The Rest of HisStory - Carol

Carol of the Bells

Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych composed this haunting melody in 1916. Originally a Ukrainian folk song about a sparrow and the fruitful year that lies ahead of a family, it was first played on New Year's Eve (then, January 13 according to the Julian calendar). An appropriate choice for the last song of my series, right before New Year's Eve!

The song was first heard in the US at Carnegie Hall at a

The Rest of HisStory - Gifts

Twelve Days of Christmas

You have to understand. I have four separate Christmases every year. Not an issue with me, though! I LOVE Christmas. Have I already said that? So my carols continue after Christmas simply because I've still got some Christmasing to do.

This song speaks of the European - primarily Catholic - traditions of celebrating certain feasts involving memorials to some of the earliest saints. The celebration actually starts on December 25 and extends until January 6 with it's roots in our

Night Before

Twas the night afore Christmas,

twixt ridgeback and holler.

Not a critter was a twitchin'

nary a hog dast to waller.

Each keerful darnt stocking were nailt to the chimbley.

A'hopin' that Santa'd be extra-bit friendly.

***

I know I said I would vlog this post, but I decided, since I'm supposed to be

Reflections on the Season

I tend to get caught up in the fun and merriment of this season. And why not? It is positively magical! Just looking at my girls faces as they admire decorations or see new things in stores makes my heart happy. Their uninhibited expressions are echoed in the faces of youngsters experiencing all of the splendor for the first time.

And that's how I'm gonna look in heaven.

Can you imagine it? The same delight that holds the

Top 10 Christmas Party Tips

Patricia "Pacjac" Carroll and Betty Woods

I LOVE Christmas. And there is no better excuse than this amazing season to get together with friends for laughter, gifts, fun, and food. This year proves my point in the extreme! Just my family alone has 12 parties to attend in only three weeks. That's crazy.

But oh so fun!

ROW80 Update

I don't usually separate my ROW80 Update from my News page over the weekend. I actually like just adding the update onto the bottom of my news, but today I couldn't help but share one of my favorite Christmas songs. If you want to check out the news feed and my plans for next week, scroll down a bit to yesterday's post.

But before I get to the update, a little entertainment:

Egg on My Face, Star on the Tree

My very first Vlog attempt taught me that what goes on in my head isn't always what actually comes out on the screen. Go figure. But it's a trade-off. I learned a few things about lighting and video editing from mistakes I made, but I got my tree decorated!

Christmas is certainly much more than a decorated house or tree. Even more than the memories of yearly traditions. And I know that. But I also love the excuse to indulge in our yearly ladder climbs and light untangling and tree fluffing. If nothing else, my kids are going to remember joy during the Christmas season, on all levels.

Can you think of some unlikely things that ended up sparking good memories?


Oh and before I forget, you can visit Katie Ganshert, Keli Gwyn, and Lynne Gentry at their respective websites. They've got some great vlogs!

Family Traditions

Today is a Jollydaze post about traditions. Join our holiday meme at the link.

My family has a tradition of goofiness. My mom, son, and brother can tell some of the funniest stories and the rest of us toss in one-liners like professional stand-ups.

So this cartoon fit right in with my post for today.