The Twelve Days of Blogmas, Day Seven: Giveaway Winner & Christmas Story

     Today is the day. The winner of the giveaway announcement. Are you excited? I am! 

    Last evening, I wrote all the contestants' names on slips of paper, and folded them up, and put them in a small, elegant dish (actually, it was a candle holder....) My brother was chosen to draw out the winning name. And now, I am going to torture you. 

    For today's post, I looked up some Christmas stories. I found a really nice one by Louisa May Alcott (Who is my favorite author ever). It's called "What the Bells Saw and Said."

                    What the Bells Saw and Said

                                   by Louisa May Alcott

    No one saw the spirits of the bells up there in the old steeple at midnight on Christmas Eve. Six quaint figures, each wrapped in a shadowy cloak, and wearing a bell-shaped cap. All were gray-headed, for they were among the oldest bell-spirits of the city, and the "light of other days" shone in their thoughtful eyes. Silently they sat, looking down on the snow-covered roofs glittering in the moonlight, and the quiet streets deserted by all but the watchmen on their chilly rounds, and such poor souls as wandered shelterless in the winter night.

    Presently one of the spirits said, in a tone which, low as it was, filled the belfry with reverberating echoes--

    "Well, brothers, are your reports ready of the year that now lies dying?"

    All bowed their heads, and one of the oldest answered in a sonorous voice:--

    "My report isn't all I could wish. You. know I look down on the commercial part of our city, and have fine opportunities for seeing what goes on there. It is my business to watch the business men, and upon my word I'm heartily ashamed of them sometimes. During the war they did nobly, giving their time and money, and their sons and selves to the good cause, and I was proud of them. But now too many of them have fallen back into the old ways, and their motto seems to be, " Every one for himself, and the devil take the hindmost." Cheating, lying, and stealing are hard words, and I don't mean to apply them to all who swarm about below there like ants on an anthill-- they have other names for these things, but I'm old-fashioned, and use plain words. There's a deal too much dishonesty in the world, and business seems to have become a game of hazard in which luck, not labor wins the prize. When I was young, men were years making moderate fortunes, and were satisfied with them. They built them on sure foundations, knew how to enjoy them while they lived, and to leave a good name behind them when they died. 

Now i's anything for money; health, happiness, honor life itself, are flung down on that great gaming table, and they forget everything  else in the excitement of success, or the desperation of defeat. Nobody seems satisfied, either, for those who win have little time or taste to enjoy their prosperity, and those who lose have little courage or patience to support themselves in adversity. They don't even fail as they used to. In my day, when a merchant found himself embarrassed, he didn't ruin others in order to save himself, but honestly confessed the truth, gave up everything, and began again. But now-a-days after all manner of dishonorable shifts, there comes a grand crash; many suffer, but by some hocus-pocus, the merchant saves enough to retire upon, and gives comfortably here or abroad. It's very evident that now honor and honesty don't mean what they meant in the days of old May, Higginson and Lawrence."

Well, this story is really long, so I will be doing it in parts. And dow, I'm sure you wan to know who won the giveaway, right?

The winner is.......

Jacie T! Congrats, Jacie! Using the email form on the sidebar, please email me ASAP, with your mailing address, and how you would like you coffee (ground, whole bean, etc.). 

     Come back tomorrow for Part Two of "What the Bells Saw and Said!"

                              *Caitlyn*

The Twelve Days of Blogmas, Day Six: Winter Poems & Last Chance To Enter The Giveaway

     Welp, we're halfway done. Day six. Today is the last day to enter the giveaway. It ends at 5:30 tonight, eastern time. The winner will be announced tomorrow morning. Be sure to comment on Monday's post to enter. 

    My baby sister finally accepted the snow. I am so proud of her. She just loves sitting in the snow, doing nothing. But I have discovered if I turn her towards me, her face isn't exposed to the flying snow, so she actually likes sled rides now. Kind of. But she still prefers to sit in the snow, getting her pants all wet, and eating snow. And then she did not want to come inside, and she started crying, and yelling. From one extreme to the other, I guess😄. 

    We sledded all day yesterday, and I was so stiff and sore, I didn't last long this morning. 

    Anyway, on to today's Blogmas post. I love Christmas poems. They're so descriptive, and glowing. One of my favorites is Winter Time, by Robert Louis Stevenson.

              Winter Time

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,   
A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;   
Blinks but an hour or two; and then,   
A blood-red orange, sets again.   
   
Before the stars have left the skies, 
At morning in the dark I rise;   
And shivering in my nakedness,   
By the cold candle, bathe and dress.   
   
Close by the jolly fire I sit   
To warm my frozen bones a bit; 
Or with a reindeer-sled, explore   
The colder countries round the door.   
   
When to go out, my nurse doth wrap   
Me in my comforter and cap;   
The cold wind burns my face, and blows 
Its frosty pepper up my nose.   
   
Black are my steps on silver sod;   
Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;   
And tree and house, and hill and lake,   
Are frosted like a wedding-cake.

Make sure you come back tomorrow to find out who won the giveaway! Merry Early Christmas! ~Caitlyn

The Twelve Days of Blogmas, Day 5 : Guest Post

    Today, I have a special treat for you: A guest post by my mom! I have wanted her to do a guest post for a long time, and she finally made time!

______________________________________________________________

                                                 Colors of the Season

     Stinging snow, clopping horses, hissing gas lights, and the spicy fragrance of homemade pies. These are the wintery memories of my childhood as an Amish girl.

  Our barn on a winter night was warm and steamy with cows' breath, as they contentedly stood in their straw-filled stanchions, chewing their cuds. The hum of the distant diesel motor mingled with the swish-swish of the milkers and the chatter of my older brothers and sisters as they went about their tasks. On an extra cold night, after my own few chores were done, I loved nothing better than to curl up in the straw cart in the darkened front alley, drowsing and listening to the sounds of farm life. The cold constantly nipping at the edges receded pleasantly into the distance, until everyone finished and we walked together through the crisp, hard air under a starlit sky toward the yellow glow that called us to house and supper.

  The Wisconsin winters were long and dark, and our old farmhouse was warm and cozy when we came inside after chores, puffing and stamping our snowy feet. 

  Occasionally we came in to find my mom waiting with a freezer full of fresh custard, ready to be churned into homemade ice cream. We would take turns cranking the handle, swapping out as arms succumbed to weariness. Others would bring in fresh snow supplies as it was packed into the outside bucket along with layers of rock salt. There was need to frequently add snow as it melted and ran out the bottom. As the youngest, my job was often to stand on top of the ice cream freezer to add extra weight and stability. As the cranking got harder, staying there got more difficult, with me hanging on to any pipes overhead I could get hold of, the freezer bucking and tipping with the exertions. About the time it seemed as if it would never end, my mom would finally pronounce it done. 

  Now came the lovely payment for our labors, beginning with the privilege of licking the dasher. Many little mouths made short work of that. And last but not least, the little bowls heaped with creamy goodness, disappearing at a speed that spoke more eloquently than words of our appreciation and enjoyment of the fruit of our labors. 

  Our small one room school always had a Christmas program, with recitations and two or three plays put on for our parents,  community members, and other invited friends from the area. Nerves tingling, shivering in excitement, we stood straight and tall and looked out over the crowd, our sometimes-faltering voices  bravely ringing out to the best of our abilities, and the crowd joining  in for the closing song, Stille Nacht. Afterward, the students exchanged gifts with each other and the teachers, wrapping paper tearing and exclamations filling the air, and the parents and onlookers watching bemusedly.

  And who could forget the tables set up downstairs, groaning with food. All manner of finger foods spread out in a vast array, dazzling with the sheer variety and colors. Hungry children filing past, piling plates high with homemade party mix, chocolate turtles, corn flakes and rice crispy candy, finger jello, caramel popcorn, and reluctantly taking the obligatory sandwich as their mothers watched with hawkish eyes. A once-yearly feast fit for a king.

  As I grew older and joined the youth group, slow horse-drawn hayrides in the December dark became a part of my life. Perched on prickly, pungent hay bales, we laughed and jostled and sang and talked our way to the local nursing home to spend an evening caroling for the elderly there. Along the route we briefly serenaded  neighbors with a carol or two before moving on, often being offered cookies or other snacks as we passed through.

  All these things and many more parade through my memory in a colorful never-ending stream as I take another sip of peppermint tea and gaze out the window as the flakes drift down. I pause to breathe a thank you to the Lord for the mosaic of blessings that make up my life, past and present.

      

  

  

The Twelve Days of Blogmas, Day Three: Winter Recipes

         Today we got the snowstorm of my dreams. It started snowing about 9:30 this morning, and has been snowing steadily ever since! 

    Right now, there's about 5 inches, and the forecast says twelve more inches, but who knows. But I'm hoping we get twelve more inches.

    I just got inside from sledding. We were outside for over two hours! We were sledding down the hill on our saucer.

    My sister and I tried to take my baby sister outside, and she hated it. She was trying to pick every single snowflake off herself. 

    Then, we tried to give her a swing ride, but first we had to sweep 3 inches of snow off the swing. Well, the snow contaminated the swing, so she couldn't even think of getting on. 

    The final straw was when the wind blew snow all over her. She burst into tears, so I took her inside. As soon as her coat and boots and hat and mittens were off, and she was nice and warm, she wanted to go outside again.

  So I brought her back outside, and gave her a sled ride, but it flipped over, and she got buried in snow. To make it worse, I couldn't find her mittens. Needless to say, she did not want to come outside again.  

    In honor of our 5" of snow, I am going to share two snow-y recipes with you!

1. SNOW-CREAM

All you need (besides snow!) is:

•1/3 cup granulated sugar

•1 cup milk (you can use any kind of milk)

•a pinch of salt

•1 tsp. Vanilla extract

Whisk the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until combined. Then pop the bowl in the freezer while you get your snow. You will need approximately 8 cups of clean, fresh snow. Immediately stir into milk mixture until it is fluffy, and you can scoop it. WARNING: This melts quickly, so you better dive in right away! 

1. EGGNOG

You will need:

•Six large eggs

•One cup granulated sugar

•Two cups whole milk

•One cup heavy cream

•Grated nutmeg, for serving

Separate the eggs. Whisk the yolks with the sugar until smooth and creamy. Whisk in the milk and cream. Just before serving, whisk the egg whites on high speed until little peaks form. Fold the whites gently into the egg whites. Serve cold, with nutmeg sprinkled on top. Enjoy!

Well, that's it for today! Don't forget to enter the giveaway!  See ya tomorrow! 

The Twelve Days of Blogmas, Day Three: My Top Five Favorite Christmas Movies

     Wow, it's already day three! Have you entered the giveaway yet? It ends Friday. Today's post is about some of my all-time favorite Christmas movies. Movies are a fun way to spend a chilly evening with your family. So grab some popcorn and hot cider, and let's go!                                

1. Home Alone. This hilarious, family-friendly movie is perfect for a cold snowy winter evening! (1 hr. and 43 min.) It's about a boy named Kevin who accidentally gets left home alone while his family goes to Paris! He outwits the "Wet Bandits" with the help of some very unusual friends.

2. Home Alone 2; Lost in New York. This sequel to Home Alone is 2 hr. 1 min. This time around, he goes to the airport with his family, but gets on the wrong plane by accident, and ends up in New York City, while his family is in Florida to spend the Christmas vacation. Now Kevin has to deal with the Wet Bandits again, only this time they're the "Sticky Bandits." I actually like this one better than the first one.

3. The Nutcracker. A little girl named Marie finds herself having a magical Christmas Eve in the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy, with her prince. (1 hr. 32 min.)

4. Christmas with the Kranks. Based on the book Skipping Christmas by John Grisham, this movie is 1 hour and 39 minutes of hilariousness! A couple decides to skip Christmas, and go on a cruise, and it doesn't end so well. 

5. Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. Um, this is like the lamest movie on planet Earth, but it's a tradition for me and my brother and sister to watch it around Christmas. Even though it's lame, I like it for nostalgic reasons. It is 1 hour and 20 minutes. 

    Be sure to come back tomorrow for Day Four! ~Caitlyn 

The Twelve Days of Blogmas, Day Two: Christmas Music & Snow Update

    Welcome back to day two! Make sure you have entered the giveaway! It closes on Friday, @ 5:30 Eastern Time.

    Well, I got my wish. We got snow this morning. Not a lot, maybe half an inch. But, hey, it was snow! Unfortunately, it's already melting😑 Hopefully, we'll have a white Christmas, though. 

    One of my favorite things about Christmas is Christmas music! Well, I have compiled a list of Christmas songs. 

Come All Ye Faithful, by Jillian Edwards

Carol of the Bells, Original Lyrics

Do you Hear What I Hear, by Bing Crosby

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Traditional Choir

Christmas is Coming, the Goose is Getting Fat

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, by Brenda Lee

Deck the Halls

The First Noel, by Andy Williams

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, by Michael Bublé

Silent Night, by Michael Bublé

Angels We Have Heard on High,

The Little Drummer Boy

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, by Andy Williams

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, by Michael Bublé

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Jingle Bells

Let It Snow, by Dean Martin

Mary, Did You Know?

Winter Wonderland, by Michael Bublé

White Christmas, by Bing Crosby

Sleigh Ride

O Come, O Come Emanuel, by The Petersen's

Joy To the World, by The Petersens

O Holy Night

Jingle Bell Rock, by Bobby Helm

I Wish You A Merry Christmas, by Bing Crosby

O, Little Town of Bethlehem

O, Christmas Tree

Okay, that's it for today. Be sure to come back tomorrow for Day Three!

The Twelve Days of Blogmas, Day One: Giveaway & Snow Stories

                                         

              Update: Giveaway is now closed! Thank you, everyone who participated! 

  Well, today's the day. This year, I am going to do the "Twelve Days of Blogmas" challenge, where I will post something Christmas-y, or winter-y every day on the twelve days leading up to Christmas. 

    Tomorrow, we are supposed to get up to 3 inches of snow! It started flurrying back in November, but it didn't stay nearly long enough (I love snow). So I am really excited at the possibility of having a few inches of snow!

The most it has ever snowed here was 2 feet! My brother was so little at the time, he wasn't't allowed to go outside! But that was a long, long time ago, and it hasn't been that deep since.

My little sister has never even seen snow, because last winter she was too tiny to go out, so I'm wondering what her reaction will be.

    Oh, I almost forgot! Not. Because 'tis the season to be jolly, let's end this first day with a giveaway! We've got some awesome prizes, guys! 

My mom and I found a really nice book, that has a mix of a bunch of Christmas stories from different authors. And it's even hardcover, my favorite kind of book!

Treasured Stories of Christmas, compiled by Sarah Anne Stuart.

Treasured Stories of Christmas

And what goes best with a good book on a cold, snowy night? A cup of something hot! So, the prize includes a mug full of freshly roasted coffee, from my dad's coffee roasting business, Bon Aroma Coffee. 

                      

Coffee fresh from the roaster
Bon Aroma Coffee

                              

And of course you're wondering how you can win this stuff. All you have to do is comment! If you comment, I will enter you, unless you specifically say, "I am commenting, but I do not want to enter." (But who in their right mind would do that?)

This contest ends on Friday, December 18th, at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time, and I will announce the winner sometime before lunch on Saturday, the 19th.

That's it for today! Don't forget to come back tomorrow for Day Two!   ~Caitlyn O.

Turkey, Colds and Vinegar Tea

 Hey hey hey!! I have not posted in SO long. My apologies. But I have something fun I want to do for December! We all got a cold from my four-year-old cousin when they were here for Thanksgiving. My aunt told me about something that really helps a sore throat- Vinegar Tea.

                                                    RECIPE:

You will need: Hot water, apple cider vinegar, and honey.

Pour hot water into a mug, and add one and a half tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Add honey to taste. Stir well, and drink.

This helps SO much! I was shocked! 

My aunt and uncle raised a few turkeys this year, and they brought one along for Thanksgiving.

Guess how much it weighed? Comment and guess! I'll comment and tell the answer after the twentieth comment!

It was delicious!! We also had mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, peas and carrots, sweet potato casserole, ribbon salad, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, mixed berry pie, and ice cream. 

                                                                             

  

Au revoir!

CAITLYN O.