AWOL

I've been missing you ... but missing for good reason: I've just returned from a glimpse of heaven. I spent a short time with my parents and ALL of my siblings. Little sleep ... lots of fun.
My parents throw an annual Christmas Egg Nog Party ("non-alcoholic of course", as they would say)They began this tradition in 1972 (the last time all the siblings were present for the party) as a gift to their community as well as a way to help us, their children, learn to serve and to socialize. It's a lot of work AND a lot of fun. More details on the Egg Nog Party in future posts. For now, just imagine how joyful it was for me to be a kid again in my parents' home with all of my brothers & sisters ... it was glorious.
Here we are in 1977 followed by a picture taken just a few days ago:

Feeling Christ in Christmas

I'm really excited to be guest posting over at

SOMEONE IN MIND

about our family's best Christmas ever.

Please zip on over - it's an all-around amazing blog!

WINNER OF CHRISTMAS JARS & CHRISTMAS JARS:

Sandy at Sandy and the 1000 Paper Cranes!

I stole this idea from my sweet blog-friend, Special 'K'.

Christmas is just too exciting for me to take up any of my blogspace talking about anything else.

So a couple of things:

(source)

CANDY CANE POPCORN is delicious AND easy to make.

Pop the popcorn

Coat in white chocolate

sprinkle in crushed candy canes.

Next, have you ever wondered what 7 swans-a-swimmin or a partridge in a pear tree have to do with Christmas? I was visiting a friend this week when she shared the history of this song with me:

From 1558 until 1829 Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was JESUS CHRIST

-Two turtle doves were the OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS

-Three French Hens = FAITH, HOPE & CHARITY

-Four Calling Birds = MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE & JOHN the 4 Gospels

-Five Golden Rings = TORAH or LAW, the FIRST 5 BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

-Six Geese a-Laying = 6 DAYS OF CREATION

-Seven Swans a-Swimming = SEVEN-FOLD GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT

-Eight Maids a-Milking = 8 BEATITUDES

-Nine Ladies Dancing = 9 FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT

-Ten Lords a-Leaping = 10 COMMANDMENTS

-Eleven Pipers Piping = 11 FAITHFUL DISCIPLES

-Twelve Drummers Drumming = 12 POINTS OF BELIEF IN THE APOSTLES' CREED