Some Christmastide books that we are enjoying

Some of my favorite books from the Christmastide half of my family's Christmas book basket...



 Jan Brett, The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Jan Brett, Tomie dePaola, and Trina Schart Hyman are my three favorite children's book illustrators. It was a very happy day when I found this book at the thrift store for a dime- but nothing compared to fellow Church Lady Mary Liz when she got to meet Jan Brett a few weeks ago.

Jan Brett, Gingerbread Baby.
A unique retelling of the classic tale. I appreciate how the dialogue is much less repetitive in this version than most.

Tomie dePaola, Christmas Remembered
In chapter-long reminisces, Tomie dePaola reflects on Christmas past, from childhood holidays in New England to time spent at a Benedictine abbey and life in the American Southwest. As a fan, it was interesting to learn more about his life.









   

Tomie dePaola, Tony's Bread.
A sweet story about the origin of panettone, an Italian Christmas bread.

"Merry Christmas" chapter from The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Last winter, my family listened to this book on CD while traveling to visit family at Christmas.  The Ingalls' family's hardships were incredible. At some points, the cost of groceries were inflated to the point of today's costs- nearly 150 years later. Yet Ma still managed to make Christmas Day special for her family.










Books were either purchased myself or checked out from the library.

Merry Christmas!

 For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Lk 2, 11)

Image source: Carlo Maratti, "The Holy Night," 1650s

Feast of the Holy Family

(Front)

(back)

Imprimatur: Moses E. Kiley, Archbishop of Milwaukee

Feast of the Holy Family, 1944

Planning for Advent

Much as we LOVE Christmas, it's no secret that the Church Ladies love to celebrate Advent as a distinct and separate time of year.  To do it well, however, requires a nice balance of your current family traditions, new plans, and the organizational skills to pull it all off in this relatively short, super-busy season.

To help you out with at least two of those three elements, I'd like to introduce you to a new product from Lacy Rabideau of Catholic Icing:

"This ebook integrates all the religious aspects of celebrating Christmas with all the practical stuff us mothers also have to take care of this time of year. From stocking stuffers to Jesse Trees, from Advent Saint celebrations to gift budgeting, from meal planning to Epiphany door blessings- it’s all in one easy place for you. No searching all over the internet, or picking from this book and that book.

The Advent Christmas Planner is part inspirational, part practical, part devotional, and part fun! Designed especially not to overwhelm mothers, this ebook is going to help you plan your own custom set of traditions that can build so that planning for Advent and Christmas gets easier each year."

 This great resource is on sale for only $10 for the next couple weeks ($12 after that).  You can get yours here.

Holy Cards

I recently acquired a whole bunch of antique holy cards and am excited to share them with people who appreciate such things (you, of course)!

Judging from the back of this first one, it's a sample of a product from Benziger Brothers.  A deal in 1906 - only $6 for 1000!

Practically free Christmas Decorating

Our front door tends to look a little drab at the best of times, so I decided that some Christmas decorating was in order. We have a juniper topiary in the front yard that looks scraggly if it doesn't get a good pruning every year, and some pine shrubs that were encroaching on my tomato patch, so I spent a half-hour or so with the pruning shears and got 2-3 five-gallon pails worth of foliage. I also clipped some seed pods from my Rose of Sharon bushes for decoration. The only other materials were:

• Cotton twine/yarn (green or brown is easiest to camouflage, of course)
• A spool of galvanized wire
• Optional: A red berry garland ($3.50 at JoAnn this time of year), or any other trims, ribbons, floral picks you like.
• A tape measure, and nails for hanging.
• gardening gloves (A lot of sap in there!)

The process was time-consuming, but really quite simple. Begin by tying the string and wire together (I recommend keeping both on their spools, if possible. lay a branch on the string, and wrap the wire around both once or twice to secure it. Lay the next branch so that the pretty end overlaps your wire wraps, and wrap the wire around the stem end to secure it. 

Since this garland was only going to be seen from one side, I kept everything on the same side of the string, but you should work things around all sides if it will be hung on a banister or other such location.

Add the other decorations as desired, wrapping them together with a piece of the greenery. When I wanted to add the berry garland (cut in halves), I just held it together with the string and made sure the branches didn't hide the berries as I went. I also sorted out some of the more interesting branches (with attractive berries or pine cones) to intersperse with the decorations as well. Give the string a good firm tug every few wraps to make sure you haven't introduced any loops or slack.

The project took a few hours, all told, and I'm very pleased with the result. The same idea works well on a wreath form. You can either purchase one, or make your own from a pool noodle or a couple layers of sturdy cardboard (I wouldn't recommend the latter for anything long term, but it should last as long as live greenery).

A couple of helpful notes:

• I tied/twisted loops in the string and the wire once I got to the corners, for hanging. I recommend stopping a few inches short of your door measurement, because the vertical sections of the garland will stretch once you hang it. 
• For my doorway, I saved the smallest branches for the top section, so that nothing would interfere with opening the door.
• I worked on the front step, since the weather's been so warm, but I'd recommend laying down newspaper if you're working inside, to catch sap and stray needles. 
• If your garland is living inside, mist it with a spray bottle every couple of days to keep it fresh.

Mary, Mother of God

In perils, in anxieties, in doubts,
think of Mary, call on Mary,
let not her name depart from thy lips
nor her thoughts from thy heart.
If she holds thee, thou shalt not fall;
if she protects thee, thou shalt not fail or fear;
if she leads thee, thou shalt not be weary.
[St Bernard]

Image: El Greco, The Virgin of Charity. 1603-1605

The Nativity of the Lord

Let the just rejoice,
for their Justifier is born.

Let the sick and infirm rejoice,
for their Savior is born.

Let the captives rejoice,
for their Redeemer is born.

Let slaves rejoice,
for their Master is born.

Let free men rejoice,
for their Liberator is born.

Let all Christians rejoice,
for Jesus Christ is born.
[St Augustine]

Image: El Greco, The Nativity. 1603

Christmas Cookie Recipe - New Translation!

Fr. Z. just posted an ineffable cookie recipe!

I hope that all the Pious Church Ladies will enjoy:

A reader shared this new, corrected translation of an old cookie recipe. I believe it was developed by some seminarians.

By using this new version, your cookies will be more enjoyable and more fattening than ever:

Christmas Cookie Recipe
(New, Corrected Translation)

Serves: you and many.

Cream these ingredients, that by their comingling you may begin to make the dough:
1 chalice butter, 2/3 chalice sugar

In a similar way, when the butter is consubstantial with the sugar, beat in:
1 egg

Gather these dry ingredients to yourself and combine them, so that you may add them to the dough which you have already begun to make:
2 1/2 chalices sifted all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the precious dough with your venerable hands.

Into the refrigerator graciously place the dough so that it may be chilled, for the duration of 3 or 4 hours, before the rolling and cutting of the cookies.

When, in the fullness of time, you are ready to bake these spotless cookies, these delicious cookies, these Christmas cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out the dough and, taking up a cookie cutter or stencil of your choosing, fashion the cookies into pleasing forms.

Sprinkle colorful adornments over cookies like the dewfall.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies have just begun to manifest the brownness that is vouchsafed to them by the oven’s heat.

May these cookies be found acceptable in your sight, and be borne to a place of refreshment at your table, there to be served with milk or hot chocolate, or with your spirits.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cookie Recipe (New, Corrected Translation)

The Twelfth Day of Christmas

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me twelve drummers drumming.


The twelve points of the creed

The Eleventh Day of Christmas

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me eleven pipers piping.




The eleven faithful apostles

The Tenth Day of Christmas

On the tenth day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me ten lords a-leaping.



The Ten Commandments

The Ninth Day of Christmas

On the ninth day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me nine ladies dancing.


The Gifts of the Holy Ghost

The Eighth Day of Christmas

On the eighth day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me eight maids a-milking.



The Beatitudes

The Seventh Day of Christmas

On the seventh day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me seven swans a-swimming.


The Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost

The Sixth Day of Christmas

On the sixth day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me six geese a-laying.


The six days of creation

The Fifth Day of Christmas

On the fifth day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me five golden rings.


The Pentateuch - the first five books of the Bible

The Fourth Day of Christmas

On the fourth day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me four calling birds.



Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

The Third Day of Christmas

On the third day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me three french hens.

Faith, Hope and Charity

The Second Day of Christmas

On the second day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me two turtle doves.


Synagoga and Ecclesia - the old and new covenants