still more traditions...

There are still more things to write about; though with last minute "everything" before leaving for Portland tomorrow, it is easy to forget the meaningful memories of this joyous season.  One such tradition, that I took a few moments out of my morning to do, is the rhyming Christmas card.  The poem has been a tradition my mom started before I could even speak - I think.  As Advent gets busier and busier for Mom, the card is often finished and/or mailed during one of the twelve days of Christmas.  I thought this year I would do her a favor and send her my lines instead of ideas for my lines.  Then Auggie e-mailed me his ideas, and I sent her his lines.  Then this morning I saw that Miki, Dad, and Nick sent me their ideas.  So I sat and typed up a few lines to help Mom out.  I have no intentions of taking over the tradition, but it is a lot of fun, and I always love a challenge.  peace and blessings...tori

time for bed

Time to go to bed!  What a fun day I had!  As a treat to myself, and to make up for some long hours of grant work, I gave myself the day off....TO BABYSIT EZRA!!!  What a fun little man he is!  I will try to upload a couple of the many pictures I took.  At six months old, he is a real charmer.  We played in the mirror, ate applesauce, played in the saucer, chewed on blocks, had a diaper change and outfit change (because of slobber, not the diaper), practiced standing, talked on the play cellphone, and so much more.  It was a real treat, and I am glad I could do it.  After dinner with Mary and Mary Pat, I am ready to crash.  peace

the reason for the season

Yes, there are all sorts of reasons people now find to celebrate Christmas...gift-giving, house decorating, cookie and candy making, etc.  Growing up in a Catholic family, the holiday always comes back to the expecting parents traveling by donkey and becoming a holy family.  Family is what it is all about, and mine is no exception.   My mom has consecutively celebrated Christmas with her family in Portland all the years of her life (a good daughter knows not to give away her mother's age).  Last year was the first without Grandpa, but the tradition lives on.  In my thirty-one years, I have spent all my Christmases in Portland with my family (and Mom's side of the family), too.  In fact, not a one of my siblings has missed either.  It is a real treasure to gather and celebrate together.  Granted, none of us are married and have in-laws who fight over us, though a few of us are celebrating with multiple families this year.  So come Christmas my parents will be beaming at the four Ford children sitting around the tree.  I can say for myself what a blessing it is, what a tremendous blessing it is to be so close to my family.  peace -

kris kringling...

Most are familiar with "secret Santa" gift exchanges among offices, classes, and clubs.  Kris Kringling is where it all began.  Growing up our parish had a a couple Kris Kringling opportunities: family to family and family to "shut-in".  I remember doing the "ding-dong dash" after leaving a package on the steps of a house and hoping nobody was looking out the window.  The exchanges happened all Advent long, and in the week before Christmas, our family would ring the doorbell and not run away or just sign our name.  Meanwhile, another family would be ringing our doorbell, too.  When we dropped goodies at the home of a shut-in, you didn't run as great a risk of (w) being recognized or (2) having an old lady mobile enough to catch you.  It was always great fun!   I suppose this really evolved from St. Nicholas, the wonderful bishop who tossed the bags of gold coins secretly to the poor father who lacked the money to marry off his daughters.  Mom still sends out packages of goodies for December 6th, the feast of St. Nicholas.  As kids we set out shoes outside our door before we went to bed.  When we woke up, our shoes would be full of nuts, chocolate coins, a tangerine or two, and often a pair of pajamas or slippers.  In college I remember having to go buy a nutcracker for the box of nuts I received (who can imagine needing to pack a nutcracker when you move into the dorms?).  How fun!!

my Christmas trees

The norfolk pine was actually the Christmas tree last year or maybe a few years ago.  It is a bit of a Charlie Brown Christmas tree....

my nativity scene

I got a little carried away Monday night tidying and decorating.  After putting up my nativity scene, I hung five stockings at the fire place.  I sewed them for the five us in the Columbine House, so it looks a little silly having all five in my one bedroom apartment.  I also hung my ornaments in the ficus and norfolk pine trees on my table.  It was a lot of fun pulling them all out.  I also hung some metal bells my dad was pitching last Christmas.  They are on my back interior door - a sort of Christmas security system, if you will.

a plate full!

Another favorite tradition, that would have been taking place right about now - years and years ago, is the "Merry Christmas" plate.  The Dorsey family would come over, and together the six of us kids would paint a ceramic plate for our teachers.  Once fired, it would be filled with pumpkin bread, chocolate peanut cluster, sugar cookies, spritz cookies, and any number of homemade treats.  The Dorsey kids could paint whatever they wanted, and we all painted the same thing.  We also painted a plate for Grandma Dieringer and a plate for Grandma Schaller, who said it was a waste because they always broke in the mail.  It was a fun tradition, and my mom and dad have quite a collection of them.  Many years I was honored to draw the design, including the manger scene with a holstein cow.  Likely, right?  It was a fun tradition that I revived last year at the Dorsey-Ford pre-Christmas breakfast.  I brought paper plates and coloring crayons.  It was a lot of fun.  Kelly's husband Seth took the prize with his creation; however, his breakfast got cold.  All in all we had a lot of fun!  Ahhhh...the memories!  peace and love...