Calling HGTV? Well, Maybe Not

I know my Christmas decor won't win any decorating awards. But the smattering of memories truly does "make the season bright" as The Christmas Song says. Even though my mother-in-law has been gone now for 16 years, it's almost like a reunion with Marie each time I unpack the Christmas decorations and the stockings from the plastic tubs.

Marie was Mrs. Claus. Almost every year, she came up with a new Santa to share. Looking around the living room is like having a visit with her. Santa and his sack always sit by the fireplace waiting for the real Santa to show up and stuff the stockings and leave books for good little boys and girls.

Another Santa sits on my music cabinet by the front door. Jill now has one of these Santas. Our friend, Shirley N., had one of Marie's creations and she wanted Jill to have it.
Another friend, Shirley B., gave us the cross-stitch Santa that Marie had given to her one long ago Christmas. 

Yet another Santa perches on the entertainment center. (Honestly, I don't have room to display all the Santas and some spend Christmas in the plastic tub. Someday, maybe I'll talk the kids into taking a few of them.)
Marie also stitched this little sampler that sits on my piano during the holidays. It's a good reminder when I get a little caught up in the quest for holiday perfection. Hmmm ... maybe that's not the most important thing, especially when it leads to frazzled nerves and aching back.

The Nativity scene Marie pieced together sits on the piano, too, yet another reminder that Christmas isn't about human perfection, but rather the perfect Gift given for each one of us.

She also made the Nativity set whose spot is always on the buffet in the dining room, and I think of her as I unwrap each familiar piece.

No, my house doesn't look like the ones on the HGTV holiday specials. And that's OK. I'd rather have the memories than perfectly matched holiday finery.

Hanging On By a Thread

My memories are hanging on by a thread ... all over my Christmas tree. Today, this ornament will be making its way via U.S. Postal Service toward a Topeka Christmas tree. Each Christmas, my parents picked out a special ornament for each of their seven grandchildren. This year, it's my turn to continue the tradition with Kinley.

As the grandchildren got older, the ornaments reflected their interests. Jill's later ornaments included a shopping bag and a phone. Brent got a pickup ornament the year he bought his own pickup, and he had several Chiefs ornaments. A K-State cheerleader and a K-State football player were nestled in tissue paper one year, then hung proudly on the Christmas tree.

My parents gifted the ornaments until each grandchild graduated from high school. The Christmas after Jill was at Vanderbilt completing her dietetics internship, I packaged all her ornaments in a plastic tub. It made me a little sad to segregate the bear sledding on the Crayon box and all the other decorations that had hung from our family tree for so long. But it also gave her a great foundation of ornaments to begin decorating her own Christmas tree.

I've always collected my own Christmas ornaments, too. As I looked at Kinley's first photo ornament, I compared it to the one that shows her Mommy's debut Christmas, when she was only 3 months old. (Of course, I bought my own ornament so that I could have one of Kinley's first Christmas hanging on my tree, too.)

Jill - 1985 - 1st photo ornament

Now that Brent is done with school, I'll box up his ornaments from Grandma and Grandpa. But, for this year, I'm enjoying them one last time.

This was Brent's first ornament from Grandma and Grandpa.

And here's mine, showing Brent's 6-month photo on his very first Christmas in 1988. Each year, when I took Jill and Brent to Sears for their photos, I purchased a Christmas ornament along with the 5 X 7s and the 8 X 10s. And, as I decorate my Christmas tree each year, I believe it was money well spent. They are some of my favorite ornaments because they are like a scrapbook of my kids' lives - only better, since I was not so great at scrapbooking.

2009 - Randy's & Jill's Father-Daughter dance at her wedding - another all-time favorite

Interspersed with those Sears ornaments are photo ornaments from other life events - Jill and Brent on a spring break trip to Denver or Jill laughing and dancing with her Dad at her wedding.

The oldest ornament on my tree is one my Grandma Leonard made when I was a little girl. This little choir boy has lost his hanger thread, but I always nestle him among the branches in a prominent place so I can see him and remember.

Yes, my memories are hanging on by a thread ... and that's a very good thing.

Down and Dirty

A stained glass window at Lindsborg's Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church

Light filters through the jewel-toned glass, casting colorful shadows on the walls, floors and pew cushions. Light makes the scene come to life, as the angel hovers over the shepherds and tells them the Good News: 

⁸ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

 Luke 2: 8-14

I have heard those words every Christmas season for my entire life. I've been in many churches where the scene with angels and shepherds is beautifully depicted in stained glass. Each year, we add the delicate porcelain shepherds to the Nativity set, along with the pristine cows, sheep and donkey.

But this year, I've thought about the story in a slightly different way. Last month, Lovely Branches Ministries completed a Bible study called A Savior Is Born, which used video messages from Pete Briscoe.

In Bible times, he reminds us, the shepherds weren't society's elite. In today's society, Briscoe says, the shepherds would have more in common with homeless people than with CEOs. God chose shepherds - not the chief priests or elders - to hear the Good News first. 

The shepherds were dirty and smelly. It was the nature of their job. They didn't get to go home for a hot shower and meal every night. They were out among their sheep, keeping them safe from predators and rounding up ones who strayed away from the group. They sweated and got dirty as they walked miles and miles to find the best places for fresh water and green pastures for their sheep.

Just as the Bible study ended, my husband told me that a neighbor had baby lambs at his farm. So we drove over to look for a look and found our neighbor in the corral, wearing overalls and working the baby lambs. His boots were caked with manure. His hands were dirty, and his brow was sweaty on the unseasonably warm fall day.  And, I again thought about the shepherds.

As I stood on the outside of the fence and looked at the babies and the ewes, it was easy for me to think that this modern-day shepherd was rewarded with the cuteness quotient of his job. Of course, unlike the shepherds of ancient days, he is able to go into his house at the end of the day and clean up with a hot shower. But, while he was outside caring for those baby lambs and their mothers, it was more manure and straw than stained glass and light. 

In the evenings, he rounds up the littlest lambs and their mothers and puts them in the barn to protect them from the coyotes that would like a midnight snack. He doesn't have to lay at the gate to the pasture to protect his flock, like the shepherds of Bible times. But he does have to do his best to keep his flock safe. It means being home and being available at dusk to shepherd those most vulnerable creatures to the safety of the barn.

One of my favorite Christmas solos is called Ordinary Baby. Just some of the words are:

He was just an ordinary baby
That's the way He planned it, maybe.
Anything but common would have kept Him apart
From the children that He came to rescue
Limited to some elite few
When He was the only Child who asked to be born

And He came to us with arms wide open
Knowing how we're hurt and broken
Choosing to partake of all our joy and pain

He was just an ordinary baby
That's the way He planned it, maybe.
So that we could come to Him and not be afraid ...

He came to those dirty, smelly shepherds so long ago. He comes to imperfect and very human me. And even though my life and your life may not always be bright and shiny like stained glass, He promises to be our Good Shepherd, too. (John 10: 1-18)

Salem United Methodist Church, Newton, KS

May the true message of Christmas shine through all the busyness and the to-do lists, and may you find the Good Shepherd at the very center of your heart this holiday season. Merry Christmas from our Kansas farm to you!

Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lindsborg

Here's one rendition of Ordinary Baby.

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Lovely Branches Ministries has a new website. Be sure and check it out! 

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Today, I'm linked to Jennifer's Getting Down with Jesus and her feature, God Bumps and God-Incidences.  I know you'll relate to her story about longing to be Mary in the church Christmas pageant!

Cookie Exchange

 

A few years ago, one of my friends hosted a holiday cookie exchange. This year, Jill has two cookie exchange parties - one at work and one through church.

It might be time to brush off that idea around here. Depending on how many friends or family members you invite, you can end up with a variety of cookies - without spending days upon end in the kitchen.

Here's how:

1. Choose a date and time that is most convenient for people's busy schedules - either weekdays evenings or a Saturday morning usually work well. If you're having the exchange at work, holding it during the lunch hour would probably be most convenient. Plan early. People are more likely to attend if you give as much advance notice as possible early in the season.

2. Invite 8 - 12 friends. You need enough people to have a variety of cookies, but too many people means too much baking for everyone.

3. Determine how many cookies each person must bring. Each baker gets to take home the same amount of cookies they bring.

4. When your guests RSVP, be sure to ask them what kind of cookie they are bringing so you can have the best variety possible. You might want to suggest that people make something other than chocolate chip! Also remind them to bring extra containers for the goodies they will be picking up.

5. Have each guest bring enough copies of her recipe so that each guest (and you!) get a copy of the recipe. That way, each guest goes home with new recipes to go along with those cookies!

6. Set the mood with holiday music and light a seasonal candle for a little atmosphere.

7. Prepare some simple snacks for your guests to enjoy while they're at the party. If you'd like, you can ask each person to bring an extra half dozen cookies for a communal plate so everyone can sample the cookies at the party. Add a few savory snacks and some beverages - spiced cider, hot chocolate or even milk - and you have a party!

8. Turn your cookie exchange into a cookie gifting party. Set out gift tags, decorative treat bags and pretty ribbon. This will give your guests the chance to assemble gift bags for co-workers, neighbors, teacher and anyone else they'd like to give a delicious, homemade treat.

9. Supply extra plastic bags or containers for guests to transport their cookies home. There are sure to be some who forget to bring their own.

10. Stash the cookies in the freezer until your holiday celebration ... if you can resist sampling!

Jiffy Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1 cup chunk-style peanut butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 2-layer yellow cake mix
2 eggs
2 tbsp. water
Reece's mini Peanut Butter Cups

In large mixer bowl, cut peanut butter and shortening into dry cake mix using low speed of electric mixer. Add eggs and water. Mix well to form dough. Using about 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie, shape into balls.

Place each ball into a mini-muffin cup. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or until cookie is lightly browned. Remove pan to cooling rack. Press unwrapped mini Peanut Butter Cup into each cookie.

After about 15 minutes of cooling, use a knife to remove each cookie from the muffin tins. Cool completely.

Try some of these other favorite cookies from Kim's County Line for your holiday cookie trays or for cookie exchanges:

Thumbprint Cookies

 Fruit & Nut Chews

  Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Fudge-Filled M and M Bars

Butterfinger Blondies

You can find more tried-and-true recipes by going to the search function on Kim's County Line (near the upper left side) and type in cookies or bar cookies! Or if you need personal suggestions, just ask in the comment section!

A Family Tradition

I know that Christmas card letters have their share of detractors. But, I love getting cards and letters from people at this time of year. I'd much rather have a mass-produced letter than simply a signature, though it's great when people include a hand-written note, too.

Even in this electronic communication age, I send quite a few Christmas cards. It's been a way for me to keep in touch of childhood friends and college buddies, along with sending greetings to family members across the U.S. and seasoning's greetings to neighbors.

For us, the photo Christmas card is a family tradition. I starred in my very first one in 1957, as a 6-month-old baby.

Though my brother, Kent, was born in December 1966, he didn't make the Christmas card until 1967. This is the first photo card with all my siblings. I would have been 10, Lisa, 9, Darci, 6 and Kent was 1.

My parents included their children on the family Christmas card until we graduated from college. Since then, we make occasional appearances with a full-family photo. But with the family growing so quickly, the last extended Moore family Christmas card is already obsolete. It only had one of their great-grandchildren included. Since then, there have been three more born, with yet another on the way.

Randy and I sent our first photo card in 1981, the year we were married.

 Then, we didn't send another one until 1985, the year that Jill was born.

Christmas Card Photo - Jill - 1985

We sent one with the three of us in 1986, when Jill was 15 months old. After that, I usually stayed on the other side of the camera and just included the kids. (When you're the one doing the work, you get the most votes.)

Christmas Card Photo - 1986

The first one with Brent was in 1988. Brent would have been about 7 months and Jill was 3.

Christmas Card Photo - 1988

Before the advent of digital photography, I developed rolls of film trying to come up with the perfect photo.

This year, Jill and Brent didn't make the Christmas card cut. (I don't think either of them is too upset.) Instead, Kinley joined us for the first time.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! 

It's OK To Be A Copycat

I don't generally strive to be a copycat. I've always told my kids to be their own person.

But in this case, I think it's OK. This recipe is a knockoff of Olive Garden's Pasta E Fagioli Soup. Jill recommended the recipe after trying it at her house. The original recipe called for using a crockpot, but both Jill and I made it on top of the stove.

It makes a lot of soup, so unless you have a big group coming for supper, you'll have leftovers.  At my house, that's a good thing!  (I shared some with a neighbor, and you could also put some in the freezer for later. I love having something to pull out of the freezer on busy days.)

I like thick soup, but when you reheat it for later meals, you'll need to add a little bit of water. Pasta absorbs the moisture, so you'll need to add a little back in for a more soupy consistency. You will definitely need to add water, tomato juice or a little beef broth after it's been frozen.

From listening to the weatherman, winter is just about to arrive. This soup is a good way to combat those colder temperatures and make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Copycat Olive Garden 

Pasta E Fagioli Soup

Adapted from Favorite Family Recipes blog

2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, shredded
1 cup celery, chopped
2 28-oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 16-oz. can red kidney beans, drained
1 16-oz. can cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained
4 cups beef stock
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. pepper
3 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 20-oz. jar Prego traditional spaghetti sauce
8 oz. ditalini pasta (or other small pasta)

Brown ground beef with onion in large skillet. Drain fat. Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot and cook until vegetables are tender and pasta is cooked. Serve with crackers and fruit.

Crockpot version:  Brown ground beef with onion in large skillet. Drain fat. Combine all ingredients except pasta into a large crockpot. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Before serving, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and add to soup.

A Step At A Time

Faith is taking the first step 

even when you don't see the whole staircase.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

While we'd love to have rain, the unseasonably warm December weather has been good for something. It's been the perfect  weather for Randy's road toward recovery after back surgery on November 26.

He came home with a page and a half of instructions and a nearly 6-inch scar on his lower back after the decompressive lumbar laminectomy. (Sounds impressive, doesn't it?) One of the bullet points on the list is, "Take short, frequent walks."

That's been easier now that last week's nausea is a thing of the past. Each day this week, we've increased the distance just a little further down the road.

It's a long journey. Earlier this week, Randy said, "I think this is going to take awhile."

I responded, "Yes, that's probably why they said it's a 3-month recovery. It's just been a little over a week."

But, we'll make it. Together. And with the help of a lot of friends who've been praying right along with us. Thanks to all of you!