Still Glad Tidings

Joy to the world! 

How is everyone? Busy? Angry? Excited? Sad? A little bit all of the above? The noise of the world presses in at an ever increasing volume, but let's all whisper joy to the world and ponder that instead. 

So often lately I'll start writing a blog post and go off on a little (sometimes not so little) rant. Then I read it back to myself and delete delete delete. While it feels good to put it on 'paper' I know hitting publish would feel less so. 

Christmas reminds us that joy is possible in spite of the heaviness of this world. In spite of the ongoing war in Ukraine, people streaming across our border unchecked, bullies on the internet, the price of groceries, drag queens performing for children while so many of the people in charge shrug their shoulders as if to say, 'Oh well, what can we do?' 

Joy to the world. Joy to the world. Joy to the world. 

Our tree is up and decorated but I haven't taken any pictures yet. Unless you count these-

Hubs and I had a lovely day recently, driving over the mountain to a little tree farm in North Carolina-

A hay wagon takes you out to the trees and then you sip a cup of hot cocoa and visit with the donkeys while the guys wrap and load your selection onto your vehicle.  

Christmas cards and letters are arriving in our mailbox daily and I love it. One of my favorite things about the season is seeing friends and family names on envelopes in the post. 

We've watched our favorite movies, shopped some, wrapped some, and had many fun nights out with friends and neighbors including this past weekends Santa Pub Crawl for charity. Absolutely everyone dresses in some sort of Santa suit or related holiday costume-  

Here's me and the hubs...if ya know ya know. 

If you don't then you need to watch A Christmas Story. 

Hubs and I have a date this weekend to see a holiday musical performance in the nearby small big city and I'm looking forward to seeing the festive lights and decorations there too. 

And then comes Christmas. Time with wide-eyed little boys who can't be quiet because it's all too thrilling. Time with brand new babies who hold tight to your finger and give sugarplum smiles. Time with matching pajama clad daughters sleeping at home like it was yesteryear. 

Luke chapter 2 and o holy night. 

Let heaven and nature sing. 

Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy. 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 488

It's getting close! But here we are Hodgepodging like we've got nothing left to check off our to-do lists. It's fine. Everything is fine. Let's go! Answer this week's questions on your own blog then hop back here tomorrow to share some Christmas cheer. And your answers of course. See you there! 

Also-fyi there will not be a Hodgepodge next week (Dec 21). We'll be back to wrap up the year the following week, December 28th.

1. What does Christmas mean to you? 

2. What's your favorite cozy holiday activity? 

3. Is all your shopping-wrapping-baking done? Tell us about your holiday plans. 

4. If you were Santa what treat would you like to have left for you (it doesn't have to be milk and cookies!) What sweet or savory treat do you most look forward to indulging in around the holidays? 

5. Next Wednesday is the first official day of winter (in the northern hemisphere). How does that make you feel? Tell us what you love most about winter? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

A Trendy Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post then leave a comment for the blogger before you. 'Tis the season...

1. The Hodgepodge lands on National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Have you visited the memorial? Any desire to do so? Have you visited other WW2 sites and memorials? Do you think we do a good job of teaching current and younger generations about the events of WW2? Do you think it matters? 

I haven't been to the Pearl Harbor Memorial and yes would like to see it if I'm in that part of the country someday. I have seen many other WW2 sites and memorials around the world. The beaches of Normandy and many of the neighboring villages there, The American Cemetery in Colleville-Sur-Mer, the Memorial de Caen, Dachau, The Holocaust Museum in D.C., Churchills Bunker in London, and the list goes on. 

I'm not sure exactly what is taught in most schools today when it comes to the World Wars. I do think it's important and absolutely should be a part of the curriculum. These world wars shaped not only our nation but much of the world. 

2. Many books, both fiction and non-fiction have been written with WW2 as the setting. Is this a 'genre' you gravitate towards? Share with us a book (or two) you've enjoyed that is set in some way around WW2. If you're not a reader, how about a movie? 

I've read too many books to count set during WW2 and I enjoy reading about that period of time. A few favorites would be The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, Sarah's Key by Tatianna de Rosnay, and  Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas. As far as movies go some favorites would be Darkest Hour, Saving Private Ryan, The Longest Day, and Midway. 

3. According to Better Homes and Gardens Magazine there are seven popular color trends for the holidays this year. They are- red and white, Victorian blue, pops of pink, rich shades of green, rainbow hues, black and white, and nostalgic retro colors. Are you 'trendy' when it comes to holiday decorating in 2022? How so? Does your tree have a 'theme'? 

I am not trendy when it comes to Christmas. In fact I am the opposite of trendy. I'm old fashioned and one of the things I love is keeping our holiday traditions mostly the same from year to year. My tree is a reflection of our family life and is filled with decorations collected on our travels, some that reflect our hobbies or significant life events, and ornaments made once upon a time by little girl hands. 

4. What's a current trend you buck? 

Tik Tok. 

5. What's your favorite chocolate something? 

I rarely say no to chocolate anything but my favorite is probably a brownie, not too cakey, not too gooey. Just right lol. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I post this song on my blog every December because the words are timeless, the melody is beautiful, and in a world gone mad it's good to be reminded God is not dead nor does He sleep...

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 487

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with all of Santa's elves. See you there!

1. The Hodgepodge lands on National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Have you visited the memorial? Any desire to do so? Have you visited other WW2 sites and memorials? Do you think we do a good job of teaching current and younger generations about the events of WW2? Do you think it matters? 

2. Many books, both fiction and non-fiction have been written with WW2 as the setting. Is this a 'genre' you gravitate towards? Share with us a book (or two) you've enjoyed that is set in some way around WW2. If you're not a reader, how about a movie? 

3. According to Better Homes and Gardens Magazine there are seven popular color trends for the holidays this year. They are- red and white, Victorian blue, pops of pink, rich shades of green, rainbow hues, black and white, and nostalgic retro colors. Are you 'trendy' when it comes to holiday decorating in 2022? How so? Does your tree have a 'theme'? 

4. What's a current trend you buck? 

5. What's your favorite chocolate something? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Let's Get This Hodgepodge Party Started

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to add your link to the party. See you there!

1. Sum up your November in ten words or less. 

So much to be thankful for. 

2. Are you hosting any holiday parties this year? Attending any? Party pooper, party animal, or life of the party...where do you land when it comes to parties? 

We're not hosting, but we are attending. Several in fact and they're all happening the first two weeks of the month. I enjoy a party but prefer smaller gatherings. A dinner party with two or three other couples is my favorite. 

Where do I land on that party list? Hmm...I'm a happy party guest who's married to the life of the party. 

3. Do you purchase holiday clothing of any sort (sparkly tops, Christmas jammies, Santa suit, etc). 

Some years I buy holiday clothing. We typically attend a few holiday fetes and I like to have something new and maybe sparkly to wear if the occasion calls for it. We're going to a Santa Pub Crawl again this year, and everyone dresses up like Santa or some other Christmas related character for that. Hubs and I bought something new to wear and if it's as cute as the catalog I'll share a picture. 

Here we are with friends at last year's event-

I always buy Christmas jams for my girls and this year I got all the grands matching pjs too. Hubs usually gets me pjs and we all open these gifts (and only these gifts!) on Christmas Eve. 

4. What's your go-to recipe when you're asked to bring an hors d'oeuvre to a party? 

Depends on my mood, but pomodori al forno is always a favorite. The tomatoes have to roast for several hours so it's not a last minute option. I also like to make a layered greek dip with hummus, tomatoes, cucumber, feta, and olives served with pita chips. It's yummy too. 

5. December 3rd is National Play Outside Day...what might you do to celebrate? 

There's a chance of rain here on Saturday, but I'm sure we'll get out for a walk with the pup no matter the weather. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Definitely on the nice list this year...

Also, I'm pretty sure this is the real Santa. 

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 486

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to add your link to the party. See you there!

1. Sum up your November in ten words or less. 

2. Are you hosting any holiday parties this year? Attending any? Party pooper, party animal, or life of the party...where do you land when it comes to parties? 

3. Do you purchase holiday clothing of any sort (sparkly tops, Christmas jammies, Santa suit, etc). 

4. What's your go-to recipe when you're asked to bring an hors d'oeuvre to a party? 

5. December 3rd is National Play Outside Day...what might you do to celebrate? 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Joy To The World

In the past 60 days we've been out of town 30 nights, had people overnight in our own home another 6 nights, I've broken my elbow, hosted two dinner parties separate from the aforementioned company, done the usual grocery shop-bill pay-laundry-haircut-volunteering things on my weekly to-do lists, and all of that to say...we've been busy.  

We are in serious need of a recharge before the holiday crew rolls in, which if you're counting happens in something like 25 days. We have five holiday related events in the next two weeks which will be loads of festive fun, but also, where's my nap gonna go???

The thing about this season of the year is there is always something you could be doing and maybe even should be doing, but I'm including times of rest and quiet on my to-do list too. If I don't, by the time my family arrives I'll be like Bumble the Abominable Snowman before his tooth was pulled. 

Less is more, right? Except stuff needs to get done and somebody's gotta do it. 

There's shopping, wrapping, mailing, addressing, meal planning, meal shopping, meal cooking, baking, cleaning, decorating, and whew! December can exhaust and overwhelm and most especially it can distract from the baby in the manger. From the simplicity and the beauty and the peace that is ours if we don't allow ourselves to be derailed by the modern world, social media, and some unwritten expectation that things need to look a certain way. 

Talking to myself here but perhaps you feel it too? 

Hey, remember Thanksgiving? Remember how for the entire month of November everyone was focused on their many blessings instead of their many to-dos? Let's keep calm and carry on this way, k? 

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Daughter2, her hubs, her darling little boy, and my mother-in-law. Daughter2 trekked over to pick up her grandmother earlier in the week and then we took her back home when we left on Friday. 

Four generations right there which is so, so special. 

It was a relaxing couple of days. My son-in-law smoked the turkey and we had all the usual sides. I was in charge of the sweet potatoes which I forgot to bring from my house to hers so had to run up to the store soon after we arrived. 

Told you I need a nap. 

Little guy had his first taste of 'real food'-cereal, and he was all in. He loved it once he realized what was happening, and watching a baby take their first taste of anything is a day brightener for sure. 

We left Daughter2's house Friday morning to take my mother-in-law home, with a stop at Benton's ennroute. Have you heard of Benton's? They have a great story, but basically it's the best, smokiest bacon, ham, and country ham you'll ever eat and you should get some. They ship but it's also served in many higher end restaurants around the country. 

Actually Mr. Benton came out and chatted with us because it's that sort of business and he's that sort of man. We bought some bacon to take home and we ordered a holiday ham for Christmas which hubs will pick up in a couple of weeks. Mr. Benton himself told me how to cook it and I'll be following his instructions for sure. If you want to read a little of his story check out the article he was featured in a while back for Garden and Gun magazine (On The Iberico Trail) 

We spent Friday night at hub's brother's house, enjoyed their leftovers, watched football and basketball, then got on the road to head home Saturday morning. We were hoping to avoid the nightmare holiday traffic that was sure to happen Sunday and we mostly did. Traffic was light and we stopped for a lunch break at Sierra Nevada because they have a great patio and we had the pup with us. He was a model guest. 

We got home late afternoon, unpacked, and then I left hubs with the leftovers we'd brought home while I soaked in the tub for an hour. In my opinion, a long hot bath is almost as restorative as a nap. 

And now we're here. The first Sunday in Advent. 

While it may feel like we've been talking about Christmas for weeks now, today is where it begins for me.  Advent is the season where I make a conscious effort to quiet my heart and my brain and my need to do-do-do, and listen instead as heaven and nature sings. 

May we all make room.