Category Archives: Things to Do

Another Advent

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There’s not much been going on over here this week… we are all waiting for Covid-19 to be over and life to get back to some semblance of “normal”. And yet, all this waiting reminded me of advent and the whole idea of anticipation. So, this week you get a throwback to post published a while ago on Advent and the idea of waiting. Enjoy.

image by Kelly Sikkema (unsplash)

I hate waiting.  I hate waiting in line, I hate waiting for my food to be cooked, I hate waiting for the kids to get out of school.  I just don’t like sitting around with nothing to do when something else should be happening.  I bring books or snacks or my phone or a crochet project on long car rides because my hands need to be doing something (or else I crash into a nap… which is a whole other story).

So, when I discovered that the real meaning of Advent was anticipatory waiting… I wasn’t too keen.  I don’t think many of us are good at waiting.  Have you noticed that radio stations are playing Christmas music already?!  The stores have been in Christmas mode since the day after Halloween!  The marketers out there certainly don’t like waiting!  They want us to be spending our dough faster and faster these days… no waiting!  Order now!  Direct ship!  Buy online!  Available 24 hours, seven days a week!  

Let’s step back for a minute. In case you are not familiar with the term “advent”… it is a traditional practice of the Christian church to anticipate the coming of Christ at Christmas, and then, in turn, His final return to earth.  Similar to the practice of Lent before Easter, it gives us a chance to slow down, to think and ponder, and to hope for the future.  It’s something I have to work on… this waiting.

My first exposure to advent was those cardboard chocolate calendars.

My first exposure to advent was those cardboard chocolate calendars.  The ones with the little doors you would open every day from December first until the 25th.  Back then, I didn’t understand what it meant… I simply enjoyed the treats everyday!  Later, we began to celebrate the four Sundays of advent at our church.  It was then, that I understood the symbolism, the tradition, and the true meaning of the practice.   It is something I have come to cherish as an adult.  It’s a discipline that that reminds me to slow down, to appreciate my family, to encourage my church family, and to rejoice in the season — and not to be so caught up in the rush of the “stuff”.  It forces me to focus each week on learning to wait.  To anticipate.  To revel in the beauty of hope.

Here’s what I have learned about the traditional advent symbolism:  it begins with an evergreen wreath… the symbol of a circle of eternity.  Our Christ is timeless.  He’s been around much longer than the babe in the manger.  Surrounding the wreath are four candles and one central candle.  Each candle is lit on the four Sundays of Advent, and culminate with the lighting of the white, central candle, which is lit on Christmas eve.  This central candle is sometimes referred to as the Christ candle… and represents His purity and the sacrifice He made for us on the cross.  

The first candle is purple.  It represents “hope” and the prophecies that Isaiah spoke about when He described the coming of our special Christmas baby.  The second purple candle represents love, and is sometimes referred to as the Bethlehem candle or the manger candle.  So much love happened in that lowly stable…. I imagine my own beloveds and how the whole world fell away the moment they were born and I saw them for the first time face to face.   Can you imagine Mary’s first glance at her special baby?  Yup, love for sure.  The next candle is pink… and represents joy.   It is the shepherd’s candle.  It embodies the joy and celebration the shepherds must have felt when they were given the good news that a Saviour had been born!  The last candle is also purple and reminds us to be peaceful.   This “angel” candle points us to worship, to reflection, and to remember that the season is not about gifts under a tree, but the ultimate gift given to us.  The One the angels were made for… simply to worship for eternity.  

So… as you prepare for your Christmas season, and you rush out here and there, be reminded of the advent tradition of waiting.  Take time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas… Christ’s coming.  Anticipate through hope, love, joy and peace, and the pure and holy sacrifice that Christ paid for you.  May you be blessed, my beloveds, as we journey towards the holidays together.   Take time to rejoice in waiting.  Oh… it shall be no easy task!  Especially if there are Christmas cookies in the oven! But we can practice it together, shall we?

Want to learn more about Advent?  Check out my Pinterest Boards for more ideas on DIY calendars, symbols, studies and more!

Christmas Oranges

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It was almost 25 years ago that my hubby and I sat in a little hotel restaurant in Morocco debating the pros and cons of the Quebec referendum with the waiter in our limited French. We had finished the most delightful meal infused with the fragrances of Moroccan spices as “dessert” was brought to our table. No, not cake or pie, not even date pudding, which I could have expected in Northern Africa, but about four large orange slices sprinkled with cinnamon. Unusual choice, I thought, but yummy nonetheless. As we spent the next few days swimming in the ocean (to which the locals mocked… it was winter in February after all!) I did notice the beach fronts were lined with cartons of clementines and citrus… an “in season” fruit for this part of the world.

Photo Credit: The Grit and Polish Blog

I’ve been thinking about oranges lately… not because I need the vitamin C, nor because I particularly like the flavour of oranges, but because I have been sucked in to the Pinterest and Instagram displays of the DIY/low waste/oh-so-country-pretty garlands of dried citrus and evergreen that seem to be popping up on my feeds these days. I wanna try them, but haven’t yet gathered enough energy for the hours of slicing, oven drying and bead stringing needed… not to mention I think I need more oranges. And some foraging in the woods for greenery. And time away from the kids, or maybe they would help, or maybe glue sticks are needed, or… hmmn. Maybe I won’t be trying it. The dog will probably eat them anyway. But I like them. I’ll keep you posted on the progress.

So, I did a little digging about the significance of citrus at Christmastime. Here’s some of the things I found ( via https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-we-should-bring-back-tradition-christmas-orange-180971101/). Way back in the 19th century the idea of placing an orange in the bottom of your Christmas stocking may have been an ode to the legend of the three balls (or bags or bars or coins) of gold that the Bishop of Myra, the real Saint Nicholas, gave to three poor maidens to use as dowries. Apparently they were saved from impoverishment and a life of misery by the gifting of 3 round bags of gold … later replaced by golden fruit. At the time, oranges were considered an exotic luxury — but not quite equal to gold, I suppose.

As the Victorian era came along and Christmas traditions moved forward, marketing began to take over and oranges became the hot ticket item, especially when the great depression hit and citrus once again became the “expensive” treat. Nowadays, I just grab one out of the fridge to shove in the bottom of my kid’s stockings, and they know where they came from. But maybe that dowry thing has merit… I have two daughters…

“etrog” fruits for Sukkot

It fascinates me that we give “meaning” to everyday objects. Winter solstice celebrations involve fruit. The Jewish fall celebrations of Sukkot, or Feast of Tabernacles, requires an unblemished “etrog” fruit, and Hindus cherish “Buddha’s hand” a long citrus fruit with finger-like tendrils. Plus, of course, the dear old pear tree in which the partridge sits. But pears are not citrus, are they? Oh, nevermind then.

I suppose those everyday objects are a tangible way for us to connect. By giving them meaning and significance, it helps us to acknowledge God’s creativity in the world around us. For example, He displays His majesty in the sunset. And just think of how many flavours we have: sweet, spicey, rich and bitter. Oh, can you imagine what food will be like in Heaven?! No wonder we often celebrate and remember special occasions with feasts! This year, our gatherings may be a little different. Perhaps great aunt Mary may not come to dinner with her famous sweet potato side with toasted marshmallows, and maybe there will be no cookie exchanges or pie socials. Yet, I am still expecting an orange in the bottom of my stocking… and I will be glad for it, as it will remind me: I am blessed.

Home Made Lovely

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“My people will live in peaceful dwelling places,

    in secure homes,

    in undisturbed places of rest.”

Isaiah 32:18

God wants us to be content and secure in our homes. Certainly, this involves so much more than the brick and mortar, or the knick knacks that aline our shelves, but those, too, have a place in the peace process. I cannot work in a cluttered workspace. Yet, my home has fallen short in this department on more than one occasion… especially as I have gotten older. Clutter has taken over and my “style” has reflected my attitudes of “tired” and “run-down”. Plus… I’m cheap. Depressingly so. We have been blessed with an adequate bank balance but I cringe every time I make a “frivolous” purchase. Could I make that cheaper? Could I get it second hand (even if we spend all the money we save on gas travelling to get it?) Do I really need that $10 candle even though our house smells of slightly skunked dog? It’s a funny little debate I have going on in my head… on one hand I crave the Fixer Upper farmhouse decor and the designing trends of HGTV, and on the other, I once again accept the 80’s hand-me-down furniture with hopes to refinish it into a more modern, shabby chic piece…someday. Am I alone in this conflict? Help a girl out… tell me you all struggle with this too!

I share this inner turmoil with you so you will see how delighted I was with one of this month’s books on my review list. Home Made Lovely by Shannon Acheson popped up in the early fall on some of my blogger-friend’s feeds and I instantly wanted to get my hands on it! Number one, the author is from Toronto, Canada! (which is important because her resources are accessible here, in Canada and don’t have to be shipped in from the US!) and she is a Christian decorator/entrepreneur (which means she balances her work with her faith). Let me tell you, the book did not disappoint! I read it from cover to cover. Yes, read her words, not just looked at the pretty pictures!

And there are pretty pictures. It’s a great coffee table type book, with a hard cover and thick pages… the kind of book you could give as a housewarming gift or wedding shower! Still, it was the balance of the book that I was impressed with. True to decorating do-it-yourself form, Acheson includes a 3-step decorating process on finding your style, looking at colour wheels and furniture layouts, but her book also includes being grateful for the home you have and sharing hospitality… no matter what the state of your home.

Chapter 3 is dedicated to well, dedication. Acheson shares how to fill your home with written scripture (with plenty of examples and resources!) as well as how to have a “house blessing”. The hubby and I did this for our current home, way back when we first purchased it, and I can tell you, we have seen God bless in our home, in our neighbourhood, and in the friends we have shared it with. It’s a pleasant addition to a “decorating book”.

Acheson shares her faith
and her tips! (photo: homemadelovely)

The final chapters include some easy-to-make recipes and some descriptions on the gift of hospitality… again balancing faith with creating pretty table displays. Honestly, it has me craving dinner parties and breakfast brunches with my neighbourhood ladies! (Stupid Covid-19 Pandemic!) Maybe I need to pull out the fancy dishes for the teenagers? Naaaah.

And so my friends, I’ve been candid with you on the state of my house before (see these posts: The Green Debate, If the Shoe Fits, or How Much is too Much? ) and you know enough about me to appreciate my, ahem, frugality, shall we say? But I am turning a new leaf! We had a new shower put in our basement recently (finally… thanks again to the pandemic!). It’s forced us to “touch up” some baseboards and molding… not to mention tackle the dust layer leftover from drywall sanding…maybe we should paint and think about guest soap… or try and achieve the spa look with teak tiles from Ikea (this is tip number 36 in the “75 budget decorating ideas” chapter!!). Yup, I’m inspired! Stay tuned … because the hubby just ran panic stricken at the thoughts of another home renovation. And I am sure decorating will lead to some interesting muses to write about. Join my in this adventure! (perhaps this is a good time to suggest signing up for my weekly muses via your email inbox??) Click here if you want to see me miserably fail at making my home lovely!