memories of Christmas lights was the year that my brother climbed our 15+ foot pine tree and strung it with bulbs. That tree lighted the night sky like a lighthouse at sea. 

What’s your favorite light display memory?

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day has been officially celebrated as an annual tradition since 1863. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens".

America went through extreme turmoil during the Civil War. I can’t imagine the despair and death that filled our country. Yet at the end of all the devastation, Abraham Lincoln still praised God. Because, God remains the same. No matter what we do on this earth, God does not change. He continues to bless us and love us. He gives the gift of salvation to a world lost to sin. On this day, I’m thankful for the love of family and friends and the grace and joy that God brings to my heart.

Praying that we all enjoy a peaceful Thanksgiving, filled with blessings.

The traditional American Thanksgiving usually includes turkey, dressing and pumpkin pie. What do you eat on the day of thanks?  Turkey or ham? Maybe pasta?

Merrymaker's Christmas Shop

Ah… Christmas. In Turtle Creek, Mrs. Ivy Merrymaker keeps us all in the holiday spirit. She opens her shop in March and works to keep joy and hope in the air through December 31. The tourists love Christmas in July. And October through December keeps her on her toes.

Look around the store. Make sure you walk through the Christmas tree forest. She sets up twenty trees, all sizes and shapes and decorates them with handmade ornaments, lights and garland. She orders ornaments from all over the world. Her purchases support the fair trade industry for women in developing countries.

Merry Christmas Stars

See the little sheep on the Scottish tree? Folks from a cottage industry create them. I especially like the local tree. Some of Turtle Creek’s artists bring in their wares to sell. Did you see the authentic aluminum tree? My aunt had one. I’d lie on the floor and watch the color wheel reflect on the branches. Great memories!

Enjoy shopping and thanks for dropping by. Hope you come back soon.

Welcome to the Fresh Catch

If you’re visiting Turtle Creek for the fishing and canoeing, you’ll want to stop by the Fresh Catch. Finn’s stocked the shelves with pretty much anything you’d need for outdoor adventure. He took over the store when his mom and dad retired and made their little bait shop into quite a business.

Let’s go inside. Looks like Finn’s helping the Laymon twins pick out a tent. Maybe he’ll talk them into a camp stove and a couple of lanterns. Even if you don’t like to camp, he stocks comfy jeans and trendy hats. Pop this owl hat on and look in the mirror. Adorable.

Do you smell the chocolate and licorice? Candy lines the back wall. Remember Necco wafers and Charm squares? How about Gumdrops and Mary Janes by the pound? You can buy all the old fashioned treats that you can eat.  See the girl filling the barrel with taffy? She’s Finn’s daughter, Michelle. He’s raising her by himself. She’s a sweet kid.

No matter what the season, walking into Fresh Catch reminds you of summer. If you hang around awhile Finn will offer you a grape Nehi in a glass bottle. Go ahead, look around. I know you’ll find something you like.

When you finish we’ll head to the year round Christmas shop. Take your time. No hurry.

Welcome to O'Dell's Drug Store

Welcome back. I hope you enjoyed the café and the Book Nook. Let’s walk down the street to the drug store.

Stepping in to O’Dell’s brings back memories of days gone by. When I was a little girl I remember shopping at the drug store. My mom sifted through cards until she’d find the perfect one to send to Aunt Mildred in Omaha. While she searched for cards, I parked myself in the corner with the comic books. Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman. What fun. Did you know that Catwoman was a librarian?

That’s not all. When mom finished shopping, she treated me to a pink cow. Vanilla ice cream drowning in red cream soda. Mmmm… that was the best.

Here we are. After you. The hardwood floors still creak in the same places. O’Dell’s son, Jackson, runs the Pharmacy now. They’ve updated the aisle shelving but he kept much of the store the same, including the ice cream counter. Pull up a stool.

There’s Sharla, Jackson’s wife. She works here dipping ice cream and ringing folks out. She’s one of the sweetest young ladies I’ve met in a while. The chalkboard’s her canvas. Every day she draws a picture of a frozen concoction. Someone told me she has an art degree and teaches at the college in the evenings.

How about a treat? It’s on me. Two pink cows, please.

What do think? Yummy isn’t it? If I remember right this was one of Willow’s favorite drinks.

When we finish, I thought you might like to visit the Fresh Catch. If you’re interested in camping or fishing you’ll love Finn’s shop.

Until then…