My Favorite Things . . .

 

A few of the things in life that make my heart go pitter pat. Maybe they will do the same thing for yours. ♥♥♥    I'm pretty sure however, that these things mainly make my own heart sing.    

 

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Traditions  . . .  there is much comfort to be found in family traditions that we practice every year, either as individuals or as families.  And it doesn't matter which holiday you are celebrating . . .  Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah, etc.  there are blessings in the familiar, and the things and practices we choose to surround ourselves and our families with each year. 

 

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Hot cocoa on Christmas Eve. One thing which is popular right now are the Hot Cocoa Bombs.  We saw some at the local farm market yesterday when my sister and I were there. I was sorely tempted to get one to see what the hype was all about, but I resisted. Have any of you tried them? 

 

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Christmas Stockings.  One thing I used to long for as  child was a Christmas Stocking. We did not have them. Occasionally we might get one of those red net ones, and they were nice, but I always wanted to hang up a stocking on Christmas Eve and find it magically appear, stuffed to the gills, on the end of my bed by Christmas morning. Never happened.  My children all had stockings. Each one created lovingly by myself. Each was different so that they knew which one was theirs. Beaded and sequined, a labor of love. I wonder what happened to them or if they still have them. Life is a funny thing. 

 

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Beautifully wrapped packages. I love them.  Elaine wraps gifts beautifully. I am hopeless when it comes to wrapping gifts.  I do not have the knack. It is a special talent I am sure. My ex-boss had a wrapping station filled with oodles of papers and ribbons, tape, etc. It was amazing. 

 

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Gingerbread men.  I was going to make some this year. I still may. I borrowed one of my sister's cookie cutters to do so.  I'm not out of time yet. 

 

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I used to love dressing up for the holidays. Can you remember doing that when you were a child?  Wearing your best on Christmas day. Crinolines and ribbons.  It made the day even more special.  We are very lazy these days.  We just wear the same old, same old.  People used to dress up to fly in an aircraft. There was a dress code.  In many ways I miss those days.  We have become to lackadaisical about many things. 

 

 

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Norman Rockwell and Christmas.  He had the unique ability to make the everyday things of everyday life special and heart warming.  I always loved his artwork. He captured the essence of the human experience for his era. 

 

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Can you believe I have never smelled Chanel No 5.  Never.  I don't think I have ever smelled Chanel anything. My boss used to wear Joe Malone and some other scents whose names escape me now. One of my jobs when packing for her was to decant perfume from the larger bottles into smaller travel bottles.  It was not my favorite thing to do at 3 or 4 am.   I was always so tired by then and worried about making a mistake.  Mom always wore Ma Griffe 1946 by Parven. Even now the smell of it reminds me of her. I used to like Sunflower by Este Lauder, and when I was a girl it was Love's Baby Soft.

 

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I love to see a wreath on a door.  It says welcome. Come in. I was going to get one this year, but the cost of them seemed outrageous to me. Maybe next year I will make one.  This year I have a snowflake. 

 

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The Purple Finch  . . .  so beautiful  . . .  I love bird watching  . . . 

 

The reason for the season. I love to read the story of the birth of Christ, and everything surrounding it. It, to me, is one of the most beautiful stories, from beginning to end.  I never tire of it.  Some of my fondest Christmas memories have to do with the Nativity and with church.  Going to church with my father on Christmas Eve.  My ex and my friend Mabel's husband building a nativity together that sat on the mutual roof of our two front doors.  They built it and then had to saw it in half to get it up the basement stairs, lol.  Happy memories. It was a shadow box.  All the little nativities I had gathered throughout the years.  I will gather them again, or maybe not. This years began with my mom's Avon Nativity.  

In any case . . .  the reason for the season fills my heart with warmth and with love.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★\

*.˛.What is Christmas,

it is tenderness for the past,

courage for the present,

hope for the future  . . . 

~Agnes M •。★★ 。* 。 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Christmas Crack.  Cracker Candy.  Salty.  Sweet.  Crunchy.  Addictive.  Delicious.

Have a wonderful day!  Only two more sleeps. I love the buildup and am always so sad when its over.  Anyways, enjoy your day and don't forget! 

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And I do too!