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Christmas, A Season of Memories
by Eva Fry
CHRISTMAS TIME – A SEASON OF
MEMORIES By Eva Fry Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a
season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Christmas
is one of the happiest seasons of our life. It gathers us
together as families, where we create special loving traditions
and so many loving memories. We all have special remembrances of
Christmas’s past. I would like to share with you some of my
memories. Christmas has changed for me through the years. I am a
grandma now and enjoy special Christmas’s with my grown children
and their families. I watch them create lasting memories for
their little ones. I am reminded of those happy times when my
precious children were still home with us and of the Christmas’s
we had together. How I miss those special times.
My song “Christmas Wish” says what is in my heart. If I could
have one Christmas wish, I’d go back in time, When our children
all were young and they were home with us. We’d decorate the
house with lights, put up the Christmas tree, Bake cookies; sing
Christmas carols in the neighborhood. Make gifts for the ones we
love; wrap them really nice, Laugh, kiss and hug a lot, we’d
have so much fun. I’d read the story of Jesus Christ, born in
Bethlehem In the manger we’d carefully lay the Savior in.
Christmas Eve we’d hold them tight, our hearts filled with love
Give thanks for our family, our special gift from God. We’d tuck
them safely into bed, fill the stockings full, Peek in at our
sleeping babes; angels without wings. Eyes would sparkle
Christmas morn’ when Dad turned on the lights, Santa left so
many gifts; cookies and milk were gone. Opening gifts was the
best of all; parcels ripped apart, Finding their special wish,
jumping up and down. I’d bake the turkey as they played with the
toys they got, We’d feast together on food and love, what a
heavenly day. The memories of those special days many years ago
Seem like only yesterday; life was filled with joy. If I could
have one Christmas wish, I’d go back in time, When our children
all were young and they were home with us.
Not only does Christmas bring back memories of my precious
children but also memories or my dear mother who passed away
October 18, 2002. She was 86 years old and life had not been
easy for but she did her best to make our lives happy. The most
favorite memories of my mother were the wonderful Christmas’s
she created for my brother, sister and I. She always made
Christmas beautiful and exciting, in spite of our alcoholic
father who played havoc with our lives, whenever he got drunk,
especially at Christmas time. My mother seemed to have a mission
to make things right for us each Christmas. Every year she would
open a charge account at Zellers, to buy us gifts. My father
gave her no money. We were poor because of his addiction. She
bought us needed things like socks and underwear but always
something special. I remember the red leather loose-leaf binder
she gave me when I was 10. We kids did not know it then but for
the rest of the year mom paid off her charge account with cash
she could squeeze from her food money. Each new season she
started over with another Christmas charge account. Mom did not
let us see the tree before Christmas morning, an old family
tradition. My kids now have their tree up at least two weeks
before Christmas. But never the less, when I was young the first
viewing of the tree was glorious. One Christmas Eve, when my dad
was drunk, he took a Christmas tree from a lot, which had closed
for the night, and hauled it home, dragging it behind him. We
lived in Canada and the tree was frozen. When he brought it into
our house to thaw it out; my mother was made aware of why no one
had purchased it. The tree had only a few branches. My mother
sent him back for another tree, which was equally as bare, so
they tied the two together. Mom would stay up all night
carefully decorating the tree and wrapping our gifts. She always
had a knack of doing things perfectly. She made a special effort
to choose the most beautiful paper she could afford and each
gift had a bright ribbon and bow. She was dedicated to bringing
excitement to our eyes, Christmas morning, when she turned on
the lights to our gorgeous tree, laden with so many gifts from
Santa. Her reward came when she saw the enjoyment we had as we
ripped open each treasure. Often our father was too hung over to
get up with us to open gifts and would later head out the day to
be with his buddies but our mother made sure out Christmas was
special. We always went to grandma and grandpa’s house for a
turkey feast with all our relatives.
This Christmas I am especially grateful for my loving mother who
sacrificed so much for her family and created Christmas memories
and traditions, which I see being passed down to my
grandchildren. I will miss her dearly.
In all of our own lives we have special Christmas memories and I
have one more which I will never forget.
I call it “The Miracle of the Pinecones.” Just before Christmas,
several years ago, my five-year-old grandson, Jesse, and I were
in Julian California where my husband was completing a job. As
we wondered below the spectacular pine trees we saw pinecones
lying on the They were large and magnificent; My grandson loved
them and wanted to take some home, so we gathered them up. I
wondered what we could create with them. As I held one up and
turned it upside down I realized it looked like a perfect
Christmas tree, only brown. I found my Christmas snow and
sprayed it white. Right before our eyes the pinecone turned into
a tree covered with a blanket of snow. We then decided to
decorate it. I found sequins of all colors. When we touched them
to the snow they stuck. The pinecones became jewel covered
Christmas trees. Jesse and I had so much fun making trees that
we encouraged my mother, his great-grandmother to get involved
and we spent an afternoon making beautiful trees. What a
wonderful memory I have of my mother and grandson working
together creating multicolored treasures. I took a picture with
my heart. We had so many trees and wondered what to do with them
all. We gave some to family members and recruited them to go
Christmas caroling in the neighborhood. I took another picture
with my heart, of little Jesse singing ‘Away in a Manger’ and
then and then proudly giving his precious tree to a smiling
neighbor. We still had trees to give and I wondered what to do
with them. That year I taught the 16-year-old Sunday school
class at my church. I wondered if I could combine my teenagers
and the trees into a service project that would bring the spirit
of Christmas to these young people. There was a senior care home
across from our Church. I inquired if they would allow me to
bring my teenagers in to sing Christmas carols to their
residences and distribute the remaining Christmas trees. The
home gave me their approval and thanks. When I presented my idea
to my students I was not prepared for their response. Some of
them were not excited about the idea. Actually, I think, many of
them were just embarrassed to sing in front of each other. But I
assured them it would be a nice thing to do and armed each one
with a tree, the boys as well as the girls. We set out on our
mission. When we stepped into the first room of the care home,
my young people were a little timid but did sing a weak verse of
“Silent Night”, except for one big boy who stood in the back of
the room and would not sing. One of them handed their tree to
the grateful patient and we left. As we worked our way from room
to room the teenagers gradually warmed up, when they saw the
smiles and tears on the faces of those dear old souls, except
for the boy in the back. Their singing got louder and more in
tune and they couldn’t wait to rush to the next room. I will
always remember the 95-year old man, who had been confined to
bed for several years, accepting his Christmas tree from a group
of excited teenagers. I took another picture. When we had given
out the trees the young people were satisfied and happy. They
felt the Christmas spirit and didn’t want to leave. They knew
the joy they had given the patients. We finally headed for the
door. Along the way we met a sad little lady sitting in the
hallway in her wheelchair. When she spotted those noisy,
laughing teenagers a smile came across her toothless face and
she held up her feeble arms hoping to give them a hug. My
wonderful teenagers formed a line and each one of them bent down
and give her a big hug. Another picture! When we got outside the
building, we discovered that the teenage boy, who had stayed in
the back of each room and would not sing, was missing. I went
back into the building to find him and it was then that I took
the most memorable picture, with my heart. There, in the
hallway, was the big muscular boy, on his knees, in the arms of
that dear little 100-year-old lady. He had his strong, but
gentle arms rapped around her frail little body. Tears were
streaming down both their faces. On her lap was the pinecone
Christmas tree he had carried throughout the home and had been
too embarrassed to give. That year love came in the form of a
pinecone tree. We all have so much to be grateful for as we
create Christmas memories and traditions within our families How
blest we all are. This Christmas we have more reasons to look
for the good things of life and be thankful for all we are
blessed with, in spite of events of the world. We must remember
that Christmas is a season of giving and of gratefulness. I
wrote a song to help encourage all of us and help us know what
we can do this Christmas to make a difference in our world.
What Can I Do To Help? There’s so much sadness and so much pain.
What can I do to help? There’s so much anger and hatred. What
can I do to help? I can cherish my freedom, In this country I
love. I can bring comfort to someone. I can do all that I
should. There’s so much hurt and confusion. What can I do to
help? There’s so much sorrow and worry. What can I do to help? I
can love my brother; I can do a kind deed. I can care for
another; I can get down on my knees. There’s so much sadness and
so much pain. What can I do to help? There’s so much anger and
hatred? What can I do to help? I can fight against evil and the
suffering it brings I can always to God’s will, so peace can
come to our world I can always do God’s will so peace can come
to our world.
Thank you for letting me share my
special memories of the happiest season of my life. I pray we
will all remember the reason for our Christmas Season and do all
we can to bring peace and happiness to our families and to our
world and enjoy our own traditions and be grateful for this
Christmas, a season of memories.
Eva Fry may be contacted at
http://www.evafry.com
eva@evafry.com Eva Fry's mission is to help others become
better and happier. She is an inspirational author,
singer/songwriter/ motivational speaker and seminar leader. Eva
has two books published YOU MUST HAVE A DREAM-for seniors, BE A
WINNER IN LIFE-for kids, troubled kids and their parents. She
has produced music 7 CD's - "Remember" - new music for seniors
and "Oh What Joy, Christmas". "The Little Things" (Inspirational
Contry), "I Love Living The Teachings of The Lord." "Classical
Style", Instrumental Music. Her music and books can be purchased
on her web site www.evafry.com.
She invites you to use the free articles she has written,
available on her web site, for at- risk kids, as well as help
for others with life's challenges and inspiration to live in our
world today. Her articles have been publised, all over the
world, in many publications.
www.evafry.com
eva@evafry.com Booking for shows and presentations
760-749-4354
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Gourmet Centerpieces
by Celebrating Christmas
A Holiday Dinner Party or for that matter, any Dinner party,
calls for some creative ideas for table centerpieces. An elegant
centerpiece is as important a part of your dinner table, as the
rest of the table decoration, serveware or even the food itself!
Bring a creative twist to all your dinner parties this season,
by displaying abundant and fabulous Gourmet Centerpieces instead
of the usual flowers, candles etc. Instead, use flowers,
candles, berries, ornaments etc. to accessorize the table decor.
Place them with place mats or name cards to enliven the table.
Leave the centerpiece for a majestic creation from your kitchen.
There can never be a dearth of ideas for magnificent looking
gourmet food from any kitchen. Still, we, at Celebrating-Christmas.com
bring to you, some ideas and tips, just to get you started.
1. The main course of your dinner party can be a great choice
for a centerpiece. The traditional Roast, Stuffed Turkey, for
example, makes a wonderful centerpiece.
2. 'Accessorize' your main course with other gourmet tid-bits.
In the above example of a roast turkey, you may circle the
turkey with mini kebabs, stuffed mushrooms, marinated olives,
fresh veggies, baby tomatoes, baby potatoes etc. Garnish each
little piece for adding more color to your centerpiece.
3. Desserts are another great choice for centerpieces. Trifles,
Puddings, when prepared for a fairly large number of persons,
make a lovely sight.
4. If you decide to choose your desserts as centerpieces, be
sure to put an extra effort into the garnishing. Desserts can be
topped with whipped cream, custard sauce, fruit preserves etc.
and garnished with berries, mint leaves, crushed nuts etc. If
using clear glass bowls for desserts like fruit trifle etc.,
decorate the empty bowl first by piping softened jam on the
circumference of the walls. This will give off a lovely
'layered' look when viewed from the outside of the trifle bowl.
5. Cakes are eternal favorites as Centerpieces. Use a
beautifully decorated cake, complete with a cake topper, for a
delicious looking centerpiece. Beautiful Cake Stands, available
easily in stores, can be used to hold the cake. For a timeless,
classic look, place cakes on 3 tiered Cake Stands. For
Christmas, a 'Buche De Noel' or simply, a 'Yule Log Cake' makes
a beautiful centerpiece.
6. Place a bowl of sparkling fruit for a wholesome and elegant
centerpiece. Wash and clean all the fruits before arranging them
in the bowl. Creatively, alternate frosted, glazed or plain
fruit and ornaments in layers. You can also arrange the fruits
on a tiered Cake Stands.
7. If you cannot think of dish from your dinner menu to be of
the proper size and look, for a centerpiece, you can creatively
use certain smaller sized items, too. For e.g., you can arrange
appetizers, miniature puddings, muffins, candy etc. on tiered
Cake Stands. All you need to keep in mind to make this
arrangement an attractive one, is to play with color. Alternate
food items on a color theme.
8. For a cocktail party, a perfect centerpiece will be a glass
bowl filled with crushed ice carrying bright colored wine
bottles. Drop a few berries and/or mint leaves to add more
color.
Gourmet Centerpieces, besides being very attractive, are also
very practical. More often than not, Dinner Tables are short of
space with all that large number of items on your menu, serving
pieces, dinnerware, mats etc. It is possible that you run out of
space for a centerpiece. Gourmet centerpieces will neither take
up any extra space on your table nor too much of your time. Only
a little effort is needed to decorate and garnish them
attractively. And last but not the least, at all times, take
time to view your creation from all angles to ensure that it
makes a wonderful sight to everyone watching it.
Celebrating Christmas may be contacted at
http://www.celebrating-christmas.com
lata@celebrating-christmas.com. Click here to view more of
their articles.
Article Copyright Celebrating-Christmas.com: Your Guide to
Celebrating Christmas in Style.
Visit us at
http://www.celebrating-christmas.com for Christmas Crafts,
Recipes, Dinner Menu Ideas, Party Planning Tips, Gift Ideas,
Holiday Decorating Tips, Holiday Planning and Organizing
Checklists, Christmas contests, free downloads, kids' fun and
much more holiday stuff.
Cranberries
by Jennifer Wickes
(Also known as called bounceberries, because ripe ones bounce,
and craneberries!)
Mmmm! Cranberries! Every time I see cranberries, I just know the
holiday season has started! It reminds me of cold weather,
family time and carefree moments as a child. You can find them
in baked goods, in sauces, as drinks, cooked with meat, or even
strung up with popcorn to go on a Christmas tree! But what do
you really know about cranberries?
Cranberries are grown in huge sandy bogs off of vines in
Northern Europe and in some of the northern United States. They
are harvested in September and October, yet their peak-selling
season is between Halloween and Christmas!
When taking home your package of cranberries, throw out any
shriveled or discolored cranberries. They should then be wrapped
tight and stored in the refrigerator for approximately 2 months
or even in the freezer for up to a year!
Cranberries are very high in Vitamin C, and can help in the
treatment of bladder infections.
Due to the fact that cranberries are extremely tart, they are
usually combined with another fruit when cooking or processing.
Beware of straight cranberry juice as a lot of sugar may have
been added to make the juice more palatable!
The following recipe I have made during Christmas for potluck
Christmas parties. It has always been a hit!
CRANBERRY-ORANGE WALNUT SCONES
by Jennifer Wickes copyright 2001
3-cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1-tablespoon baking powder
1-teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter
2-tablespoons grated orange zest
1-cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
For the glaze: 2 tablespoons half and half
2 teaspoons sugar
Preheat your oven to 425 and butter a baking sheet. In a large
bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Blend the butter into the dry ingredients, using your fingertips
or a pastry blender, until the mixture is crumbly. Add the
orange zest, cranberries and walnuts and toss to combine. Add
the milk and juice, and stir until the dough is rough.
Gather the dough together and place on a floured work surface.
Knead gently about 10 times. Divide the dough in half and pat
each piece into a circle about 6 inches in diameter and about ½
inch thick. To glaze, brush the circles with the half and half
and sprinkle with sugar. Cut each circle into eight pie-shaped
wedges. Place the scones, barely touching, on the prepared
baking sheet. Bake until puffy and golden, 15 18 minutes.
Makes 16 scones.
My mother makes the next recipe for a Christmas auction every
year to help raise money for the non-profit organization she
belongs too. People have paid as much as $12 a jar for this!
CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH BOURBON by Joan P.
Chilvers
12 oz. fresh cranberries
4 c. sugar
1/2 c. bourbon
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stir ingredients together.
Place in the oven for 1 hour. Stir contents occasionally during
cooking.
Tastes best when it has had time to sit, for example, 2 weeks.
The longer it sits, the stronger the flavors.
Store in a refrigerator indefinitely.
Here is another great recipe:
HOT CRANBERRY PUNCH Source: "Cooking Light, Nov/Dec 1994, page
145" Copyright: "© Cooking Light"
12 cups cranberry juice cocktail 4 cups orange juice 1 cup lemon
juice 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon grated orange rind 12 whole
cloves 6 cinnamon sticks -- (3-inch)
Combine all the ingredients in a large Dutch oven, and bring to
a boil.
Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain the juice mixture,
and discard spices.
Serving Size: 1 cup Yield: 17 cups
For more information about cranberries, please go:
http://www.cranberriesmagazine.com/
To understand how cranberry juice helps to eliminate bladder
infections, please read
Suite 101’s Neale Rolfe Chamberlain’s article:
To learn more about cranberries in the United States, read
Suite 101’s Audrey Stallsmith’s recent article:
This article was originally published at
Suite101.com:
Jennifer Wickes may be contacted at
http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/CulinaryJen
CulinaryJen@comcast.net.
Jennifer
A. Wickes is the Food and Drink Dean at Suite University, the
Food and Drink Community Manager at Suite101, as well as a
freelance food writer and cookbook reviewer. She has written 3
eBooks, and has had
several articles in printed publications, such as Cooking
Pleasures magazine and Ernest and Julio Gallo's Turning Leaf
Wine pamphlet.
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