Holiday Traditions, Old, New, and (maybe) Improved by Connie Vines

Traditions

Remember when we were in elementary school and sang those multi-generation holiday songs?

One that comes to mind:

Over the river and through the woods,
To grandmother's house we go;

The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh,
Through (the) white and drifted snow!
Over the river and through the woods,
Oh, how the wind does blow!

It stings the toes and bites the nose,
As over the ground we go.
Over the river and through the woods,
Trot fast, my dapple gray!

Spring over the ground,
Like a hunting hound!
For this is Thanksgiving Day.
Over the river and through the woods,

Now Grandmother's cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

In the U.S.A.  when we were in elementary school we traced an out-line of our little hand, coloring each finger to appear as a turkey’s tail feathers.  The palm was the turkey’s body and our thumb the turkey’s neck and head.  We sat on the sofa, with our stomach growling, waiting for the turkey to be removed, golden and hot, from the oven.  Gaze locked the lovely prepared pumpkin pies and the like resting on the sideboard.

While, I certain many children would recognize the song, few are going to sit around at grandma’s after the final bite of pumpkin pie is consumed.

Why?  Because Black Friday starts on Thursday afternoon.  With Cyber Monday right upon its heels!

I can count, on the fingers of one hand, the number of times I’ve venture out (rising at 3:00 AM) on Black Friday to go shopping.  FYI: It’s not happening this year either.

I often shop on Cyber Monday (though I can usually find comparable money-saving deal of non-tech items) all through the month of November.

I will spend my Thanksgiving in my kitchen preparing dinner, setting my table, and sharing food and fond memories with family and friends.

Chanel (my poodle) may order her new winter sweater online before I cozy up in my wing back chair with my e-reader and a new novel from BWL. 

Tomorrow, I may unpack my Christmas decorations and start listen to Christmas music.

But not today.

Thursday is Thanksgiving—the day we give thanks.  I am thankful for Family and dear Friends-- everyone here at BooksWeLove, and our treasured readers.

I wish everyone a healthy and a happy holiday season.

Now, please enjoy a few holiday memes and remember we have holiday discounts on our eBooks –no Black Friday lines, or need to wait for Cyber Monday!

Celebrate the holidays with one of my novels:

 Univeral Book Links
https://books2read.com/Brede

BookBub

Overdrive

Would I Redo by Joan Donaldson-Yarmey

 

http://bookswelove.net/authors/donaldson-yarmey-joan/
 

When I was in school, I wanted to travel and my dream job was to be a stewardess as they were called back then. I studied French, German, and Russian so that I would know some other languages for when I landed and maybe stayed over in another country. In my last year a job show was held at my high school and I went to talk with the representatives from an airline. She was dressed in her uniform and was very nice.

     I explained that I wanted to be a stewardess and asked for information. She told me that I had to be a certain height and weight, which I was. She said that all stewardesses had to wear a girdle even though their figures might be perfect. I was okay with that. Then she told me that anyone who wore glasses could not be a stewardess. I was devastated, since I needed prescription glasses but seldom wore them. I went to an optometrist to get contact lenses. This was when they were still made of hard material and my eyes could not adjust to them.

     So I gave up my dream of being a stewardess. However, I married, had wonderful children who have given me wonderful grandchildren and went on to become a writer. I travelled extensively through British Columbia, Alberta, the Yukon and Alaska, when writing my non-fiction backroads series.

     I belong to a dragon boat team and I have taken part in international festivals in Caloundra Queensland Australia (spent four week visiting the sites of Queensland and New South Wales then a week in Fiji) Sarasota Florida USA, (my husband and I travelled through two provinces and nineteen states on our way there and back home) and will be going to Florence Italy in 2018. While there I hope to visit many other European countries. I’ve also been to Japan and China. So not being a stewardess has not stopped me from doing the travelling that I wanted to do when I was younger.

     Just a note: my sister owned the Canadian Tourism College in Vancouver for many years. One of my granddaughters took her course and is now a flight attendant. She doesn’t need to wear a girdle and, while she doesn’t wear glasses, today it wouldn’t matter if she did.

A Holiday Recipe by Joan Donaldson-Yarmey

http://bookswelove.net/authors/donaldson-yarmey-joan/

 

 

The following is a recipe for a dessert that I made for many years for my husband’s birthday and Christmas and when requested for other gatherings. It is simple to make but takes a while because you have to let it cool between layers. It is very rich and each person only needs a small piece.

 

Cherry Delight

Bottom Layer

1 ½ cup graham crumbs

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup melted butter

Mix these together and pat down into a nine by nine inch pan. Put in refrigerator to harden.

Middle Layer

1 cup whipping cream

1 4oz package softened cream cheese

¾ cup icing sugar.

Whip the cream until almost stiff. Blend in cream cheese and icing sugar and beat until mixed well and stiff. Spread on bottom layer and return to fridge until set.

Top Layer

Open a can of cherry pie filling and spread on top.

 

Enjoy