Christmas At Our Home

We love Christmas! I love all of the decorations and the memories and the lights and the only-at-Christmastime-food. As I said in my last post, decorating and putting the ornaments on the tree bring to mind so many people and places and special times together. There are ornaments made by creative artists in Lawrence. There is the stocking made by my friend Susan when she was a 4th grader. Zac set up the Lego creche, has Mary and Joseph each holding one of Jesus's hands, and has a Lego Santa & reindeer pulled up to the manager to pay their homage along with the Wise Men. Last Christmas Maria & Eric, Sara, Zac, Claire, & Luke were the Holy Family for the Sunday before Christmas Day church service - "The Journey to Bethlehem." Some days I refer to "Christmas Explosion" as the look of our main living spaces. But it's said with a smile because I wouldn't have it any other way.

Decorating for Christmas

Do you know how many times a small, beautiful glass ornament can bounce on a tile floor before it breaks? Fortunately, we don't either!!! Today as we began decorating the tree, one beautiful frosted blue glass ornament dropped and bounced and bounced and bounced..... Butch and I waited with bated breath for that shattering sound, but it never came. As I retrieved the ornament and as we examined it and thanked our lucky stars, the rush of pleasure that comes with decorating came back full force and on we went to continue putting ornaments on the tree. Each ornament has a story and so many have a history. Decorating each year brings smiles and tears as we remember and celebrate friends and family who made so many of our decorations or who "gifted" us with beautiful treasures. Some of the ornaments go back to 1962 when we decorated our first tree in Canner Hall at Yale Divinity School. We have hand painted ornaments my mother and I made, handmade ornaments by talented artists and friends in Lawrence, Radko ornaments from a flurry of collecting years ago, Hallmark ornaments collected over many years, Macy's papier mache ornaments, Mary Engelbreit ornaments, metal ones from Texas - there's even a barbed wire star - sparkly strands of silver and gold and crystal and frosted white, beautiful handmade glass ornaments, and wooden ones of all types. Oh, yes, we do all of this to the sounds of the first Mannheim Steamroller Christmas CD and other Christmas music favorites. What we see and experience in all of this is a whole lot of love woven through the history of our life together.

Poinsettias

Poinsettias are one of the most beautiful ways to celebrate the holidays. All the gorgeous varieties that have now been developed are fascinating to see. You can find so many shades of reds and pinks and maroons and gold and white. Fresh ones last throughout the holidays and add so much to the celebrative aspect of your home. Corey's Nursery in Claremont has gorgeous ones that are a delight to the eye and a treat to give. I'm on my way there now!

Carnberry Orange Relish - THE Best!

Cranberry Orange Relish is absolutely THE perfect accompaniment to a turkey dinner. My favorite uses cranberries, oranges, apples, sugar, and strawberry jello. It's so good that you can eat a bowl of it for a tasty treat without the turkey and all the other "stuff." It keeps well and is wildly popular with all who taste it.


Here's the recipe:

LARGE BATCH:

4 12-oz. packages of cranberries - grind (Cuisinart)
3 small oranges - remove seeds and grind with peel (fine)
3 apples - core and grind
Mix all together and add 6 cups sugar. Stir until well mixed.
Dissolve 3 3-oz. packages of strawberry jello in 2 cups of hot water.
Let cool just a bit and stir in.
Refrigerate. Serve cold. Enjoy!

SMALLER BATCH

3 12-oz. packages of cranberries - grind (Cuisinart)
2 oranges - remove seeds and grind with peel (fine)
2 apples - core and grind
Mix all together and add 4 cups sugar. Stir until well mixed.
Dissolve 2 3-oz. packages of strawberry jello in 1 cup of hot water.
Let cool just a bit and stir in.
Refrigerate. Serve cold. Enjoy!

"A Treat To Eat at Costco"

While this may be the best deal around if you are a hot dog lover, it is a caloric and sodium and cholesterol maximum hit. But, oh my heavens, it is DELICIOUS!!! Combined with whatever soda suits your taste or a tart lemonade, it is a treat to eat.

Pilgrim Festival at Pilgrim Place in Claremont

Today I volunteered with my friend Joyce at the Nature Frames booth at the annual Pilgrim Festival at Pilgrim Place. What a delightful event for all ages! After we walked around and looked at all the beautiful & tempting items for sale AND after we had a great hot dog lunch AND after we visited with a lot of people AND after we had a great chocolate chip cookie, we helped children put seeds & nuts & pods & evergreens pieces around their pictures mounted on sturdy pieces of cardboard. These treasures hang on many walls throughout Claremont and nearby communities. Many of the kids have already had their faces painted, so their pictures are beautiful and unique and capture a special moment in time. How lucky we are in Claremont to be able to have in our midst a residential community of retired pastors, missionaries, seminary professors, & people who've worked in the various nonprofit fields. They give so much to all of us and to the community. We are truly blessed.

My Denomination - The United Church of Christ

Butch and I are members of the Claremont United Church of Christ. We first joined the UCC in Lawrence, KS, at Plymouth Congregational Church. This denomination resonates with who we are as Christians in today's world. The United Church of Christ has a message for today. God is STILL speaking. If we listen, perhaps we will hear what God is saying.