Nanny’s Gingersnaps–Christmas in a Tin November 29, 2016 Before there was Lanier, one of my co-conspirators in Christmas was my dad’s mother, whom I called Nanny. Standing at just under five feet,…
The Push Me-Pull You of Christmas November 28, 2016 It was a long, happy Thanksgiving weekend of traveling over the river and through the woods (and back). The children were home from school…
Bringing in the Greens November 28, 2016 I just love this weekend—it’s so delightfully tangled with the remnants of Thanksgiving and the beginnings of Advent. Gratitude, tradition, anticipation and longing all…
An Advent Prayer November 27, 2016 Every year on the first Sunday in Advent I pull a tattered scrap of paper from last year’s Christmas folder and tape it between…
In Readiness November 26, 2016 We won’t bring our tree home until Sunday–an excursion in which our Australian shepherd, Bonnie, is an invaluable member, and which generally includes the…
Early Hunting and Gathering November 26, 2016 It’s black Friday, which for my family means DO NOT LEAVE THE HOUSE, except for long walks in the woods or to gather winterberries…
A Cup of Cheer, Craft-Style November 25, 2016 Last Christmas, my baby brother, a Kentuckian, started a tradition of contributing craft cocktails to family holiday gatherings. We’re holding him to it–until the…
It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas (in November) November 22, 2016 “We all know that Christmas is a big commercial racket. It’s run by a big Eastern syndicate, you know.” ~ Lucy Van Pelt, “A…
Dear Laura – November 21, 2016 November 21, 2016 Dear Laura, It’s 4:20 on Monday afternoon, and I’ve got a day’s worth of housework behind me. I’ve been looking at every task with…