View allAll Photos Tagged CHRISTMAS
18 December 2008
This afternoon we went out to look for a Christmas tree. We always put this off until the last minute. Christmas creeps up on you so stealthily, after all, that you don't even realize it's here until it's almost too late. And this is Holland, where the big holiday is Sinterklaas, the Feast of St. Nicholas, December 5th, which is a big-time Dutch gift-giving event that is preceded by hectic shopping. By the time Sinterklaas is over the shopkeepers are exhausted, so you don't get the frantic Christmas rush to remind you that you'd better go out and buy that tree.
Since we don't have a car, we usually shop for a tree at the stand run by a guy who sells flowers on one of the main shopping streets in Alkmaar, within walking distance of our house. Most of the time this guy has pretty decent trees up until the last few days before Christmas. But not today. Today the trees were all sorry pine specimens that I couldn't bear to pay good money for. What to do? We didn't feel like tramping all over town looking for something better. It would take too much time, which is why we put this off in the first place.
For years, Jim and I have been having this low-key dispute over real tree versus artificial. Jim has been pushing for artificial. He's the one who ends up having to hack off bits of bark to fit the thing into the Christmas tree stand. Artificial trees actually look pretty good, is his argument, and once you have one you can use it over and over again. I'm one of those nostalgic people who thinks that a plastic Christmas tree is just about the worst thing you can consider. It represents everything that our modern world has come to stand for (vacuous falseness, etc.), and besides that, it doesn’t smell like a Christmas tree. It doesn’t smell like anything..
But looking at those pathetic conifers, and then glancing over at the big department store right across the sidewalk where there was a vast assortment of Christmas products just waiting to be bought, I suggested timidly that perhaps an artificial tree wouldn't be such a bad idea. In ten minutes we were in the V & D Christmas department, deciding whether to get the 150 cm. or the 180 cm. model. It didn't hurt that they were 50% off.
On the way home, Jim tried to soothe my conscience by explaining that this way no tree will be cut down to decorate our home, we won't have to water it, and it will last until Russian Orthodox Christmas (January 7) without dropping any needles. So we set it up, covered it with lights, and decorated it with the charming little things we've been collecting for these 26 years, and I'll be darned if it doesn't look great. (Still doesn't smell like a Christmas tree, though.)
The moral of the story is this: if you're the sort of person who could never imagine living with an artificial Christmas tree, imagine it. It's not so bad! Loosen up! Make room for change! Let it happen.
Life around our artificial Christmas tree is fine. All is well. Jim's new kidney is taking good care of him, and my lone kidney is being a good sport (probably because its mate is never very far away). The kids are all doing well. Dan has been nominated the Teacher of the Year at the University of Amsterdam, Wendy is working with Musicians Without Borders and has won a valuable prize to help continue the work they're doing setting up a Rock Music School in Kosovo, Tom and Kylie are doing well at Nike in Hilversum, Cait and Bjorn were married in May and are now expecting their first baby, a girl, in late April, and Anne has switched schools and is very happy studying art at the Royal Art Academy in The Hague. . Ben continues with his home-based business helping people with their computer problems while Amy continues to direct the New Jersey Environmental Federation.
My translation work is going very well.
Jim has had a very productive writing year, with the publication of The Road to Emmaus: Pilgrimage as a Way of Life and new revised editions of Praying with Icons and Living with Wisdom: a Biography of Thomas Merton.
My mother Lorraine is still living with us. At age 91 she's still making beautiful paintings, and Jim has set up a special part of his Flickr site to show them off (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimforest/sets/72157603780115420/).
We wish you all a blessed new year. It's going to be challenging, but we're not going to go into that except to say that you may end up having to switch to an artificial tree, or to make some kind of change you never thought you'd ever make in your wildest dreams. Be strong and keep on loving. You're not alone.
Much love,
Nancy
(writing some of this in the third person)
"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that[a] they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." - Matthew 5:16 ESV
Christmas is a religious commemoration of the #Nativity - the birth of our Lord #JesusChrist. In today's context, Christmas is also a celebration of united families and friends to give presents, smiles, and hopes to everyone.
Medium: Canon EOS 4000D
Date Taken: November 20, 2022
Copyright 2022. All Rights Reserved.
We celebrated Christmas 2010 with our son, Brian, and his family in Columbus, Ohio.
Hamlet with one of his presents.
A mini Christmas card. Details HERE.
HA Products:
CL366 - Decorate Your Own
CH137 - Pearls
CH136 - Pearls
Digital PP - Jen Allyson
Digital Sentiment - Carina Gardner
Nesties
I built this snowflake cause I wasn't really happy with the other one. I saw someone else's snowflake on Brickshelf and was inspired.
I had the idea for this while waiting to pick up a parcel at the post office.
There's a big fir tree at the bottom of our garden. I really wanted to cover it with massive baubles, but it's not our tree (would that be guerrilla decorating?)
So, this is next best - it's taken through the window, with the lights from our Christmas tree reflecting in the glass.
Merry Christmas!! Every one :D
Dress up Suume and Marron and made some snapshot! Made them more Christmas looks! :3 Have a great holly day!
PsP gallery (buy PsP pictures on SmugMug)
PsP (Wordpress)
500px
www.instagram.com/pspimages4u/
Shutterstock
This is the cake I made for our Christmas celebration this year. It is chocolate chiffon frosted and filled with creamy vanilla frosting. I am very pleased with my gumpaste Santa! He's sitting on a gold gumpaste base with embossed teddy bear prints.
Lights, christmas trees, shopping, eating and if you're lucky, lots of snow. Christmas in Copenhagn is wonderful. Here are some basic facts about this special time of the year in the Danish capital.
In the town itself, various shops have their own traditional ways to celebrate Christmas. Royal Copenhagen's showroom at Amagertorv, filled with beautiful porcelain, silver and crystal, is the place to acquire a Christmas plate. It can be a Bing & Grøndahl or a Royal Copenhagen plate. Another tradition started in 1910 is the specially designed (but not inexpensive) holiday dessertspoon and fork. In the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain House, well-known Danes using Royal Copenhagen finery, each year with a different theme, create elaborate Christmas tables.