Rosemary For Remembrance

Rosemary and holly...Colonial Williamsburg Christmas spray.

"Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour. " ~ John Boswell

I was strolling through my Christmas pictures from Colonial Williamsburg and down the lane lined with memories associated with each one. This particular arrangement had been passed by and passed over many times without a pause to study or reflect on its beauty. Perhaps it was that this was the first summer past that I had really gardened at our new house or perhaps I simply had not noticed the rosemary before, thinking the greenery, often overlooked, was simply some other form of evergreen... at any rate, the rosemary suddenly lunged out of the screen and grabbed me.

The Colonial Williamsburg wreaths are all made of natural materials that grow in the area... except for the pineapples, I think they ship them in and did so even in Colonial times. I'm used to seeing wreaths of pine and fir and even magnolia leaves but it never occurred to me that rosemary would make such a lovely arrangement. I planted a bush rosemary and an upright rosemary in the flowerbeds and in a patio pot this summer and have discovered that they thrive in the cooler temperatures of fall and even winter. When most of the other plants have lost their color, the rosemary, sage, parsley and even the fennel (minus the black swallowtail caterpillars) has weathered the cold and the snow.

More sturdy than the fine feathery yarrow leaves and yet more delicate than the stiff and sticky fir, the rosemary finds that balance to support the strawflowers, red holly berries, lotus pods, golden yarrow and that one dried artichoke in the center. I think it is a lovely spray and what a heavenly fragrance as well. Rosemary is considered the herb of remembrance; how could I have passed it over so many times?

"As for rosemary, I let it run all over my garden walls, not only because my bees love it but because it is the herb sacred to remembrance and to friendship, whence a sprig of it hath a dumb language." ~ Sir Thomas More

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Cats On Christmas

At least on the Christmas tree.

"New Year's eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights. ~ Hamilton Wright Mabie

So, here it is... New Year's Eve, with snow still on the ground and the very first day of 50 degree temperatures in a month just ending. New Year's Day promises to be balmy with temperatures in the 60's and rain, to rinse more of the snow away... thus beheading the already sad looking snowmen. It is the last post for 2010 and time keeps on going.

Just a month ago, the Christmas spirit was in full force with excitement to drag out all the storage boxes of decorations and lights and garland. Now it is time to reverse the process and return the house to its usual state. Is it only me, but don't the rooms look empty without the nativity, the holly and ivy, the trees and lights and candles and pillows and throws? Doesn't it take several weeks to get used to the "normality" again?

New Year's has become more of a let down over the years. We used to get up at the crack of dawn to watch the Rose Parade and then it was channel surfing between the bowl games... Cotton, Orange, Rose, and Sugar. Now they go on for weeks... only one per day and with the strangest titles... Poinsettia Bowl, New Mexico Bowl, Little Caesars Bowl, Humanitarian Bowl, Insight Bowl, Pinstripe Bowl, Compass Bowl, and GoDaddy Bowl, just to name a fraction of them. Where did all these come from? More importantly... WHY?

Who can resist a rotund, but truly angelic kitty ornament?

So, this is it... another year ended, time to take stock or better yet, just keep moving.. one foot in front of the other. I always hope this year will be better than the last and in some ways they are... in others.. not so much. But it will be here in another two hours anyway.. no matter what we want. Mom still finds the ball drop in Times Square to be fun to watch so she will stay up. She still loves to stay up and watch election returns with a big bowl of popcorn too. I've decided to revert to the days when my daughter was little and I worked hard at the lab. My supreme joy was to be at home with her fed and doing homework and me in my comfy nightgown and robe and fuzzy slippers.... by 6PM. So, it will be off to bed.. perhaps with a book and definitely with the dog (Daisy is already asleep for her pre-bedtime nap). I have no interest in the glass electric ball or the millions of pounds of confetti that will really muck up the snow mounds already in New York or the inevitable firecrackers that will go off at the stroke of midnight... For me, these days... tomorrow is just another day.

I suppose I should say a word or two about the cats pictured here, since nothing so far has anything to do with cats. This Christmas, when I lovingly took out all the ornaments and remembered where I got them and how Nyssa picked some and we hung them on the tree each year and as I was doing this BY MYSELF without her here... well, I suddenly realized that we have an extraordinarily large number of "cat", "dog" and other "animal" ornaments. Almost ALL the penguin ornaments are my brother's, but the cat and dog items are ours. It is staggering... we have enough to make a "cat and dog" themed tree full of ornaments. I didn't intend to ever have this many... didn't plan to acquire such a large number.. but it has happened. So, there you have it... pictured are just a few of our Cats on Christmas (tree) selections. Tomorrow begins the dismantling and the sorting and the packing away... so one last look.

Happy New Year....

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A Snowy Christmas Day Evening

The quiet Christmas snow.. before the raging storm.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

~ Robert Frost

A snowy evening turned into an even more snowy day and continued into another snowy evening. A white Christmas was wished for... but, be careful of your wishes...for the snow did not stop here, while only three inches deep. Christmas Day was gloomy and cloudy and cold with the feeling and look of snow in the skies... but no flakes. Then around four, just before the darkness descended it started falling and fell in quiet but large flakes that rapidly built up on the leaves and trees, the grass and cars and even the street. No wind to speak of, but constant snow. By 10 PM, at least three inches had accumulated on the top of the hot tub which was warming to a toasty 103℉. At 11 PM, Nyssa and I opened the hot tub lid and got in, the steam rising off the fabulously warm water. That contrast between hot water and cold, below freezing air and the gentle falling snowflakes was amazing. We simply folded the lid back on itself and sat there for 45 minutes in a state of complete relaxation.

Later during the overnight hours, things changed. I woke to the howling of the north wind past my window and as I looked out over the street, I could barely make out any more than the shape of the houses and massive snow coming down. By 8 AM it was obvious that most of the churches in town had cancelled services and the airport had essentially shut down. By noon, over 9 inches had fallen and the snow continued on throughout the day and into last night as well. So, this was just the dusting, the first three inches, the prelude to our second huge snow storm of 2010. The first dropped 10 inches on January 30th of this year... and now even more.

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It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

"It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, goodwill to men
From heavens all gracious King!"
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing."

"Still through the cloven skies they come,
With peaceful wings unfurled;
And still their heavenly music floats
O'er all the weary world:
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever o'er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing."

"O ye beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow;
Look now, for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
Oh rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing."

"For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When the new heaven and earth shall own
The Prince of Peace, their King,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing."
~ Edmund Hamilton Sears (words)

May we all find the true meaning of Christmas in our hearts and homes during this holiday season; and may the joy of knowing Him shine through us as a light to the world in the days and years to come. From our home to yours... have a blessed Christmas.

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Christmas Eggs

Hand blown and painted egg ornaments from Salzburg, Austria...

"“The present was an egg laid by the past that had the future inside its shell.” ~ Zora Neale Hurston

Believe it or not, these egg ornaments are seeing their tenth Christmas on our tree. The past three years they have graced what I call our "international tree" with ornaments that we have gathered in our travels. In the summer of 2000, Nyssa and I visited my brother who was engaged as the house tenor in Linz, Austria. While we were there we took several side trips by train, one to Salzburg that has been made most famous by The Sound of Music, although it is also the birthplace of Mozart. The streets of the town are narrow and were crowed with tourists that day. We happened upon this shop with thousands of intricately painted eggs in the window. While some were painted for Easter and some with simple flowers of Austria and animals and all sorts of other decorations, most were painted with Christmas themes. All of them are hand blown real eggs... chicken, goose.. I even saw several ostrich eggs. I remember one painted like a jester face with a satin hat and ruffled collar of royal purple and emerald green and with attached feathers to match. I looked through my prints from that trip (before digital camera) and wouldn't you know it.. I have NO pictures from inside the store.

Well, I had to at least try to bring some of these home. In 2000, the euro/dollar ratio was in favor of the dollar so the prices were not bad. I picked out two and a half dozen and they packed them carefully in egg cartons, yes, real old fashioned egg cartons.. paper, not plastic or styrofoam. I gingerly carried them back to Linz on the train and then back to the states on the airplane. I am not sure this would even be possible to do these days. Only one broke completely and a few others cracked but are still useable on the tree. And they have lasted over the years. I again carefully hung them on our tree just last week... for the tenth time. My only regret is that I did not try to bring back more... they are so beautiful and unique.

More egg ornaments from The Christmas Shop in Salzburg, Austria.

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December 6th: I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day

As the angels sing and the bells ring... the Light of the World dispels the darkness of night.
(Click picture to enlarge)

"I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on Earth, good will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men"

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Origin of the Christmas Pyramid is said to go back to the 16th to 18th century when German miners from the Erzgebirge are created Lichtergestelle (light-racks) to dispel the darkness. At first they simply tied several wooden sticks together at the top and decorated them with candles, but skilled craftsmen from the Erzgebirge were not satisfied with the rather basic light-rack. They looked for something with more perfection and animation so in the middle of the rack they inserted a wooden rod to which a small metal dish was fastened. Beautiful wood figurines were carved by hand, painted and placed on the dish and a propeller of light wood was attached to the top of the wooden rod. The rising heat from the candles powers the propeller. This is often said to have been the forerunner of the Christmas tree and the elaborate Pyramids of today.

Most of the scenes depicted are religious in nature and some of the larger and multi-tiered pyramids show scenes including the nativity, angels and even large intricately carved cathedrals. My brother brought this one-tiered pyramid from Germany when he first traveled there. The angels have trumpets to herald the Christ child's birth. A short mallet extends from the center rod and as the propeller turns it gently strikes the glass bells producing a lilting tinkling sound that is simply lovely. These are fascinating to watch, particularly at night when the candles give off such a lovely glow that is reflected on the angels faces.

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Carmi's Theme ~ Night

December 5th Spotlight: Our International Tree

Delicate and dangling, reflections of light. (Click picture to enlarge)

“Thousands of lights were burning on the green branches, and gaily-colored pictures, such as she had seen in the shop-windows, looked down upon her. The little maiden stretched out her hands towards them when--the match went out. The lights of the Christmas tree rose higher and higher, she saw them now as stars in heaven . . .” ~ Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), The Little Match Girl

My brother brought several of these mobile-like ornaments from Germany a couple of years ago. They are intricately die cut of a thin brass and are so light and airy, they move with any small puff of wind and reflect the lights of the tree. This is what we call our "international" tree as it contains ornaments from Poland, Germany, Austria, Norway, and Japan. All the lights are clear or white and sparkling glass stars and teardrops finish off the array of straw, wood, glass, paper and painted egg ornaments. Each time I see these tiny trees I start hearing the refrains of "O Tannenbaum" running through my head.

I tried to find a source of these online and either I am completely off in my Google search or they are not the most common ornaments. A few vendors had the thin cut brass ornaments, but nothing as intricate or complex as these.

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Potica Bread: 'Tis The Season

'Tis the season for Potica Bread!

"I am going to make bread to-morrow. So you may imagine me with my sleeves rolled up, mixing flour, milk, saleratus, etc., with a deal of grace. I advise you if you don't know how to make the staff of life to learn with dispatch." ~ Emily Dickinson, American poet (1830-1886)

I have been making this bread for Christmas for 32 years now and started while still in residency. A woman brought this heavenly nut and cinnamon filled sweet bread to our Christmas dinner and I never managed to get the recipe. Thankfully, the Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Ideas issue from the next year... 1978... had the recipe. This was before the advent of the bread machine, back in the dark ages when the milk had to be warmed to just the right temperature and mixed with the yeast mixture to activate it... back when you could still easily find actual blocks of yeast in the grocer's refrigerator section. It was labor intensive to add the flour a bit at a time and keep the sticky dough off the beaters and the sides of the bowls. It took time to go through the long and arduous kneading process with flour strewn all around the kitchen and the waiting for the bread to rise, only to beat it down again and knead some more.

Now, the bread machine on a dough setting has rendered this a much easier task. The ingredients for the bread are thrown in and the machine does the rest so that I can proceed to making a two to three or even sometimes four times batch of the filling. These days I can comfortably make three potica breads a day... four if I really get up a bit earlier.. and the yeast failure rate is almost negligible. I made 25 to give as gifts a couple of years ago and though I am not planning to do that many again, it is time to start because neighbors and friends have given not too subtle hints in that direction already. It is THE family tradition here... Christmas morning breakfast with eggs, bacon, potica bread and coffee.... before opening presents... and sometimes WHILE opening presents too. You cannot eat just one slice!

Since I posted the Potica bread recipe with the pictures and extended notes... that post has without any doubt become my most visited post in history. I notice an occasional visitor almost every day throughout the year... but beginning in late October, these numbers skyrocket and continue on through New Years. So this year I thought I would remind those who might be interested in making this heavenly bread that the full instructions and recipe are here....Potica Bread As Promised from October 2005 and may you enjoy it as well! I can almost smell the baking bread and cinnamon right now!

"If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens." ~ Robert Browning (1812-1889) English poet

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December 2nd ~ Southern Roots Showing

Dried magnolia leaves make up the bulk of this wreath with dried cocks comb accents. (Click picture to enlarge)

"When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness." ~ Bob Hope

From complex to simple, the wreaths adorning Colonial Williamsburg are breathtaking. The cold front has pushed on through and now, instead of being warm and humid like an April day, the air is crisp and cold... or at least cold for coastal Virginia. It is a great time to visit Williamsburg.. the students at William and Mary are busy with final exams, visitors are moderate in number and the decorations are in place. The small stands along Duke of Gloucester street are selling hot cocoa and hot apple cider... I highly recommend the hot apple cider.. especially when the day is cold and the breeze is a little stiff. The smells of baking gingerbread hover around the bake shop... these really go nicely with the cider too. These pictures are from a previous year, but when my daughter gets home, we will take our yearly walk into history and she can visit her alma mater at the same time. It is something I do look forward to each year.

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Theme Thursday ~ Brown

December First, All Wreathed In Smiles

Wreaths of Williamsburg... it's Christmas again! (Click picture to enlarge)

"Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles." ~ Unknown

The inhabitants of Williamsburg during Colonial days did not have online ordering or a local Michaels store to buy silk flower picks and glittery ornaments. No, Christmas decorations were homemade with fresh greenery from local pine and holly trees, dried flowers preserved from summer fields, freshly harvested and dried fruits or flower seed pods; even stalks of wheat gathered in the fall were used to fashion wreaths to grace the homes. The tradition is carried on today and the wreaths are still homemade with material gathered from the area. Shops often use materials from their establishments that advertise their wares.... pewter cups, wooden spoons, children's toy blocks, horse bridles and such. Each year they are just a bit different and each year they are beautiful.

Close up view of details.

If you happen to be in the area of Colonial Williamsburg between Thanksgiving and New Years... stop. Park in one of the parking lots near the shopping square and take a stroll. While a pass is required to go inside many of the attractions, a simple stroll through the streets and a view of the decorations is absolutely free.

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Colonial Christmas: The Decorator's Nightmare

Here begins the decorator's nightmare. (Click pictures for larger view)

"Until one feels the spirit of Christmas, there is no Christmas. All else is outward display--so much tinsel and decorations. For it isn't the holly, it isn't the snow. It isn't the tree not the firelight's glow. It's the warmth that comes to the hearts of men when the Christmas spirit returns again." ~ Anonymous (Pipefuls)

These square wreaths adorn the door of a private home in Colonial Williamsburg. The greenery is boxwood. The fruit clusters include Lady apples and an Osage orange. The blue flowers are spidery and my best guess is the Eastern blue star. (Amsonia) These are very simple but the blue flower really pops. The picture was a bit fuzzy due to the cold and I couldn't help it very much.

I know you are asking "Why would this be a decorator's nightmare?" Click the "read more" below to find out as we pan out and back for a better view.

Here we have zoomed out a bit to get the full effect of the square wreaths and the staircase to the small porch that flares out at the bottom; the black wrought iron railing wrapped with long pine garland. Can anyone see a few little clues yet as to the nightmare? No? Well, then let us move a little bit farther back and look again.

This house would be at least a two story, perhaps two and a half as the basements are not as deep as in modern homes. Notice the side of the house, the small square spaces seemingly where bricks were purposefully left out during construction. Now imagine another side of the house exactly like this, just as tall, just as wide; and then add the two ends of the home, about two-thirds as wide as the sides, ALL of them having this same design with empty square spaces. Now look at this picture and the previous one and tell me what you see in ALL those spaces. Yes, that's right. Every single space contains an apple. Some are red, others are yellow and still others are the variegated Lady apples. Now, can you imagine how tall the ladder had to be to reach all those little spaces and how many times the decorator had to climb up and down that ladder to get all those apples in there, on all four sides of the house. And can you imagine how long it will take to climb back up and get them all down after the holidays?

Now, tell me that is not a "decorator's nightmare"!!!!!!! (end of post)