Christmas on Late Blooms

Simplifying Christmas - 5 Tips

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0000

We expect too much at Christmas. It’s got to be magical. It’s got to go right. Feasting. Fun. The perfect present. All that anticipation. Take it easy. Love’s the thing. The rest is tinsel. (Pam Brown)

All the preparations have started for the big day - December 25th. Christmas is one of those times that we imbue with special meaning and significance. We want everything to be just right, perhaps, even perfect. I was thinking about this and trying to understand how we got ourselves into this mode of thinking. More important, though, is how can we get ourselves out?

December's Here: Tis the Season to be Merry

Sat, 02 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0000

I suddenly realized that today is the 1st of December. My thoughts, of course, turned to the reality of the fact that Christmas is coming soon and the need for getting ready. No matter what faith or tradition we are raised in, everyone seems to get caught up in the Season — even if it’s just being present at an office or school party. I felt like writing a Christmas acrostic to get me caught up in the language of Christmas. “Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.”― Hamilton Wright Mable

Santa's Mailbox

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Have you written your letter to Santa yet? You ought to be thinking about it. It’s already December 1st tomorrow and Santa’s a very busy soul. Santa came to town here in Toronto on November 20th and thousands of little and big people flocked to see him on his arrival.

Mark Twain, famed author of “Huckleberry Finn” and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” wrote a letter to his three year old daughter, Susie, which I am sharing with you below. He was playing the part of Santa. It was written in 1875. Samuel Langhorne Clemens is Mark Twain’s real name and for your information, he was born on November 30th, 1835. Today is November 30th, 2016 - his date of birth. That’s just a synchronistic occurrence since I didn’t know this until I looked it up. I think you will enjoy reading this letter - coming from the pen of this famous author. I know I enjoyed reading it. It might just put you in the Christmas spirit as well.

Help From Father Christmas

Thu, 24 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Dear Father Christmas:

I haven’t written to you since I was a little girl. I know that your specialty is children and specifically bringing toys for all the good boys and girls across the globe on Christmas Eve. You’re a jolly fellow and there’s even a popular song written about you called “Jolly Old St. Nicholas.” Since you are in the “happiness” business, it occurred to me that you might be someone to ask for help with the crises we face in the world today. When I wrote to you a long time ago, my needs were small but these days, they are big.

A Christmas Garden Show

Sat, 12 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0000

We’re so fortunate in Toronto that we have our own Christmas Garden Show. Allan Gardens had the opening of their Christmas Flower Show last Sunday. The gardeners there did a magnificent job decorating the entire greenhouse which houses many different kinds of poinsettias and other flowering plants. The theme this year is winter and you will be able to see the skaters and the tobogganer in the collages below - all beautiful topiary creations using plant material. There were horse and wagon rides for old and young alike, carollers, and a visit from Santa himself. The hot apple cider provided was a welcome treat but the cookies were gone by the time I got there. Apparently this show was recognized as the “Garden Event of the Year” at the 2015 Canadian Garden Tourism Awards. Hope you enjoy the collages!

A Holly, Jolly Christmas!

Tue, 17 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_2687” align=“aligncenter” width=“800”] “Traditions have been replaced by lifestyles.”
– Lars Svendsen, A Philosophy of Boredom[/caption]

Christmas is just around the corner. I was trying to figure out what it was that impelled me to go over to the nearby Garden Centre on Friday and buy some evergreen branches. I did hear that Santa was coming to town in Toronto on Sunday and that the Santa Claus Parade was taking place. But was it that? “No!” I had begun to feel Christmassy. Christmas had begun in my heart. “It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.” (W T Ellis)

Christmas Loneliness

Tue, 23 Dec 2014 00:00:00 +0000

At Christmas-time, we tend to forget that many people are alone. This could be intentional or the result of circumstance - death, divorce, broken friendships, family far away, or an endless variety of reasons. For those who choose to spend the time in solitude meditating or with other plans, there’s joy in being alone. For those who would prefer to be with others but have no others, it can be a very hard and lonely time.

Christmas Tree Decorations

Wed, 17 Dec 2014 00:00:00 +0000

One of the first things that comes to my mind when I think of Christmas is decorating the tree. Perhaps you do too! All the collages in this post consist of Christmas tree ornaments. I took these images in a year-round Christmas store that I frequent whenever I go to Niagara Falls. It’s a fun place to visit. They have beautiful Christmas decor.

“The Christmas tree is a symbol of love, not money. There’s a kind of glory to them when they’re all lit up that exceeds anything all the money in the world could buy.” ― Andy Rooney

A Victorian Christmas at Allan Gardens

Fri, 12 Dec 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Toronto’s Allan Gardens is worth a visit over the holidays. As you can see from the above collage, the theme this year is musical. There’s someone playing a piano and to the right, there’s another musician with a bass instrument. “During the Victorian Christmas Show, the conservatory is decorated and filled with thousands of flowering plants and over 40 different varieties of poinsettias. The opening on the first Sunday in December features Christmas carollers, horse and wagon rides, hot apple cider and freshly baked cookies. The show runs until the end of December and the conservatory is opened late on weekends and can be viewed by candlelight.” (Wikipedia)

Christmas in Toronto

Mon, 08 Dec 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Christmas renews our youth by stirring our wonder. The capacity for wonder has been called our most pregnant human faculty, for in it are born our art, our science, our religion. -Ralph Sockman

It’s wonderful to see the Christmas lights and decorations around Toronto as the big day approaches. Toronto’s City Hall Square is ablaze with lights and many skaters were on the rink the evening I was there. “Located in front of City Hall, Nathan Phillips Square is an events landmark in the centre of the city. During the summer, the square is in motion daily, with people watching concerts and dance performances, viewing art at outdoor exhibitions, shopping for fresh produce at the farmers’ market one afternoon a week, attending weekly children’s events or sitting mesmerized by the fountain, eating lunch. The Peace Garden is a small green haven in the square, ideal for quiet contemplation or reading. In the winter months, the reflecting pool becomes a skating rink, with skates available for rental. Ice skating during the winter months runs from mid-November to mid-March each year.”

Looking like Christmas!

Sat, 15 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Santa Claus is coming to town this weekend in Toronto. However, I was in Niagara Falls last evening and it was very pretty and cold as well. As you can see from the above collage, the snowfall we had yesterday stayed on some of the branches of the trees there and gave that white, picturesque, wintry scene. And who isn’t dreaming of a white Christmas? To top it all off, the Show at Fallsview last night by Kenny Rogers was half his hit tunes and half Christmas music. That got me right into the Christmas spirit. He sang “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow,” as well as many other favorite hits. All the decor in the collages are images that I took in the Christmas store at Niagara. There were many people hustling and bustling in there trying to take in the sights of Christmas and many serious shoppers as well. As far as Christmas decor goes, there is decor in every color, size, and shape. You don’t need to worry these days that you will run out of ideas for decorating your tree or home. The above ornaments are all pink as you can see. This Christmas tree was one of my favorite ones there. I will be adding other collages over the next little while to this post. For now, I will just share the lyrics to “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” with you. Perhaps you are having your own little epiphanies wherever you are about the onset of the Christmas Holidays. Watch out for the other collages!

Live Good

Sun, 05 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_1568” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Live Good[/caption]

All the epithets in this collage were of interest to me since they were Christmas ornaments I saw in a year-round Christmas tree store. They are the kind of ornaments one buys for the wine-lover on your Christmas list. The addition of “Live Good” is my own idea. This image was on the cover of a journal in a bookstore.

It’s funny how certain images and sayings can act as triggers for past events or ideas one may have held at a certain time of life. This is what these sayings about wine did for me. There was a time in my life when I thought that I was Epicurean - a much younger age. I didn’t know much about Epicurus though. It was the “Eat, Drink, and Be Merry” stage. Life was about having a good time.

Merry Christmas!

Sat, 21 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000

I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. ~Charles Dickens

Manger Scenes

Mon, 09 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000

“While it is good that we seek to know the Holy One, it is probably not so good to presume that we ever complete the task.” ~ (Bonhoeffer)

[caption id=“attachment_1524” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] ~ The Lowly Manger[/caption]

At the first Christmas - the circumstances were dire. There was no room at the inn and the Baby Jesus was born in a manger. There were no doctors, nurses, midwives, bright hospital lights, and a bag packed with fine clothing for either mother or child. It was the humblest of births.

Christmassy!

Mon, 02 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_1492” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] By The Fireplace[/caption]

“_So if a Christian is touched only once a year, the touching is still worth it, and maybe on some given Christmas, some quiet morning, the touch will take.” (Ha_rry Reasoner)

It’s fascinating to take in the sights and sounds of Christmas around this great city of Toronto. “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere I go” as the popular song says. All kinds of people get caught up in the Spirit of Christmas, whether they are celebrating the Birthday of Jesus or just having fun. There’s so much to be done before Christmas Day - cooking, baking, shopping, wrapping, decorating, writing, travelling, rehearsing, praying, singing, meditating, playing, just to name a few of the important things to be done.

Lights, Camera, Snow!

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_653” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Christmas Lights[/caption]

The images in this collage were taken at night. I admired the Christmas outdoor lighting on my street for a long time before getting around to taking these pictures. However, I’m glad I waited, as they are more beautiful with the presence of the snow. “We feel most alive in the presence of the Beautiful for it meets the needs of our soul. For a while the strains of stuggle and endurance are relieved and our frailty is illuminated by a different light in which we come to glimpse behind the shudder of appearances the sure form of things.”

Birthday of a King

Tue, 25 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_632” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Birthday of a King”][/caption]

Christmas Day is celebrated all over the world - even by those who are not Christians. The birthday of Jesus is significant because of the message of love, peace, and forgiveness that he taught. As I did this Christmas collage, I was reminded of a Christmas concert that I once attended and of a wonderful song that was sung. It was called “Birthday of a King.” These are the words:

Nutcracker Ballet

Sun, 23 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

**"**The Nutcracker Suite opened in St. Petersburg on December 17, 1892. It is the tale of a girl named Clara who is given a nutcracker doll for Christmas by her godfather, Drosselmaier. That night she falls asleep and is disturbed by an attack of mice led by the Mouse King, who wishes to take her away to his kingdom. She is rescued by soldiers and the Nutcracker who, as a prince, takes her to his land, a country full of sugarplums and waltzing flowers. She awakens the next morning with only the nutcracker doll and memories of her Christmas adventure." (The World Encyclopedia of Christmas)

Christmas Cat

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_618” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Christmas Cat[/caption]

“Who would believe such pleasure from a wee ball o’ fur?” - Irish Saying

It was fun making my pet, Cali, look beautiful for Christmas. She obliged for just a short while and I was able to take these images. With the lovely colors of her coat of hair and the red ribbon, she makes a striking picture.

Cali is a calico cat. We adopted her four years ago from a family who couldn’t take care of her any longer. At that time she was already four years old. Cali loves Christmas. She loves tissue paper, gift wrap, and bags, and has lots of fun when we are opening the presents Christmas Day.

Bringing Christmas Inside

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_607” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Christmas Evergreens[/caption]

The preparations for Christmas begin long before Christmas and never seem to stop. One of my favorite activities a few weeks before Christmas is to stop by at one of the flower shops selling fresh branches and buy a bunch to make my own indoor creations. I like the look and smell of dogwood, spruce, pine, and cedar. All the images in this collage are creations of mine that bring the joy of the holiday season inside my heart and my home.

Christmas Angels

Sat, 08 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_598” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Christmas Angels[/caption]

“When the song of the angel is stilled/When the star in the sky is gone/When the kings and princes are home/When the shepherds are back with their flock/The work of Christmas begins:/To find the lost/To heal the broken/To feed the hungry/To release the prisoner/To rebuild the nations/To bring peace among brothers and sisters/To make music in the heart.” - Howard Thurman

Poinsettia Miracle

Sat, 08 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

More than any other symbol of Christmas, the poinsettia brings a magical feeling to me and tells me that it’s Christmas time. All the images in this collage were taken in a Loblaws supermarket with a beautiful selection of poinsettias of various colours. I added the greenery image with the Christmas ornament for contrast within the collage.

This really is my favourite Christmas shrub. While red is my favourite colour, I like to put a few of the other colours in with it as well when I’m decorating at Christmas time. The poinsettia takes its name from Joel Roberts Poinsett who was the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. I read that he first saw this plant in Taxco and was fascinated by its beauty. This was an interesting piece of information since I have visited Taxco myself. As they say, it’s a small world.

Deck the Halls!

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id=“attachment_583” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Hand-made Christmas cards[/caption]

Garrison Keillor - A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.

That time of year for merriment, festivity, and joy is upon us. Christmas Day is just around the corner. As the day draws closer and closer, many of us look forward to receiving our Holiday Greetings. We put them where we can see them and they are tangible reminders of our friends and family who have taken the time to remember us and share their good wishes for our happiness, health, and wellness at Christmas, and in the New Year.