Christmas in the Mountains

When Christmas rolls around, I am sometimes asked to read a "children's" story at the Christmas Eve meeting.   Some years, I choose better than others. 

This year, I thought I would read "A Certain Small Shepherd" by Rebecca Caudill but my copy has gone missing.  As luck would have it, I own the book "Children of Christmas" by Cynthia Rylant.  This group of holiday stories is just about my favorite collection ever.  Unfortunately, some of the stories affect me emotionally so I can't read them out loud, especially in public.  The story, "Silver Packages" was just right for sharing.  In fact, that story has been turned into a stand alone picture book.

Like Caudill's story, "Silver Packages" takes place in Appalachia.  A rich man shows gratitude to the people who helped him in his time of need by tossing silver wrapped packages from the caboose of a train that wends its way through the mountains right before Christmas.  A boy yearns for one particular toy.  He never receives it.  The presents he does open each Christmas morning are things he needs to stay warm and healthy.  And one day he returns to the mountains to repay that debt.

It was a good choice for read/telling out loud.  If you get a chance, look for these books at your library.  Read "For Being Good"  from "Children of Christmas". 

That's the story I can't read out loud.

Back again with Santa Goes Everywhere

First, there was a cruise!  Whoopee! and totally needed.  Internet access is very limited on those big ships. (But, we missed the East Coast snows!)
Second, we got back on Dec. 23rd. Christmas was falling on us like an avalanche.
Third, there was the Christmas Eve service story - only one copy anywhere in the Lehigh Valley, and it was a 30 minute drive away.  The Best Christmas Ever by Chih-Yuan Chen.  I love that book.

Fourth, there was Christmas, with wrapping and cleaning and baking and cooking - all compressed into 3 and a half days.  It was WONDERFUL!

So that is why I have not been around.  I am back!

And look what I found over on readertotz - Santa Goes Everywhere!

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas

I am a member of Jacquie Lawson's ecard community.  (I forget what the subscription costs. ) For the past three years the Jacquie Lawson folks across the pond have offered a digital Advent Calendar.  Download it once and enjoy it for 25 days. Last year, the calendar took us to London where we enjoyed the sights.  This year, we visited an "Alpine" village.  But, best of all, we all got the same cottage living room where we could each decorate the tree, design a wreath and hang stockings.  Here is a photo of my cottage.

As the real world goes crazy, I retreat into this safe digital haven where everything is pretty, peaceful and joyous.  And I think of the friends who might be hanging their stockings in their own digital cottages and it gives me relief and calm.  Thanks, Jacquie and your team of artists and techies, for creating such a lovely diversion.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Wonderful Winter to everyone who stops by this blog and to all their loved ones.

Merry Christmas Happy Hanukkah

Once again I neglected to post on Storyteller Thursday.  But I have a link that will make up for that! Through a special interest group on Linked In, I discovered the Story Tour Blog, a blog that presents Jewish stories - a new one every week or so - in an effort to strengthen faith and increase understanding among Jews, Christian, Muslims and EVERYBODY.  Jewish stories resonate with truth.  Bat wait, all stories do.  Back to Story Tour!

The story I linked to is a good one for this season.  All around us, people encourage us to to feel joyful, happy, fizzy inside.  But realists among us see through the overlay of holiday excitement to the imperfections of our lives and ourselves.  Let a Rebbe open your eyes to how to improve things in this story.

And now for you Christmas lovers out there - and I am one of THOSE! -a very special tree brought to us by the librarian at Trexler Middle School in Allentown, PA, Donna Forsyth.  Thanks for letting me share this picture, Donna.

Donna assures us that these books  were made available to students if they wanted to borrow them but she chose less popular books to build this literary tree.  So festive!

Merry Christmas to all of you!