The Light Shines At Christmas

 

Here is our new wreath, shining in the darkness and a poem about our bright and morning star from our "Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts: Stories to Warm Your Heart and Tips to Simplify Your Holiday."

Come thou bright and morning star, Light of light without beginning!

Shine upon us from afar that we may be kept from sinning.

Drive away by thy clear light our dark night.

Let thy grace, like morning dew, falling soft on barren places,

Comfort, quicken and renew our dry souls and dying graces;

Bless thy flock from thy rich store

Evermore.

Poem written by Christian K. von Rosenroth 1636-1689. Translated by Richard Massie 1800-1887

Merry Christmas to All. Post written by Terra Hangen

My new Christmas angel tree topper in her golden gown arrives

Merry Christmas friends far and near.
Here is a photo of my new Christmas tree angel topper in her golden gown. I had to replace my twenty year old angel tree topper because she showed signs of scorching near her lights.
Here is the new angel below.

Below is our angel in her white gown who is now moved to near the nativity scene, where she can keep an eye on things, while not being plugged in. Like me, I think she is liking the change, as she retires from being queen of the tree, and I retired from work.

Below is one of my new ornaments, made from a kit by my son Lane, of Bounce's paw print.

The other new ornament is below, and is also handmade, painted by a neighbor of my son Colt.

As you can see it features a purple mushroom and a cute Christmas gnome.
Have you added new ornaments to your tree this year?
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6 KJV
I hope your Christmas is blessed and merry.
Written by Terra, one of the co-authors of "The Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts."

Rudy Day

I recently learned that some folks have designated the 25th of each month as Rudolph Day, affectionately called Rudy Day.

The idea is that on the 25th of each month you pause and think about organizing for Christmas. Here on our blog, every day is Rudy Day, since we give Christmas celebrating tips from July to January. So enjoy your own Rudy Days in the months to come, as you prepare to celebrate the day Jesus was born.
I found a blog that has a schedule by month for Rudy Day activities at
Rudy Day News Blog She has an April 2012 post that lists a schedule.
Do any of you use Rudolph Day to help organize for the holidays?
posted by Terra Hangen

Merry Christmas

An angel of the Lord appeared to shepherds who were watching their sheep at night and the angel told them "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.'

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another 'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about'.

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen which were just as they had been told." Luke 2:10-20

In the Annunciation the angel spoke to Mary "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." Luke 1:35

This post was contributed by Terra Hangen

Making a Christmas List

Photo of our living room at Christmas 2014.
At this busy time of year I like to make a list of what I choose to do.
That gives me freedom to consider not doing things that no longer need doing, since one year is different from another.
Here are some things I will do this Christmas season.
I love to attend live performances of the Nutcracker Ballet each year, but will decide if I will do that this year.
Set up our festive Christmas tree with lots of old ornaments for the sparkly centerpiece of our holiday decor.
Buy an amaryllis bulb. I did that and planted it in the pot that came with it, on November 17. The color will be a surprise since the kit says it will be red, white or red and white.
Put up our collection of wooden nutcrackers on the fireplace mantle. My parents started this tradition.
Buy a new Christmas book each year. One sweet book is "A Cup of Christmas Tea", for children and adults, about a young man visiting his lonely senior aunt.
Display our two manger scenes.
Holiday meal and gift exchange on Christmas day with family.
Spend time at church.
Mail 30 or 40 Christmas cards to family and friends near and far, some who live in other countries.
New activity this year.
I will attend a holiday lunch and show where my friend is singing and dancing.
Tradition I will not do this year.
Bake Christmas cookies. This year I won't do any baking since I don't have little children around to bake for and we avoid excess sugar and white flour. We do love sweet treats though.
Are there any Christmas traditions at your house that you will enjoy this year, and any you will drop?
This post written by Terra Hangen
Here is a link with info about our co-authored Christmas book:
Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts

Review of "Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts", delightful, creative

Susanne Lakin posted this insightful review of our book on Amazon, and I want to share it with you here. Susanne writes Christian fairy tales / fantasy under the name C.S. Lakin.
Here is the review of "Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts" she posted.


"This delightful, creative gift book is chock full of personal memories, thoughts about Christmas, recipes, anecdotes, traditions, and Scripture. Some of the simple stories and verses brought tears to my eyes and warmed my heart. I read this book in August--as far from the Christmas holiday as could be, yet I found it worked a wonderful magic in my heart, centering me in reminder that the spirit of Christ is something we need to consider and let live in us each day of the year.

This is a terrific book to give as a gift to just about anyone. The scrapbook theme and layout makes it perfect for picking up and reading just a few pages at a time. Every home should have a copy sitting out on their coffee table year-round!"
Posted by Terra Hangen
On sale on Amazon at this link only 13.49.
http://www.amazon.com/Scrapbook-Christmas-Firsts-Simplify-Holidays/dp/0891125647/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380663933&sr=1-1&keywords=scrapbook+of+christmas+firsts 

Christmas Stockings Add Pizzazz to Any Room

Christmas Stockings Add Pizzazz To Any Room

In a family Christmas photo, the stockings are handmade by me, from felt, sequins and glitter.
I have a few extra Christmas stockings, in addition to the five that we hang on the fireplace mantle. By the way, why five stockings for four folks? One for each of our sons, one for my husband, Will, one for me, and the fifth one is for our cats to share. They don't mind sharing! Each Christmas morn they hope for a can of tuna (sold for human consumption, not cat food grade) and a bit of organic catnip, grown by my sister Sky in Wisconsin. Our cats are not disappointed, since they are VERY good kitties.

My easy decorating tip involves colorful Christmas stockings. One year at a dollar store I found a pretty red stocking that says “I Believe”. I bought several as gifts for friends, and an extra one for my family, and now each year I take a push pin and hang this Christmas stocking in the bathroom. Every year, at the end of the season, stores put Christmas stockings on sale, so that is a great time to buy more for your next year's decor, and keep a look out at craft fairs for stockings that appeal to you.

In the same bathroom I hang a handmade colorful stocking that I bought at a fund raiser. The person who stitched it created a very cute stocking, including a sleigh loaded with gifts and real ribbons. Hanging a few holiday stockings is such a quick way to add a Christmas glow to any room, even the sometimes overlooked bathroom.

By Terra Hangen  http://terragarden.blogspot.com/

Amaryllis for Christmas

Anyone can grow spectacular Amaryllis flowers that bloom at Christmas.  Amaryllis grow from bulbs that can be as large as your fist, and have flowers up to eight inches across, on tall sturdy stems. As the thick stems grow above the pot, they look like strange alien beings, and guests are apt to remark “what is that?”.

Once the blooms open up, the question is answered, as the flowers brighten the room.

Most Amaryllis will bloom after planting in six to eight weeks, so if you have less time before Christmas you can speed up the bloom time and buy an Amaryllis that is already growing in a pot, and that has stems emerging from the bulb. In late November or early December buy an Amaryllis with stems emerging for flowers for the holiday. The bulbs you can buy that are almost ready to bloom are usually for red or red and white flowers, though Amaryllis can be found in salmon, white and even lime green.

For beauty you can put some gardener’s marbles on top of the soil, set the pot in a sunny window, water once a week, and turn the pot a few times a week to keep the stalks growing straight up. 

By Terra Hangen

Christmas in July and Camping with Anhingas

Hi and welcome to our new Christmas in July posts, where we authors of Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts post tips and traditions here that celebrate Christmas. We post on everything from recipes to money saving tips to making the holidays meaningful.

For a fun July post, I share here a photo from a unique Christmas I spent camping with my mom, dad and sister in the Florida Everglades. Here in this photo you can see my mom, me and my sister in civilization visiting the beautiful gardens of the Vizcaya Estate, outside of Miami. This was a huge adventure for us, starting with driving from Wisconsin to Florida at Christmas, in a car packed with our tent and other gear. In the wild Everglades we encountered anhingas, crocodiles, roseate spoonbills, flamingos, egrets, a rattlesnake, gathered seashells on Sanibel Island and so much more.  This was a very different and memory making Christmas for us.
Has your family had a specially memorable Christmas you can share with us here?

Kreativ Blogger Award for this blog and 4 other blogs

We are happy here at our blog, since Sandy AKA Doris the Great of "Aging Disgracefully" blog, awarded us this Kreativ Blogger Award. Visit Sandy at her own blog http://newfie-girl.blogspot.com/ See her 11/13/09 post about the award and her humorous 7 point list.
The rules for accepting this award begin with posting the award photo and then thanking the awarder Thank you Sandy, we are thrilled.
Next, list 7 things about yourself others may not know.
And then select 4 blogs to award this Kreativ Blogger Award.
I am Terra and I volunteered to be the point person for the Word Quilters for this, so here goes.
1. I read several of James Baldwin's books, including "The Fire Next Time" and "Go Tell it on the Mountain", and was delighted when Mr. Baldwin was the guest of honor at my friend's birthday party, when I was a college student studying in Istanbul, Turkey. James Baldwin lived in Istanbul for many years. I think I managed to say something scintillating like "Hello Mr. Baldwin" when I met him.
2. A dark secret is that I often listen to Coasttocoastam.com on AM radio, between 10 p.m and 2 a.m. where the topics and guests are wide ranging, from UFO experts, health discoveries, RFID chips, and scientists who explain global cooling or warming.
3. In high school I won a statewide award for my oil painting of two pine trees, done with a palette knife, and my painting is still displayed in my parents' dining room.
4. I adore wolves and coyotes, and am a long time member of International Wolf Center and Defenders of Wildlife, groups that work to protect wolves and coyotes.
5. My cats try to run our household, and roundly reject my point 4. They are in no way fans of wolves or coyotes!
6. As a volunteer in my local public library's Book Buddy program, I deliver books to my homebound book buddy. We share lots of great chats when I deliver books to her. My book buddy raised prize winning goats, and still paints folk art, among other accomplishments.
7. My husband and I attend every Greek Festival we find, for the wonderful Greek food. Ah, dolmas, taramasalata, baklava, gyros, spanakopita, roast lamb, mousaka and so much more.
But, seriously folks, enough about me.
Here are 4 tremendously creative bloggers with generous attitudes and talents.
A Gathering of Thoughts
http://rebecca-gatheryeroses.blogspot.com/ Rebecca's blog
Homesteader's Heart
http://homesteadersheart.blogspot.com/ She admits to a Christmas addiction in her 11/16/09 post
Bluebird Notes
http://bluebirdnotes.blogspot.com/ Koralee's blog
The Bearister Bookcase
http://bumblebearies.blogspot.com/ Bumblevee's cuddly bears
I hope you enjoyed this roundup and will visit these blogs and give them a cheer and a cyber-hug. By Terra

Make Food Your Medicine by Brenda Nixon

Hello all ~ we appreciate you following our A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts blog. If you think our blog is insightful, inspirational, and fun, you should read A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts (besides the six of us authors would really appreciate your support).

This week we're revealing a healthy eating habit we've learned this year. Unlike a tot munching on anything convenient, I've learned to eat natural, organic foods free of chemicals, sugars, and fillers. Yes, I still like the crunchy, junky food but my body feels cleaner and more energetic when I consume fresh, nutritious food.

In a way, food is like medicine. Have you noticed how certain foods affect you, leaving you - satisfied, tense, energetic, sluggish, irritable, bloated? Food can harm or heal.

As a mom I want to be a good food model. As a speaker to parent audiences around the country, I encourage moms and dads to remember to feed their kids right. For example, the child's brain has about two to three times the energy needs of an adult's brain. So, that means parents must supply vitamins, minerals, and amino acids found in healthy, whole foods to support their child's cognitive development. The brain won't function optimally if it is nutrition-starved.

During this crazy holiday season when it's all too easy to grab fast - or pre-packaged food - full of preservatives, chemicals, or colors, I encourage you to give your - and your child's - body and brain the good "medicine" it deserves!

Hello from Terra Hangen

Hi, I am Terra Hangen, co-author of Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts and it is my turn to introduce myself. I am very happy that we six writers met online in 2004, and undertook our odyssey of writing this Christmas book together.

I was raised in Wisconsin, and now live in California, with my dear husband of 36 years, and our two adult sons living in the same town, I am joyful to report. My cats want to mentioned here. I can't imagine writing, reading or gardening without a cat nearby.

I have a B.A. in Art History and a Masters Degree in Library Science, which helps me research topics and get my facts right! One year of college I spent in Istanbul, Turkey, one of the world's most beautiful cities, and what fabulous recipes I learned there.

I went to Jerusalem at Easter that year, on the Way of the Cross, and also to Baalbek and Petra. The Holy Lands are scarcely describable and left a profound impression on me. In Jerusalem I was blessed to walk the same paths and cobblestones that Jesus walked 2,000 years ago.

I am published regularly in dozens of magazines, including Country Woman, Hobby Farms, Victorian Homes, Lutheran Digest, Vibrant Life, Mature Living, Back Home, San Diego Family, etc., and have a garden column online each month at www.positivelyfeminine.org

Please head on over to my blog at www.terragarden.blogspot.com and say hi; I would love to meet you. I visit the blogs of everyone who leaves a comment on my blog. Main topics on my blog range from gardens, to cats, to my journey as a Christian author, and book reviews and book giveaways. My work in progress is a gardening book that includes Scripture.