Three years ago I posted an annoying "Helpful Holiday Hint" that I heard on the radio: that the "hot decor theme" that year was silver and gold. It just bugged me. Not that I wanted to be a wet blanket on the shiny happy decorations, but it did make me think of Charlie Brown hollering "Neigbourhood lights and display contest? Arrrgh!"
I have a new one for this year. I've heard it twice already. How do you cope with holiday stress? The answer is...co-ordinate your wardrobe.
Besides that, you should Prioritize Your Parties and Projects, and also take Powernaps before the Parties.
If it weren't so Ludicrous, I'd just Laugh Loudly.
But I have a better response.
(A note on viewing the video: because of the narrow frames, you may not be able to see the full pictures unless you click through and watch it on You-tube. Sorry about that.)
Showing posts with label giving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label giving. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Sunday, December 08, 2013
It's Advent Not Christmas, Day Eight: "Some?"
"Christmas isn't just about giving. It's about getting and about God's Son Emmanuel." ~~ Young Squirreling in Dewey's Treehouse, December 2005
Every family has its own "home words" and shortcuts. One of ours is "some?" It sprouted when the Squirrelings were little and would ask for "some?" Meaning a polite "I don't know exactly what that is you have there, Daddy, but it sure looks good, so can I have some?" Or, on occasion, "Gimme, gimme some or I'll have a meltdown!" It also reminds Mama Squirrel of the story her own mother used to repeat on every family occasion involving pumpkin pie, of the time that Very Little Mama Squirrel's daddy was slicing her a small piece of pie, and when he turned away for a moment to find her a plate, she took the rest of it and left him the small slice.
Over the years, the use of that single word has morphed from an asking word into an offering. Mr. Fixit, particularly, still proffers the plate of toast or whatever with the word "Some?"
It occurs to me that the late philosopher and teacher Dallas Willard might have found use for our word "Some," in his thinking on the Divine Conspiracy. Think of the scenes you've seen on T.V., where someone says, "I'll have some of whatever they're having." It's been used in every sense from the most vulgar to the most literal, and I hesitate even to describe it that way, but it's an image that's worked itself into our culture. Is it possible to think of the Divine Conspiracy as an offering of "Some?" God offers us "Some?" Then we offer Some of What We're Having to those outside the circle? I don't mean so much physical aid, although that's in there; I mean God's gift of Himself. One word only. An asking, or an offering.
It also occurs to me that when we're unsure of "our" gift of the Gospel being accepted or rejected by others, it may be because we think of it as "ours." C.S Lewis describes a small child who asks his father for sixpence to buy him a gift; the father of course is pleased with the gift, and, Lewis says, that's as it should be; but in terms of finances, it all came from the father to start with, right? We make the gift and the giving too complicated.
Maybe all we ever need to offer, or to ask for, is "Some?"
Every family has its own "home words" and shortcuts. One of ours is "some?" It sprouted when the Squirrelings were little and would ask for "some?" Meaning a polite "I don't know exactly what that is you have there, Daddy, but it sure looks good, so can I have some?" Or, on occasion, "Gimme, gimme some or I'll have a meltdown!" It also reminds Mama Squirrel of the story her own mother used to repeat on every family occasion involving pumpkin pie, of the time that Very Little Mama Squirrel's daddy was slicing her a small piece of pie, and when he turned away for a moment to find her a plate, she took the rest of it and left him the small slice.
Over the years, the use of that single word has morphed from an asking word into an offering. Mr. Fixit, particularly, still proffers the plate of toast or whatever with the word "Some?"
It occurs to me that the late philosopher and teacher Dallas Willard might have found use for our word "Some," in his thinking on the Divine Conspiracy. Think of the scenes you've seen on T.V., where someone says, "I'll have some of whatever they're having." It's been used in every sense from the most vulgar to the most literal, and I hesitate even to describe it that way, but it's an image that's worked itself into our culture. Is it possible to think of the Divine Conspiracy as an offering of "Some?" God offers us "Some?" Then we offer Some of What We're Having to those outside the circle? I don't mean so much physical aid, although that's in there; I mean God's gift of Himself. One word only. An asking, or an offering.
It also occurs to me that when we're unsure of "our" gift of the Gospel being accepted or rejected by others, it may be because we think of it as "ours." C.S Lewis describes a small child who asks his father for sixpence to buy him a gift; the father of course is pleased with the gift, and, Lewis says, that's as it should be; but in terms of finances, it all came from the father to start with, right? We make the gift and the giving too complicated.
Maybe all we ever need to offer, or to ask for, is "Some?"
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Quote for a Sunday
"There is of course a sense in which no one can give to God anything which is not already His, and if it is already His, what have you given? But since it is only too obvious that we can withhold ourselves, our wills and hearts, from God, we can, in that sense, also give them." ~~ C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves
Monday, July 08, 2013
"Flowers and sunsets, moon on water..." (Hidden Art of Homemaking, Chapter 12)
"I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. What does this mean? I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life." ~~ Martin Luther, The Small Catechism
"He who created us, who created the universe, who created the fruits and vegetables, who created the flowers and 'clothed' them in beauty, is the One who is telling us that we need not worry about food, drink or clothing." ~~ Edith Schaeffer, "Clothing," The Hidden Art of Homemaking
"We who are dressing ourselves and our children, providing for missionaries or friends, making things for orphans or refugees should 'consider the flowers,' the lilies of the field, and consider it our part, as finite imperfect human beings, to be as creative as we have the talent to be!....The Christian...is the representative of a King--the King of Kings and Lord of Lords." ~~ Edith Schaeffer
"When I gave her my stockings I forgot they were the only black pair I had without holes, but I am glad I did give them to her, because my conscience would have been uncomfortable if I hadn't. When she had gone away, looking so proud and happy, the poor little thing, I remembered that all I had to wear were the horrid red and blue things Aunt Martha knit last winter for me out of some yarn that Mrs. Joseph Burr of Upper Glen sent us. It was dreadfully coarse yarn and all knots, and I never saw any of Mrs. Burr's own children wearing things made of such yarn. But Mary Vance says Mrs. Burr gives the minister stuff that she can't use or eat herself, and thinks it ought to go as part of the salary her husband signed to pay, but never does." ~~ L.M. Montgomery, Rainbow Valley
Linked from the Hidden Art of Homemaking linky for Chapter 12 at Ordo Amoris
Thursday, December 01, 2011
What to give to the Strugglehards (vintage clipping)
"Of course you have got cousin Sophia Strugglehard on your list?" asked John changing the subject.
"Oh, yes," answered Kitty briskly.(Good Housekeeping, 1886)
"What are you going to send her?"
"Well," hesitated Kitty, "I have bought her a couple of pretty handkerchiefs."
"Two for a quarter ?" queried John relentlessly.
"Now, John, you are too bad," began Kitty.
"No, I am not," answered he indignantly. "If ever anybody needed something pretty and bright she does, shut up in that dull country town with herflock of little children, and not a cent for anything beyond clothes and food. Think how one of your plush banners or painted easels would brighten her shabby parlor, while in Aunt Easymoney's it is simply one thing more too many."
"Yes, but you know, John," said Kitty eagerly, "she often says she wishes people would not send her handsome presents for she can't make any in return."
"Give and take again," answered John, "but don't you suppose a pretty bit of your own work done for love's sake, would hurt her pride less than the two cheap handkerchiefs given, as she knows as well as you do, just to 'give her something ?'"
"I wish you wouldn't say anything more, John," said Kitty disconsolately, " I think Christmas presents are dreadful anyway, and I shall be glad when it is over with."
"The trouble is not with the Christmas presents, my dear, but with the way you make them. The finest things must be given to the richest people because anything else will seem shabby, and because they give handsome things themselves. There is no affection about it. And the presents themselves, look at the heap of trash that gathers in our parlor Christmas week. Ornaments that keep me a week putting up and buying fixtures for, embroidered nonsense of all kinds, things of no possible use nor comfort, to be brushed up, or picked up, or nailed up for the whole year, till they are faded or broken. When I think of the money that goes into them and the care and bother that must go after them, I feel as Kitty does, Christmas is a burden and a bore. It is too bad to have such a beautiful custom spoiled. No, girls, don't waste eyes and time making something nobody wants just to give something. Give to people because you love them, and give them something they want. If they have so much that you must rack your brains to find something they have not got, for mercy's sake don't burden them with anything more. Give food and clothing to some perishing child in their name and tell them of it. Do anything but take all the heart and the blessedness out of the beautiful Christmas time. Remember who gave Himself, not to the rich and full, but to the poor and perishing, and let us keep our Christmas comfort not smother it under bric-a-brac and embroidery." —Mary Blake.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
What's in your hand: Extreme Edition
"What's in your hand" is a favourite phrase of the Deputy Headmistress. Just to give proper credit.
Do you remember that Little House Christmas chapter where things are in a bad state, gift-wise and otherwise? As Laura falls asleep that Christmas Eve, she hears Ma saying something like "there's still the white sugar." The bag of white sugar is a huge treat, usually hoarded and saved for company. But the next morning, in their stockings they each find a sugar-topped cookie. (Apologies to Birdie.)
I get a similar impulse around this time of year, usually in the last week or so before Christmas when the present list seems a little thin (and it's almost too late to start making things). Use it up! Pour it out! What good is it doing just sitting around if we could use it for something? And I don't mean just the butter and sugar...although I did finish off the part-bag of brown sugar and the whole box of raw sugar, two pounds of butter, and all the eggs. (Groceries today.)
Without trying to give away too many secrets, we used up the last of the tacky craft glue, a package of black pompoms (bought several years ago) plus a few leftover coloured ones, most of the cotton yarn, some dollar-store scrapbooking paper bought last February, several vintage hankies, the last of several spools of thread, and a couple of large pieces of fabric that were sitting...just sitting, not pulling their weight. Not to mention that green cord and the glitzy napkins. And some other things I'm not allowed to name.
We bought a roll of white paper at the toy store in the summer (to make a Pilgrim's Progress scroll and also a life-size paper girl; last week Crayons noticed the Snowman Factory idea (think giant paper dolls) on the Canadian Living website. Perfect!--four large snowmen now in progress. (That's where the pompoms and scrapbooking paper are going.) She also wants to make some smaller paper-chain snowmen like the ones she saw on the wall at Ponytails' school.
Last year's last-minute making was much the same: I used up all the craft stuffing we had plus a big piece of quilt batting and most of our yard-saled bulky yarn to make The Apprentice a sausage-shaped pillow. That doesn't mean I went right out and bought more stuffing, either; actually we didn't buy any until last week.
At certain times in your life you might go through a "nesting" phase--a time to gather it all up, acquire, stock the shelves. At Christmas my instinct is to do the opposite: not with a feeling of using up unwanted rags, not scrounging, but rather using the best that we have, and all of it if necessary. Enjoying it, sharing it, --the most beautiful treasures and the favourite ingredients, used and given freely. Some of it, we'll replace quickly: eggs and brown sugar are easy to come by, and we can get more glue. Other things we may do without for awhile...I don't know if or when I'll ever have a whole package of black pompoms around again.
But next year we'll make something else.
Do you remember that Little House Christmas chapter where things are in a bad state, gift-wise and otherwise? As Laura falls asleep that Christmas Eve, she hears Ma saying something like "there's still the white sugar." The bag of white sugar is a huge treat, usually hoarded and saved for company. But the next morning, in their stockings they each find a sugar-topped cookie. (Apologies to Birdie.)
I get a similar impulse around this time of year, usually in the last week or so before Christmas when the present list seems a little thin (and it's almost too late to start making things). Use it up! Pour it out! What good is it doing just sitting around if we could use it for something? And I don't mean just the butter and sugar...although I did finish off the part-bag of brown sugar and the whole box of raw sugar, two pounds of butter, and all the eggs. (Groceries today.)
Without trying to give away too many secrets, we used up the last of the tacky craft glue, a package of black pompoms (bought several years ago) plus a few leftover coloured ones, most of the cotton yarn, some dollar-store scrapbooking paper bought last February, several vintage hankies, the last of several spools of thread, and a couple of large pieces of fabric that were sitting...just sitting, not pulling their weight. Not to mention that green cord and the glitzy napkins. And some other things I'm not allowed to name.
We bought a roll of white paper at the toy store in the summer (to make a Pilgrim's Progress scroll and also a life-size paper girl; last week Crayons noticed the Snowman Factory idea (think giant paper dolls) on the Canadian Living website. Perfect!--four large snowmen now in progress. (That's where the pompoms and scrapbooking paper are going.) She also wants to make some smaller paper-chain snowmen like the ones she saw on the wall at Ponytails' school.
Last year's last-minute making was much the same: I used up all the craft stuffing we had plus a big piece of quilt batting and most of our yard-saled bulky yarn to make The Apprentice a sausage-shaped pillow. That doesn't mean I went right out and bought more stuffing, either; actually we didn't buy any until last week.
At certain times in your life you might go through a "nesting" phase--a time to gather it all up, acquire, stock the shelves. At Christmas my instinct is to do the opposite: not with a feeling of using up unwanted rags, not scrounging, but rather using the best that we have, and all of it if necessary. Enjoying it, sharing it, --the most beautiful treasures and the favourite ingredients, used and given freely. Some of it, we'll replace quickly: eggs and brown sugar are easy to come by, and we can get more glue. Other things we may do without for awhile...I don't know if or when I'll ever have a whole package of black pompoms around again.
But next year we'll make something else.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)