Christmas Traditions

I love Christmas, although I can get a bit emotional.

Like every time I hear " Mary, Did You Know"

(in my last post).

Also when I think of my family back home...and wish

we could all be together.

Missing the friends and family that are no longer with us.

Cue....

Christmas traditions.

 Traditions ground me and bring me joy.

Some of my special little traditions:

Hanging the paper snowflakes on the tree.

(that Brandon and I made 19 years ago...the first Christmas as a single mom)

Baking my great-grandmother's (from my Mom's side) Swedish Spritz cookies with Brandon.

Having a Christmas puzzle scattered on the table the start of December,

that slowly forms, as peeps pause near to place a piece or two.

No more than 1/2 the puzzle ever gets put together,

  and Christmas day we gather around to finish it. 

It must be finished by the end of the day. It's a rule. 

Loading up in the car to go for a drive to view the Christmas lights with friends or family.

Usually with a few twinkle lights in the car as well as Christmas CD's that have been collected 

over the years.

That used to be a tradition too! Every year I would buy a new Christmas CD 

to play during the holidays.

That tradition just seemed to fade away, although I still have to buy

a new Christmas CD from time to time. 

Maybe next year. 

It's been a while.

And....

 this year...

a couple of new traditions may be born.

So...one....is, I made dog-bones for all my doggy-friends this Christmas.

I wanted to make sure I had enough, and tripled the batch.

(one of my friends has seven dog...just sayin')

I ended up spending a day baking the little doggy-treats.

 Christmas tunes playing, twinkle light twinkling, hot tea and candles.

 It was quite relaxing really, and my doggy-friends (even the most finicky) loved their 

home-baked goodies.

It may become a monthly ritual really.

Nonetheless it will be wrapped in pretty gift-bags and bling for them only for Christmas.

And...another tradition that's still on the fence....

is making my Grandmother's Lasagna recipe.(on my Dad's side)

 My youngest cousin sent it to me, and I have been waiting for 

Christmas to fix it.

If all goes well, it will be our traditional meal,

served on her fine china, for many years to come.

Traditions just seem to connect the dots for me.

Bringing the past and the present all together

into the moment. 

It connects me to my peeps both near and far,

and reminds me just how special life really is, has been,

and how grateful I am for it all.

Sticking with the Holiday Spirit, 

here are some of my favorite Christmas Quotes this week:

" Christmas - that magic blanket that wraps itself about us,

that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance.

It may weave a spell of nostalgia.

Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer,

but always it will be a day of remembrance - 

a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved."

" The best gifts around any Christmas tree:

the presence of a happy family all wrapped

up in each other."

" Love is what is what's in the room with you at Christmas

if you stop opening presents and listen."

" Christmas waves a magic wand over this world,

and behold , everything is softer and more beautiful."

Merry Christmas with much love !

xoxo

💝