Book Review - a new flavor

Hi all!

I'm coming at you today with a very different sort of book review. Normally, I'm a fiction hound. I mean, if there's a story to disappear into, why would I stay in reality? OK, maybe that's a little extreme, but you understand.

Today I'm writing to tell you about an amazing book about to hit the shelves. Memory Making Mom by Jessica Smartt. (Yes, that's how she spells it, not a typo). Before you tune out because you don't have little kids, hear me out. This stuff matters even if you don't have kids. It matters for adult kids. It matters for grand kids. Yes, this author writes as a mother of young children, but she talks about making memories because memories hold the power to bind us together as families, friends, and neighbors. 

The prose is easy to read and the author is super vulnerable, describing her failures right along with her victories. And she's funny too. (You have to read about the Christmas tree, PVC pipe, and fishline. She does not make the reader feel like her life should be pinterest-y, but she does give us small things we can do to make a large impact on the people we love.

I hope you'll check this book out and scoot over to Amazon for preorder (here). Yes, it's not quite available (Mar 5! Less than 2 weeks!), but the pre-order is genius. It actually arrives at your door the day of release or sometimes a day early. :-)

This book is the PERFECT gift for any young mother you know . . . especially with Mother's Day coming up quicker than you think! It's an amazing gift for a grandmother of young kids. It's also a great book for anyone wanting to make memories with the ones they love, chock full of ideas, and backed up with the reasons why going the extra mile is worthwhile. For more info and pre-order bonuses, check out the website here.

So there you go. It's not fiction. But this book addresses the story you are living. What's your favorite family memory from the last year? Mine? Grilling pizzas on the back porch in the cold, with a fire going to keep us warm, with all my kids home, laughing our heads off together. 

Jennifer Fromke writes from North Carolina, where she pines for colder temperatures all year long. Northerners by upbringing, she and her husband of 26 years have raised three Southern-ish children despite their best efforts. Jennifer reviews books at www.Shetalksbooks.com and she offers a free story download on her website: https://www.jenniferfromke.com/contact/.

Happy Boxing Day!

Happy Boxing Day! Never heard of it, you say? The origins of the holiday and its name are a vague, but several websites I looked at indicate that it began in England sometime in the Middle Ages. In the countries (most of which are or were part of the UK) where it’s celebrated, it’s a “bank holiday” – a day when banks, government offices and the postal service are closed.

Some historians believe the holiday developed because

servants were required to work on Christmas Day, but given the following day off and presented with gifts [boxes]. Others think it started because the alms boxes in churches were opened and the contents distributed to the poor. Regardless of how the day started, over the years it has developed into a time of charity, a time when service and tradespeople are typically given tips and bonuses for their work during the past year. It has been expanded to include giving to non-profit and needy organizations.

When I decided to blog about Boxing Day I recalled an episode of the TV show M*A*S*H during which the 4077 gives medical treatment to a British regiment who talk about the tradition of enlisted personnel and officers trading places on Boxing Day. I did quite a bit of research but found only two references to this custom. The first was in a blog by a man who tells a story about his son’s army regiment participating in the tradition, and the other is an episode of The Nanny during which Mr. Sheffield refers to the custom and suggests that he and Niles switch roles.

The lack of evidence makes me wonder just how “traditional” this tradition is. What do you know about Boxing Day? Do you have traditions of your own?

 

A freelance writer for over ten years, Linda Matchett also writes historical fiction. She is currently seeking a publisher for her series about war correspondence Ruth Brown Visit her at www.lindashentonmatchett.com

New Year's Traditions

New Year's Traditions......

I grew up in a family with Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. One of the traditions my family had each year for New Year's Day was to eat pork and sauerkraut, a meal I've never liked. Supposedly it was to bring good luck throughout the year if consumed on that day. Now I don't know how eating one particular food could bring something like that, nor do I believe in good luck, but needless to say it was something that we always had.

Now, I've never liked sauerkraut. I remember my first New Year's Day as a new bride. I eagerly anticipated having something different on the menu than the traditional fair, especially since we would be dining with my in-laws who had no idea of what the PA folk typically eat. What I didn't know is that my mother-in-law had asked my husband what I normally ate on that holiday. And you guessed it..... pork and sauerkraut graced the table again that year.

Sigh. I couldn't get away from it.

My husband and I have been married for 26 years now and we still make the same meal. It used to be because he and both my boys loved the meal. This year was our first holiday as empty nesters.... and we still had pork and sauerkraut. Somehow I don't think I'll ever get away from the practice. I did talk to my mother yesterday and learned something new - both my Dad and his Dad didn't like sauerkraut either. I'm not alone!!!! :) Apparently it's passed down through the genes.

Do you have any New Year's traditions?

Happy New Year. May your year be blessed.


Posted by Jodie Wolfe AKA Digging for Pearls

Crocheted Christmas Decorations

Merry Christmas everyone. You know the feeling. You’ve spent weeks decorating and everything looks perfect…almost. There’s a niche that seems forlorn. A gaping hole in the Christmas tree screams out for one more decoration. It happens to me very year…the bane of a perfectionist’s existence.

So I get out my crochet hook.

 

Years ago the crafty ladies in the office met during lunch to crochet, and one year we all made these cute Christmas boots. As you can see, they’re simply made. Thirteen mini granny squares whipped stitched together with a shell border and a chain tie. The toe is stuffed with a weight (I use a box of staples) and tissues. A small cup is wedged in the opening and filled with candy. I show canes here, but everyone’s favorite is silver bells (Hershey's kisses).

The Christmas boot candy dish takes no time to make and adds that homey splash of color to any lonely nook.

Now for the tree. I grew up in rural Georgia, and we went into the woods to find our tree, always a cedar. Pines are nice, but the cedar’s heavy scent permeates the whole house.

We had only twenty glass ornaments, carefully unwrapped and oh, so strategically placed. I was in charge of filling in the gaps around those elegant ornaments. My creative soul came alive as I made things of beauty out of foil and yarn, pinecones and paint, popcorn and berries. What fun I had.

 

Most of my ornaments are purchased today, but there’s always that empty place, and this year I crocheted this little Christmas cone. All it requires is a few yards of yarn and a bit of ribbon. I’ll insert the directions for my crocheting friends.

(With worsted weight yarn and G hook tie on, 2 sc for anchor row. Sc in rounds, increasing 2 sc in every round until you have 16 sc. Attach contrasting yarn, dc in each sc around. Ch 3, sc in each dc around. Make a chain about ten inches long, dc in each chain to make handle. Tack handle to each side at top of cone. Weave two strips of ribbon through each side at the top dc row and tie into bows.)

It’s ready to hang on the tree. Drop in a piece of candy as a surprise, or as I hinted to my husband, it makes a perfect hiding place for jewelry. Just saying.

Do you have hand-made decorations on your tree?