Despite what many think, I have interests beyond reading. I enjoy scrapbooking, bike rides, baking, people-watching and the beach. I love discovering new places, new food, and new adventures. I hate politics and most (but not all) television.
Merry Christmas!2016 has been a
big year for us.We have visited
family and friends in Texas, Tennessee, and Utah.We have enjoyed visits from family as
well.But biggest of all were the
arrival of baby Henry in July and a move to Washington in September.
Jerry is enjoying his new challenges as the HR manager at the Stretch
Island Fruit plant.Michelle manages to
find a little time to write and read and loves teaching the teenagers at
church.Joshua is a burst of energy who
loves splashing in puddles, racing trucks, and building playgrounds for his
toys.Henry delights everyone with his
sweet smile.
With every cross-country move, we become increasingly aware of the
distance between us and those we love the most. We sincerely hope that you have a joyful
holiday and blessed 2017.
Perhaps he might write a little song, something as simple as the Bible story, something that every child could understand.
It all started with a broken organ at the church in Oberndorf, Austria on Christmas Eve. The Christmas mass just wouldn't be the same without music. Father Joseph Mohr knew his congregation needed a song so he wrote a simple poem then rushed it over to Franz Gruber who created a lullaby on his guitar. Today this is one of the most loved and most spiritual of all the Christmas carols.
One of the greatest discoveries I made as a librarian was nonfiction picture books. There are many I like, but this one stands out because of excellent pacing and illustrations that perfectly match the subject. This book tells the story of the origins of Stille Nacht, it's travels as a folk song across Austria and Germany, the rediscovery of the song's true origin, and it's popularity across the world.
It recounts the famous Christmas Eve truce during the First World War. Then highlights other lesser known moments. The peaceful tune reminded a Russian soldier that his enemy prisoners were humans, and coaxed a soldier during the Korean War to cease fire. This book taught me something remarkable about the my most cherished Christmas song. The things that draw us closer to the divine, also remind us of the humanity in others.
Frances ran up and put a nickel in the monkey's cup. "I'm going to be in the Christmas Play tonight," she said. "I get to wear wings, and I have one line to say. Do you want to hear it?"
From her bedroom window, Frances can see an organ grinder and his monkey play for coins in the cold December weather. One night, she stays up late to see where they go and is disappointed to discover that they sleep on the street. Her mother urges France not to worry about the man and his monkey, but she does. On her way to her Christmas Eve play, she drops a nickel in the man's cup and invites him to see her performance. On stage Frances is speechless until she sees her new friend arrive. Then she is joyful.
Kare DiCamillo is one of the greats. She has written Because of Winn Dixie, Flora and Ulysses, and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. I even like The Tale of Despereaux, and I do not like rodent stories. This book is naturally much simpler than her other stories, but still carries the feeling of wonder and goodness of all of her stories.
It's a good reminder to adults to not make snap judgements about people based on their lowly circumstances. Frances's naivety actually benefits her. She can only see the good in this poor gentleman whose music entertains her during the day. She finds joy in the happiness of others. Isn't that what Christmas is about?
"Please, Mamaniu!" Katrusya begged. "These baby spiders are so small and helpless. If we take them outside, they'll die in the cold Let them stay until Christmas is over."
Katrusya is crushed when she discovers that her family is too poor to have a traditional Christmas. But after a bit of lamenting her family decides to make the best of it. They drag a tree from the forest to the house and decorate it with wooden buttons and a paper star. The next morning Katrusya's mother is horrified to find tiny baby spiders spinning webs in her tree, but is convinced to keep the tree rather than throw it out and kill the spiders. When the family returns home from Christmas Eve mass, they discover that their tree is sparkling. At first they think it is beautiful webs, but realize that the spider webs are silver and their wooden buttons have turned to gold.
This folktale is masterfully retold by the master of folktales, Eric A. Kimmel. (I highly recommend him especially his Anansi stories.) Kimmel weaves Ukrainian traditions into the story. The family leaves a seat open to represent their ancestors. Three rings of bread represent the Trinity. Even the names of the family are distinctly Ukrainian. The illustrator, Katya Krenina, is Ukrainian and beautifully depicts the rustic village.
The gestures of gratitude stand out to me. The spiders give the family riches as a thank you for preserving their life. Then, this family provides for their neighbors instead of hoarding their treasure. This folk story truly embodies the spirit of Christmas.
On Christmas Eve, Baby Owl is headed home from a long day of play. When Baby Hare sees his red hat and sled, he becomes convinced that Baby Owl is actually Santa Claus. A childish back and forth ensues and ends in tears. But the real Santa arrives in the nick of time, to settle the woes of the animal friends. Baby Owl then runs home to recount the evening's events to his mom.
As I looked at the list of books that I chose for this project, I was afraid that I might be giving the impression that I take picture books very seriously. The truth is I love books that are silly and a little rowdy. I love making kids roar with laughter when I read. That's what this book is ... silly.
I've shared this book with large groups as well as one on one. The large groups got a kick out of my over exaggerated crying. Joshua has requested this book over and over at bedtime. He would probably ask to read it more if it included reindeer.
This book is fun and great for toddlers. And don't tell Baby Owl, but he is seriously cute.
I decided that my blog is important enough to invite a guest writer . What isn't sarcastic is that when I embarked on this project, I immediately thought of how much my sister loves this story. Thanks, Jen!
It is when shopping is over that Christmas begins.
In second grade my sweet teacher read this story aloud to my class. I loved it. It was about a little girl and a doll, and it was magical. Every year I would check an old copy out of the city library and enjoy the story in December. When I was in high school my mom bought me this beautifully illustrated version! (Apparently, the library had this copy too, but it was always checked out by the time I got there. Looking back, I realize my mom must have done lots of searching to track down this book in the pre-amazon.com days.)
This story is about a little orphan girl (Ivy) who longs for a doll for Christmas and for a family, and about a doll (Holly) who wishes for a girl for Christmas. It is also about a childless couple who are rediscovering the joy that come come at Christmas time. It recounts the crossing paths of several characters. Both Holly and Ivy are determined and unwavering, and with a little luck, many wishes come true for Holly, Ivy and the other characters in the story.
As I read this story I am always filled with the joy that comes from watching Christmas through a child's eyes. I am reminded that simple things truly matter most, and that Christmas can be a time of miracles.
I watched the windup engine make its labored way around the track and saw Mark's face beaming. I felt a supreme joy, difficult to describe and impossible to forget.
When Thomas S. Monson, the current President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, was a little boy, he desperately wanted an electric train for Christmas. His family had more than many other families and he was delighted to get what he his much longed for train set. His mother had purchased a windup train set for Tommy's neighbor Mark. When he inspected the set, he saw a train car that he wanted. He knew his powerful train would easily pull it along with the other cars. His mother allowed him to keep the car, but when they arrived at Mark's home, Tommy realized that the train car was truly meant to bring someone else joy. He learned that Christmas was more about giving than getting.
This book stood our to me this year because I have a little guy who would sure love a train set for Christmas. (He's getting one.) Even though the book is a bit long for Joshua's age, he loves to read it and look at the pictures. I keep reminding him that it is important to help all kids have presents on Christmas.
There are moments in every person's life where getting seems far more important than giving. We think that adding a metaphorical train to our collection is more important than ensuring that someone else has a bit of joy in their life. I view Thomas S. Monson as a pinnacle of unselfish behavior, and it is great to see how the seed was planted early in his life.
My favorite quote of Christmas 2016 comes from President Monson. "Christmas is the spirit of giving, without a thought of giving."
Two years ago, I did a countdown to Christmas of some of my favorite carols. I had a lot of fun doing it and wanted to make it a tradition, but last year life got in the way. I've decided to resume the countdown this year, but focus on Christmas books. There are thousands to choose from and I've decided to narrow my focus to books that aren't wildly popular, but are still beautiful. Enough explaining, here goes ...
"Jesus our brother, strong and good,
Was humbly born in a stable rude:
And the friendly beasts around him stood.
Jesus our brother, strong and good."
When I was growing up, we had a collection of Christmas books that came out every year when we decorated the Christmas tree. One little paperback was a collection of songs and poems. I was so taken with "The Friendly Beasts"in the book that I memorized it and performed it on Christmas Eve. Last year, I discovered that Tomie dePaola, one of my favorite illustrators had done a version of the book. I bought it.
This book uses a technique that I truly love. The words to the song are only on every other double page spread. Thus slowing down the book and making the reader focus on the illustrations. With folksy illustrations, he draws a close up of the animal sharing his gift. On the following page the animals engage with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The verse of the doves is my favorite. The birds sing the Baby Jesus to sleep. Perhaps it is because I love calming my boys with song, that I love this simple gift.
On the pages without words, a subtle story is being told. Similar to the Bible version, Jesus and Mary arrive on a donkey. Then the cow gives place for Jesus in the stable. The sheep arrive with the shepherds as the story tells. But then the illustrations diverge from the Bible telling. When the doves give their gift of song, three women arrive to greet the Savior. It is not until the following page that you see three men entering the tale. The final double page show villagers, children, and carolers all arriving to worship the Lord.
It is obviously not meant to be historically accurate, but it brings to mind "O Come, All Ye Faithful." They have all arrived to adore or worship the Lord. This is a beautiful story of giving and faith.
I feel it only appropriate that for my final post on Christmas Eve to share my feelings about "Silent Night." This has long been a favorite of mine because is gentle, spiritual, and gets right at the heart of Christmas.
My sister pointed out to me something amazing about the lyrics in the third verse a few years ago. I've always sung it imagining the punctuation as such:
"Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God loves pure light."
But that's not how it's written. It's:
"Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, love's pure light"
Do you see the difference? It's not that Christ loves the light. He is the Light. This was such a remarkable discovery for me and made me love the song even more.
I hope your Christmas are filled with joy, and family, and friendship, and peace. Merry Christmas!
"Holly Jolly Christmas" is one of my personal favorites. It conjures many childhood holiday memories like Christmas pajamas, mini-boxes of cereal, the family Christmas carol mix-tape, rushing to bed so Santa will come, and candles in the windows. I'm pretty sure we danced to this song once or twice.
My favorite lyrics this year are:
"Have a holly jolly Christmas
And when you walk down the street
Say hello to friends you know
And everyone you meet"
In the final rush to prepare for Christmas, let's all do our part to be friendly to those around us. When the lines at Walmart are outrageous and the exhausted postal worker delivers your final packages from Amazon, don't forget to say "Thanks and Happy Holidays!"
"We Need a Little Christmas" is a perky Christmas show tune that I love because sets a joyful Christmas mood. Rather than hauling out the holly, I prefer to haul our my nutcrackers and nativities.
Some of the lyrics have left me with a few questions, And I'm feeling free to provide the answers myself.
"For we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
Candles in the window
Carols at the spinet"
Q: What exactly is a spinet?
A: According to Google it's "a small harpsichord with the strings set obliquely to the keyboard, popular in the 18th century."
"So climb down the chimney
Put up the brightest string of lights I've ever seen
Slice up the fruitcake
It's time we hung some tinsel on that evergreen bough"
Q: Fruitcake? Really?
A: May I suggest pumpkin roll, or pecan pie, or chocolate pudding with candy canes crushed up in it. Now those are real holiday treats.
"For I've grown a little leaner,
grown a little colder
Grown a little sadder,
grown a little older"
Q: Can I help you feel happier>
A: Perhaps some food besides fruitcake, a warm blanker, some age defying face cream, and the company of some good friends would help you.
"And I need a little angel
sitting on my shoulder
I need a little Christmas now"
Q: Do you really want a shoulder angel?
A: Yes. Well I have just the thing. Thanks, Studio C!
No compilation of my favorite carols is complete without a Dutch hymn. Christmas always makes me nostalgic for my mission. Unlike most sisters, I served for two Christmases and had a chance to learn many of the songs in Dutch. "Ere zij God" brings back memories like singing in the Missionary Training Center, sharing songs in a family's home on Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day services with the members in The Netherlands.
If you're wondering about how to possibly understand the lyrics, I will tell you. In the Bible, we read the story of the shepherds watching their flock. An angel appears to them and tells of Baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Then "a multitude of heavenly hosts" (Luke 2:13) appeared and sang praises.
This song is the Dutch translation of Luke 2:14, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
"Ere zij God in den hoge
Vrede op aarde
un de mensen
een welbehagen."
Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, I found a great version on Youtube. It's a little jazzier than I would like, but I really feel that is captures the spirit of the song. Even if you don't speak Dutch, please watch. It's beautiful.
"O Little Town of Bethlehem" has only recently become on of my favorite carols. When I was younger I thought the tune was too slow. But these words in the first verse finally struck me.
"Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light.
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight."
I love the image of dark alleyways contrasted with a bright light shining from a stable. In such a small, humble place something so miraculous occurred.
I'm no Bible scholar, but I do love learning the meanings of names and places in the Bible. According to the Bible Dictionary, Bethlehem means "House of Bread." It is only fitting then that Jesus, the Bread of Life (John 6:35), would be born there.
Feel free to share one of your favorite carols in the comments. I'd love to get an idea of what others like to listen to over the holidays.
"O Little Town of Bethlehem"
O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above your deep and dreamless sleep,
The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light.
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God, the King,
And peace to men on earth.
For Christ is born of Mary,
And gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.
How silently, how silently,
The wondrous Gift is giv'n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still,
The dear Christ enters in.
I was raised on "Christmas Classics" when it came to Christmas carols. Singers like Nat King Cole, Judy Garland, and Burl Ives could be heard throughout our home in December. We giggled at the Beach Boys track on The Timelife Treasury of Christmas because we knew they were of a lesser caliber.
Thus it would only make sense that one of my Christmas favorites is "The Christmas Song." It's about the joy of children at Christmas and how we can all have childlike joy at Christmas. I feel especially connected to that this year with Joshua.
"And every mother's
Child is gonna spy to see if
Reindeer really know how to fly"
In his rendition, Bing Crosby perfectly described this song as a musical Christmas card. While there are dozens of versions of this song out there, the best is certainly from Nat King Cole. Enjoy this gem which I found on YouTube.
The Christmas Song
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
Help to make the season bright
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
Will find it hard to sleep tonight
They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly
And so I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety two
Although it's been said many times,
Many ways, Merry Christmas to you
As a Christmas countdown of sorts, I am going to write about certain Christmas carols that I truly love. You will probably notices themes of peace, love, joy, and hope. To start, I chose this oft overlooked song by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow because, well, we need a little more peace in this world. Also, I love church bells.
If you've even glanced at the news lately, you'd hopefully agree that a little more peace would go a long way. But thanks to Christ, there will one day be peace on earth, and we can all work to make it just a little more peaceful now.
This rendition of the song by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is absolutely stunning and reminds us that inner peace is possible despite the terrible things going on around us. It's worth the nine minutes and really gives tribute to this song better than I can.
Then maybe we can all choose a way to bring a little more peace to the earth.
