CHRISTMAS - Make It Stress-free!

Christmas is an overwhelming time  during the holidays when we get caught up in the glitz and hustle and bustle of finding presents, writing cards, hosting parties, listening to radio and television advertising, making food and baking--and so many other activities that we become over-stimulated, cranky, and sometimes downright depressed. We think we have to get everything just right. Just perfect.

My mother used to remind me when I slipped into my crazy Christmas mode, that Christmas is only one day. It will come and it will go--in just twenty-four hours, she would admonish. 

Here are some quick tips to reduce the Christmas stress:

PLAN AHEAD – Plan ahead, whether it’s starting the Christmas cards early in November or making a list of things that are priorities such as travel plans, possible presents, or your food lists for menus for the season. It always helps to start early and avoid rushing later.

BUY ONLINE – There’s no need to elbow you way through crowded stores when many of the online specials already beat the Christmas prices advertised in the flyers and on the radio and television. Shop online and have everything delivered to your door.

TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF – Take time to breathe, take time to exercise, take time to do something you like. Grab a cup of hot chocolate or decaffeinated coffee and your favorite book and cozy chair for a few minutes. Psychologists say we need 20 minutes of “me time” or “personal down-time” each day. Take it and don’t feel guilty.

ENJOY THE SEASON – If Christmas music makes you feel joyful, turn up the knob on your radio or find music on your phone or Tablet/Kindle. Take a quiet, solitary walk and get away from it all, if you must. Watch the snow fall silently and peacefully, covering the world in white. Smell the homey scents of the season: pine, citrus, cinnamon and vanilla. Listen to the sounds of bells or children laughing. Enjoy the very sights that remind us of Christmas such as a wreath on someone’s door or a lighted Christmas tree.

And in the end, remember—“It’s really only one day. It will come and it will go--in just twenty-four hours!”  

Merry Christmas to all!

 

Please Note: 

The above blog is a re-post from December 2017, but is relevant every December.

 

 

Musical Christmas Series  - JUNE ~ The Pianist
 

DECEMBER ~ Bringing Home the Christmas Tree

“Who we are is where we’ve been, who are parents are, where we lived, who are friends were and are. All these influence what we see and how we see it, how we talk and what we say, how we think and what we think about, what we believe and what we value. We are our histories.”  
                                  ~ Jerry Apps, Renowned storyteller, author, educator and historian
                                                                                               ~ from Living a Country Year

As December rolls around, often into a snowy wonderland for northern states’ residents like myself, we look forward to holidays and the simple joys of country living. When I was growing up, it was an exciting time for farm kids to get the family Christmas tree. Never was there any discussion about visiting a Christmas tree farm or buying one. Bundled up and with boots on, we trudged through the white stuff, searching our own woodlands for an evergreen tree to fit in its rightful place in the corner of our dining room. Even a less-than-stellar, often lopsided, Charlie-Brown-like pine or spruce tree would do. After all, we were going to position it with its best side looking outward, weren’t we?

Our ornaments were glass, shiny, and old—and in all the colors of the rainbow along with silver, white, pink and other variations. We also had small plastic Rudolph reindeer ornaments to add to the seasonal vibe. Mother usually let us decorate without any interference, except with the warning not to throw the icicles on the tree, as we were apt to do as we tired of the final step. The plug for the light was one set into the floor. We were also sternly reminded not to drop anything into it—like tiny metal hangers used to fasten the bulbs on the branches. 

The tinsel on the tree was silver and thinner those fluffy ones of today and served to help hide the holes between the branches. Our colored light bulbs each had a reflector with mirrors on each point of the star to send up a dazzling display. Beneath the tree was a white skirt with a manger scene and a score of cardboard houses where a bulb from a string of lights could be inserted in the back of each to illuminate the vivid paper windows. On top, a lighted angel sat looking out and guarding our cozy farmhouse. When we finished, our tree was sometimes gaudy, but always a lovable one. The lights were a merry sight to behold when lit in the evening. The fresh pine scented the air with a pleasing, clean smell. 

Now, with the multitude of new and various holiday decorations for trees and our homes, I wonder whether we’ve lost the true delight and excitement of digging out all the boxes with old treasured ornaments and re-engaging in the fun of discovering familiar things that were so much part of our past and traditions. The humble tree reflected a multitude of joys in many Christmas celebrations of long ago.  

It truly was a part of who were, where we’ve been, how and where we lived, what we believed, and what we valued. It was our histories.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Award-winning novella, ADELENE ~THE VIOLINIST, 

is Book 2, in the “Musical Christmas Series,” and took first place in the
2023 Oklahoma Romance Writers’ of America Contemporary Short Awards. 

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Will Adelene Almanza discover the long-forgotten secrets of the old schoolhouse 

hidden away in its boarded-up attic? And will the sparks of love 

ignite a second time for her and a long ago love?

 

THE HUMBLE PINES

Winter is the time to snuggle down and watch snowflakes fly. Unfortunately, tasks we’ve set aside indoors—lured outside by the long warm days of summer—now call us asking for completion.

As a writer, I have folders of unfinished stories and works shoved into folders, hidden from my eyes and conscience. Many pieces need a new direction, some may need corrections and rewrites, a few may need a trip to the trash can.                                                       

In my search through these fat folders marked, save, I found a poem I wrote for Christmas over a century ago. What I wanted to do with it, or even why I wrote it, is buried somewhere at the bottom of an informational dump in my brain. It’s a Christmas poem and seems
appropriate for December.

                           The Humble Pines

 

'Twas daybreak in the forest,

the winds blew crisp and cold. 

And snow lay in a white-washed 'guise

on oak trees, staunch and old.

The sky was slate. The drifts, knee-deep,

as snowflakes fluttered down.

While high above, the hemlock sighed

a faint melodious sound.

Across the vale a shaft of light
broke through the frigid morn,
And scattered rays of hope and love...
Today, the Child was born.

Then firethorn threw shimmering beads 

amid the sun-kissed laurel.

Bright holly bushes shook their limbs

with shades of red and coral.

And in these woods where nature reigned,

where peace and ice abound,

The stately pines all bent their heads

and bowed their branches down.

In these trying times let’s all send out a humble wish:

 “Let there be peace on earth…and let it begin with us.”

 

 

For some heartwarming reading during the holiday season, 

please check out my "Musical Christmas Series" 

 

THE MERRY MONTH OF DECEMBER

The holiday season has officially arrived.

It’s the merry month of December in the Northern United States with flying reindeer, chimneys large enough to fit fat men down, and coming soon— adorable fluffy white snow swirling around in the minus degree temperatures.

There is nothing quite as exhilarating as elbowing your way through crowds of people at the mall, all vying for those gigantic flat screen televisions now on sale. Or maybe it’s that newest air fryer, sure to hog all the space on your already crowded kitchen counter. Make sure you buy your grandchild that super-duper rocket launcher that hurls projectiles from one room to the next with little care for any fragile bone china on display.

Leaving all jokes aside, I do enjoy the season with its hustle and bustle. Christmas brings with it some of the best holiday foods and drinks, all the assortments of baked goods and special sweets, and the old comforting sing-along, holiday music for our ears. I have portable, blue tooth speakers in three different rooms so I can have holiday music as I move from room to room.

Already, I’ve put a real wreath on the back door inside a closed entrance, so we can smell the pine when we enter or leave. A small fiber optic tree now sits on our fireplace hearth lighting up the family room in a colorful and twinkling display. As always, my favorite stuffed snowmen are guarding the family room and will do so until February arrives.

This year, with the sons and families, in Alaska and South Carolina, my husband and I will be celebrating Christmas together without company. I’m trying to sell Scott on having a Christmas Eve dinner complete with crab legs, shrimp, coleslaw, and maybe some corn bread. I always bake pies and cookies during the entire month, so dessert is optional.  

How are you progressing with your holiday activities, chores, and plans for this upcoming year? Drop me a note in the comment section below.

But before I go, I want you to know—

                         It's Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air!

                                   Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

 

 

                                       Featuring my "Musical Christmas Series" in eBooks: 

 

              JUNE~The Pianist       ADELENE~The Violinist      LUCY~The Clarinetist 

 

THE CHRISTMAS WREATH

It's the holly jolly holiday season. And everywhere, from up on the roof tops to down on the lawns, inside and outside, people are scurrying to decorate their homes. This is the time of the  year when I enjoy looking at the many different wreaths hanging on the doors of homes and businesses. They are colorful, artistic and varied, and are often constructed with evergreens, grape vines, or holly which are then adorned with pine cones, ribbons, bells, shiny glass balls, berries, and bows. But where did the tradition of hanging a wreath on a door for Christmas originate? Although there are many theories, it’s believed the wreath came with the Irish when they immigrated to the United States.

The wreath itself can be traced back to ancient Greece and Rome when people employed decorative wreaths as a sign of victory and celebration. Bay laurel wreaths crowned victorious athletes at the original Olympic Games. They are also used in ceremonial events in many other cultures around the world.

In English-speaking countries, wreaths are typically used as household ornaments, mainly as an Advent and Christmas decoration. They are also utilized in funerals and the laying of wreaths in memory of those who have died. When harvest season arrives, they are hung to celebrate the start of fall and the hopes for abundant crops.

Wreaths have centuries of  history and symbolism associated with them. During the Christmas season, many of these ornamental circles are made from branches from evergreen trees and shrubs which symbolize the strength of life overcoming the forces of winter, since evergreens can last throughout the harshest elements.

The shape of a circle has no beginning and no ending. It is thought that this may represent the eternal nature of a god's love, or the circle of life.

Do you hang a wreath on your door? If not, what do you do to decorate for the holiday season?

JUNE ~ The Pianist

(Book 1 of the Musical Christmas Series)
NOW ON SALE $0.99

Posted by Judy Ann Davis at 10:58 AM No comments:

DECEMBER ~ LAST BUT NOT LEAST

 

What does December mean to you? For me, the month inspires a flurry of activity. December is the start of the Christmas season as well as the winter solstice. In northern states, it’s a time for outdoor snowy sports like skiing, sledding, ice skating, snowmobiling, and snowman building.

Inside, the wonderful smells of hearty meals cooking on the stove top or in the oven permeate the air. Recipes for cookies and wonderful holiday desserts emerge from hiding, whether in a cookbook or scrap of paper stuffed in a drawer or cupboard. What about fruitcake?  Ho, ho, ho. Bake it with a lot of nuts and soak it in rum, and I’m a fan.

Most of all, December brings us thoughts of Christmas with its holiday music, glowing candles, twinkling lights, colorful decorations, poinsettias, wreaths and trees, and air-filled Santas rocking in the neighbor’s front yard.

One of my favorite things about Christmas is receiving Christmas cards, now a dying practice. My husband and I send out about sixty cards each year. We enjoying hearing from friends and family and learning about their various activities throughout the year. What do I like the least about the holiday? Luckily I can easily dispense with Elf on the Shelf and all the Ugly Sweater parties.

Despite the hustle and bustle of December, we all need to remember the true meaning of Christmas. For Christians, it’s the joyous celebration of the birth of the Christ child. Also, it’s all about what you give and not what you get. It’s the season of peace, hope, love…and magic. 

FOR A HEARWARMING HOLIDAY READ

THE MUSICAL CHRISTMAS SERIES

JUNE ~ THE PIANIST

ADLENE ~ THE VIOLINIST

LUCY ~ THE CLARINETIST 

LINK for Judy Ann's Amazon Author Page