"His Nose Blinks Like a Blinkin' Beacon..."

Here's something cool linked on the Rankin-Bass site: CBS's page for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It's from last year, but it has some cool stuff for fans and children, including a screensaver and wallpaper, plus some pages to color.

Ornament Sighted, Grabbed Same

The Hallmark store called with news that they had an Enterprise ornament, so when we finished errands we went up to Town Center to pick it up. We walked about a bit to get exercise and also stopped at Social Expressions, which sells American Greetings cards and Carlton stuff, including the Carlton ornaments. Most of them aren't quite as...finished looking as the Hallmark versions. They tend to be a bit more garishly colored in general (but not always) and a bit more cutesy-poo in some cases. But I was surprised to see they had some really cute ornaments this year (although unfortunately they're not doing the Lassie ornaments anymore). They have a Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer ornament as well (boy, Rankin-Bass must have made a good marketing deal!). This version is Santa with baby Rudolph, and when you press the button Stan Francis sings "Jingle Jingle." They also have a Schoolhouse Rock ornament: yes, it's "Conjunction Junction, what's your function"! And a Rocky and Bullwinkle ornament, and one of Alvin and the Chipmunks (which sings "Christmas, Don't Be Late").

Oh, and to the person we know who likes those old monster movies: there's a Godzilla that lights up and roars. Thought you might be interested! (Hope your mom is better.)

By the way, Hallmark has one of the cleverest ornaments I've ever seen. It looks like a 1950s record player and even closes up with the classic little latches. It comes with three plastic "records." You put any one of them on the spindle and then move the tone arm to "play" the record. And when you do it plays the tune on the record! Too cool.

Notice that the trees are starting to turn bit by bit, although we saw a pretty little maple tree about half turned yellow this afternoon and some others in a nursery that were starting to glow red. Temps still are 60 or above at night, which means we can't shut off the air conditioner yet; it will be too warm to sleep upstairs. Sigh.

Summer Loosens Her Grip

...but will she do it before I lose mine?

She's not letting go easily. It's still going to be in the 80s for a few more days, but it has definitely become cooler. It was cloudy most of the morning and we drove around with the truck windows open and were not hot. In fact, when we were out early this morning and later tonight, the breeze coming in the window actually chilled me a little. (With the hot flashes these days, being cold is a good thing.) One could almost, almost feel that little bit of chill, the sharp scent in the air that tells you it's gingerbread and hot chocolate weather. It's hard to believe it's Columbus Day weekend again and this blog is two years old.

We went to Hobby Lobby and wound reveling in their autumn decor area: lengths and lengths of autumn leaf garlands in brilliant saffrons, pumpkins, scarlet, gold, and russet, and autumn and Halloween and Thanksgiving bric-a-brac. We emerged at the Christmas trees; as I mentioned last year, we are going to need a new tree—poor "Serendipity" is developing loose branches and is shedding needles like a real tree. I've looked at artificial Christmas trees in several places and the prices are appalling. You almost cannot find a non pre-lighted tree any longer, many of them have long needles, which neither of us like, and there doesn't seem to be any such thing as a "middle-sized" tree any longer. There are 4 1/2 foot trees and then there are seven foot trees, and nothing in between. I had been wanting a six foot tree and haven't seen one yet this year and saw very few last year.

We also checked out the new Hallmark ornaments. There were very few either of us wanted last year, except for getting the new airplane (full size and mini). This year...oh, dear. There is a Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer mini, and a Lady and the Tramp ornament, and the "Puppy Love" ornament is a West Highland White terrier...

James was excited because there is an Enterprise A this year; we've missed most of the classic Star Trek starships because we went to look at them too late (we did get NX from Enterprise). Well, they have the display copy, but we couldn't find any more on the rack. The clerk said they had a bunch of ornaments they had not yet unpacked and took James' name. Cross fingers.

Happy Rosh Hashanah!

The year 5766, by reckoning of the Jewish calendar.

I feel the urge to go watch some Brooklyn Bridge episodes...

Michaelmas

From Alice’s Medieval Feasts & Fasts:

September 29, the feast of St. Michael and All Angels or Michaelmas fell about the time of the autumnal equinox. The equinox marked the period when the nights would be getting longer and the earth would begin to die. St. Michael came to be seen as the protector against the forces of the dark and so became very popular in the Middle Ages. Many monasteries and churches were dedicated to him, usually on high places near the sea.

His feast was celebrated with a traditional well-fattened goose which had fed well on the stubble of the fields after the harvest. In many places, a there was also a tradition of special large loaves of bread made only for that day.

By Michaelmas the harvest had to be completed and the new cycle of farming would begin. It was a time for beginning new leases, rendering accounts and paying the annual dues. It was also one of the British and Irish quarter days.

What are Quarter Days?

There is also a “Michaelmas Embertide” in the Catholic discipline:

Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, 14 September, are known as "Michaelmas Embertide," one of 4 yearly time periods known as "Ember Days," from the Latin Quatuor Tempora, meaning "four times." They are days of fasting and partial abstinence (voluntary since the new Code of Canon Law) intended to thank God for the gifts He gives us in nature, to teach us to use them in moderation, and to help the poor. Zacharias 8:19: "Thus saith the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Juda, joy, and gladness, and great solemnities: only love ye truth and peace."

Note that these September Ember Days must follow a full week after 14 September.

More about Ember Days.

Also:

Michaelmas Daisies

Traditional Michaelmas Goose Recipe

"An Autumn Carol"

Oh, it's autumn, golden autumn, and the summer days are done,
The flowers in the garden ways have left us one by one;
The leaves upon the wayside trees have turned to crimson fire,
And sumac to the smoky skies uplifts its glowing spire.

Oh, it's autumn, ruddy autumn, at the turning of the year–
And winter with his snowy cloak is slowly drawing near;
The birds have hushed their singing and the butterflies are gone;
But the earth is full of beauty as the days march on!

Yes, it's autumn, golden autumn—and the air is crisp and cool.
Theres' silver frost in sheltered nooks and ice upon the pool,
And the wind that snatches red leaves and whirls them from the tree
Paints jolly crimson roses in the cheeks of you and me!

Ah, it's autumn, autumn, autumn, but although the year is old,
Still gaily in the corn-stalks sere the pumpkin flaunts his gold!
While yellow grains and mellow fruits still crown the harvest time,
For it's autumn, golden autumn, and the year is in its prime!
                                                                                . . . . . Edith D. Osborne

No Place Like Fall

I can't believe tomorrow is the first day of fall—it is still in the low 90s here. Unfortunately all that hurricane activity out in the Atlantic is keeping the high pressure systems trapped here, or something. We have usually been lucky enough to turn the A/C off by this time or perhaps a few days later, but not this year or last year. I think we had to wait till Columbus Day last year.

Even worse, you could tell fall was on its way about a week ago: although the days were high 80s, the nights and mornings would be cool and comfortable rather than steam room warm and sticky. It was sultry out again this morning and, as always when it's like that, it smells bad. I'm guessing it's because the creek is just across the street; it smells like a swamp.

Nevertheless, can't wait to pull the fall decorations out tomorrow. We were too late at Hobby Lobby last Saturday to look around at their fall stuff, but I hope to this week. A few years ago they had a lovely little fall village, similar to the Christmas villages that sprout up during the holidays, with barns, farms, country produce stands, horse-drawn wagons, kids playing in leaves, etc. It was very pretty. If they still carry them, I'd like to buy one.

Times Change

The "house without a Christmas tree" is for sale. Looks a lot different than it did in the special, eh? Thirty-two years have passed since that first broadcast...

Wishing...

The edge of Hurricane Katrina is pouring sheets of rain over us. We needed a goodie and opened the little box of Anna ginger crackers we bought at Ikea.

They smell like Christmas.

I wish summer was over. It's brought nothing but misery, even worse than usual.

At least we are safe and dry, unlike the folks in New Orleans. Surely there's a little bit of Christmas in that.

Fall Around the Corner

Stopped at the Russell Stover outlet store today and they have their fall candies out, the Halloween things, of course, but also boxes of candies wrapped in an autumn leaf motif.

Nice to see fall things everywhere. I bought some fall things: a new leaf garland, a candle ring (which you can't find at Michael's or JoAnn anymore), a tiny candle ring that was so pretty, and some Chinese lanterns (I love Chinese lanterns) and cattails (which were actually on sale as summer things). The latter two came home with us, but the fall things went with the movers. Can hardly wait until they come.

82 Days Until Fall

Michael's has their fall flowers out! Wandered the aisles with blissful abandon. They have some beautiful new bouquets this year with pumpkins and apples scattered among the leaves.

On This Day...

...in 1870, Charles Dickens died. British legend says that when the news of his death was released, he was so identified with Christmas that a small girl asked, "Will Father Christmas die then, too?"

"Spring Has Come...

the grass is riz--
I wonder where
Da boidies is."

Well, they're certainly all over our yard.

The old Harbour's been neglected of late; just too much happening too fast and too damn much to do. The Bradford pear trees look like egg-shaped snowballs once again and flowering plum, cherry, and forsythia add pink, purple, and yellow to the mix. Quite Easter-y.

I had the depressing task of taking down all the winter things yesterday and putting up the spring ones. I have to admit the new wreath for the front door does look nice. The base wreath has had grapevine leaves and grapes on it for the past few years, but it was shedding prodigiously. I bought two "floral stems" composed of several shoots of what look like bluebells in blue and purple and clipped them apart, then attached them to the now-clear base wreath with floral wire. It took awhile to get each individual stem to fall properly, but it was worth it.

Next to go up will be the Easter tree and the seasonal turnover will be complete.

Belated Christmas

I've reached the point in my project of dubbing off VHS tapes to DVD that I'm working on some Christmas things. Today I transferred two things that I did not have a chance to watch this year.

The main feature was The Gathering, a 1977 film starring Ed Asner and Maureen Stapleton. Asner plays a stubborn businessman who has been estranged from his wife and family since his youngest son decided to escape to Canada instead of participate in the Vietnam War. Then he discovers that he has only a few months to live and realizes how much he has lost due to his attitude. With the help of his wife (Stapleton), he asks his children to gather at the family home for Christmas (without telling them about his condition). This is an award-winning movie that has been absent from television for too long--and which should be on DVD. Bootleg copies sell on e-Bay for about fifty dollars!

(Interestingly enough, the producers of this film were Hanna-Barbera--which is why you see a stuffed Yogi Bear briefly. A film further away from Jellystone Park you can hardly imagine.)

To fill in the rest of the DVD I placed the well-loved Christmas episode of the 1968 series, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, starring Hope Lange and Edward Mulhare. This was one of two episodes that appealed to the 'shippers of Carolyn and Captain Gregg's romance, the other being "The Medicine Ball." I discovered looking through my tape index that, of all the half-hour television episodes having to do with Christmas, the only one I've saved on tape is this one! (Well, there are the Lassie Christmas episodes with Timmy, but I already have those on professional DVD.)

In the meantime, I am reading another of Robert Brenner's Schiffer Christmas collectors' books. This is Christmas: 1940-1959 and covers the ornaments, lights, and other home decorations used in those years. As I've said before, I like the Schiffer books because they are not just endless pages of photos of things with prices on them. Brenner talks about the different decorations and how they were used and adapted around wartime shortages during not only World War II but also during the Korean War.

The text portions also include photos of real homes decorated for the holidays and people gathered around the tree. The later 1950s photos reminded me vividly of my childhood home--especially the awful wallpaper! (I didn't see the paisley pattern we used to have in our living room, though.) I found out that the yellowed plastic Santa and reindeer with the one broken runner that my mom still puts on the tree probably dates back to the 1940s and that our manger figures were probably from Japan (our Mary and Joseph are pictured in the book, although our Jesus was in a real wooden manger with straw in it rather than on a ceramic base that looked like hay that is shown). We used to buy the figures by the each at Woolworth's or Grant's in bins for each figure. You started with your basic figures--the Holy Family, the Three Kings, a shepherd or two--and then added extras: more sheep, a sheep dog, the camel driver, a flutist, a farmer carrying eggs. We even still had rubber figures--two of the three camels and a sheep--that you stuffed with newspaper and Kleenex to give them more of a solid look.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

She's 88 years old today.

Just think: when she was born some people still had gas or kerosene lighting in their homes. Some vehicles were mechanized, but there were still horses on the street pulling milk wagons, ice wagons, the rag man's cart, etc. Rich folks still had carriages and funeral hearses were pulled by dark horses with black plumes on their heads. (There were a lot of funerals: Children died in infancy. People died of pneumonia, tuberculosis, typhoid, rheumatic fever, scarlet fever--even measles and chicken pox.) People had iceboxes rather than refrigerators. Most folks had wood or coal ranges and their homes were heated with wood or coal. Back then you put a sign in the window to show the iceman how much ice to deliver or how much coal you needed.

The only "modern" entertainment was the movies, and they were silent; you saw Charlie Chaplin and Ben Turpin and Mabel Normand and the Keystone Kops. Some folks went to the vaudeville theatres the way we go to movies. Kids then had chores to do, but when the chores were done they played outside, happy noisy games like baseball and stickball, hopscotch, tag, potsy, kick the can, "johnny on a pony." They made go carts out of scraps, played dolls using bushes for homes and rocks for furniture.

The boys wore knickers or short pants and often shoes with reinforced toes. Girls wore skirts and high button shoes. Everyone wore long stockings held up with garters. (There were even garters made for babies to hold up their stockings.) For treats they had popcorn and toffees and caramels and the very first Hershey bars. Some kids were lucky enough to own books, but the rest of them patronized the libraries and read romantic tales like The Prisoner of Zenda and If I Were King and magazines like St. Nicholas and the Youth's Companion.

In school you wore your best clothes (boys had to wear ties to school then) and sat up straight and dipped your pen in the inkwell when you needed to write. When the teacher called on you, you stood up to "recite." Memorization of "pieces" (poems or orations) and mental arithmetic were popular. You walked home for a hot lunch with your mother, who had probably just finished ironing (her irons heated on the stovetop) or scrubbing the wooden floor with Fels Naphtha soap and a big scrub brush.

A big treat was going to the drugstore for penny candy or a dime ice cream soda. If you were lucky, one Sunday papa and mama would take you to the ice cream parlour for a big cone of ice cream. If a summer Sunday was particularly hot, you might pay your nickel and ride the trolley to the nearest beach, or lake, or park, and cool off under a tree or in the water--no air conditioning to relieve the heat them! In the winter, clad in long underwear under your clothes, you built snow forts and had snowball fights and coasted down the hill on a sled or even a garbage can lid or part of a box.

While Mom was still in her cradle America joined the ongoing fray in Europe and young men marched off to "make the world safe for democracy." As always in wars, many of them didn't come home.

She grew up during a century of change: she went to school, survived the Depression and yet another world war, married, had a child, ran a home and went to work, lost a husband. In the end she is still at war herself, against cancer, and in that she's the bravest person I know. I could only hope and pray to be so courageous.

Love you, Mom.

Not to Curse the Darkness

Traditionally the day when all the candles to be used during the year (specifically the candles in church) would be blessed. While that sounds like an odd custom, quite understandable in an era when candles or lanterns were the chief source of illumination. I'm sure part of the blessing would be that the candle would burn brightly against the darkness without setting fire to something. It always seems appallingly dangerous to me that people left fires burning in the fireplace at night and often left lighted candles or lanterns in the window while they were asleep to lead stranded travelers homeward. I'm surprised more people didn't lose their homes in those days!

Here are some links explaining the holiday in both Christian and pagan orientations:

Candlemas

Celebrating Candlemas

Imbolc

Part of the Candlemas tradition is that pesky groundhog:

Official Groundhog Day Site

General Lee: the Southern Groundhog

It's a sure bet "Beau" isn't seeing his shadow today. Wish we could swap forecasts with Phil!

Super Historical Site Has Returned!

I couldn't get to The Antique Christmas Lights Site all during the Christmas season, which I found strange, as updates were published in November and December. However, creator and webmaster George Nelson says he did a major upgrade in November; perhaps that was the problem.

This is a fabulous site about the origins of Christmas tree lights and their history from 1900 through 1950. Mr. Nelson collects antique sets (not for sale!) and the site includes photos of the original wooden boxed sets with fabric cord and ceramic bases through the cardboard box era, from the original "light bulb" type lamps to the "big lights," the C-7 nightlight-sized bulbs of my childhood.

He even has photos of the C-6 "cone" bulbs which were also used in Christmas tree light strings (called "festoons" back then), but which I remember using for our window "candoliers." We had two eight-candle candoliers that took the ribbed bulbs shown. According to Nelson, there were also plain bulbs in this size, which I never saw; I remember instead versions which had a twisted ribbing on them, presumably to make the bulb look more like a flame.

Oh, those beautiful old candoliers! They were made of heavy plastic that you didn't worry about falling off the windowsill, and the "candles" themselves, complete with fake "drips" near the top, were slimmer, graceful versions of the modern chunky candoliers (when you can find them), looking more like the taper candles they were mimicking. The C-6 bulbs looked more like flames as well, and many of the older people kept the look by using only the yellow (they were sometimes closer to orange) bulbs in their windows. We used all four colors (yellow, red, blue and green) in pairs, but the yellows were the most popular back then. Red was also used a lot to imitate candles.

I think Mom still has them in her attic, although we had to stop using them long ago (the fat five-unit candoliers we bought as replacements were never the same). Probably they still work fine, but they quit selling the replacement bulbs long ago and we eventually didn't have 16 lamps that still worked.

Upcoming: www.oldchristmaslights.org, to debut sometime in 2005, about Christmas lights from 1950 onward, with sections about bubble lights and aluminum Christmas trees.

How Appropriate...

I did put the tree and all the decorations back in hibernation by bedtime last night. Pidge looked a bit askance at my taking away the paper angels that fly from the crossbeam in the den during the holidays. Evidently he had gotten used to their being there.

I expect to find one decoration that we have forgotten to put up. There's always one...

So the library is back to its autumn color scheme again.

BTW, I discovered yesterday's tree ceremony was quite appropriate, as January 13 is St. Knut's Day.

From almanac.com:

Is your Christmas tree still standing? This year, start a new tradition in your family by taking it out in style, just as people in Sweden do on January 13.

In Sweden, January 13, St. Knut's Day, is the traditional day to discard the Christmas tree and end the season's festivities. A children's party is the favored way to strip the tree of its decorations, after which the children are free to "plunder" the edible treats and small gifts placed on the tree especially for the occasion. Finally, everyone "dances" the tree out the door. Singing special songs, they pick up the tree and toss it out into the snow. Swedish children look forward to this dancing-out party almost as much as Christmas itself -- and what better way to combat the post-Christmas blues?

Learn about St. Knut's Day and other January celebrations (did you know it's National Oatmeal Month?) at Web Holidays.com or take a peek at The Farmer's Almanac website.

Nothing Like Good, Old-Fashioned After-Christmas Depression...

I'm a slug; I haven't yet finished getting the tree down. Everything else is ready to go into its storage box except a couple of garlands wayyyyyy up that I'd rather have James reach for me. We've had bad weather approaching for a couple of days now and my knees are aching horribly; just doing the stairs is bad enough.

I have an excuse: a writing project I finished last night (all but the printout, that is).

I do have the "winter table" set up downstairs and it looks quite pretty. There is a bouquet of white and silver flowers (and a touch of blue) in a small white vase flanked by two small stuffed snowmen. In the front of the table is a wintry branch with snow-spotted pine and cones and wispy weeds and a little arrangement of woodland creatures--a fox, two squirrels and two rabbits--with two snowy trees. These are set on a dark blue towel with silvery snowflakes on it and a snowman in the middle, and I have scattered "snow confetti" that I found at Michael's all over the table. These are flakes about 3/4 inch long in white, silver, and opalescent, transclucent blue/green which looks pink at certain angles.

Plough Monday

Traditionally the first Monday after Epiphany, when the men headed back to work--in those agricultural days, their plowing.

(Who plows in the winter? Well, from what I understand, snow has always been called "poor man's fertilizer." After a light snowfall, the average farmer back then might hitch up his oxen or horses and plow the snow into the soil, adding nitrogen. This was also a practice of dryland farming, to capture moisture in the soil.)