"In The Bleak Midwinter"

Dear Family Trails,

OK! I admit it! I am not a big fan of Winter. The days are short; the weather is gloomy, rainy, and cold. The sun does not come out much, so twelve o'clock noon looks just the same outside as 4:30 in the afternoon.  To help combat this, I usually keep several strings of white lights up in the house to brighten the day. I also do not turn the light switches off when I leave each room, and I try to get outside when it is possible. These steps help…a little. Now those of you in the North are probably thinking, "What a wimp!" But remember, I am a Southern girl, and we Southerners do not expect Winter to last long at all. We expect to see the green shoots of our daffodils pushing through the ground in January and the forsythia to bloom in February and the azaleas to be radiant by April. 

Now really, is that too much to ask? 

My backyard a few years ago!

My front yard!

As far as getting sunlight and our vitamin D in each day…I did read that the cut-off line in the U.S.  for getting natural Vitamin D from the sun is around Huntsville, Alabama! That means that there are many folks in our great country who must have to work hard at finding some "sunshine" in their lives each Winter day.

So why did I title this post, "In The Bleak Midwinter?" Because, readers, we are all IN the bleak midwinter right now. 

No driving on this Southern road!

 This hymn is a favorite of mine, even though I'm not crazy about wintertime. The lyrics, written by Christina Rossetti, are beautiful, and the music, composed by Gustav Hoist, does make the listener shiver like one is so cold. But the message…it is full of warmth and comfort and hope. Like most Christmas hymns, "In The Bleak Midwinter" is sung at Christmas but could be sung all Winter long.

My encouragement today is.. get outside when you can.

 Take a walk, sit on the porch, go to the park, whatever works for you.

 This Fall I was so fortunate to have had some opportunities to get outside for long stretches of time.  I thought I would share them with you.
 The first outing was with my friend when we visited her parents on their farm one warm day in November. We had a cooking lesson with her mother; we walked to the creek so the dogs could swim; and we fed the horses. We even had some time to help her Mom pick the last veggies from their garden. All good things! That day was food for the soul!

Then the night before Thanksgiving, my husband's family gathered at a family retreat spot for a bonfire and chili supper. Our grandchildren had a blast throwing the ball for the dogs and picking up sticks. I won't even mention the connection between boys (of all ages) and bonfires! 

 AHH, the simple life really is the best!  We even watched the moon rise over the trees.. breathtaking. 

The day after Thanksgiving, my husband and I spent the day with our daughter-in-law's family at their farm. We decided to forego washing the last of the dirty dishes and enjoy a gorgeous day outside on a long hike! Glad we did. 

Are you looking at these clouds? 

Then to get in the Christmas spirit, the "DeWine girls" drove to Springville, Alabama for the Homestead Hollow Christmas Festival. Homestead Hollow is a restored homestead in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountain chain. Volunteers in period dress demonstrate what life was like for the pioneers of Alabama with soap-making, washing clothes, gardening, decorating for Christmas in the cabins, bee-keeping, even moonshine-making.  If we were feeling stressed at all about the upcoming holidays, visiting Homestead Hollow reminded us that life is easy and grand compared to our forefathers' way of life.  

Santa hats on horses…so cute!

I hope these pictures and stories of life for us here in Alabama this past Fall and Christmas season have helped brighten your spirits on a cold winter day.  I am the first to admit that staying indoors and sitting around the fire is comforting-and good medicine on a dark, cold day.  But look for the sunshine, and get outside when you can, and soak up that natural vitamin D - the best cure for the "Winter Blues."

Love,
Mariellan

A Tip From The Tip Jar!

Here is a correction for the blog post, Merry Christmas .

The caption under the picture of the jello salad should read,

"Lassie Malone Weaver's Strawberry-Nut Salad

Seasoned With Love Cookbook page 68."

Thanks to sister, Rebecca, for catching this. She loves to make the jello salads for our family gatherings. This strawberry salad was delicious. I need to try to make it. Hopefully we can share a picture of the Weaver Christmas salad soon. 

Love,

Mariellan

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of you who walk the Family Trails with me. I hope your Christmas was filled with the light and the hope that the Christ Child brings to us. I look at this beautiful Advent wreath in our church and think how fortunate we are in our country to freely display the candles, the creches, the wreaths, and the crosses without fear of persecution. We can sing, "Oh! come let us adore Him!" and "Go Tell It on the Mountain" with loud voices and then act upon those words safely and boldly where we live.  

So in thinking about these freedoms, I thought about this little book we have in our Christmas book collection.

As the title, says, this book tells the how-and-why we sing these favorite Christmas songs.

The story behind the song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written for Christians who lived in FEAR! Yes, this favorite Christmas song that is great to sing on a long car ride or act out at a party, actually tells about how Catholics in Great Britain during the 16th century found a way to teach their children the story of the Gospels as they were forced to go underground with their faith or risk being killed.
Each verse was carefully constructed to help children learn the doctrines of their church using a secret code. I won't retype the entire chapter of this book, but it is a good read. Anyone who loves Christmas will enjoy learning more about all of the beautiful songs we are free to sing every Christmas.

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
A partridge in a pear tree. 
This true love is not a love-sick young man. It is Christ.
The partridge is a symbol of courage and devotion when protecting her babies from enemies, even into her own death.
The pear tree symbolizes the cross…."and together, the first gift represented the ultimate gift given by the Babe born on Christmas Day."

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Two turtledoves…
Two turtledoves represent the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.
Doves also are symbols of truth and peace.

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Three French hens…
French hens were very expensive in the 16th century, "a meal fit for a king."
The three French hens symbolize the three gifts from the wise men.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Four calling birds….
The four calling birds symbolize the four Gospels.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Five golden rings…
The five rings represent the five Old Testament books-The law of Moses or the Torah.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Six geese a-laying…
representing the story of creation taking place in 6 days-
through the image of eggs-a symbol for new life.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Seven swans a-swimming…
the seven "gifts of the Holy Spirit" that Paul wrote about in Romans 12.

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Eight maids a-milking…
For a woman who milked the cow, there was no lower, or more demeaning job. This verse taught children that Jesus came to save ALL.
The number "8" helped to teach the 8 Beatitudes.

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Nine ladies dancing…
The nine fruits of the Spirit were taught in this verse; the ladies' dance represented the true joy of serving Christ.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Ten lords a-leaping…
Yes, you guessed it! The ten commandments.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Eleven pipers piping….
The eleven disciples who "embraced Christ and his message of salvation."

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Twelve drummers drumming…
This final verse represents the twelve different elements professed in
"The Apostles' Creed."

Whew! That is so much for a child to learn, especially if the child is scared and told not to repeat  any of the details in the lessons. As children, we were taught these lessons but over time and in a safe place. This song reminds us how much we have to be thankful for and to remember those children who live in dangerous parts of the world where worshipping freely is not tolerated.

*These pictures of children depicting "The Twelve Days of Christmas"
were drawn by Tony DeLuna and published in 1963. *

I hope your twelve days of Christmas are filled with hope and light and peace.
Love,
Mariellan

Merry Christmas

Busy week…and with the threat of severe weather during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day here in the South, the roads and shops are so crowded with the last minute shoppers, yours truly included. So for our last blog post of Family Trails before Christmas, here are two (or three) thoughts to lift your spirits and help you (and me) to slow down for a short read.

This is me in"Tee's House" in 1961 posing for a Christmas card.

"It is good to be a child sometimes, and never better than at Christmas time."

Charles Dickens

When I found the picture taken in 1961, I had to get another one taken by the same fireplace the year I visited Talladega for Robert Weaver's AIDB dedication in 2014. 

Lassie Weaver Malone's Strawberry-Nut Salad
Seasoned With Love cookbook page 68 

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating."

Luciano Pavarotti

 Last, as I wish you a very happy and special Christmas…

"Somehow, not only for Christmas 

But all the year through,

The joy that you give to others

Is the joy that comes back to you."

John Greenleaf Whittier

Love,

Mariellan

All Things Bright and Beautiful!

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful,

The Lord God made them all! 

By Cecil Frances Alexander, 1848

Hi Family Trails readers. As promised, I am keeping things short on our blog during Advent. No research... no long articles to retype for you to read... just short, sweet messages to give you a restful break. 

I hope you have a blessed Advent! 

Love,

Mariellan

An Advent Gift to You

Dear Family Trails readers,

Computer issues are getting better…but not completely fixed yet. I am back and running at half speed, technically speaking! Having one's computer break down this time of year does help to put things in perspective. Obviously, there are many things in life that can knock sense into us when we need to get things back in line, but the computer has definitely had its impact. While I waited out the computer repair, I thought about how I would approach Advent for our Family Trails  blog. I read more "hard copy" print and dug into some of my favorite writings that I have saved and stuffed into every corner of my kitchen and bedroom.
Then

I brought out a blank book in which I periodically"cut and paste" quotes and verses and short articles that I always hope to reread again one day.  It hit me that I cut out these special items and stick them in a book and ...who else can enjoy them? No one! 

So Here is the plan for Family Trails this month:

Let's take an Advent break from family history and get inspired! I will share something short, inspiring, and hopefully helpful…not in my words, but in the words of others that have inspired me. Nothing monumental…just little tidbits of hope, maybe something that will cause you to sigh with relief, or go on to bed without EVERYTHING checked off of your Christmas To-Do List. 

*I will say up-front that over the years when I have saved writings, I didn't always save the whole article, so I may not be able to add the authors' names. * 

So,  Let's begin.
 Here is a "snip-it" from…something. I do not even remember what! But I like it. I hope you do too. 

Distinguish Ritual from the Habitual.

"Traditions help us feel connected to the past and to one another," explains Joan Lang, M.D., former chair of the psychiatry department at St. Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri. "When you sit down to the same dish your mother and grandmother ate every year on the very same same day, it's not just about the candied yams." A habit, on the other hand, is something you do out of routine, whether or not it brings you pleasure. Ask yourself whether you prepare that feast, bedeck every last doorknob or shop until you literally drop because you truly love it. "We get addicted to hearing, 'Wow, she did it again this year,'" says Shepherd. Then we feel like we have a reputation to uphold." Break free from the cycle of repeat performances by creating less stressful rituals. Instead of hosting the big holiday meal by yourself, buy some precooked side dishes or organize a potluck supper. And who appointed you sole card-writer and gift-wrapper? Enlist your husband's and kids' help and turn those tasks into a fun family night.

I like to reread this little excerpt. I will say that over the years, our extended families have worked through some of these stress factors, cutting out the things that rob us of our energy so we can enjoy our large gatherings. I do love to decorate -as the writer above wrote- every doorknob! But one thing I have tried to do in recent years is to change things up a bit….move the nativity set to another room one year, use paper plates for dessert, let others bring whatever they want to bring for the family meal. This list could go on…like learning that it IS OK to use paper napkins for big gatherings instead of the heirloom set of linen napkins.
 I still have lots of ways to improve and edit my expectations, but I am trying to keep what we love to do in tact and let go of the things that we really don't enjoy, but "we always did!" That way, we can slow down some, hopefully not get the flu from being so tired, and take the time to truly live into Advent.

 As we Episcopalians do say, "It isn't Christmas yet..not until Christmas Day." I think that is a great way to prepare our hearts for the birth of the Christ Child in the midst of all this craziness around us.
With love,
Mariellan

Many thanks once again to daughter, Rebecca, for giving me permission to use her photography from RebeccaWisePhotography.

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend

Good morning,  Family Trails readers. 

It is a beautiful weekend here in The South…sunshine, breezy winds, clear skies, mild temps…exactly what we hope for when we gather for Thanksgiving here in the beautiful state of Alabama.

Once again, your faithful writer is experiencing problems with my computer, so I will not be able to post any pictures to enhance our post today. I thought I'd just wait until I could get some help, but as many of you know…

Today is THE IRON BOWL! 

The biggest game of the year for University of Alabama and Auburn University fans! 

There will be NO  family member who will want to help me with my computer…

not today! They are all "taping their ankles" and putting on the Bama crimson and white colors and a few in this family will be donning their orange and blue! 

So I will just leave this blog picture-less for today, but I thought I would share with you all with this post-Thanksgiving poem:

'Twas the night of Thanksgiving, but I just couldn't sleep,

I tried counting backwards, I tried counting sheep.

The leftovers beckoned, the dark meat and white,

but I fought the temptation with all of my might. 

Tossing and turning with anticipation

The thought of a snack became infatuation.

So I raced to the kitchen, flung open the door

And gazed at the fridge, full of goodies galore.

I gobbled up turkey and buttered potatoes,

Pickles and carrots, beans and tomatoes.

I felt myself swelling so plump and so round,

'Til all of a sudden, I rose off the ground.

I crashed through the ceiling, floating into the sky

With a mouth full of pudding and a handful pie.

But, I managed to say as I soared past the trees

"Happy eating to all-pass the cranberries please. 

May your stuffing be tasty, may your turkey be plump.

May your potatoes and gravy have a nary a lump.

May your yams be delicious, may your pies take the prize.

may your Thanksgiving dinner stay off your thighs."

…author unknown

I found this funny poem a few years ago in a "Senior Living" newspaper in a doctor's waiting room. Glad I saved it. 

Love,

Mariellan