A THANKSGIVING POEM

 BLESSINGS

by Donna L Martin

 

To all my family, both near and far...

To all my friends, both old and new...

This special day God blessed us with...

To cherish each other with love anew...

To give our thanks for all dear things...

And give the Lord blessings he's due...

A VERY MERRY & HAPPY TO All...

I have many friends from all over the world. They come in all shapes, sizes, religions, political views, etc. During this special time of year I wish each and every one of them the most joyous season no matter which one they celebrate...and even those who likes celebrating them all!

TALES FROM THE BAYOU: Wrapping Up Christmas

Since this is the last installment of  my TALES FROM THE BAYOU series, I thought I would give everyone a hodge podge mixture of different Christmas traditions and memories I have growing up in the swamps of southern Louisiana.

Soon after Thanksgiving Mother would shift the living room furniture around to make way for the annual trip to our ancestral lands to bring home a fresh cut Christmas tree. The entire family would hike deep into the woods until my father would select the perfect tree and proceed to chop it down. Back home Mother would hammer the metal base onto the bottom and then let us kids loose to decorate.

There was no money for fancy tree finery but we still managed to fill the tree with old glass and felt ornaments, colored paper chains, strands of silver tinsel, and garland made from popcorn and cranberries. I can remember sitting on our living room floor just waiting with needle and thread while Mother popped mounds of popcorn and someone else collected the cranberries from the bush outside our house.

Next came the canned snow Mother would frost the windows with which really got me into the spirit of Christmas. While the temperatures in southern Louisiana could get occasionally into the teens, very rarely did it snow that far south. Even the pretense of the powdery stuff would send my Christmas spirits soaring.

In one corner stood a rather large Santa and Rudolph which I loved to play with, despite the heavy vinyl smell emanating from the pair.  The wind up church had an honored spot near the television but one of my favorite holiday items Mother made each year was the Christmas scene she made out of tiny plastic trees and poinsettias pushed into a styrofoam base. I thought that scene so creative I continued the tradition for many years even after I had moved out of my parent's house.

Then came the baking. By the time I was an early teenager, my older brother and sister were both in the Navy and Mother would faithfully stuff a care package for each of them with Christmas cookies covered in royal icing, chocolate and peanut butter fudge, homemade fruitcake and some divinity that was never my favorite.  Janet and I were lucky to get to nibble on the "mistakes" of Mother's baking because only the best was good enough for family members serving their country.

Oh how the memories come flooding back when I think about those Christmases long ago. Flashes to last a life time like the year I got a five pound peppermint stick along with a hammer to chip pieces off to eat; my first bicycle I wrecked on Christmas Day; the first toy I ever remember receiving when I was 2 1/2 years old (a toy frog that would jump whenever you pumped the long yellow bulb handle); the year my brother waited until my parents were asleep and then proceeded to unwrap all our presents so we could know what we got before carefully rewrapping them; my father threatening to shoot Santa Claus with his old shotgun he kept in the closet; ribbon candy & Whitman Samplers; knowing I would always be able to find an apple, orange, and a handful of nuts in my stocking; singing Christmas carols with my sister; getting to open one present on Christmas Eve and praying my choice wasn't socks or underwear. 

The list could go on and on. Each memory is so sharp in my mind that all I have to do is close my eyes. I can almost imagine myself back in time to that house on McMurtry Street when life was hard but memories sweet growing up on the bayou...

Room For Everyone

When I was a child, we celebrated Christmas at our house. I didn't really understand why some people  didn't celebrate the same holiday and some of the celebrations I didn't get at all. But with age comes wisdom and I have discovered the month of December has plenty of room for everyone. December should be a month of kindness all around with a reminder we aren't all that different no matter what holiday we choose to celebrate...

So, no matter how you want to say it...I wish peace, health, and happiness to all my friends and family.  May you never go hungry, may you enjoy all the wonder each day holds and to all my writer friends...may we ALL get published in the new year...

Celebrating Seanachaism

When I was growing up in a small town in southern Louisiana, my mother tried to create certain holiday traditions.  We celebrated Christmas with all the enthusiasm four kids and one or two dogs could muster.  The smell of baking cookies would blend with the sharp scent of a newly cut tree.  We worked on handmade ornaments, stringing popcorn and holly berries, and listening to Christmas music while sipping a mug of my mother's homemade cocoa.  Each year we looked forward to this time of the year to celebrate our family traditions.  It is traditions like those of my childhood which help connect us.

Some celebrate Christmas.  Others look forward to Hannakah.  There there is the celebration of Kwanzaa.  Many ways to celebrate this special time of year and make memories to last a life time.  When I look at December's calendar, I see lots of days taken in celebration of one thing or another.  

But wait!  Somebody forgot a celebration which is literally steeped in tradition going back in time before any of these other holidays.  A tradition which could face extinction if not carefully nurtured and shared with the world, so I propose adding one more event to our season of celebrations.

No one has grabbed December 17th through December 21st yet, so starting this year I plan on celebrating Seanachaism during that week.  What is Seanachaism you might ask?  Why the ancient art of storytelling of course!

Can't you just see it now?  Houses filled with lighted book trees, friends and families exchanging a special book with one another, and songs about books playing in the background.  I've already planned out my week.  On Monday I will kick off Seanachaism with making a special bookmark to carry me into the new year.  Tuesday will find me at my local library eagerly awaiting story time.  On Wednesday I will decorate book shaped cookies to nibble on while I sip my hot tea.  Thursday I will visit a bookstore to buy a few children's books so I can donate them to Toys For Tots.  And on Friday I will throw a book exchange party where we will sing book carols to round out a week of celebrating the oral and written word.

I can think of no other holiday tradition more worthy of honoring at this time of year.  No matter a person's gender, race, color, or background, you will always find the wonderful art of storytelling in the history of every nation in the world.  It helps connect hearts and ensures our future, so I know what I will be doing in another week. How about you?

Happy Seanachaism everybody!

Blog Update

 

 

 

It's been a rough two months but I am slowly on the road to recovery.  Hopefully I will get information later this week on how to handle the latest hurdle in my life but in the mean time, here is a guest blog post I did today for the lovely Julie Hedlund about how I am going to handle the upcoming holiday season.  Please check out her blog here:

 



http://www.juliehedlund.com/2012/11/13/tuesday-12-x-12-donna-martin/

and I seem to be on target to be able to return to the blogging world with my new blogging schedule by the end of the month.  I'm planning on more prize giveaways as part of my one year blog anniversary coming up on December 6th, 2012 so you don't want to miss that!

Thanks to all the well wishes, prayers, and healing thoughts being sent my way.  It touches my heart more than you will ever know!  Mark your calendar for December and my return to the fun...;~)

Take care,

Donna L Martin