The 2021 Edition

Ideals Christmas 2021, from the editors of "Ideals"
"Ideals" was born during World War II, in 1944, and this annual combination of poems, short essays, retellings of the Nativity story, and illustrations and (later) photos at one time was published several times a year, with spring/Easter, summertime/patriotic, winter/Valentine's, and autumn/Thanksgiving also making appearances. Now only the Christmas and (sometimes) Easter editions remain.

I didn't like this magazine until about the 1980s or 1990s, when they started publishing more natural photographs and quit color-tinting artwork and pages. Since then, to me, they have been a joy (and I miss the autumn edition!). The pretty blue cover this year is a change of pace, and there are several wonderful essays in this one, the best being Pamela Kennedy's "A Hand Crafted Christmas" ("The Puppy Who Came for Christmas" is pretty cute, too, and "A Snow Party" is heartwarming). I don't usually pay attention to the recipes, but the cinnamon cookies made from pie dough sound delicious. My favorite poems were "Round and Round" by Dorothy Thompson and "Winter Twilight" by Carol Collier

And I had to smile at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree picture because we'd just finished the limited series Hawkeye and watched the titular character and his partner Kate Bishop vs. their enemies make a wreck out of 30 Rock, the tree, and the ice skating rink!