Christmas was an important event for Christians in medieval Europe. Not just celebrated around December 25th, it began with the advent season at the end of November and continued through Epiphany o…
Here is a little medieval history about advent and Christmas. I loved reading it and comparing the now and then traditions we observe during Christmas. A special ending comes in the form of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” played on a medieval Scottish harp!
This is a big deal. I know they’re all the rage right now, and are you not glad? We grew up with coloring books. Not the adult sort that is popular, but books featuring cartoon characters and now-iconic movie themes. Frosty, Rudolph, Tom and Jerry, Barbie…the list is quite long. And I’ve probably had at least one coloring book for each character.
Christmas and coloring books go hand in hand. Opening that freshly minted box of unbroken and pointy tipped crayons and deciding which picture to color in first – that was one of our growing up years Christmas traditions.
Our stockings always had an orange, an apple, and nuts. Add some assorted hard candies, never enough chocolate, small toys, coloring books, and crayons! I’m not sure we had the coloring books and crayons every year, but often enough that I associate them with Christmas morning and full stockings!
I carried on the tradition for our two children when they were young. Coloring books, crayons, chocolate, and candies. For some reason, I dropped the fruit and nuts, though now at my mature age, I view them as synonymous with Christmas stockings.
During college (yes, waayyyy before adult coloring books hit the market), my college friends and residents of the dorm I lived in often sat in the hallways with coloring books and crayons, happily coloring, visiting, and enjoying much-needed stress relief.
As an adult, I still have coloring books. I recently found a lovely nature-themed adult coloring book. I also have a journaling Bible, complete with multiple illustrations ready for me to color.
And today, I purchased old-fashioned coloring books – Rudolph, Frosty, and Santa. I just need crayons, apples, oranges, and nuts.
Because now I can pass along the coloring traditions to the grands.
There I was. Putzing around while my honey worked up a sweat digging out a fresh little Christmas tree. I couldn’t really help him, one shovel and all.
In our area, we can purchase a tree permit from the forest service and dig or cut a tree up to 15 feet tall. As long as we follow the rules of where and where not, we get to choose whichever tree we love!
The first tree ‘we’ loved was a beauty! Between 5-6 feet tall, symmetrical, gorgeous. Plans were changed and we decided to dig up this pretty baby (by we, I mean he) and immediately plant it in the pasture before the ground froze.
Uhm. 5-6 foot evergreen trees do not come with short and easy-to-remove-from-the-dirt roots. After probably 25 minutes of heavy duty grunt work, we told the tree we love you and grow well and strong and shoveled all the dirt back and tamped it down. The tree would not budge. It loved where it lived.
The results from this attempt made us decide to dig up a smaller tree. MUCH smaller.
We found a lovely, adorable little tree stuck on the side of a hill. It called out to us – “Take me home!”
So my honey started digging. We had expectations for a shorter dig time. This prediction did not account for the rock. We also planned on potting this cutie and enjoying it inside the RV and planting it later in the spring.
Except for the rock. And the huge curvy taproot wrapped around the rock that would have forced us to use a pot the size of a small car in order to cover it with soil. That sort of container does not fit in the RV.
Plan C. Bag up the cute tree which still required 15 or so minutes for extraction, and immediately introduce it to the new home in the pasture.
Our second tree, originally planned as a larger cut tree, then switched to “Let’s dig out 2 trees,” was then maneuvered back into the original plan after the digging marathons. A stately and fragrant tree became our cut tree.
One can never tell what is lurking below the surface. Rocks, roots, acres of soil – depth of stability, secure anchorage, ablility to withstand hurricane force winds or mountains of heavy snow. Baby trees face all sorts of dangerous conditions out in the wild. And each one causes the tree to grow stronger and more resilient, develop even deeper roots, and hang on tight.
I should have taken a picture of that root wrapped rock. As a reminder. But the mushrooms were calling and I didn’t realize the significance of the rock. It’s like that sometimes. Upon later reflection, insights swivel my viewfinder to see what’s truly important.
Sometimes I feel like a baby tree, stuff coming at me from all directions. I bend, shudder, and quake, tossed like a dandelion puff on the wind. But as long as my heart roots are wrapped around the Rock, I am safe and can rest in His care and protection. I can continue to grow and become stronger as I sink my roots deep and wrap them ever tighter around my source of strength.
The Rock.
“Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”
I dabbled a bit at the perfume counters and my grandmas’ display of pretty bottles for years. But once I found my lifetime signature fragrance, that was it. Committed. Loyal. Done searching.
Oh, I may have stopped to smell other roses along the way, but this was MY scent.
Tresor. In French, a treasure. For me, my favorite perfume.
This personality trait, for I have realized that’s what it is, does not only apply to Lancôme.
When my honey and I got engaged, I loved my ring. As we married, I gained another simple gold band. At ten years in, he bought me a 10-tiny-diamond band. At 20 years, we went hunting together. The sales lady wanted me to ‘trade-up’ for a larger diamond. How about NO? I am sentimental about my rings and each one is precious. I don’t care about the size. I care about the commitment and memories and love they symbolize. I have the same rings without traded-up stones. Because they are MY rings from MY love.
Speaking of love, sure I dabbled a bit here and there. Window shopping, as it were. Tried on a few different sorts, but once I found my man, that was it. Best friends, partners, lovers, co-adventurers. Life-ers. Thirty-one plus years. He’s worth it. Kevin and Angie. We go together.
Coffee? Same goes. You may call me a coffee snob, but I do enjoy Starbucks. We’ve had a rocky relationship, this company and this coffee drinker, and I do whine about their ridiculous prices and return bad drinks for correctly prepared ones. But that’s what partners in relationships do, right? We work on fixing things and put up with the negatives.
Friends. Ditto. I have the same friends from high school and college. I see some more than others, but it’s always the same. We are glad to visit, hang-out, share meals, giggle, and shop – whenever we meet face to face. I’m not going to trade them for a newer model just because we more mature friends have a few bumps, bruises, and sags. That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to make new friends. I will add them to my collection.
Jesus. Once I decided He’s the One, I committed. It’s a long-term relationship, to eternity and beyond! Don’t need to window shop anymore. Just work on getting to know each other and enjoy the relationship and fellowship along the way. Hang out. Go on adventures. Chill and celebrate. Just like a marriage.
Family, cars, pets, clothes, hobbies, . . . Until we wear out and are reduced to rags or the engine burns up or the kitties get too old or my fingers get arthritis. Mine. Don’t worry. I’ll share.
I’m that kind of girl. Once I make a choice, I stick to it.
My honey and I surveying our new home. LOL. LOVE old wood. Photo by Angie Quantrell 2016
I do. Rubber stamping! I love to hang out with my girl friends and use rubber stamps, tools, supplies, and miscellaneous papers and trinkets to create greeting cards. Rubber stamping!
I don’t feel guilty for pursuing this crafty hobby. One reason is that I don’t spend tons of money on supplies. In rubber stamping, a little goes a long way. One of my stamping buddies and I just recently finished up a roll of foam tape (3-D effect) that we had been collectively using for at least 10 years.
Another reason I allow myself to indulge? The cards. I distribute my handcrafted cards through many venues – a set becomes a gift for my sister, a dozen goes into an auction basket, birthdays are celebrated, thanks are sent, holidays are enjoyed, and encouragement is mailed. I even create cards for my husband to use at work. I am – gasp – a supplier. In a good way.
As I work on updating my blog and web site, I thought it would be fun to have a giveaway and celebrate hobbies.
Here’s what you need to do:
1. Sign up to follow this blog. You knew there was a catch, right?
2. Comment above. Tell me that you’ve followed. View the slideshow of cards and let me know which card you like best and why. I’d love to hear about your favorite hobby!
That’s it.
On Friday, October 21, I will randomly choose 3 followers* to receive a packet of 5 handcrafted cards, mailed to your home. How fun is that?
*Sorry, only U.S. addresses for the free cards. But anyone around the world is welcome to follow this blog!
Fantastic illustrations reminiscent of vintage nature journals fill the pages of this wonderful book.
Meet Roget and discover his love of list making. After losing his father at a young age, Roget began his lists with his father’s death. Moving often did not allow Roget to make and keep friends, but books made great friends and he didn’t have to leave them behind. Making lists kept Roget’s world in order. Organized word lists helped those searching for just the right word.
The Right Word – Roget and His Thesaurus is the perfect book to engage young readers in the study of words.
KID KANDY:
Make a List
1. Grab a notebook or pad of paper.
2. Think of a theme for your list of words. Some ideas are animals, food, places, sports, school, or toys.
3. Make a list of all things that relate to your theme. You can include how they sound, look, smell, taste, or feel. Think of words that mean the same thing as words you list.
4. Stuck? Ask for help looking up your word in a thesaurus. You will find word lists that could have possibly originated back when Roget was making his lists. How cool is that?
I love making lists. It helps me organize my to-do’s and helps me remember what needs attention. Making grocery lists seems to take up most of my time. Maybe you can help your parents make their shopping list!
P.S. This is the perfect way to add chocolate or ice cream to the grocery list.
Happy to see this new article, Into the World, in Missions Mosaic.
It has been a whirlwind summer!
Selling our home, moving into an RV, fixing the RV set-up, sorting belongings, giving away stuff, acclimatizing the kitties to living in said RV, learning how to cook in an RV, . . .
The list is much longer, but just that much lets you know why I have been lost in cyberspace.
On to fall. The dust is settling, and in just a few more days, we will have only 1 home to care for.
Writing is back on the menu, boys! (Can you name that movie reference? Comment below!)
Into the World
Here is something I’m happy to see, rewards from past labors. I love this magazine, Missions Mosaic, and am honored to write for Woman’s Missionary Union in several different areas.
Ever try to tell someone a story only to end up saying “I guess you had to be there” when they don’t respond with the emotion you want them to? Do you want to know why that is? It all comes down to…
These are the cards I stamped while visiting my college friend and co-stamping nut. I mean hobbyist.
Despite the multiple phone calls, texts, and emails that transpired due to the pending sale of our home, I was able to squeak out a tiny bit of concentration which allowed me to create greeting cards.
It’s what we do. This process works best when we are together, as our ideas bloom and feed off of each other. Our stash of rubber stamps, tools, papers, and supplies is doubled when we pool our resources. Life events are discussed, food is enjoyed, and cards are produced.
A win-win situation, even when one is selling a house.
I suppose I should apply this special superhero focusing power (giggle, giggle) to my picture book writing.
Yes. I really must.
Regardless of exterior distractions and influences, I need to be seated in the computer chair and producing manuscripts (or editing or submitting or querying). This shall become increasingly interesting when my office, chair, desk, and computer space becomes that of the RV dinette.
Whatever will the two gray girls do? Cause havoc and sleep on my papers. Without a doubt.
Christmas was an important event for Christians in medieval Europe. Not just celebrated around December 25th, it began with the advent season at the end of November and continued through Epiphany o…
Love, Laughter, and Life 