Tag Archives: Christmas Cards

Joy

Joy in all that Christmas means to humanity.

It’s a joy to hear from friends and family with cards and letters at Christmas.

Joy Bells Are Ringing

Joy bells are ringing,
Christmas is bringing
Tidings of Jesus’ birth.
Candles are gleaming,
Gladness is streaming
Out over all the earth.

Light is ascending,
Nighttime is ending,
Sunshine from God appears.
Hope of the ages,
Foretold by sages,
Comes to dispel all fears.

O what a treasure
God in His pleasure
Lovingly gives today.
Grace to the lowly,
Peace, pure and holy,
Angels to men convey.

Come to the manger,
Kindred and stranger,
Hail now the newborn King!
In adoration
With jubilation
Peoples and nations sing!

Banish all sadness,
Fill me with gladness,
Jesus, whom I adore!
All else may perish,
Thee will I cherish
Now and forevermore!

Words: Nils Frykman, 1881.

So my peppermint bark was a fail. The white layer did not adhere to the chocolate layer, oops. The Peanut Butter Balls turned out like they should but I’m not sure if I’d make them again. I’ll let the kids weigh in when they arrive later this week. We are waiting to see if we get more snow overnight.

Happy Winter everyone!

A Small Interruption…

…to my Christmas table decor.

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While working on my recipes for our Celebrations Cook book being published at the end of April in 2013 I had to redo one of my recipes which meant I needed to change out my Christmas table. I chose to set the table using my pewter pieces since my entree was a traditional English recipe. Some of my pewter pieces were acquired in England in the 70’s.

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The pewter wine goblets and the Coffee service with creamer and sugar containers along with the salt and pepper shakers are from England.  I decided to use the coffee pot as a vase on this occasion. The candle holders are Revere ware and the flatware is Gorham pewter. The chargers were gifted to us from our son and DIL for Christmas one year.

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The runner is a gift from our son and DIL, too. I liked adding in the green goblets with the pewter.

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The dishes are Royal Stafford and I think I purchased them at Marshalls.

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I enjoy this table but soon it will be reset to our casual Christmas setting.

Now I need to get busy getting our Christmas cards ready to send out. Do you send out Christmas cards and do you add a personal note or do you type one Christmas letter to be included in all your cards?

We received good news yesterday from North Carolina! Our son-in-law is now a Marine Corporal. We are so proud of his achievement. I’m hoping to get an updated photo of him with his new blood stripes and pins along with his sword soon. Congratulations Marine Corporal Andrew!

Messiah…

and other beautiful Christmas music is playing in the background as I sit and enjoy twinkling lights and a tree all trimmed and waiting for wrapped presents. For now I’ll savor the moment with some Egg Nog in a pretty glass.

On Saturday our mystery tree was brought in from the cold and unwrapped. We were pleased with it’s fine shape and it’s great price of $19.97.

Dear strung the lights on the tree and the decorating continued with the Angel tree topper added first.

It was fun to pull out my favorites with memories attached and enjoyed.

Baby’s first Christmas ornaments are getting a little tattered.

After the tree was trimmed it was time to set out our favorite things from Christmas’s past.

The kissing Santa salt and pepper shakers and 2 sets of angels are from Dear’s mother. The Santa Matryoshka is from my brother Leonard.

These mugs belong to our 3 kids. I might have mentioned before that this will be our first Christmas since our kids were born that we won’t all be together on Christmas Day. Katie will be in North Carolina and our son Dan has to work on Christmas day in Eastern Washington. Josh, Laura, Dear and I will enjoy the day together. I’ve had some “moments” since getting back home from North Carolina. Those out of nowhere teary moments that last for just a spell when it strikes me that things have changed. It’s OK that they change but I still get caught by surprise by the emotions associated with the changes. When I pulled these mugs out of the attic I stood on the attic stairs crying to think they all wouldn’t be used this year. Ahh…but then I move on.

This is my Christmas Card clothes card line. I love it because I can hang each card that comes our way and keep them where I can continue to see and enjoy them.

And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.  And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

You can read the whole Christmas story from the Bible in Luke chapter 2.

Hope your week, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day are filled with joy!

I’m linking up with Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

Decorated and Delivered~

 

Dear’s Great, great Aunt collected postcards. These are some of her Christmas cards. I really enjoy Christmas Greetings. My goal last week was to get our cards out and get the house dusted and ready for Christmas decorations. On Friday my goals were completed and my cards made it to the post office. Ahhh…that feels good. By Sunday night all the decorations that I’m going to put out are out and the tree is decorated in a minimal way. Some years are like that. This weekend we are celebrating our anniversary with an overnight to Whidbey Island and I didn’t want these kinds of things to be weighing on my relaxation.

This morning I have a breakfast casserole in the oven that I will be taking to our Women’s Bible Study Christmas celebration. I’m hoping that the tables will be decorated and that I can share some nice ones with you.

Today is the day the U.S.A. was attacked at Pearl Harbor. A good reminder to thank God for those in the military and to pray that God will protect them and bring them home safe. Also that God will comfort those who have lost their loved ones in battle this year.

Hope wherever you are and whatever you are doing you have time to relax and savor this new day…

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.