Category Archives: Christmas
Closed for the New Year
Hope you enjoy the New Year Festivities! We will be closed Thursday and Friday: See ya Next Year!
Ring out the old, ring in the new,Ring, happy bells, across the snow:The year is going, let him go;Ring out the false, ring in the true.Ring out the grief that saps the mindFor those that here we see no more;Ring out the feud of rich and poor,Ring in redress to all mankind.Ring out a slowly dying cause,And ancient forms of party strife;Ring in the nobler modes of life,With sweeter manners, purer laws.Ring out the want, the care, the sin,The faithless coldness of the times;Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymesBut ring the fuller minstrel in.Ring out false pride in place and blood,The civic slander and the spite;Ring in the love of truth and right,Ring in the common love of good.Ring out old shapes of foul disease;Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;Ring out the thousand wars of old,Ring in the thousand years of peace.Ring in the valiant man and free,The larger heart, the kindlier hand;Ring out the darkness of the land,Ring in the Christ that is to be.
— Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Read Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
I just cannot begin to tell of all the neat and unique books we have here at Schmaling for Christmas. Of course there are inspirational anthologies, and books of theological insights, but there is also a wonderful book full of delightful Dutch folk tales, many of which happen to be seasonally appropriate (think Sinterklaas…). Another contains a bunch of classic carols (like the actual piano music, too) along with sweet and concise stories of their background and personal relevance to the author Edward Heath (former Prime Minister of England). Then there’s Eleanor Roosevelt’s novel little book replete with accounts of Christmas at the White House, traditions shared with FDR and her family, and her favorite seasonal selections of prose and poetry.
I shall attend to my little errands of love Early, this year, So that the brief days before Christmas may be Unhampered and clear Of the fever of hurry. The breathless rushing that I have known in the past Shall not possess me. I shall be calm in my soul And ready at last For Christmas: "The Mass of the Christ." I shall kneel and call out His name; I shall take time to watch the beautiful light Of a candle's flame; I shall have leisure-I shall go out alone From my roof and my door; I shall not miss the silver silence of stars As I have before; And, oh, perhaps-If I stand there very still, And very long- I shall hear what the clamor of living has kept from me: The Angel's song!
— by Grace Noll Crowell,
from Clarence Andrew’s anthology Christmas in the Midwest
There’s also still plenty of time to whip out a simple homemade gift or Christmas treat; may these books offer you some good old-fashioned “hard-copy” inspiration (and instruction)!
In YA (young adult), we have MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME: Twelve Holiday Stories, by numerous YA authors including Holly Black, Ally Carter, and Stephanie Perkins, who also acted as editor.
Well, I certainly haven’t read them all, but the ones I have had made for a merrier heart this time of year; I hope someone else will be blessed by them as well.
Deck the Shelves
Deck the shelves with plenty of Christmas books,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Tis the season to read Sheryl Woods,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Don the cases with Brunstetter,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Troll your way past Debbie Macomber,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
See Grisham, Wiggs, and R.P. Evans,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Strike upon the classic by Dickens,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Read them all in merry measure,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
While they tell of Yule tide treasure,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Fast away the old year passes,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Read we joyous, all together,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Heedless of the wind and weather,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Yes, around the fourth stanza I got lazy.