Skip to main content

Waiting for the Kings and saving a pickle


(Image found at activerain.com)

Today marks the tenth day of Christmas. (Go ahead, I know you want to sing "Ten lords a leaping!") I know that many folks have all now headed back to regular work and school schedules ( including me), but I'm still holding on the the Christmas spirit - and I'm working to do that in the many days to come in 2012.

Angels are still singing "Gloria!" - are you?



After reading my blog post yesterday about my melancholy mood in the wake of Christmas season winding down, my friend Deb told me about a yearly tradition she has to help her hold on to Christmas.

She chooses a ornament from her Christmas tree that she will keep out and display in her kitchen to help her remember the joy, love, beauty and message of the holiday season.

This year I also learned about the tradition of the "Christmas Pickle Ornament" from some of the teens in the youth group I work with. Apparently, some folks hide a pickle shaped ornament on their tree on Christmas Eve and the first person that finds it the following morning will get to open the first gift and receive the "Pickle Present" in addition to their other gifts. When I learned about this fun tradition, I went searching for a pickle ornament to start the "Christmas Pickle Ornament" tradition in my own family.


( To learn more about the pickle legend - visitn this link at bronners.com)
So to take from my friend Deb's suggestion and the pickle - I've placed the pickle ornament on a hook in my kitchen and placed some hand-made ornaments on my office door to be my own year long reminder to continue to live through and in Christmas.


(Baby Jesus waiting for the three kings.)

Happy 10th day of Christmas to you all - I hope you find some traditions that help you hold on to the joy of Christmas all year round!

Comments

Anonymous said…
I like the pickle ornament tradition! I like, too, your mindset for going forward in the new year.

Popular posts from this blog

SWB: Claustrophobia and clearings

Mary Lue shared her host post on business and rest for this weeks Sleeping with Bread Examen. Her words resonated with me in the fact that due to a significant staff change at my office, there is more work to be done and my plate is feeling fuller lately. There have been more meetings, and lots of talking and planning. For the most part, I've felt much more connected to people since I've become more involved in this way, but oddly when I'm done for the day or night - I find myself in need of some quiet. Maybe I'm still sorting and planning in the back of my mind, but silence (even my own) is something I find myself being more and more drawn too. It's like the extra noise, both internal and external, makes me feel claustrophobic . A few days after Christmas, I went into a game store with my son and was overwhelmed by all the noise and activity there. The store was tiny but filled with kids and their parents vying for their video game of choice. My head felt hot, my

Sunny and rainy day friends

There are two kinds of friends in the world: Sunny day friends and rainy day friends. This is a statement that my Mom used to remind me of when I was in the midst of drama or conflict with one school friend of another. There are lots of people that we define as friends, but they are really acquaintances. Two men were out hunting in the northern U.S. Suddenly one yelled and the other looked up to see a grizzly charging them. The first started to frantically put on his tennis shoes and his friend anxiously asked, "What are you doing? Don't you know you can't outrun a grizzly bear?" "I don't have to outrun a grizzly. I just have to outrun you!" This story is funny, but it does help define the distinct difference between a rainy day friend and a sunny day friend. The sunny-day-friend is more concerned with watching out for their own health and wellness, than their friends' wellbeing. On the other hand, a rainy day friend is willing to take risks, work fo

Saying "Open Sesame" to God's Treasure

In an old Bugs Bunny cartoon, called “Ali Baba Bunny” , there are magic words that when spoken opens a cave filled with piles and piles of golden treasure. The magic words are…(see if anyone knows it) Open Sesame! In the cartoon, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck are on their way to vacation when they stumble upon a cave filled with buried treasure. Bugs Bunny just wants to head for the beach, but Daffy loses control and begins to collect all of the treasure for himself. His famous words go something like this, “Oh boy! I’m rich! I’m independent! I’m socially secure! I’m rich, I’m rich, I’m rich!”   Image found at: o vguide.com  No matter how Bugs tries to convince Daffy that they beach is waiting and that they  shouldn't  bother with the treasure, Daffy become more and more focused, greedy and disengaged from his friend and their plans. Nothing can distract Daffy from the golden treasure. Not Bugs, a magical genie or the consequences of disrupting the treasure that really  didn