One of my this-month’s-resolutions (year resolutions are just not my thing) is derived from a poem you may know. Have you read the first stanza of that old classic poem about Old Mother Hubbard and her zany pup?
Well, I have no dog, and I don’t keep the cat food in the cupboard, so rest assured that this challenge has nothing to do with developing an inability to feed pets and everythingto do with bare cupboards. Let me explain. Context: When I returned home from my Holiday at home in Ithaca, NY, old Mother Nature was kind enough to force me into hibernation with a serious nor’easter.
(borrowed from a friend’s facebook wall – no other source available at this time!)
With nothing but snow-shoveling (which I avoided) and the season premier of BBCSherlock Series 3 (ASLDFLKJS:LDKFJ!!!! I had to stop after the third time watching, just for a break from all the fangirling…) to distract me, I got down to cleaning the house . . . only to find that my kitchen cupboard situation has gotten majorly out of hand.
So, in an effort to be thriftier, less wasteful, and also more appreciative of what I have . . . not to mention in an attempt to begin to purge the cupboards (and the fridge and the freezer), I have decided not to buy any new groceries this month, with the exception of pet-related necessities and the occasional eggs/milk that may be required of me. I am going to try to:
Some of you may have read or seen the somewhat-recently popularized newsstory of young Virginia O’Hanlon. There’s a movie and book that came out not too long ago documenting the story in an endearingly artistic way. As I’ve mentioned before, the 2009 movie Yes, Virginiais the story of a young girl questioning the existence of Santa Claus. As a pragmatic young lady, Virginia wrote a letter to the New York Sun and the ensuing response has been a legacy for Christmas ever since. Check it out! This is a copy of what has, apparently, become the most re-printed newspaper article of all time.
What I really like about the story of young 8-year-old Virginia is the idea that, by simply setting a few lines of type for an editorial, Francis P. (Pharcellus!) Church, the journalist who wrote the response, shared a brightness and positivity that I wish there was more of in the media today.
If you hadn’t heard this story, I hope you find it as sweet and heartening as I did. Although I never believed in Santa as a kid (or as an adult, for that matter!), there is something beautiful in an established Army journalist and serious newspaper editor taking time and ink to perpetuate the magic and beauty that is so often lost as childhood becomes adulthood. Remember that “The most real things in the world that neither children nor men can see . . . Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.“
That is a truth I celebrate wholeheartedly this season.
In the spirit of this wonderful Christmas season, when I am reminded of what abundant blessings are in this life, I want to share another psalm/hymn from the old church Psalmody I found tucked away in my parents home! One of the most beautiful elements that I love about this benediction is the emphasis on relationships and community. This year I am so completely thankful for my family and loved ones.
I know I’ve mentioned my love of Christmas Television . . . well, there is one movie that doesn’t get as much positive holiday PR as your typical Christmas special. Nonetheless, it is worth mentioning, particularly if you’re in the mood for a little holiday action movie goodness.
Die Hard
Don’t believe me that this is a Christmassy Flick? Check it out:
Give it a watch. It’s guaranteed to be significantly more fast-paced than your typical viewing this time of year. Enjoy!
In my family, growing up, it was treasonous to listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving. For some reason, even though I hated this as a kid, it’s something I hold to pretty firmly in adulthood. Thanksgiving deserves to be observed without Christmas getting all up in its business, you know?
That said, once the Turkey has been served and the clock strikes midnight, when others are hauling rear-end to the malls for Black Friday deals, I am queuing up the KING of all Christmas playlists. In honor of this tradition, I thought I’d share some of my absolute favorite Christmas songs, just in case you need to expand your own playlist this year.
#1 – Christmas Lightsby Coldplay
#2 – Carol of the Bellsby The Pentatonix
#3 – Baby It’s Cold Outsideby Zooey Deschanel and Leon Redbone
#4 – Petit Papa Noelby Julien Neel
#5 – Hark! The Herald Angels Singby Vince Guaraldi (from the Charlie Brown Christmas Album)
#6 – The Twelve Days of Christmasby Straight No Chaser
#7 – Silent Night/ Away in a Mangerby Relient K
#8 – All I Want for Christmas Is Youby Olivia Olsen (from the Love Actually soundtrack)
#9 – Blue Christmasby Elvis
#10 – Cool Yuleby Louis Armstrong
#11 – Santa Babyby Eartha Kitt
#12 – White Christmasby the Drifters
#13 – Rockin’ Around the Christmas Treeby Brenda Lee
#14 – Jingle Bell Rockby Bobby Helms
#15 – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmasby Judy Garland (from the film “Meet Me In St. Louis”)
#16 – Carol of the Bellsby the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
#17 – I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clausby The Jackson Five
#18 – The Little Drummer Boyby The Jackson Five
#19 – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemanby ScottBradleeLovesYa (Acoustic Electro Swing Hip-Hop Version)
#20 – O Holy Night by The Glee Cast
Hopefully that is a good bit to get you started, if not through the next 9 days until Christmas music again becomes off-limits! Happy Advent to you all!!!
Unfortunately for me, they also say something else. . .
So, I guess that means that creativity is my consolation-prize for being a low-level slob? Don’t get me wrong, I like a clean home . . . hell will freeze over before dishes pile up over weeks in the sink, and I might even go so far as to say that I clean more than your average 26-year-old. It’s just that. . . well . . . I have a tendency towards clutter. I’m one of those people that, at any given moment has lots of stacks of things that I plan to go through or do “someday”. It isn’t that I’m untidy; I’m enterprising!
You see my problem. SO, with the impending Holidays and the hope that I can have a clean home in which I will welcome any and all festive visitors, I am undertaking some tidying efforts – and a few downright scrubbing ones.
Anybody want to join the decluttering-cakey efforts?
This was written in 2007, when I was living in the South of France.
Sometimes the air is so cold, it shocks. Like a scary movie, it crept up. And now, in beautiful Aix-en-Provence, where the earth is brick red and the sky is always blue, the Mistral has arrived. That northerly whimsical wind that picks odd sequences of days on which it will blow. It’s basically the bingo of weather systems. Sometimes it’s almost balmy and warm and then BOOM! The evening comes and the wind picks up and before you know it you’re watching your breath contribute to the texture of the icy air that cocoons you. Welcome to winter in Provence.
Walking through the streets yesterday, it struck me that Christmastime had finally arrived. All the roads were full to brimming with a myriad of people. Some were taking their toddlers to see the live animals that make up the nativity. Others were out to get big sugary clouds of “Santa’s beard” (aka. Cotton candy – apparently a Christmas-thing here). Still more were carrying dozens of bags, looking well-laden with all sorts of colorfully wrapped packages and bags. Screw Santa, the French can do it better. One woman pushed through the crowd with a huge flowery lamp under her arm and another man hefted an enormous box onto one shoulder to carry it better. You know it’s actually a serious holiday when stores have decided to stay open on the Monday before Christmas. I wasn’t even sure that was legal, but apparently the French pull out all the stops when it comes to Christmas. Literally I guess a smidgen of pure unadulterated commercialism is present in every culture around the holidays.
Despite the jostling that occasionally smacks of commercialism: I still love the hustle and bustle of Christmas!
This was written years ago, when I was living in Aix-En-Provence, in 2007. I thought I would share because it was around this time of year that all of the festive Christmassy things began to be rolled out!
It is November 26 and still feels practically like summer here in Aix-en-Provence. A bit blustery I guess, but in the mid-to-high sixties. Sometimes the Mistral blows in a shivery day, but all in all, its quite good weather. Despite the lack of winter, December is pretty much upon us here in France . . . which means it’s (drum-roll please!) Christmas time!!!!
All up and down the Cours Mirabeau there are little cabins that are brimming with art, toys, soaps, flowers, jewelry, sweets, and clothing. One woman specializes in chocolates that look just like sausages and eggs. Another man does absolutely exquisite glass-blowing. One cabin is just stuffed full of porcelain chickens in all colors and sizes…randomly enough. There is even a fortune teller booth!
Each little cabin has the same wooden frame and it looks sort of like the Cours Mirabeau has been taken over by Gingerbread Houses! But the artists and vendors have decorated them individually, so they tend to be personalized and are often quite . . . unique. AKA: ridiculously tacky. Let’s just say the lack of real snow inspires a whoooole lot of that lovely white plastic stuff. But there are several pretty ones all the same!
Everything sort of has the air of a Carnival at the Christmas Market! Crowds of Christmas-ee people mill about through the cabins and go to see the somewhat-terrifying life-sized crèche at the top of the Street. By the way: Did you know that in French Crèche’s, they don’t put Jesus in until the 25th of December at midnight? But that doesn’t stop them from getting everybody else in place. And this is no ordinary crèche, oh no. It moves. That’s right. It’s electric nativity. You’ve got the works all plugged in, too. A sheep, a donkey, somebody that looked like a Catholic priest but I can only assume was a shepherd, Mary, Joseph and an ENORMOUS Ox.
I actually think it was a Bull, to tell you the truth. But this bull must be on double time for his electric moovement (get it?), or there was a short in his fuse or something, because he just stands there and his head goes back and forth really fast. Well. Mad cow disease did start in Europe. Maybe they’re just being realistic. Which would explain why Joseph’s electronic movement makes him look like he’s swilling an imaginary bottle of liquor.
(I don’t think I’m very impressed with this particular crèche. Don’t let this fool you though…there are AMAZING-ly beautiful hand-made crèches here in France and in Aix especially!!)
A little farther down, once you pass the cotton candy stand and the little “sleigh ride” (?), there’s a sort of a little petting-zoo set up around it. This particular petting zoo consists of some statue-like donkeys and two very shell shocked little reindeer. Poor little suckers. They’d probably prefer the North Pole.
Music is performed live on a tiny little stage and broadcasted via speakers all up and down the Cours Mirabeau, which can sometimes be an unfortunate convenience. Yesterday there was some second-rate, Russian-sounding, Christmas-music-slash-opera. The woman had a voice like vinegar. Needless to say, that was not such a nice thing, but they did play “Walkin’ in a Winter Wonderland” at one point! It inspired me to cut out my snowflakes to put up on the windows for Winter!
It occurred to me today that I have been in France for 70 days. That’s pretty intense. I love it here still. But I am homesick. (27 days till I go home, by the way!)
Thanksgiving was . . . different. I never really thought about Thanksgiving not existing in other countries. That would be like Christmas not existing. (Which I guess I am learning is sort of the case in some countries.) I started the day with three hours of class and I wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, even if it meant nothing to them, since I am one of two Americans in the class! Sophie and I were planning to go to the gym afterwards, but that just seemed a little too anti-Thanksgiving for me. I mean, I was already going to class and foregoing Turkey . . . but damned if I was adding the gym to that. So we found a British store (random, I know, but Sophie is from Scotland, so it was especially fun for her!) and ended up having Tea and Digestive Biscuits for Thanksgiving Lunch. It was . . . unique. But Sophie pretty much saved my life. I should write a story: How Sophie Saved Thanksgiving. Hmmm. It’s a thought. We even walked around Market a bit and we found a PUMPKIN! I made pumpkin pie on Friday, and it turned out very yummy despite the fact that I didn’t measure ANYTHING, which was good. It looks like I’m going to have to make more, since we still have a whole lot of raw pumpkin chilling in the kitchen.
The hardest part of Thanksgiving in France was sitting down to dinner right after talking to my family. And they were sitting down to dinner at exactly the same time. And I was very, very, very sad. I am definitely going to appreciate Christmas a million times more.
(Okay, this note is getting ridiculously long, but I haven’t written in a bit, so I will just write a few last things that are fun Abby-in-France things:)
My Thursday Teacher, Monsieur Chapus, took us all out for some wine last week after class. And I got some wicked pleasure out of knowing what Gordon College, my seriously dry campus, is paying for these aspects of my education here in France.
I am singing in an English Christmas Choir, and our concert is this coming Sunday and apparently the concert is usually attended by 1500 people! It is held in a Cathedral which is not far from my house! Hopefully that will go well!
My host-parents’ grand-children were here and I got to hold baby Zacharie and play Legos and Shtroumpfs (figurines of the Smurphs) with their three year old daughter Adèle. It made me miss my Hannah and my Lilly even more than usual, but it was still lovely!
Well, that about sums up the recent news…if you happen to be in New York between Dec. 24th and January 4th, you should stop by because I’ll be HOME for Christmas!!!! In the mean time, I’ll be here in Aix, enjoying the Christmas lights!!!
Good Christian Men Rejoice with heart and soul and voice…mad cow… and ass before him lay…
Cakey Hankerson: Great Adventures 