Book Review

Book Title: A greener Christmas 

Author: Sheherbazade Goldsmith

Publisher: DK Publishing

Year Pyblished: 2009  

Price: $16.95

My Rating:★★★★★

Synapsis:

The only guide to celebrating a greener Christmas shows you how to make your home merry, bright, and eco-friendly! Part craft, gardening, and cookbook, part home décor and entertaining guide, A Greener Christmas lets the whole family get in on projects that are simple, seasonal, and of-the-moment. Welcome guests with candlelit lanterns, hand-stitched stockings, and cozy homemade wreaths. Trim your homegrown tree with shiny recycled tinsel, spicy dried citrus fruits, and wood-scented pine cones. Give heartfelt, environmentally-friendly gifts like homemade herbal teas and mulled wine sachets, all wrapped up in gorgeous, reusable packaging. And set a mouthwatering holiday spread, with the freshest breads, cheeses, meats, and produce, all sourced from local farms. Edited by food and lifestyle maven Sheherazade Goldsmith, this book will help you plan the most beautiful, most festive, and most responsible Christmas yet.

My Review:
I could literally dive into this book and not come out until next Christmas. There are great green decorating ideas, which use a lot of natural ingredients, which means you will spend next to nothing to make them.  I love seeing some of the things we do regularly in our home, in there and knowing that we were being green without even knowing it. Like the cinnamon sticks used to help scent the tree is an awesome idea that my mom has used for years.

It is chuck full of green decorating tips, greenery ideas, table top settings, how to decorate the tree, recipes and ideas for great gifts, and even a green christmas recipe section. It's like Martha Stewart meets Sara Snow or even more like a Sara Snow christmas how to book.

I'm in love dear readers and can't wait until I can use this next christmas to do even more awesome decorating and dinner plans!!! I got so many ideas of what I wanted to do this year I made myself dizzy

It's a definite library addition for anyone who is looking to make christmas more about home and family, and save some dollars while saving the planet.

So put it on your list for next year or even sooner so you can plan a greener Yule and christmas time.
Happy Reading & Be Blessed

Book Review:

The Night Before Christmas  an anthology by Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy, Kathy Love,, Jill Shalvis, Kylie Adams and Katherine Garbera


Did i mention I love chick lit and erotica?? NO?? Well here is one of my favorite Christmas books to read. These little novellas are so erotic and sexy, makes me want to really be bad right before Christmas. 


The first story is by Lori Foster, and it finds Detective Parker Ross, doing his best to resist the charms of the local holiday fanatic Lily Donaldson.  He's literally the grinch that tries to resist the charm and lore to christmas.  But a decision to intervene and help Lily; puts the two together on christmas eve, and Lily does her best to change the grinch into a believer. This is a fun quick story that tries to get to the heart of what christmas should mean, and even though i have read it several times, I always tear up at the end.  


Snowed Under by Erin McCarthy is a pretty good story, about a childhood crush that blooms into a very adult love story, which Justin does his best to resist because the love interest is his best friends' kid sister. And leaves Claire with the daunting task of convincing this man that age is nothing but a slight number on a linear scale. I loved this one too, because Clair is bold and goes for what she wants, and generally gets her man.


Ms.Humbug by Jill Shalvis, Cami is in the bathroom when she notices a pair of shoes that belong to the man she is dating.A city counsel man who is moving at snail pace int he beginning relationship, but here on the christmas party is getting down with someone else, she is furious to say the least. But she gets her revenge by hooking up with an even sexier man, a man she used to butt heads with on the city counsel. He makes her see the advantage of deviating from a plan and he learns that sometimes passion comes in an unexpected neurotic woman who will turn out to be the right woman.  


I'll be home by Kathy Love is a story of ex-lovers and another chance at the life they may have had. Nothing like a snow storm, a canceled flight, and a car rental mix-up to stick you with someone you would rather not be with. and this time Rob and Erica have no other choice but to be together until they reach home, except Rob thinks Erica is getting married Christmas morning. Ohh boy!! Nothing like a silent car filled with all the words and memories of past floating around.


Seducing Scrooge by Katherine Garbera. Krista decides to take a gamble on Jackson her boss who is a workaholic. Krista, seizes the day and kidnaps her boss, in an attempt to make him realize the spirit of christmas.


The good girl's guide to a very bad christmas by Kylie Adams. Peri makes her bad girl list of things to do, it blows into the hands of walking sex on a stick , and he decides to help her make them come true. Bad girl list check, hot man check Enough said.


Enjoy these christmas treats
Blessed Be

Mid Winter Snow

Throughout the afternoon I watched them there,
Snow-fairies falling, falling from the sky,
Whirling fantastic in the misty air,

"Snow Fairy" Claude McKay

Holda may not have given us snow on christmas or Yule, but she certainly shared with us today. here are a few pictures of the snow outside the house. This is looking out from the front porch; looking down into the front garden.

Here is two of my past christmas trees in the yard, the one on the left is about five years old, the second one about a year. We always have a small one in the den that we decorate, this one is the one from last christmas.

 This is the beginning of the first Northeast Winter storm. My black Santa and toy soldier enjoying the snow.

and the front porch's little chairs

the snow is starting to come down something fierce now i can see my neighbors house but sometimes not at all

My sister ventured out to take this picture of the front yard, then came running in becuase the wind was so fierce 

These are all the trees looking out on our cul-de-sac. 

I just love the way the snow makes everything look, and the feeling of nature as the wind blows and the snow comes down. There is a feeling like none other.


I hope you were safely enclosed in your home for this 2010 storm
Blessed Be

12 days of Mithra-mas: day 2:

December 27th, Mother’s Night, St. John’s Day


In the earlier days of the twelve days, they have been regarded as a supernatural time. A time when the dead are close at hand, there are many different stories across the celtic lands about the Yule Host, the Wild Hunt, the Fairy Host, being led by King Arthur, Woden, and Arawn the king ot the Celtic underworld.  

courtesy of google.com/images

The oldest figure is from Germany known as Frau Holle (Holda, Hulda) a better name for her would be Mother Christmas.  In Germany, she is known as Frau Gode, and if she passes a house with a open door she sends in one of her dogs, if her gift is treated wrongly bad luck will follow.  In more recent times she has become connected to Mother Carey, an american folk figure.  


Honoring the Mothers
On this day include an image of Mother Christmas on your winter shrine. 
here is a modern invocation from Diana Paxson

Holy Holla, in the heavens

A snowy featherbed you're shaking

Bless the earth with your white blanket

Moist the mantle you are making

Holla high above come riding

Your wagon rolls through winter weather

turn away your face of terror

Bless us as we bide together

Holy Holla, here we gather

send us skill in all our spinning.

Hulderfolk (gnomes)  to help in housework

Wealth and health with your aid winning

A Winter Shrine to Holda

• Cut a handful of white yarn, fold in 1/2 and tie them with a contrasting color to create a ring.  
• Into the hollow you can make a face and insert it there. or place a glass/crystal bead 
• give your figure arms if you want, by wrapping the same yarn around a twig and sticking it through the belt.
• As you place her on your shrine feel how she relates to the other figures you may have there. feel how she oversees the household of the Earth, giving all creatures what they need-food, and nurture, but also death's sweet mercy when pain and suffering become too much. Be aware that she revives all the souls that leave the earth at this time during the Solstice. And remember that she also blessed the household and helps to keep it running smoothly over the holiday season.

Information from Winter Solstice by John Matthews, 12 days of Christmas
Blessed be 

12 days of Mithra-mas day 1 Boxing Day

December 26th: Boxing Day Day of the Wren, St. Stephens Day, 
Irish: La an dreoilin

Today is Boxing Day December 26th. Today in history the old Lords and lady's traditionally boxed up their left-over Christmas feast and either gave it to their servants or had them delivered to homes of those less fortunate. 
In the Caribbean today is a day to visit all those you didn't see on Christmas. It's also a big day for games for the kids, and a chance for the adults to catch up(and lets be real, more food). 

The reason for today being associated with St, Stephens started from a legend about the saint's visit to Scandinavia. He was captured and when he was attempting to escape the wren gave it's call which woke the guards.  This has lead to the belief that the wren is unlucky and the killing of a wren on any other day is ill-advised.

Today is the day in history when the first person to kill a wren and display it was made King of the Feast of Fools.   When the saint was killed he was strapped to an unbroken horse which rode back to Saint Stephens home. This has lead to the saint's home being seen as a pilgrimage site as well as many people bringing their sick animals to the saint's grave. 

Middle age image of a mummers play courtesy of bing.com

The Mummers Plays, had young boys who would hunt the wren and then carry the bird (wither dead or alive ) back to the leaders home, when the dancing was done, the  feathers from the bird was passed out as a good luck charm. The killing of the wren was a symbol of getting rid of the past year, as it is believed the Celts viewed the Wren as the old years symbol.  Historians also believe that the killing of the Wren harkens back to the sacrifice rituals of the old European traditions, where the king was killed after a year of service.  

The theme of Boxing Day has to do with death and resurrection and animals. Today is also generally the day when most Mummers plays are performed. 


                                              To Celebrate the Animals:
Make a fruitcake and ice it and surround it with a circle of animals. they can be made from modeling clay or from the toy store. You can read the following invocation over the cake before you serve it:

Creatures of the wild world

we honor your strength

we honor your power

we honor your joy!

May you bring us

The Gift of your presence

The blessing of your truth

the Light of your being

Now and through the year to come

You can also look up Mummers Plays and attempt to re-enact them with your children, or even find some of their songs and sing those today.

Another thing to do would be to "box' up any left overs you know you won't be able to finish and share the love with either the homeless person you see regularly or give to a soup kitchen or even to one of the homes for those who are recovering, half-way homes, or even to the women's abuse shelters.

However you celebrate, have fun my loves.

Blessed be