In Praise of Second-Hand Books

February 1, 2018January 20, 201814 Comments

The Rotary Club is holding its annual second-hand book sale, 27,000 volumes are up for grabs, and I am a bit grumpy today because I’m missing it. A snowstorm descended upon us about the same time the venue opened at 8:30 and as every book lover knows, the best ones go fast. Normally I’m content to stay inside on such a blustery day, but I’m regretting the bargains I am surely missing, at one or two dollars a book. But no use crying over lost volumes. I have resigned myself to going on Sunday, when the remainders are five dollars a bag, but the selection poorer. Last year I went both Friday and Sunday – the stuff-a-bag day was to stock up on travel/photography/coffee-table books for my mother, the artist AMc, to use for inspiration for her paintings now that she is too old to travel. (She has an extensive collection of over-sized volumes of Canadian scenery if anyone wants to know what Canada looks like). We also have a second-hand book store in town, but the hours are erratic and the prices higher, nor have I had much luck with garage sale castoffs, which tend to be mostly romance or paperbacks or both. Admittedly book sales are always hit and miss, but other people’s discards can turn out to be treasures.

The beauty of book sales is you never know what you might find. Last year’s haul included a Loonyspoons Low Fat cookbook, (which I had always wanted but have not used), a medical manual of Cardiopulmonary Emergencies, (my dysfunctional heart valve will need repairing some day and I might want more info than WebMd can provide, also not opened), a thesaurus, (somewhat obsolete but the online version has limitations), a slim volume of pioneer Christmas stories with a pretty cover and a red ribbon, (because I’m a sucker for a book with a ribbon), two novels, The Lake House by Kate Morton (already read but might re-gift, I like to share good books), and Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand (not read, but I enjoyed her latest), Victoria – A Shop of One’s Own, (I collect old Victoria books as well as the decorating magazines), a calendar day-book of art by Maud Lewis,

(a Nova Scotia folk artist whose life was recently portrayed in the movie Maudie, because my mother’s paintings have been compared to hers), and an apprentice textbook from U of Toronto 1934 (which I found fascinating because it was full of old chemical formulas and my profession has evolved way beyond how to sterilize bottles), plus three quotation books which turned out to be absolute duds, (I would really like Bartlett’s Book of Quotations, as it would be useful for the blog).

Book sales are good for travel books if you are an armchair travel like myself. I scooped up a travel guide to Provence and two books on Italy, one of which I had already read, Elements of Italy, and the other,A Month in Italy, because it’s my dream someday. If you can’t go yourself you can enjoy reading about someone else’s adventures and avoid the jet lag and lost luggage, and in the case of Italy, the weight gain. Speaking of good food, there always seems to be a profusion of cookbooks at book sales, as well as diet fads from years past. The children’s books always go quickly I am happy to see. It’s nice to see parents starting a library, and the book-on-every-bed Christmas project is such a good idea to inspire early readers.

Last year I came across a young adult book, Robin Kane, The Candle Shop Mystery, which I did not buy because I have the exact same copy in my basement. What were the chances of that happening, as I don’t remember that series being as popular as Trixie Belden, which I also still possess.

I always got a book for Christmas, usually a Trixie Belden, the Nancy Drew-like girl detective of the 1960’s, (here she is searching for dead bodies),

otherwise we went to the library. I still get the majority of my books from the library, as I read so much it would be prohibitively expensive to buy them all, and our local library is excellent at ordering in anything you might request, plus the librarians there are all such lovely helpful people. Generally, I only buy what I would re-read, but this year as one of my New Year’s resolutions I decided to start to add to my library again, which is currently three shelves in the basement and den, (see decluttering blog Jan), but only those books which I truly love and would re-read. When I end up in a nursing home some day I want to be surrounded by my favorites, and not dependent on some volunteer lady bringing around a cart full of Harlequin paperbacks.

Now, I haven’t actually opened any of those books I bought last year, (some may end up being recycled), but it gives me comfort to know they are there if I am desperate for something to read. I once spent a week on Turks and Caicos with a selection of bad books and no store in sight, only a strip mall with one lonely souvenir shop, this was before the island was developed and long before e-readers, which are wonderful for travel, but I would much rather hold a book in my hand. I am such an avid reader, that I always want to have something in reserve or I get antsy. What if nothing comes in from the library – it’s either feast or famine – although sometimes having too many books out can be a strange form of retirement stress. That stack on your bedside table can start to feel like pressure when they are all non-renewable best sellers, and if you return them unread there are sixty-five people ahead of you again. Buying them solves that problem, as you can read at your own leisurely pace.

It’s amazing the weird and wonderful things you can find at book sales, ancient volumes from estates, such as yellowed cloth-worn sets of Poe or Kipling, or outdated encyclopedias. Did people really read such wordy tombs? Does anyone want them now and what do they do with them when they don’t sell? Although it can be interesting to see what people were reading a hundred years ago and to read the inscriptions inside the books. I have a few old books from the farm attic, but many more got thrown out in the moving process.

farm attic books

A Trapper’s Son was a gift to Lillie from Grandfather, Birthday Sept 14, 1900. L.M. Hewitt is written inside the flyleaf, as well as my aunt’s name at a later date. I have no idea who Lillie was but I googled and The Trapper’s Son, A Tale of North America, was published in 1873 and deals with the conversion to Christianity of a boy brought up in the wilderness. My ancestors were Christian folk, so any religious book was a keeper. Opening A Chestnut Burr, was inscribed to a Miss Lori Dody, and was published in 1874. Surprisingly there were two reviews of this book on Goodreads, the first one, a female, said, “A deeply Christian story with a thoroughly delightful ending. There’s a good bit of romance and outdoors.” The other reviewer, a man, said, don’t bother. The romance factor must have far outweighed the outdoors part. I couldn’t find anything on The Recluse of Rambouillet, (pub.1896), but it appears to be a translation from French about castles and kings. As my grandmother’s name is inscribed inside, Dec 1899, 3rd prize, 4th class, it was probably some kind of school prize. Poe’s Tales, (Xmas 1904, from Henry), can join it’s many brethren on E-Bay, but it is nice to know that books were welcome Christmas presents back then too. Some day I may tackle them, but they seem like relics from some long ago world, full of purple prose as L.M. Montgomery called such grandiose language. Opening sentence from Poe, “The mental features discoursed of as the analytical, are, in themselves, but little susceptible of analysis. We appreciate them only in their effects. We know of them, among other things, that they are always to their possessor, when inordinately possessed, a source of the liveliest enjoyment.” Perhaps there there is something to be said for being concise, what would Poe think of Twitter’s 140k limit and texting. Times change and so do tastes.

Books can be a portal to another universe, especially if the one you are currently in is snowy and white. I’m going to read now…happy hunting!

P.S. What is your favorite book sale find?

Quote on Reading: “Reading is one of the few things you do alone that makes you feel less alone, it’s a solitary activity that connects you to others.” (even in the middle of a snowstorm) Will Schwalbe – Books for Living, author of The End of Your Life Bookclub.

PS. This years treasures included,

The Christmas book jumped out early, whispering, buy me, I will come in handy for next year, the beloved Bartlett’s only revealed itself late in the hunt in a discarded bin under a table, and the Little Women collector’s edition 1994 caught my attention, because even though I still have my childhood copy, it had a ribbon and such pretty illustrations.

How to Make Your Home Hygge

January 22, 2018April 12, 20187 Comments

: Ski Lodge – 2016

Now that I’m no longer working and my daily commute is a walk through the snow drifts to the mail box, I’ve realized that my life is already pretty hygge, at least compared to what it was. No more watching the weather forecasts for potential snowstorms or laying awake half the night worrying about the roads, (I had one of those jobs where the only option for staying home was if you called in dead), or driving home late at night through whiteouts, where the only good thing was that you were the only fool on the road and hence could drive down the middle of it. One of the benefits of getting older is that you don’t have to work anymore, and if you are elderly like my mother, no one expects you to go out at all, so you can stay at home and paint.

A big part of hygge is appreciating the things you have and do that make winter a bit more bearable. (see previous blog Comfort and Joy: How to survive January, for more on hygge, which is a derived from a Danish word for “well-being”). So, what are the things that make a home hygge? The Danes are big on coziness, candles, coffee, blankets, fireplaces, mulled wine, sweets, relaxed decor, soft lighting, comfortable clothing and casual entertaining. Sounds like a recipe for a snow day. Hygge is even better if you can arrange for a snowstorm, preferably one with howling winds, the kind where the weather forecaster tells everyone to stay inside and off the roads. Then after it has passed, and the world is a winter wonderland, you can go outside and make a snowman.

: Blue Snowman – 2017

And of course no snow day would be complete without grilled cheese and tomato soup, it’s the stuff childhood memories are made of.

There’s nothing worse for your house than to feel bare and cheerless after the Christmas decorations have been taken down, (your house has feelings too, see Tidying up blog Jan), so I keep some of them up until the end of January, sometimes mid-February, if it’s a particularly harsh winter. You can put the Santa and reindeer stuff away for a much-deserved rest, but the greenery, pine cones, berries and fairy lights can help provide a hygge atmosphere.

The Danes are the biggest consumers of candles, (mainly unscented), so light some pretty candles.

Comfort food is a big part of hygge. Homemade beef vegetable soup simmering on the stove, leftover turkey pie, mac and cheese,

or a big pot of chili, with a simple green salad and some warm bread, all make a nice evening supper. Dempster’s baguettes are so good, you could pass them off as homemade – eight minutes in the oven, and they come in whole grain and rosemary/garlic too. Baking itself is very hygge, brownies from a box are quick and can bribe snow shovelers, while a date nut loaf takes more work but can give your house a wonderful smell. If you don’t want to bake, you can spray some cinnamon room spray around and buy some treats.

The Danes love reading nooks, so a plump lounge chair with some cozy pillows and a throw, is a good place to sip cocoa and read your favorite magazine, even better if the chair faces a window where you can watch the snow falling outside or the cardinals at the feeder.

If you are lucky enough to have a fireplace, then nothing beats reading a book by the fire. You can start in on that stack you got at the second-hand sale last year. Popcorn and mulled cider make a nice fireside snack. Add some mellow music, Ella Fitzgerald is always good.

If you haven’t got a love to keep you warm, a cat is good company, maybe two, but no more than five.

Tiger Cat – AMc – 2017

Five Cats – AMc – 2016

Reading in bed with a cat purring, and tea and cookies, is pure hygge.

There is something about plaid that is so cheerful. I put a red plaid flannel duvet cover on my bed before Christmas and leave it on all winter. It looks nice with crisp white sheets and lacy pillows, an idea I saw in a decorating magazine once. A plaid flannel housecoat with a fleece lining (Vanity Fair at Sears before they closed, but L.L. Bean carries these too), can keep you warm and cozy while you do your final check around the house before bed, and when you look outside, yes it is still snowing. It’s really piling up out there, you may be snowed in tomorrow too. As you drift off to sleep, listening to the north winds howl, may you have sweet dreams….of summer!

Song of The Day: Our House – Crosby Stills and Nash – music link

Comfort & Joy: The Danish Art of Hygge (or how to survive January)

January 14, 2018April 12, 20185 Comments

“Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful.” The song, Let It Snow, has all the ingredients for winter comfort and joy – popcorn, snuggling by the fire, snowstorm, and the best part for those who hate winter driving, no place to go. It’s also the perfect recipe for hygge.

According to recent surveys, Denmark rates among the happiest countries in the world, and hygge, the Danish art of living well, is a major reason for their sense of wellness. Hygge, which can be summed up as “cocoa by candlelight”, is the perfect antidote to the cold dark winters and is considered a major survival strategy for January when the hours of daylight are few. The Little Book of Hygge – The Danish Way to Live Well was written by Meik Wiking, the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. You know that if a country sets out to study happiness they are way ahead of the game. Here is my book review from Goodreads.

The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a delightful little book, particularly suitable for reading this time of year, preferably during a snow storm. So light some candles, get cozy by the fire with a blanket and a cup of cocoa and prepare to be entertained. Based on the Danish art of living well, it may inspire you to practice a little hygge in your own life…..comes complete with charming pictures too, but warning – the print is very tiny.

For those of us living in more melancholy nations, what exactly is hygge? The word hygge derives from a Norwegian word meaning “well-being”. Hygge is about atmosphere and experiences, not things, (great, I just decluttered, see previous blog post, but I hope I didn’t throw out anything hygge – is it to late to retrieve those plaid pajama bottoms).

In the introduction the author describes a December weekend at a cabin with a group of his friends.

: Cabin in the Woods – 2016

Post hiking, they are sitting around the fire, wearing big jumpers and woolen socks, reading or half asleep and the only sound is the stew boiling, the sparks from the fire and someone having a sip of their mulled wine. One of them breaks the silence and asks, could this be any more hygge, and someone answers, yes, if there was a storm raging outside, they all nod. This is hygge in a nutshell, except he forgot the candles, (they are big on candles in Denmark as they have seventeen hours of darkness in the winter months), so I would like to add that I hope they ate by candlelight, and had coffee and cake later by the fire, (they are big on coffee and confectioneries too).

According to the author, Danes have less anxiety and worry in their daily lives due to the cradle to grave social welfare state. They don’t resent paying high taxes as they consider it investing in society and improving the quality of life. What’s not to like about a country with paid daycare, where parents of small children must leave work early, and no one works nights or weekends, thus leaving more time for family and friends and all the other hygge-like things to do…..watch tv, read, relax.

The concept of hygge includes coziness, candles, coffee, blankets, fireplaces, hot drinks, good food, natural or rustic decor, nooks, soft lighting, comfortable clothing and casual entertaining. Interestingly, the hygge life-style can be excellent for introverts, as it is a low-key way of being social without being drained or exhausted by too much activity and partying, not to mention being a soothing balm for over-stimulated minds at the end of the work day. Even their workplaces try to be hygge. They may have couches instead of desks. I think I want to move. I have a vague recollection of one of my first workplaces in the eighties where we had birthday cake during department meetings. It was a horrible place to work but the cake was good. At my last job we didn’t even get meal breaks. Or course, a hygge-like state is only possible if it is in contrast to something non-hygge, which tends to be the status quo for modern life. Life today is a rat-race, stressful and unfair, money and jobs rule. This book can inspire us to stop occasionally and add a little hygge to our lives, and don’t forget the cake! (see next blog, How To Make Your Home Hygge).

Benjamin Franklin quote: “Happiness consists more in small conveniences or pleasures that occur every day then in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom.”

Snow Day – 2015

Decluttering 101 Out With The Old

January 7, 2018March 4, 20195 Comments

If decluttering your personal space is one of your New Year’s resolutions then you may be interested in, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō

My yoga teacher lent me a copy of this book last year over the Christmas break and I became so motivated by it that cleaning out my house became one of my goals for 2017. Marie Kondo is a Japanese organizing consultant who is booked three months in advance according to her bio, which surprised me as I think of Japan as a nation of tidy people living in small neat houses, but maybe they are pack-rats like most North Americans. Her unique approach has now been trade marked as the KonMari method. The gist of her method is that you are to tidy by category and all at once, by dumping everything of each item from all over your house in the center of the room, shirts for example, and then you are to hold each item in your hand and “if it doesn’t spark joy”, out it goes. You will then only be surrounded by the things you love. The author was young and single and lived in a bedroom/apartment when the book was written in 2011, so although it is an interesting premise, some of the suggestions are not quite practical for a larger space shared with other people. What if something doesn’t bring you joy, (old electronic devices, the hamster cage, hockey equipment), but might bring joy to someone else? Then there are the things that don’t bring you joy but you need anyway. My iron doesn’t bring me joy, (I hate ironing, but I hate wrinkles even more), but I don’t plan on throwing it out. Toys should only be stored in one place? That might cause a few temper tantrums. Some of the suggestions border on the bizarre, you should talk to your house and your possessions and thank them for taking care of you? “Thank you for keeping me warm all day. Thank you for making me beautiful.” My sad old kitchen which is desperately in need of renovation might feel better if I spoke lovingly to it, but would I sound like George Bailey at the end of It’s A Wonderful Life, joyously greeting the miserable old Building and Loan. Or empty your purse every night, place wallet, makeup and put everything in it’s assigned place, and then repack it in the morning. I admire purse minimalists, but I am not one of them, my purse holds everything but the kitchen sink, so that would take over an hour. She often speaks of inanimate objects as if they had souls and feelings. What do the things in your house that don’t spark joy actually feel? They simply want to leave. Everything you own wants to be of use to you. It must be a Feng-shui kind of thing. Does my iron hate me as much as I hate it?

Still there was enough in the book to motivate me, so I diligently spent the month of January last year cleaning out my house, and the month of February attempting to clean out my mother’s, and some of March down in the basement, (home of the paper archives), and then it was spring, and I lost interest. Purging all at once was just not practical for me, a few hours here and there was the best I could do with my three-level house…yes, I broke the rules. I was less successful with my mother’s house, as she was born in the Depression and so has more of an attachment to empty coffee canisters and plastic storage containers than I do. (Perhaps that is why Marie is so booked up, it is much easier to get rid of someone else’s stuff than your own). “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without,” was a popular saying in the Depression, which may explain why that generation tends to hoard such things, while the baby boomers, because we didn’t grow up with as much as kids today, were more into acquiring material things, (fine china, mahogany dining room sets), and the millennials are minimalists indeed who would rather have experiences than things, and only buy what they need. Speaking of psychoanalysis, while some of the book reviews I read unkindly label the author as having OCD, (if I had sold five million copies I wouldn’t care what they called me), there is a sad chapter towards the end of the book where she explains her need to be compulsively tidy since a young age as an attempt to attract her parent’s love and attention and avoid being dependent on other people. She was a middle child (self-explanatory).

Some pointers from the book – sort all in one shot, by category, not location. There are only two actions, discarding and deciding where to store things. Start by discarding, all at once, intensely and completely, then decide where to store things, and keep them only in that place. (Discard first, store later). Do not start with mementos. Start with easier items, clothes, books, papers, misc., and then mementos. We should be choosing what to keep, not what we want to get rid of. She recommends folding clothes in rectangles and then storing them vertically, standing up in drawers, so you can see everything, and they are less wrinkled. Store all items of the same type in the same place, and don’t scatter storage space, including designating storage space for each family member. Fancy storage systems = bad, they justify keeping stuff you shouldn’t. Some clothes like coats and dresses are happier hung up. I’m relieved my elegant black cocktail dress, (Winners sale), is happy even though it’s never been worn. Keep only those books which make you happy to see on the shelves. Out go those university text books I kept in case I felt the need to study chemistry again, (which I did twenty years later for a degree upgrade). Now they are but sentimental reminders of a time when I was smarter and had a better memory. Sorting papers – rule of thumb – discard everything! She relents and says you can keep some things like insurance policies, love letters etc. but only if they are stored in one spot only. On sentimental items – “No matter how wonderful things used to be we cannot live in the past – the joy and excitement we feel here and now are more important.” Yes, that is true, but what about keeping things for future generations? As a lover of history and genealogy, I wish my ancestors had kept more things, not less,

treasured heirlooms

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(see Nov. blog on Uncle Charlie WW1 Vet), and museums would be empty if we throw everything away just because it’s old. I am glad I kept those letters from my younger pre-email years, they are treasured memories for myself and for future generations.

What makes some things more difficult to get rid of is they either remind us of things past, (childhood toys, I kept my Barbie dolls and clothes),

Skipper and wardrobe 1965

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or we might have a future need for them some time and they won’t be there. I still haven’t read those books I picked up at the book sale last winter, but we might be snowed in for a week and then I’ll have something to read. Most bookworms have great difficulty getting rid of books. It seems a shame to discard a book, unless it’s a really bad book, and even then someone put a lot of effort into writing it. (I once read that books are one of the most often requested items in refugee camps). While I won’t be appearing on any hoarder reality tv shows, I do have a problem with some categories (see blog on vintage clothes on the main menu), and I admit I am a paper pack-rat too. With the clothes I am mourning the life I had, or aspired to (in the case of that chic little black cocktail dress with the bow in the back). My intention with The Vintage Corner was to sell some of the clothes and donate the money to charity, which can always make you feel better about throwing things out. I lost track of how many trips I made to the local thrift shop, but one day when I took an old ghetto-blaster in, (music for the garage, but it was never used and covered with dust), there was an immigrant family looking for a radio, so it was perfect timing. How happy they were, and how pleased I was to be able to help someone else.

Recently I came across a review for a new book from Sweden, “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning” (Scribner Jan 2018) by Margareta Magnusson, which may be more suited to older generations.

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Make Your Loved Ones’ Lives Easier and Your Own Life More Pleasant by Margareta Magnusson

This Swedish author recommends you streamline your belongings while you are still healthy enough to do the job, thus saving relatives the difficult task of sorting out after you are gone. It sounds morbid but it is actually uplifting, finding the right homes for all your beloved possessions so they can bring joy to someone else, plus it can relieve the burden of looking after so many things when you might not have the health or energy to do so. Still it does make me sad to walk into a thrift store and see all those lovely sets of good china which graced many a holiday table and which no one wants anymore. I collect blue and white china (which does bring me joy),

My grandmother’s turkey platter

and thrift shops are excellent places for that, although I am now more selective in what I buy.

The final chapter in the Marie Kondo book deals with the life-changing part of the title – apparently “the lives of those who tidied thoroughly and completely in a single shot are without exception dramatically altered.” Some of her clients discarded their excess weight, their jobs and even their husbands, and went on to live much happier lives. The rationale for this is that detoxifying your house has a detoxifying effect on your body and mind as well. It increases your happiness and good fortune to live in a natural state surrounded only by the things you love. She says, “when you put your house in order, you put your affairs and your past too, and you can see quite clearly what you need in life and what you don’t, and what you should and shouldn’t do.” The things we really like do not change much over time. Putting your house in order is a great way to discover what they are. I’m not sure if this is just so much psycho mumbo-jumbo, but you cannot deny it is a serene feeling to having a clean and tidy house. She does not seem to acknowledge however that some people prefer and even feel more comfortable with a certain degree of clutter around them. It makes a home look lived in as opposed to one staged for a real estate open house…you know the type, when you walk into a house and nothing is out of place and there’s not an open book in sight. I can’t say my life was altered in any transformative way, (but then I broke the all in one shot rule), but I would have to say the book was successful in making me stop and think, do I really need to keep this, and while some clutter has crept back, the usual suspects in the usual places, (papers in the den and kitchen drawers you may plead guilty), over-all it was a worthwhile read. The whole concept of sparking joy, while airy-fairy, did make me much more conscious of what I bought. Not only did a new acquisition have to bring me joy, but did I even need it? After spending three months decluttering I didn’t want to have to do it again. But there was a good feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction when it was done and someday when I must downsize there will be less to pack and unpack. As anyone who has ever moved can attest, moving can be a great motivator for decluttering.

The other day I saw a very large moving truck on my street, it almost stretched the whole block, which made me think about how much stuff people have today compared to the past. My maternal grandmother came through Ellis Island in 1922 from Holland, on her honeymoon, with one large wicker trunk containing all her worldly possessions. My dad’s ancestors arrived in Canada from Ireland in 1846 at the height of the potato famine with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They abandoned what few supplies they brought with them, when they jumped ship in the St. Lawrence during a cholera epidemic. They had to borrow one pound from the Canadian government (National Archive Records), for water transport from Toronto to where they settled, but by 1900 they had nice crystal,

farm heirloom

and monogrammed silverware, (I wish I still had some of those forks). Things can bring you pleasure and joy and we can spend a lifetime buying but in the end, we have nothing – you can’t take it with you, as the saying goes. There is a time to collect stuff and a time to get rid of it.

Incidentally, about a month after I returned the book to my yoga instructor, I saw a copy at a thrift shop for two dollars, so I bought it to keep as a reference book, which is a no-no according to the rules, but which I knew would come in handy some day. The author also has a sequel, Spark Joy – An Illustrated Master Class in Organizing and Tidying Up, but when I picked it up and glanced through it, there was a whole section on camisole folding, and since I don’t own any camisoles, I closed it back up and left it there on the shelf to bring joy to someone else.

Quote of the Day: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” (William Morris)

Here We Come A Wassailing

January 1, 2018April 12, 20189 Comments

New Years Song: Here We Come A Wassailing – the Barra MacNeils – music link

Wassailing is an old British custom associated with New Years which originated in the fifteenth century. It is usually celebrated on Twelfth Night – Jan 5 or 6. The tradition of wassailing falls into two different types, the house-visiting type which consists of neighbors roaming from door to door singing and drinking from a wassail bowl, which later became caroling,

and the orchard-visiting wassail, which refers to the ancient ceremony of visiting apple orchards in the cider producing regions of England, and singing and reciting blessings to the trees in order to promote a good harvest for the following year. The wassail itself was a cider or ale based hot drink seasoned with spices and honey and served in a huge bowl made of silver or pewter. The greeting wassail comes from the English term “waes hael” meaning “be well” which is what we traditionally wish for everyone at New Year’s – health and happiness for the coming year.

The song Here We Come A Wassailing dates from 1850, and later morphed into Here We Come A Caroling. Here are the very catchy lyrics, best sung with a pewter mug in hand.

Here we come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green;
Here we come a-wand’ring
So fair to be seen.

REFRAIN:
Love and joy come to you,
And to you your wassail too;
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year
And God send you a Happy New Year.

We are not daily beggars
That beg from door to door;
But we are your neighbors’ children,
Whom you have seen before.

REFRAIN

Good master and good mistress,
While you’re sit beside the fire,
Pray think of us poor children
Who are wandering in the mire.

REFRAIN

Call up the butler of this house,
Put on his golden ring.
Let him bring us up a glass of beer,
And better we shall sing.

Yes, who doesn’t sing better with a little alcohol in them. Think of it as a kind of medieval karaoke, not drunk but with just enough of a glow to warm the tingling fingers and toes on a cold winter’s night. The pewter mugs are family artifacts, but lacking an ancient wassail bowl I improvised with a plug-in soup tureen, (thrift shop find $7), although a slow cooker crock-pot would work well too.

There are numerous recipes for wassail on the internet, including some non-alcoholic as well for children or non-drinkers.

I tried the Cranberry and Spice Wassail recipe on the packet of Gourmet Village mulling spices and it was good but I think I would substitute apple cider for some of the water to give it more flavor, and I also added more honey to sweeten it. Both the Mulled Cider and Mulled Wine recipes sound comforting too, and because it’s all about

don’t forget to serve some food so those merry revelers don’t get too drunk and curse your apple orchards instead, because then you may not have a good crop and as the British novelist Jane Austen said, “Apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness.”

I recently tried this recipe for Caramel Apple Cider from the Southern Living Christmas All Through the South cookbook 2013 – 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tsp vanilla and 4 cups apple cider. Stir together brown sugar and whipping cream in a large saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat for two minutes or until bubbly. Stir in vanilla and apple cider. Cook ten minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring often. May garnish with whipped cream, caramel sauce or ground cinnamon. It really is like drinking liquid apple pie.

Ringing in the New Year, with best wishes for health and happiness in 2018!

Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol

December 20, 2017December 11, 201915 Comments

We have Charles Dickens to thank or blame, depending on your perspective, for the present Christmas madness. The movie about The Man Who Invented Christmas is currently in theaters, and was based on a 2009 book by Les Standiford.
The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits by Les Standiford

Maybe Santa will bring me this for Christmas…hint, hint.

Although I have not seen or read either, I am currently in the process of re-reading A Christmas Carol, the illustrated version, an annual tradition I try to keep, although I don’t always succeed.

A Christmas Carol is my favorite book of all time. I love it for it’s perfect plot, it’s memorable characters and its simple message of hope and redemption. While I like the movie (especially the 1951 version with Alistair Sim, although the 1938 version has a better Tiny Tim and Bob Cratchit and a much scarier ghost of Christmas past which would have me scurrying to bed when I was Tiny Tim’s age), the book itself is pure perfection. You wouldn’t change a thing in it. It’s so ingrained in our memory that we couldn’t imagine it any other way. Desperate for money, with a mortgage overdue and six children to support, Dickens produced it in a mad six-week frenzy in October of 1843. It was published on Dec 19, just in time for the Christmas trade, and immediately sold out, and has been in print ever since.

If I am ever in New York at Christmas time, my first stop will be the Morgan Library, where every year Dickens original handwritten sixty-eight-page manuscript is on display over the holiday season. Dickens chose the red leather binding himself and gifted and inscribed it to his friend, Thomas Mitton. Here is an online link to the manuscript, and you can now buy a facsimile copy from the Morgan shop online.

http://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/charles-dickens-a-christmas-carol

A few years ago, the library held a contest for Dickens fans and scholars to study the manuscript in search of the most noteworthy editorial changes. While he may have written it in an outpouring of creative genius, he still did a lot of crossing out and revising. Can you imagine Tiny Tim being called Fred? It is a sad part of history lost that our present writing methods no longer permit this peek into the creative process.

Dickens was long-winded, (why use one word when ten will do), so for a short tale, it is wordy, but it’s not as bad as Oliver Twist (which I read at age twelve when the movie musical came and found a difficult read), or A Tale of Two Cities or any of his other works. In A Christmas Carol the descriptive passages are pure bliss. Some of my favorites include, the description of the damp piercing cold at the beginning of the story, (foggier yes and colder. Piercing, searching, biting cold), the entire passage about the Cratchit household and their Christmas dinner, (Mrs. Crachit dressed out poorly in a twice-turned gown but brave in ribbons and Belinda too, and Peter with his collar done up), the dancing and food at old Fezziwig’s party, (away they all went, twenty couples at once), the games (blind man’s bluff and charades) and music at his nephew Fred’s, and the town and the grocer’s all dressed for Christmas with the people sallying forth full of goodwill and good cheer.

And who can forget those classic lines, “Why, where’s our Martha?….not coming on Christmas Day?” “for it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas,” “come and see me, will you come and see me,” and “there’s such a goose, Martha.” The goose description alone is priceless.

”Such a bustle ensued that you might have thought a goose the rarest of all birds; a feathered phenomenon, to which a black swan was a matter of course — and in truth it was something very like it in that house. Mrs Cratchit made the gravy (ready beforehand in a little saucepan) hissing hot; Master Peter mashed the potatoes with incredible vigour; Miss Belinda sweetened up the apple-sauce; Martha dusted the hot plates; Bob took Tiny Tim beside him in a tiny corner at the table; the two young Cratchits set chairs for everybody, not forgetting themselves, and mounting guard upon their posts, crammed spoons into their mouths, lest they should shriek for goose before their turn came to be helped. At last the dishes were set on, and grace was said. It was succeeded by a breathless pause, as Mrs Cratchit, looking slowly all along the carving-knife, prepared to plunge it in the breast; but when she did, and when the long expected gush of stuffing issued forth, one murmur of delight arose all round the board, and even Tiny Tim, excited by the two young Cratchits, beat on the table with the handle of his knife, and feebly cried Hurrah!

There never was such a goose. Bob said he didn’t believe there ever was such a goose cooked. Its tenderness and flavour, size and cheapness, were the themes of universal admiration. Eked out by apple-sauce and mashed potatoes, it was a sufficient dinner for the whole family; indeed, as Mrs Cratchit said with great delight (surveying one small atom of a bone upon the dish), they hadn’t ate it all at last. Yet every one had had enough, and the youngest Cratchits in particular, were steeped in sage and onion to the eyebrows.”

My ancestors always had a goose for Christmas, as was the custom back then as they were readily available on the farm. This post card was given to me by a descendant of a great uncle who had moved to Seattle around 1920. He must have been home for Christmas one year as he has written across the bottom in pencil, Xmas dinner on the farm. I inherited the crystal bowl on the table, but not the goose tradition, only a turkey will do for Christmas. Even Scrooge preferred turkey, as he bought the prize turkey and sent it anonymously to the Cratchit family at the end. (That delivery boy must have been Canadian as he said, “EH?….why, it’s Christmas Day.”)

The pudding description is spectacular too.

“In half a minute Mrs Cratchit entered — flushed, but smiling proudly — with the pudding, like a speckled cannon-ball, so hard and firm, blazing in half of half-a-quartern of ignited brandy, and bedight with Christmas holly stuck into the top.

Oh, a wonderful pudding! Bob Cratchit said, and calmly too, that he regarded it as the greatest success achieved by Mrs Cratchit since their marriage. Mrs Cratchit said that now the weight was off her mind, she would confess she had had her doubts about the quantity of flour. Everybody had something to say about it, but nobody said or thought it was at all a small pudding for a large family. It would have been flat heresy to do so. Any Cratchit would have blushed to hint at such a thing.”

Unlike Mrs. Cratchit, I won’t be worrying about the quantity of flour,

or like Tiny Tim, hearing the pudding singing in the copper. I’ll just be listening for the ding of the microwave. Although I bought the pudding at the British shop, the rum sauce will be homemade, and is equally good on vanilla ice cream for those who don’t care for Christmas pudding.

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My standard rum sauce is just a mixture of butter, brown sugar, water and some rum added in the last five minutes, with most of the alcohol boiled away just leaving the flavor. I tend not measure, so it’s never the same from year to year, including the rum which can vary depending on the stress level. It can be made ahead, and stored in the fridge and microwaved later, along with the pudding. You can also buy individual portions of plum pudding at the British shop, but it is more economical to buy the larger size.

If you have a moment of peace and quiet over the holidays, A Christmas Carol is a good read, and a simple reminder of what Christmas is all about. And so, in the words of Tiny Tim, God Bless us Every One!

A Tiny Caroler – Dec 2017

Song of The Day: God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman (because it’s in the book) – click here for music link – The New York Philharmonic Orchestra

PS. Edited Dec. 2018 to add that while I found the movie while interesting I could not get past the fact that Dan Stevens did not suit the role as he will always be Mathew in Downton Abbey. I have not read the book yet but I know Santa will bring it this year, as I bought it myself while shopping for others!

How to Deck the Halls Like Scrooge

December 17, 2017April 12, 20184 Comments

We need more Christmas decorations – said no one ever. Well maybe the pagans during the winter solstice. Ever since the time of the pagan festivals we have felt the need to bring light and festivity into our homes during the coldest darkest month of the year. While the pagans may have been content with a few laurel wreaths with lighted candles and some boughs of holly strung through the drafty halls of their medieval castles, we have evolved into a much more sophisticated consumer of all things bright and shiny. Christmas decorating has become a big business all on it’s own.

It wasn’t always so. This was the Christmas decorating of my childhood.

Does anyone remember stringing cards along the wall or decorating the windows with a can of artificial snow? Christmas trees were simpler too (and real), and their decorations were a hodgepodge of bright colored baubles collected over the years,

and often made of glass. Of course every year one would break and there was sure to be a sibling argument over which child would be blamed? If you look closely you can see that plastic angel on the tree below.

: Christmas tree angel & me

I still have that family heirloom, plus the fuzzy candy canes, a glass partridge from the 1940’s I inherited from a great aunt and the tin-foil covered star my dad made in 1932 when he was seven, which always held the place of honor at the top of the tree.

Glass Partridge 1940

Last year I went on a downsizing frenzy and cleaned out my whole house (watch for January New Years Resolution blog). I got rid of tons of tacky decorations, except for a few favorites for sentimental reasons. I organized what was left in the basement storage area so it was easier to find things, and patted myself on the back for having all that space. Then at an outdoor craft sale in Sept, I saw this adorable little ladder – it was a husband and wife team, he did the wood, she did the decorating, and for only $15. The husband told me they didn’t make any money on it, they just liked to craft together – how could I resist?

I spiced it up with a red plaid bow – 2 boxes of ribbon – Winner’s $10 – because our topic is how to save money while Christmas decorating, or rather how to justify buying new decorations when we already have way too many…

Things were fine until December…but that is always a dangerous time of year – the stores are full of such glittery sparkly things. I did splurge on a Lemax skating rink (Canadian Tire $45) in mid-November as I had always wanted one, but was unable to wait for a sale as previous years they had sold out. I realize you can buy these online, but you can’t actually see the little figures whirling around.

I placed the rink on a silver placemat from the dollar store ($2), and wove some ribbon lights ($11 Michaels with 40% off coupon) around the base, (ribbon lights are also good for along a fireplace mantel), then I sprinkled some artificial snow around. ($2 dollar store).

My other splurge was a glittery crystal Christmas tree (like a lava lamp), ($50) which I had bought as a present for someone, but when I went to wrap it up, it looked so nice I decided I had to have one too. It is important to be charitable to yourself at Christmas too.

I bought a glittery green garland ($4 – dollar store, where else, by now I own stock), for around the base, but see how pretty they look together on my dining room table, and the best thing is they can keep small children (and big ones) entertained for hours. There is something mesmerizing about light and motion.

Thrift shops are good options for wreaths, (someone else’s clearing out project), especially if you will be putting them outside. I found these three wreaths for $2 each, and put one on my front door, with some ribbon. (Can you have too many wreaths?)

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But the blue wreath, (75% off after Christmas Sears), was too pretty to put outside. Continuing with our thrifty theme, these outdoor wreaths for the picket fence were $5 each, with an ornament and some plaid ribbon added for a festive touch.

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I have been known to stock up on bird cages at Michael’s when they go on clearance, (so much so that once a five year old visiting my house for the first time, asked me if I liked birds.) You can do a lot with bird cages, both outside,

and inside – this one was $25 at a Big Sisters craft sale, but I am sure you could make it for less….just add some greenery, a bird and a string of lights.

I saw this idea at the entrance to a restaurant last year – take any festive container (I used a blue bowl to match the balls), line it with a strand of lights, and add some pine cones and Christmas balls.

My biggest scavenging find (literally), came when my friend offered to help me do a Christmas urn with some greens she had foraged in the woods – those years of buying pathetic looking greenery for $7 per bundle are over! I would say her results were much more professional than any of my previous attempts. She used real berries on hers (which had quite a horrible smell), but I used artificial on mine.

If you can arrange a little snow, it looks even better….

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There is a reason those partridges prefer pear trees…..shelter from the storm.

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Not that much snow……maybe this much….

Just enough snow to make it look pretty but still allow Santa to get here.

Santa’s boots

Anyway, I hope this gives you some ideas for cheap and cheerful Christmas decorating.

One final thought, when I was in Canadian Tire early in the season I saw the nicest Nativity scene.

I was tempted, but it was huge, $400 and I didn’t own a church, plus there were no animals or shepherds, but then I remembered I already had the nicest nativity scene ever. My dad built the barn for it in 1952….that is his homemade star on top. Remembering the reason for the season.

May all your presents be as glittery and shiny as the star in the east.

Joy to The World – Christmas Playlist

December 12, 2017April 12, 20184 Comments

Violin and Horn – 1980

I have been listening to Christmas music lately, because it’s hard not to, with it blasting over the intercom twenty four hours a day in every store and workplace, telling us ’tis the season to be merry and be of good cheer, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la. This is the most profitable time of the year for most businesses and they are just doing their part to get us into the Christmas spirit. I love Christmas music, I really do, but in small doses, and not the same old songs, over and over again. You hardly ever hear a lot of the old Christmas classics anymore, especially if they are religious hymns, so last week when I found a stack of vintage records from the 40’s and 50’s in my mother’s basement it was like finding treasure. They were stored in brown cardboard albums, a 78 in each paper sleeve, mostly Hit Parade tunes,

but also a few smaller 45’s of children’s music. I was surprised at how thick the vinyl was, compared to albums from later years.

I didn’t recognize many of the Hit Parade ones but I took a trip down memory lane with the 45’s – Horace the Horse, On Top of Old Smoky, Did You Ever See a Lassie – the lyrics came back in a flash. We had a portable stereo in the sixties and then one of those big furniture cabinets in the early seventies that played eight tracks too, but my mother says she remembers playing those vintage records on an old phonograph that you wound up by hand when she first moved to the farm in 1944. Her farm had hydro, but my father’s didn’t until after the war.

There were a few Christmas classics in the bunch – an original Columbia records Gene Autry – Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, (one of the best selling records of all time), with If It Doesn’t Snow on Christmas on the B Side, and a Silent Night/Oh Come All Ye Faithful and Silver Bells by Bing Crosby. The children’s 45’s included Frosty the Snow Man, with God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman and Joy to the World on the flip side, and Santa Clause is Coming to Town with Silent Night. (Note to self – check Ebay to see if any of these are worth anything…just out of curiosity, you can’t sell childhood memories).

I used to listen to Christmas music every day during my commute to work, (while an hour a day of Christmas music can be good for the soul, listening to it for eight hours a day in a retail environment is not). I would flip over to an American radio station which had made it a tradition to start playing it the day after Halloween. This station tended to play the same soundtrack, over and over again, and while I liked most of the selections, there were some that just made me cringe and change the dial – Feliz Navidad, You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch, Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas time, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, Santa Baby, the Charlie Brown Christmas instrumental, and that annoying Chipmunk song. Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer is just plain wrong, what kind of song is that for little kids, reindeer bashing at it’s worst! And I am probably the only person who doesn’t like Mariah Carey’s, All I Want For Christmas Is You – that high note at the end hurts my ears, and it reminds me of old episodes of Ally McBeal walking home by her lonely self at the end of every single episode. I can listen to Jingle Bell Rock and Rocking around the Xmas Tree, but only once per season. While I realize everyone has individual favorites, why would they include those when there are so many wonderful songs to get you in the Christmas mood.

Old Christmas hymns can bring on an instant attack of nostalgia. Going through the stack of old albums from the sixties I came across Christmas with Mitch Miller.

When my dad used to watch Sing a Long with Mitch on Saturday nights, there were lyrics at the bottom of the tv screen, and yes tucked inside the album cover was a yellowed song sheet if you wanted to sing along. Does anyone remember when newspapers used to print songbooks for caroling at Christmas? What wonderful memories that album evoked, of going to midnight mass, when it was still at midnight, and struggling to stay awake, while the choir boomed out a resounding version of Hark the Harold and Joy to the World at the end, and you went out into the frosty night wishing everyone Merry Christmas, and then home to a midnight feast of bacon and eggs and sausage and then to bed way past one. This was a family tradition as we always slept in on Christmas morn, except for my poor mother who would get up at 4:30 to put the turkey in the oven for the 1:30 dinner with our grandparents and then go back to bed. We weren’t allowed to open our presents until my dad came in from milking the cows. The last time I went to Christmas eve mass, about a decade ago, it was at 9pm and there was folk music, which was okay but not compared to these…

The Andy Williams Christmas album was another favorite, (although I now dislike the highly overplayed Most Wonderful Time of The Year), as was Burl Ives, Have a Holly Jolly Christmas. My mother used to sing that in the kitchen, and it really was her favorite time of year. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up but my parents always made sure we had a good Christmas. Other memorable songs off that album were, Please Send Some Snow For Johnny, and Silver and Gold. Other great albums were the Carpenters – Karen Carpenter had the clear pure voice of an angel, (There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays, Merry Christmas Darling, What are you doing New Years Eve), Boney M (Mary’s Boy Child, I’ll be Home for Christmas, When Darkness is Falling) and the whole soundtrack of the movie White Christmas, (Snow, The Best Things Happen While Your Dancing, Count your Blessings, and the army songs). My Dad had a deep baritone like Bing Crosby, and used to sing the odd line in the barn while feeding the cattle, so I have a hard time listening to White Christmas. Any Christmas song that makes you think of happier times can be a sad song when you are feeling nostalgic for Christmases past and loved ones who are gone. Then there are others, the songs that are just plain sad, like Grown Up Christmas list, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, I’ll Be Home for Christmas if only in my Dreams, Blue Christmas, The Christmas song (NatKingCole), Silver Bells etc. I love the Rosemary Clooney verision of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, but that line, “through the years we all will be together, if the fates allow” always makes me feel sad.

If you want some merrier songs – We Need a Little Christmas, Must Be Santa, Christmas in Kilarney, We Wish You A Merry Christmas, are good choices and I can even stomach I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas if there are some wee ones around to march to the beat. Ring Christmas Bells by the Trans-Siberian orchestra remains a personal favorite of mine for it’s uplifting beat, their Christmas Cannon is a like a soothing meditation with a children’s choir, and Here We Come Awassailing reminds me of a Dickens Christmas.

For romantic Christmas songs you can’t beat, Let it Snow, Baby It’s Cold Outside or Sleigh Ride, for invoking visions of a simpler old fashioned time. Who wouldn’t want to go for a ride in a one-horse open sleigh like Currier and Ives?

This is a picture of my uncle in the old cutter sleigh from the farm. When we were kids the sleigh was stuck up in the rafters of the implement shed where it’s black leather seat made a fine nesting place for mice. In the early nineteen hundred’s my ancestors used to go to church in this very same sleigh when the roads were bad, because despite the snow and the cold, no one ever missed church!

Sleigh Ride – 2016

There’s a wonderful stanza in Sleigh Ride – “There’s a happy feeling nothing in the world can buy. When they pass around the coffee and the pumpkin pie. It’ll nearly be like a picture print by Currier and Ives. These wonderful things are the things we remember all through our lives.” When we are older we don’t remember most of the presents we got, but we do remember the whole family sitting around the dinner table and talking and even after the big turkey feast there was always room for desert. After the table was cleared, we ladies would spend two hours in the kitchen hand washing dishes, and then it would be set again for evening supper after the presents were played with and the chores were done, and we would end the day with a late-night game of euchre, except for me. I would be curled up in a corner reading whatever book Santa had brought me, as that was always my favorite present. (There may be a blog on Dickens A Christmas Carol next week if time and snowstorms permit).

Down in my basement I have an old stereo unit that I bought at Sears years ago. It plays cds, tapes and albums, and while I’m wrapping presents this year I will be singing along with Mitch. What’s on your Christmas playlist? Your most loved and most hated Christmas songs? Please leave a comment if you wish.

Song of the Day: Joy to the World – Mormon Tabernacle Choir – click here for music link

The Good Samaritan

November 18, 2017December 13, 201816 Comments

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Every year I am late packing my shoebox and this year was no exception. I tell myself to get organized, collection week is always the third week of November, (13-20), but until I see the roadside sign outside the gray church it always slips my mind. Then I feel guilty, as that shoebox may be the only Christmas present a child in a war-ravaged country or refugee camp may have. Samaritan’s Purse is a Christian based international relief organization which among other programs operates Operation Christmas Child, a charity which has since 1993 delivered over 124 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 150 countries. This year they plan on 12 million more. Here is a link to their website, including suggestions on what to pack in the Christmas boxes, as well as the local drop-off locations nearest you. You can also build a shoebox online ($25), or donate online if you don’t have time to do the shopping yourself or it’s too late.

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/

You can pack a shoebox for a girl or boy, ages 2-4, 5-8 and 10-14 yrs. I use the preprinted shoeboxes the church gives out which comes with an instruction pamphlet and a label you check off and affix to the front. You need to include $10 for shipping from Canada, ($9 from the US), and they have added a new feature that if you donate the shipping fee online you can track what country your box goes to with a tracking label. I think this is a truly worthwhile charity and a way for children to learn the true meaning of Christmas – giving instead of receiving. You can take your kids to the dollar store to shop for a child their own age, and then later, perhaps on Christmas Eve, check online to see where their box has gone. There are some truly touching videos on their facebook page, website and on youtube – imagine never having received a Christmas present. We live in a society of such excess – it is a learning experience for a child to see that half the world lives in poverty and that even a small action can help spread joy.

I first remember reading about Operation Christmas Child years ago in a newspaper article which described the near riot which ensued when the boxes were being handed out in Afghanistan. A homeless mother of five children who was interviewed said her kids would be allowed to keep one toy, and the rest would be sold in the marketplace for food. That struck me as so sad – what are dollar store trinkets to us here, would be life-saving there. I always hope that whoever gets my box will be allowed to keep all the contents, so I put a lot of thought into what I buy. First the basic stuff, school supplies, a box of 24 crayons, coloured pencils with animal erasers, plus sharpeners for both, a pink notebook, a colouring and activity book and stickers (multicultural Disney princesses). Then some hygiene items, soap, a comb, pink hair bands/barrettes, pink fuzzy socks (they may have cool nights and I know I can’t sleep if my feet are cold). Then the fun stuff I remember liking as a child, a slinky, playdoh, a yo-yo, a soft ball with a picture of the world on it, a package of pink balloons and a small stuffed bear.

The tootsie rolls had to come out as you cannot include candy this year, nor toothpaste, playing cards or gum, (customs regulations, so it is best to check online as the rules change periodically). I once heard a story from a man who had received one of the boxes as a child, but his mother only allowed him and his sister to keep one piece of bubble gum which they shared between them. He later immigrated to Canada and as he now owns a dollar store he can chew all the gum he wants, but he never forgot getting that Christmas box. Other things I have added in the past include those little fuzzy wind-up Easter chicks as they are fun and don’t take up too much room, a set of plastic wild animals (giraffes, lions, hippos etc), a skipping rope, glow in the dark Silly Putty, and a folding soccer ball. I try to get pencils and balls with a maple leaf theme if the Canadian souvenirs have not been put away to make room for the Christmas stock. A picture book is a nice idea if you can get one narrow enough to fit, as that was always one of my favourite presents as a child. You can also enclose a personal note and/or photo if you wish, which would be fun for kids to do. One year I enclosed one of those across the miles from Canada Christmas cards although I debated about the English – would they know what it said. Is Merry Christmas a universally recognized phrase or even politically correct anymore – but surely it cannot be a bad thing to try to spread a little happiness?

: Packed and ready to go

And so if you wish to participate, on Christmas morning when your living room floor is a sea of wrapping paper, may it give you pleasure to know that somewhere in the world a child has opened your box and that you have made one child’s Christmas a little bit merrier. Wishing everyone peace and joy.

Book of the Day: a child’s perspective of war and refugee camps.

They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan by Benson Deng

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A powerful riveting autobiography by three lost boys of Sudan, who orphaned at the ages of 5 and 7, had to leave their war-torn country and then spent ten years wandering the desert and living in refugee camps before coming to America. A haunting tale of war seen through a child’s eyes. I read this book in 2014 but their story will stay with me forever. Highly recommended.

Song of the Day: Grownup Christmas List – Michael Buble – music link

Spring Forward

November 14, 2017April 12, 20182 Comments

Even though we have just turned the clocks back to daylight savings time and are savouring that extra hour of sleep, I am planning ahead for spring. Every fall I ask myself why do I work outside in the freezing cold to plant bulbs? Yes I know, it’s good exercise, there is the satisfying crunch of leaves underfoot, fresh air is good for you and you can work up an appetite for a hearty bowl of homemade soup, all of the above are correct, but the main reason is this.

Okay, so that is not mine, it is a property along the water which has an old mansion in need of updating and a large wooded lot, but someone in the past planted daffodil bulbs among the trees and they have reseeded themselves over the years so that we could have this glorious show every spring.

This is mine. Certainly, reseeding has never worked for me, but maybe you need heirloom bulbs. I bought mine at the grocery store as by the time I got around to visiting the nursery the selection was sparse, although I did have good luck with this hot pink tulip bulb last year.

Whatever I plant looks nice the next spring, then eventually thins out and disappears, and I can’t blame the squirrels as they don’t like daffodil bulbs.

Squirrel Gathering Nuts – 2010

They have great fun relocating the tulip bulbs however, (and munching on my Thanksgiving squash), although this year I am going to outsmart them by throwing some human hair, courtesy of my last haircut, into the hole as a deterrent.

I have a few crocuses scattered here and there too, always the first sign of spring, but I don’t have much luck with them either. Maybe the squirrels save them for desert.

I saw this display on one of my walks last year and loved the mix of colours – so cheerful looking on a rainy spring day.

No matter what you think about climate change, the seasons do seem to be shifting. It’s hard to know when to plant now that the falls are so mild and extend well into December. If you plant too early and we have a mild spell in January the bulbs are pushing up through the ground and then are deluged with a foot of snow and two more months of cold weather. The first week of November I still had lettuce I had planted late August, and some strawberries although they had not ripened.

A few roses were still blooming, while the trees were changing colour.

Even the geraniums were putting on a late show.

I don’t do much in the garden to prepare for fall so I really can’t complain. My thirty or so rose bushes (most of them easy care Pink Double Knock Outs) are better pruned in the spring, and I just let the lavender, hydrangeas, and hibiscus die off, as protection for the roots over the winter. Once the patio furniture is put away and the last of the leaves mowed up, the yard looks bare, but somehow it is a nice sight. If it’s a warm day you can sit outside and read and catch the last rays of sunlight, and not feel guilty that you should be doing something gardenwise – watering, weeding or raking.

The garden bench and birdbath have been brought into the garage,

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and the birdfeeder set out ready for the winter and the cardinals to arrive.

To everything there is a season…..as lovely as autumn is, it will soon be the season for soup and hibernating, because one of these days we are going to wake up to this!