Christmas

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! ...

[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. ...

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 ...

“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. ...

[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. ...

[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.” ...

[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: ...

**"**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) ...

[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. ...

[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. ...