My Christmas Memories by Debbie Herbert

My Christmas Memories 

by Debbie Herbert

This Christmas, my memories are mostly of my mother who passed away a few days before Thanksgiving.  Christmas was her favorite time of year and she always looked forward to pulling down the dozens of boxes of holiday decorations the day after Thanksgiving.  I mean even the bathrooms were decorated in red and gold.  And those decorations would stay in place until January 2, when she reluctantly and lovingly packed up the decorations for the following season.  I grew up listening to Andy Williams sing Christmas carols, Christmas cards arriving in the mailbox every day for weeks and the smell of baking.  We always made sugar cookies with green and red sprinkles and Mom would proclaim that it wasn't Christmas without my grandmother's homemade fruitcake.

I'll try my best to find joy and peace this season but it will be hard without Mom here to share it.  I'll seek joy in the small things and keep my family and friends close to my heart.

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and may all your dreams come true now and in the new year ahead!

Debbie Herbert

www.debbieherbert.com 

Siren's Secret, Siren's Treasure
Southern Supernatural Romance--Where love, like magic, casts its own spell of enchantment.

Amazon Buy Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Sirens-Treasure-Dark-Debbie-Herbert-ebook/dp/B00K9ZWFGS/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416862847&sr=1-3&keywords=Debbie+Herbert

Maria Grazia Swan's Reflections on Christmas

Reflections on Christmas
by Maria Grazia Swan


The things I miss most about Christmas past are really the things of the past.

Midnight Mass was a sure thing. No one had to get to bed early because we didn’t get gifts on Christmas Day. Our gifts, or charcoal, arrived on January 6th, day of the Epiphany.

Now it’s Christmas’ day and Christmas’ tree. Ho, Ho, Ho.

Italian Christmas songs were sung during mass.  And that was the only time of the year we enjoyed ‘Tu scendi dalle stelle.’

Now is Jingle Bells sung in Italian.



The church was freezing cold.

Now they have heat.


After mass, we gathered in big groups and went to private homes to enjoy homemade hot chocolate and store bought cookies. (seriously)

Nowadays, everyone rushes from church to their cars and hurry home to hide the gifts for the little ones.

Bah! Humbug!

Buon Natale a tutti.

Amazon Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Ashes-Autumn-Minas-Adventures-Book-ebook/dp/B00O5PP89O/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415289661&sr=1-1&keywords=Maria+Grazia+Swan

J. C. McKenzie's Christmas Sinterklaas Dag

Sinterklaas Dag (Saint Nicholas Day)

by J.C. McKenzie

    My father was born in one of the oldest towns in the Netherlands and grew up skating on frozen dikes and eating salted licorice. Then Hitler’s armies marched on Europe and the world turned to chaos. Our family survived the Second World War and Nazi occupation, but after the Berlin Blockade of 1948, many, including my Opa, feared communism would sweep Europe. 

    As the cost to rebuild far exceeded the cost of providing a cash incentive, the Dutch government paid citizens to leave the country, and Canada offered a fresh start to many Dutch families. My dad immigrated to Canada with his family when he was only ten years old. He learned English on the boat over to North America by reading comic books and once his family settled in Ontario, his dad (my Opa) switched to speaking English and insisted the family be “Canadian,” not Dutch. My Opa wanted to blend in and embrace his new country. 

    
    Although my dad complied and became very much an English speaking Canadian, one Dutch celebration remained—Sinterklaas Dag.  Saint Nicholas is what the North American Santa Claus is based on, but there are a few differences. Sinterklaas rides on a white horse instead of a sleigh pulled by twelve reindeer (thirteen if you count Rudolph); instead of elves, he as a helper named Zwarte Piet; and instead of gifts on December 25th, Sinterklaasdelivers chocolate, kruidnootjes (small ginger cookies) and other goodies on December 5th in children’s wooden clogs (klompen) if they’ve been good. If they’ve been bad, the children get coal in their klompen, instead. If they’ve been really bad, Zwarte Piet would throw them in his sack and take them away.

    On December 5th, my sister and I would wake up, excited, and run to the kitchen, smelling of oatmeal, to find our chocolate letters. I always thought her “H” had more chocolate than my “J” and wished I could change my name. My dad would prattle off something in Dutch with a glint in his eye. He’d pull our pigtails and tease us about having to wait until after dinner to eat our chocolate. We never did. 

    Later, I would check my usually empty mailbox in the dorms at University to find my chocolate letter. Even later, when living in New Zealand, I’d receive the chocolate letter, shipped all the way from Canada with love. Later still, back in Canada, I’d get a package with letters for me, my husband and our son. 

December 5th is the day the Dutch celebrate Sinterklaas. To me, it’s a day of love, smelling of oatmeal and chocolate, and the day I celebrate my Dutch heritage.

J.C. McKenzie 
Urban Fantasy Author 
www.jcmckenzie.ca 
@JC_McKenzie 

*Available Now* 
Shift Happens (Carus Series, Book 1), The Wild Rose Press 
The Shucker's Booktique (A Lobster Cove Book), The Wild Rose Press 

*Available Soon* 
Beast Coast (Carus Series, Book 2), The Wild Rose Press 

Amazon Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Shuckers-Booktique-Lobster-Cove-ebook/dp/B00NU7H6YI/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415289200&sr=1-3&keywords=J.C.+McKenzie

The Spirit of the Season by Iona Morrison

 The Spirit of the Season

by

Iona Morrison

 I love so many things about the Christmas season. I enjoy our traditions both old and new, the ornaments, and the decorations. I love the family gatherings with kids and grandkids. I love the laughter that trickles out around the table in conversation and games that are played late in to the night. But, more than that, there is a certain magical feeling about this time of year that goes beyond the twinkling lights, gifts, and the smiling faces of children. It seems for a brief span of time the tone and rhetoric around us changes. There is no chastising of the poor for being poor, but we find creative ways to do good for others.

 The glitter and snow falling like confetti is no match for the amazing stories of goodwill we hear of during the holidays. Like the story of a Jewish man I met, who played Santa Claus to poor children visiting them at their homes much to their delight. Bringing with him the gifts, they had asked for in their letters to Santa. In such acts of kindness, we can see if only briefly, a glimpse of our better selves. We are able to view what a wonderful place our world could be if we were kind, generous, and loving all year round. It renews our hope in being human when we see the lights of Christmas and Chanukah and we believe again that there is still some good left in the world. It is in this season more than at any other time, that we open ourselves not only to our family, but also to the human family letting the love and the joy of the season spill out into good deeds.

             I wish you the joy of your traditions, your family and friends and most of all I wish you the joy of doing good to someone who needs it.

Links:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Harvest-Club-Iona-Morrison/dp/1628305215/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1408931585&sr=8-4

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-harvest-club-iona-morrison/1120260630?ean=2940150339941&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-Vj3kxGRfbmI-_-10:1&r=1

http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191&products_id=5827

http://ionamorrison.com/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Harvest-Club-Iona-Morrison/dp/1628305215/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416872625&sr=1-1&keywords=the+harvest+club

Dear Vision and Verse readers,

I will be reviewing Iona's The Harvest Club early in January.  Keep an eye out for this suspenseful surprise of a read.

Hugs,
Carol

Shirley A. McElhaney's Christmas Memories

"Hummmm...

Favorite Christmas memories - certainly a time for reflection....As a child...snow...the bubbling Christmas tree lights - I loved those. 

Smell of fresh yeast rolls and my Grandmother's Holiday custard in a crock out on the back porch sitting in snow waiting to be served in beautiful crystal glasses.
  
A new bike.


As an adult - my first married Christmas in a small apartment in Warren, Ohio - and a beautiful Christmas tree all our own.  

In 1965, I was expecting my daughter, Heather on Christmas day - she came on the 28th. 

Christmas mornings with my children when they were filled with excitement and awe.  Good smells and family and friends in.  

1968, my son had been born on Thanksgiving Day; and putting his first Christmas ornament on the tree that Christmas - a beautiful Little Drummer Boy which he and his sons put on their tree each Christmas still.  


Christmas Day, 1989 My granddaughter, Jessica was born.  And, many, many other memories. ~"

     -by Shirley A. McElhaney, noted local artist and all around sweet and wonderful person, whose artwork has been displayed all over the world.

My Favorite Christmas Memory by Josie Cara

My favorite memory of Christmas is my Uncle Pat playing Santa every year. As we got older, we knew who Santa really was but we never said a word. We enjoyed it so much and really thought we were outsmarting him! It's a great memory.
                                                                     - Josie Cara



Amazon Buy Link for IN A HEARTBEAT by Josie Cara:
http://www.amazon.com/Heartbeat-Josie-Cara-ebook/dp/B00HCEKLII/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415570199&sr=1-1&keywords=josie+Cara