As I write it is Christmas Day. Mine and my family’s best to you and yours for a glorious Christmas and may the Good Lord bring you bountiful blessings as we celebrate the birth of his son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I grew up in a family that celebrated Christmas in a big way. There wasn’t a shelf, tabletop, hook or inch of floor space that Mom didn’t decorate, mostly with handmade crafts she meticulously made. Meals on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were spent with the entire family. Aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. At least 30, if not more enjoying the feast. Fresh ham, scalloped potatoes, butter noodles, casseroles (too many to count) and of course cookies and peanut brittle, along with a pie, or two, or three, or four; you get the picture.
For me the highlight was my grandma’s oatmeal raisin cookies. I could eat a dozen at a time. Long after she passed my aunt tried replicating her recipe over the years, but it just never quite met the muster.
And every Christmas Eve the family would gather in the living room around the tree to sing Silent Night. It was my granny’s favorite Christmas tune; still is mine today.
Sometimes we would embark on midnight mass, others we would make the 5:30 a.m. mass on Christmas Day. The church nativity was set out in all its glory, evergreen fronds hung from the beams and of course plenty of poinsettias to decorate the area around the altar. And yes, it was the one time I actually sang at church. Mostly because everyone else sang too so I had no fear they could pinpoint my off-key musings.
Those were days that have passed me by.
Christmas for me now is spent at home with Ruth and Will, celebrating a much more quiet and less chaotic holiday. The tree is small, as there’s not much room in our house for anything over three feet. A fire is usually burning in the wood stove adding warmth and atmosphere to a cold evening.
To her credit Ruth does decorate around the house, much like my mother used to do, only a little less of it. Our Christmas feast usually migrates towards Italian cuisine like lasagna, manicotti or stuffed shells. A few Christmas cookies cover platters in the kitchen, and I might add Ruth is a mighty fine baker, I just wish I could get her to attempt those oatmeal cookies I crave.
And of course, since there are just a few of us the gifts around the tree rarely achieve heights greater than two to a pile.
This is the full circle of Christmas my life has taken me to date. Regardless of where I was at any time within that circle I always remember – It’s Christmas; and is there any other time like it. So…enjoy!
Peace on Earth
Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck...
How to live in a world that's politically correct?
His workers no longer would answer to "Elves",
"Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.
And labor conditions at the North Pole,
Four reindeer had vanished without much propriety,
released to the wilds, by the Humane Society.
The runners had been removed from his beautiful sleigh,
because the ruts were deemed dangerous by the EPA.
To show you the strangeness of today's ebbs and flows,
Rudolf was suing over unauthorized use of his nose.
He went to Geraldo, in front of the Nation,
demanding millions in over-due workers compensation.
And as for gifts...why, he'd never had the notion
that making a choice could cause such commotion.
Nothing of leather, nothing of fur...
Which meant nothing for him or nothing for her.
No candy or sweets...they were bad for the tooth.
Nothing that seemed to embellish upon the truth.
No baseball, no football...someone might get hurt,
besides - playing sports exposed kids to dirt.
So Santa just stood there, disheveled and perplexed,
he just couldn't figure out what to do next?
He tried to be merry he tried to be gay,
but you must have to admit he was having a very bad day.
His sack was quite empty, it was flat on the ground,
nothing fully acceptable was anywhere to be found.
Something special was needed, a gift that he might,
give to us all, without angering the left or the right.
A gift that would satisfy - with no indecision,
each group of people in every religion.
Every race, every hue,
everyone, everywhere...even you!
So here is that gift, it's price beyond worth...
"May you and your loved ones enjoy peace on Earth."
Ron Kern is the manager of the Ogle County Farm Bureau.
