Really? Christmas Eve is a week from today? It can't be---I'm not ready yet, and in fact, I might never be. But the important event has happened, the annual BVG Christmas dinner party at my house. It was Monday night. I worked so hard decorating the house and cooking up a tasty dinner, but wait, no pictures? Really? Then as far as this blog is concerned, it never happened!
It happened, it was wonderful. We dined on Smoked Salmon Caesar Salad, Chicken Picante, Brown Rice with the Picante Sauce, Roasted Asparagus with Garlic and Roasted Butternut Squash with nutmeg, plus desserts made of either pumpkin or Rice Chex. It was a great dinner if I do say so myself. It's just always so fun to get together with the Sisters, but it is especially nice in the midst of the extra busy times leading up to Christmas. We all needed a night to chill and pretend, if only for one evening, that we didn't have a care in this world. We had our gift exchange, and the BVB's, who had been out to dinner, joined us for the dessert. We sat in our own rooms, BVG's in the living room, BVB's in the family room. We savored each moment for our visiting. We love us!
Two things I won't to add here, for no particular reason other than the fact that I have carried these four quotes around on a piece of paper in my purse. I wrote them down many months ago. So here goes: "If you don't like the food, drink more of the wine," and "How merlot can you go?" Then, "My mind is drawing a blanc." And finally, "Give us this day our daily red." Then Elletu happened to share this with us the other night: "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas. When the white's gone, I'll switch to red."
Merry Christmas, Readers.
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Monday, December 7, 2015
Oh Christmas Tree: Part 1
Having completed decorating our Christmas tree on Saturday, a song has been stuck in my head and driving me crazy. I knew only the title, not the lyrics, but the tune would not leave me. I finally looked up the lyrics this morning, and now I know how apropos those lyrics are. I present to you, "Oh Christmas Tree":
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
Thy leaves are so unchanging;
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
Thy leaves are so unchanging.
Not only green when summer's here,
But also when it's cold and drear;
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
Thy leaves are so unchanging.
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
Such pleasure do you bring me!
O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree,
Such pleasure do you bring me!
For every year this Christmas tree,
Brings to us such joy and glee;
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
Such pleasure do you bring me!
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
You'll ever be unchanging!
A symbol of goodwill and love,
You'll ever be unchanging!
Each shining light, each silver bell,
No one alive spreads cheer so well;
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
You'll ever be unchanging!
******
You may recognize this as a German Christmas song, "O Tannenbaum," which was based on a traditional folk song. A Tannenbaum is a fir tree. The modern lyrics were written in 1824 and did not refer to a decorated tree but to the fir's evergreen qualities as a symbol of constancy and faithfulness. It became associated with the traditional Christmas tree by the early 20th century and sung as a Christmas carol.
Our Christmas tree is definitely 'evergreen.' That's because it is artificial! The 'leaves' are definitely 'unchanging' from when we bought the very tall thing to grace our living room in our last house with its soaring ceilings. Now it only fits in the two-story entry hall of our McCormick Woods house. During the rest of the year it fits in one large, cumbersome box, and I'm quite sure it is green 'when summer's here.' We for sure have precious memories of our family outings--in the 'cold and drear'--to pick out and chop down a Christmas tree at a tree farm with our three children. Once we moved to Hawaii and our house came complete with an artificial Christmas tree, we have never returned to the Christmas tree farm in December to get a fresh tree. Funny thing, the house we live in now is on land that used to be a Christmas tree farm, and we actually got some of our trees here all those years ago.
Our tree always brings me 'such pleasure,' and much of the pleasure comes from the actual decorating of it. As I am fond of saying, "Bring out the Christmas tree, and bring out the memories." This year is no exception. I admit to getting somewhat misty-eyed as I pulled out so many of our ornaments and thought of who gave them to me, who made them, when I made them, where I bought them, what they represent to our family history, special people, special times. One newly treasured ornament is a BVG ornament, with the names of the four of us on it, not our BVG names but our real names.
Front and center on our tree every year is an ornament I bought when our children we toddlers, and in fact my third child had not even been born yet. Every year it reminds us and our visitors that...
JESUS IS THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS. May it always be true for all of us!
Oh Christmas Tree: Part 2
Christmas 2015
Special memories of Christmas in Hawaii
and of Christmas 2007 in New York City
of ornaments made by the mother of our Swedish foreign exchange from Sweden (Santa, above) and the many fabric heart ornaments I have made over the years for family and friends
and the red and green ornament my mother made for me back in the '70's (above), not to mention the storied legacy of the pink and white gingham ornaments I bought in Renton in 1974 at the Sears store in Renton
and the real story of Christmas, Jesus' birth
although so many in our culture focus on things like snowmen instead of Jesus. That does not diminish the special memories ornaments like this felt snowman made for me by one of my Port Orchard piano students back in the early '90's bring back of special people, special times in my life. Every ornament, every memory is to be treasured. When I bring out each ornament, out come the memories too. Thank You, God, for memories to hold people and places so dear to our hearts this time of year. And above all, Happy Birthday, Jesus!
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