Snow is...

It snowed here this week. The last time that happened was 1976. This may help you understand my interesting relationship with snow. Below is my (somewhat tongue and cheek) description of what snow is to me.

...SURPRISING

Snow, when first experienced, is surprising.

Snow fall is silent.

Fluffy white snow is not fluffy. It is cold and wet. That "snow angel" thing could cause pneumonia.

...WORK

Snow is kind of a pain in the hiney.

In places where it snows a lot, people have to plug their cars in. Not new fangled electric cars. Just their boring old Dodge Dart or whatever. To keep it warm. Like an electric blanket. So it won't freeze and crack. The guy who invented this should be rich.

Snow buries things. You park your car, you go to bed, it snows, you wake up and where your car used to be there is now a heap of snow. You have to dig it out. With a shovel. But not until you dig a path from your front door to the street. And, I'm guessing it is cold out there. Good times.

...SCARY

Snow is scary.

I have cousins who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina, but returned to New Orleans. We suggested that they re-locate out here in California, but they declined. They didn't want to live anywhere there were earthquakes. Too dangerous. Huh? I have a similar feeling about snow.

Several years ago, in the mountains around here, (where I will only go in July and August), a man got lost hunting in the snow. He was found safe and sound, but he couldn't get his truck back until spring. Spring? Really?

A friend of mine who used to live in Missouri tells stories of driving, or rather sliding, the wrong way down the interstate into the path of a big rig because of snow and ice. People live like this? No thank you.

And these are just the stories without tragic endings. I am still haunted by several took-the-scenic-route-and-got-caught-in-a-freak-snow-storm stories. They did not end so well. I will leave it at that.

...INSIDIOUS

Snow is insidious.

Unlike other forces of nature, snow has some how passed itself off as beautiful and nostalgic. No one dreams of a Charred Christmas. Or sings, "Let it flood, let it flood, let it flood." Volcanic ash that stays on your nose and eye lashes? Not romantic. But, snow, obnoxious snow, has managed to charm it's way into our collective consciousness. Well...your collective consciousness. I'm not fooled.

You can keep the real stuff. I will be dreaming of a White Christmas, just like the ones I used to watch on TV. Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, singing, dancing, fake snow as far as the eye can see. I have the DVD now, which is even better. White Christmas; no commercials.

Come Join Us at THEME THURSDAY!

The Christmas Blessing Tree

Earlier this month, I had a conversation with Jonah, aged 4 and 3/4, about the true meaning of Christmas. (For my own views on this subject, you should see my earlier post.) Our conversation went something like this.

"Hey, Jonah. You know Christmas is when we celebrate Jesus' birthday, right?"

"Yeah."

"What happens when you have a birthday?" I asked, trying to get to the issue of gifts.

"A bounce house. Can we have a bounce house for Christmas?"

Hmm. Interesting thought. Honestly, I can see no reason why not. Our weather is fairly mild. But, this is a digression. I want to have a meaningful conversation about gift giving. This is when I realize that I might be the kind of mother who can suck all of the child-like joy out of anything.

After we work through bounce houses, parties, cakes, and pinatas, he finally gets around to remembering that you get gifts on your birthday. I find this frustrating (as I have an agenda) and odd, because he is the first one to "help" his siblings open, play with, and break their birthday gifts.

So, I finally get to say, as I have rehearsed, "Jesus is in heaven with God. What could we possible give him that is better than that?"

"Nothing," he says. And, he means it too. He has a very keen sense of heaven.

"Well, I have an idea," I continue. Again, as rehearsed. "When Jesus was here on earth he gave two commandments. 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Silence. I had expected this. Finally. The kid is on script.

"So, the best thing we can give Jesus is to show God we love him. And to give to others. We can show God we love him by praising him and thanking him for all He has done for us. And we can give to others by praying for them and doing nice things for them."

"Uh-huh." I can tell I'm losing him. Maybe he is just not old enough to understand. But, I won't know unless I try.

So, I proceed to tell him about the Christmas Blessing Tree. We are going to make new ornaments and tie ribbons on our old ornaments, each inscribed with the name of someone we have blessed with a prayer, or with a blessing God has given to us. This will be a great way to give birthday gifts to Jesus. AND, Little J can earn extra little ornaments every time he does a good deed.

He listened. Asked a few questions. And then when I was finished, he burst into tears.

"No," he wailed. "I want normal Santa ornaments. I want lights and gold balls. Like a real tree!"

Big sigh. (Mine) I was not trying to ruin the kids Christmas, just alter his focus a little.

Well, we made ornaments, prayed for friends and loved ones, thanked God for our many blessings, inscribed ribbons to tie to our old ornaments, and decorated the Christmas Blessing Tree. Jonah was a good sport, though I got the distinct impression he was just indulging me at first.

The tree is lovely in that primitive, decorated-by-a-small-child sort of way. But, more importantly, my son may have learned something. I know I have. I am just not sure yet what.

Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go call a man about a bounce house.

Stick and Crumb

I sweep.

I mop.

I dust and polish.

Wipe. Wash.
Shine. Scour. Scrub.

No matter.

A world with three small children
maintains a fine patina of stick.

And, crumbs.

All That Glitters

Pictures from Christmas crafts.

All that glitters is not gold.

Sometimes it is just gold glitter.

"A Glitter Sandwich" ~ by Sweet Jonah

Crafts, cookies, short books with great pictures. This is why I had children. Lest I forget.

Add a little glitter to your life today.

The True Meaning of Christmas?

I’m a Christian. I take my Christianity seriously. Another thing I take seriously is Christmas.


I love Christmas. I love the smell of the Christmas tree, how it fills the whole house. I love waking up to Christmas lights in the house. They make it so much easier to get out of bed on a dreary December morning. Christmas carols everywhere you go. City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style, in the air, there’s a feeling of Christmas. Even my beige, suburban street looks beautiful with the Christmas lights up. I love Christmas shopping. I love wrapping gifts, giving gifts, and (yes, I’ll admit it) getting gifts. Santa Claus. Cranberry bread, fudge, Sees candy, egg nog. Peppermint mochas in red Christmas cups. What is not to love?

But, you see, none of this stuff has anything to do with Christ. And, I am okay with that. Jesus is not the reason for the season. Not really. He never was. No more or less than he was the reason for summer or Wednesday-before-last, and I could make the argument that he was both, but that's for another day.

Most scholars agree that Jesus was born in the spring. And in any event, there is no biblical imperative to celebrate Christ’s birthday. There are no birthday celebrations at all in the bible. Christmas only became Christmas so that converts to the early Roman church could keep their traditional winter solstice celebrations. I can imagine such feasts would have been hard for early Christians to part with. Since man left the garden they have been finding ways to break up the boredom of winter (and the backbreaking labor of the rest of the year) with feast days. Christ’s promises are awesome, but we are human, and sometimes, faced with the daily grind, heaven seems far away.

So, I am prepared to just let go and let Santa. Let’s all celebrate the secular holiday of good cheer and consumerism. Within reason of course. I am not encouraging celebration to the point of gluttony and sloth. That is what Thanksgiving and New Years Eve are for.

But, I have kids. So, this is where I am conflicted. Most of the world is clinging to the pretense that this is a Christian holiday. Not so much the non-observant Buddhists in Japan singing carol-karaoke in polyester Santa suits, but most of the people in the western world. So, I must too.

I am trying to teach my children the “true meaning of Christmas” without my cynicism over the true "true meaning of Christmas" showing through. Luckily, I have years of practice at stifling myself. Most of them unsuccessful, but at least I have been practicing. And, I also have this. I try to teach my children the true meaning of Christmas everyday. Everyday belongs to Him. So, it is that upon which I will focus. The True Meaning of Christ.

Christmas is Coming...and the Goose Isn't the Only One

Christmas is practically here. I mean it. It is just around the corner. And while I am the first to grumble when I have to listen to Christmas music while buying Halloween candy, I must say, that this year, the season is just not long enough.

Thanksgiving was late. Yes, I know it is the same day every year...in theory. In reality, all the fourth Thursdays in November are not created equal. This one was late. I awoke from digesting my Thanksgiving meal (3 moderate ounces of turkey and 4 butter laden pounds of carbohydrates) to find I have less than a month until Christmas. Less than three weeks until the big trip north to the in-laws. Less than a twenty days to shop!!!

How can this be? I thought we were all about "economic stimulus" in these parts. I say a presidential mandate moving Thanksgiving up a week might not have been out of the question. I will vote for the next president who campaigns on it. Because I need MORE TIME!!!!

Fall Food

Here are some of the prettier things I have cooked this season.

Stew using the organic vegetables we have delivered from the local farm.

And my addition to the Thanksgiving feast.

The True Meaning of Scalloped Potatoes