Carrie Turansky's Blog, page 31

Christmas in Edwardian Times

A maid serves Flaming Christmas Plum Pudding

Hi Friends,

Many of the Christmas traditions enjoyed by the English during the Edwardian era were similar to those we enjoy in the US today, but some are quite different. I loved learning more about Edwardian Christmas traditions as I did research for my novel, The Governess of Highland Hall, which is set in the fall and winter of 1911- 1912.

Preparations for the Christmas holiday began the last Sunday before Advent, which was called Stir Up Sunday. A rich plum pudding batter was prepared, using some ingredients that sound a little odd to an American, including beef suet and brandy. But I suppose you have to taste it to appreciate it. Each member of the family would take a turn stirring the pudding batter and add a good-luck coin that would be discovered on Christmas day when the pudding was served. It was then steamed for six hours and stored over a month for the flavors to ripen. On Christmas day it is steamed again for an hour and a half, then more brandy was added and it was served flaming. The flames were originally meant to represent Christ’s passion.

Other traditional food served on Christmas included roasted nuts, minced pies, dates, figs, chocolate, boar’s head, sheep’s tongue, roast pork, goose, or turkey. The birds would be stuffed with chestnuts, pork, and apple stuffing, and sprinkled with fat and salt, then served with apple, gooseberry, and bread sauces. Besides plum pudding and fruitcake, a rolled Christmas cake called Buche de Noel was often served for dessert.

The Edwardians decorated their homes with holly, ivy, yew, laurel, mistletoe, paper chains, ribbons and candles. But the Christmas tree was not set up until Christmas Eve. It was decorated with paper and glass ornaments as well as toys, sweets, mistletoe, candles, and ribbons. Some families had table-top-size trees, while many had larger, floor-standing trees.

Father Christmas had been a figure in English history since medieval times. He represents the Christmas spirit of goodwill, but he did not bring gifts. He came from Odin and wore a blue-hooded cloak and white beard, and had an evergreen wreath around his head. St Nicholas, the Christian saint, visited Dutch children on Christmas Eve and left toys and candy in their straw-filled clogs. If the children were bad a birch rod would be left instead of sweets. By Edwardian times, Father Christmas and St. Nicholas had merged together, and Father Christmas was pictured in a red suit and brought gifts to good children who hung up their stockings on Christmas Eve.

Christmas cards were very popular during the Edwardian period. Since postage rates were so inexpensive, many Christmas cards were sent and received by friends and family.

Electricity had become more common during the Edwardian era. In 1912 Princess Louise opened the first modern Christmas illuminations, with “festoons of garland lamps,” using 10,000 light bulbs.

Christmas Day would have started with the family attending a church service, although some families attended on Christmas Eve. Before dinner was served at mid-day, they pulled open paper Christmas crackers and put on paper hats. After dinner, they enjoyed playing games and gathering around the piano to sing carols. Some of the favorites were ‘Good King Wenceslas’, ‘It Came Upon the Midnight Clear’, ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman’, and ‘Once in Royal David’s City’. This last carol had Victorian moral for young: ‘Christian children all must be mild, obedient, and good as He’. Wealthy families might have had gramophone to play their favorite Christmas music.

Gifts for adults included pens and stationery sets, manicure & grooming kits and for the wealthy, driving clothing and caps, with Burberry being the leading brand.

For boys, toy soldiers were very popular, and for girls, dolls and tea sets. For younger children, wooden animals and wooden alphabet & number blocks. Some of these would have been bought in department stores, which had emerged in the late 1860s, and were a mainstay of Christmas shopping rituals by the Edwardian period.

The day after Christmas, Boxing Day was celebrated, and gifts were given to those in need. It was also a day of sports and outdoor entertainments, such as ice skating and hunting. But the cinema was becoming more popular, and movies made especially for Christmas, such as an early adaptation of Dickens’ Christmas Carol were shown and enjoyed by many.

Do you think you’d enjoy Christmas in Edwardian England? Which Christmas tradition is your favorite?

The Gift of a Song

Hi Friends,

Christmas is a wonderful season . . . but if you’re like me . . . sometimes you need to stop, take a deep breath, and receive God’s peace and joy. Last night as I drove home from Bible study realized I was rushing, and there was really no need. When I reached my neighborhood I slowed down to enjoy all the Christmas lights while I listened to Christmas carols on my car radio. It really made my heart happy to sing along and see the lights twinkling in the dark, cold night.

Do you need a break in all your Christmas preparations? I thought you might enjoy this beautiful song by the Piano Guys. I hope it lifts your spirit and helps prepare your heart for Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Carrie

Diann Hunt Day

Hi Friends,

Today I want to join several other authors and honor our friend and fellow author, Diann Hunt, who has gone on to heaven after a very long and brave fight against ovarian cancer.

Diann was the author of many inspirational novels that are heartwarming, humorus, and faith-filled . . . just like Dianne. She was a wife, mother, grandmother, and dear friend who had a gift of encouragement that she used to lift others up even when she was suffering. Her faith remained strong and her commitment to love others shone through everything she said and did. She was a great example to us all. Her trust in God did not fail, and He walked with her all the way home. You can read more about Diann’s life and writing at her website.

Author friends: Colleen Coble, Denise Huter, Diann Hunt, Kristin Billerbeck

Diann lived her life on earth well. She loved others deeply, and she loved the Lord.  We know today she is healed and strong again and enjoying all the delights of heaven. But her family and friends miss her. Would you say a prayer for them today?

Have you read any of Diann’s wonderful books? I wanted to encourage you to visit Diann’s Amazon Page and learn more about the novels and devotionals she has written. Purchasing one or more copies is one way you could bless Diann’s family. Thanks!

Christmas Read-Alouds Everyone Can Enjoy

Hi Friends,

Reading aloud is such a wonderful way to bring family and friends closer and share a special experience together. We homeschooled our five children, and reading aloud was always one of my favorite parts of the day. We read the Bible aloud, and we often read historical fiction or award winning childrens’ books to compliment what we were learning. We also have a special collection of Christmas books that we bring down each December to enjoy together.

Here are some of our favorites:

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechoski

“Christmas is pish-posh,” grumbles Jonathan Toomey, the best wood carver in the valley. He’s a Scroogelike recluse; but he has a gentle grouch, and it turns out that he hides a sad secret. He is transformed, not by Dickensian ghosts, but by an eager seven-year-old boy and his widowed mother who ask him to make carve a Christmas creche. The spirit of Christmas heals a sorrowing woodcarver’s heart in this splendid edition of a holiday classic. Lynch’s beautiful illustrations, in shades of wood grain, are both realistic and gloriously romantic, focusing on faces and hands at work before the fire and in the lamplight. This is wonderful read-aloud story that even young children will enjoy. Amazon link.

Christmas on Jane Street by Billy Romp

The warm, wonderful, real-life tale of the family that brings the Christmas spirit to life on a street corner in Manhattan. Every holiday season for nearly twenty years, Billy Romp, his wife, and their three children have spent nearly a month living in a tiny camper and selling Christmas trees on Jane Street in New York City. They arrive from Vermont the day after Thanksgiving and leave just in time to make it home for Christmas morning—and for a few weeks they transform a corner of the Big Apple into a Frank Capra-esque small town alive with heartwarming holiday spirit.

Christmas on Jane Street is about the transformative power of love—love of parent and child, of merchant and customer, of stranger and neighbor. The ideal Christmas story, it is about the lasting and profound difference that one person can make to a family and one family can make to a community. Amazon link.

An Edwardian Christmas by John L. Goodall

This small book is a treasure! It is all illustrations with no text, but each page follows the story of a family visiting wealthy relatives in a large country house during Edwardian times. Depicted in loving detail, is Christmas as it was at the beginning of the twentieth century, indoors and out, above stairs and below, as seen through the eyes of a boy and girl. My favorite illustrations are of the family walking to church by starlight, and everyone gathered to play games on Christmas Day. It was first published in 1978, so you may want to look for a used copy online.

Peter Spires Christmas!

This is also a wordless picture book by the Caldecott Medal-winning artist of Noah’s Ark, and it contains more than ninety full-color paintings capturing the spirit and joy of Christmas through the delights of three young children. My children all loved this when they were young, and it can be enjoyed by preschoolers through adults.  First published in 1996, you will also want to look for a used copy online.

Some of the other books in our collection include:

Esther’s Gift by Jan Karon, A Cup of Christmas Tea by Tom Hegg, The Christmas Cross by Max Lucado, A Little House Christmas by Laura Ingles Wilder, A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas, Mary’s First Christmas by Walter Wagerin Jr., Christmas at Long Pond by William T. George, The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado, Christmas by Jan Pienkowski, Santa Are You For Real by Harold Myra, The Nutcracker, A Three Dimensional Story Book Illustrated by Michael Welply, The Christmas Stories of George MacDonald, Mele Kalikimaka, Christmas in Hawaii by Julie Mehta, and The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

Do you enjoy reading aloud? Can you add a favorite Christmas story to our list?

Favorite Christmas Recipes

Hi Friends, There are a few special recipes that we pull out and prepare each year at Christmas time. When we gather with family and friends here are two that we usually make and enjoy sharing.

Seven layer Salad

Romaine Lettuce – 1/2 medium head, thinly sliced
2 Cups Baby Spinach
Red Cabbage – small wedge, thinly sliced
1 Can Water Chestnuts, sliced
1 Small Red Onion, thinly sliced
4 Ounces Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 Pkg. Frozen Petite Green Peas, defrosted and well drained
1 Red Pepper, for decoration
1 Green Pepper, for decoration
1 Yellow Pepper, for decoration
Fresh Parsley

Salad Dressing:

1 Cup Light Mayonnaise
1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt, Plain and Non-fat
1/2 tsp Curry Power

Directions:

Place the sliced Romaine in the bottom of large clear glass bowl. Add a layer of baby spinach, then add sliced cabbage, water chestnuts, red onion, cheese and peas in layers. Mix the dressing in a separate bowl. Spread it over the salad, covering it completely. Decorate the top with a design made from pieces of red, yellow, and green pepper, and parsley. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until time to serve. This salad can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time.

Gingersnap Cookies

2 1/4 cup flour (I use half whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 3/4 teaspoon ginger
11/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup white sugar (to roll the cookies in before baking)

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cream brown sugar and butter. Add the egg and mix. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until thoroughly blended. Pinch off small amounts of dough and roll into 1 inch diameter balls. Roll each ball in sugar and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, or until tolls are rounded and slightly cracked. Makes 5 dozen cookies.

Pumpkin Bread, Tortilini Soup, Lemon Curd, Zucchini muffins . . . Would you like to see more of my favorite recipes? Visit my Pinterest board!

What is one of your favorite recipes to prepare at holiday time?

Blessings and Merry Christmas!

The Governess of Highland Hall Book Launch Events!

Hi Friends,
The countdown to the October 15th release of The Governess of Highland Hall has begun! Here's how you can join in the fun!

Local Book Launch Tea Party
If you live in New Jersey, New York, or Pennsylvania, please join us on Sunday, October 13th, 3:00 - 5:00 pm for a Book Launch Tea Party at the Crosswicks Community House, 480 Main Street, Crosswicks Chesterfield Township, NJ 08515. We will serve English Tea treats, take photos, I'll do a reading, and autographed books will be available for purchse. We are giving away this Downton Abbey-Tea themed gift basket pictured below! Each guest will take home a unique teacup and saucer. Please RSVP so we have enough food for all: carrie@turansky.com.

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Facebook Launch Party
Everyone is welcome to join us on Tuesday October 15th for a Facebook Book Launch Party, 7:00 - 8:00 pm Eastern time. It will be a Livestream video chat from my Author Page (look for the bright red Livestream button under where you like the page to connect to the event). I'll be giving you the behind the page info on The Governess of Highland Hall, answering your questions, and giving away copies of the book and some fun prizes including Downton Abbey DVDs, Calendars, and Cookbook, plus teacups! Authors Julie Lessman and Joanne Bischof will be calling in as my special guests, and they will be giving away copies of their books too! Please RSVP for the Facebook Party, and we will send you a reminder so you don't miss the fun and prizes!

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Highland Hall Novel Tea Online Giveaway
Everyone is welcome to enter the Highland Hall Novel Tea Giveaway for a chance to win one of three full-to-the-brim English Tea and Downton Abbey themed gift baskets.

Prize Package 1 ~ Over $120.00 Value!
Tea Set
English Breakfast Tea
Tea Infuser
Downton Abbey, Season 3 DVD
Silver and Faux Pearl Pendant
2 copies of The Governess of Highland Hall

Prize Package 2 ~ Over $80.00 Value
Tea cup
English Breakfast Tea
Tea Infuser
Tea Spoon
The World of Downton Abbey book
Secrets of Highclere Castle DVD
2 copies of The Governess of Highland Hall

Prize Package 3 ~ Over $60.00 Value
Tea cup
English Breakfast Tea
Tea Infuser
Tea Towel
Downton Abbey Calendar
Pride &Prejudice Bookmark
2 copies of The Governess of Highland Hall

The Highland Hall Novel Tea Giveaway starts Oct. 7th. To be entered in the drawing, please visit. http://carrieturansky.com/index.php/g...
Winners will be drawn on Saturday, October 15th.


Thank You!
I appreciate all my reading friends who have stopped by to help me celebrate the release of The Governess of Highland Hall!

A Romance in I000 Words!

LOVE ON THE 452
By Carrie Turansky

The first note appeared in my lap one rainy afternoon as I rode the 4:52 train home from work. I didn’t see it until I pulled my gaze from the rain-spattered train window as I prepared to get off at my stop. I’m not surprised I missed seeing who’d dropped it there. I’d been crying most of the way home from Philadelphia.

That afternoonI I learned I’d been passed over for a promotion at work, my sister called to cancel her upcoming visit, and worst of all, my dog Hemmingway had been missing for two days. Curious about where the note came from, I glanced around the car. No one looked my way. Some read novels or newspapers, others worked on laptops or slept, and a few simply stared out the window lost in their own world, as I had been moments before.

I looked at the note in my hand. Who would pass me a message on a commuter train? I slowly unfolded it. The strong, neat handwriting gave the impression the author was a male with an artistic bent.

I see you crying. I’m sorry you’re hurting. Don’t give up. Thinks will get better. I’ll be praying for you.
R.

I blinked away a fresh round of tears, and read the note once more, savoring each caring phrase. Then I carefully refolded it and slipped it into my coat pocket. Someone saw and cared. Someone prayed for me. I smiled and felt my spirit lift.

The following afternoon, I dashed around the puddles and prayed I’d make the 4:52. Hemmingway was still missing, but things were more positive at work. As I took my usual seat in the third row from the front, a young woman with long red hair sat down next to me. We were soon laughing and sharing war stories about working in downtown Philly. I even showed her the note.

As I smiled and waved goodbye to her, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned and an older gentleman handed me a note. I stared at him, and he chuckled. “Don’t look so worried. It’s not from me. Someone passed it up from the back.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled, blushing, and accepted the second note.

Glad to see you smiling today. I guess you must be feeling better. See, prayer works. I hope you have a nice weekend. I’ll keep praying for you.
Your Commuter Prayer Buddy,
R.

At the bottom he’d sketched a drawing of me smiling. I laughed softly, looking at the sketch. It was surprisingly good. Then I read the note again before I folded it and hid it in my pocket along with the first.

On Monday, I stopped to check my hair and makeup before I made the mad dash for the 4:52. Thirty minutes later, as crossed the river into New Jersey, I sunk lower in my seat and sighed. No note. No message. Nothing. Where was R.?

Only two minutes from my station, I grabbed a blank piece of paper from my bag and quickly scribbled a message.

Dear R.,
Thanks for your notes and prayers. Most people are too wrapped up in themselves to notice anyone else. I do believe in prayer. I appreciate the reminder that I can always take my problems to the One who is never too busy to listen. I had a good weekend. I found my dog Hemmingway! He’s been lost of six days. I’m sure that’s partly due to your prayers. I’ll say a prayer for you too.
Lisa, your friend on the 4:52

As the train pulled to a stop, I hesitated, feeling silly. Would he get my note? I had to try. I quickly wrote:To R. on the 4:52. People stared at me as I attached the note to the window with an old sticker from my purse. With flaming cheeks, I made a quick exit, feeling both foolish and hopeful.

Over the next two weeks we exchanged several other notes, each one revealing a little more. But this note changed everything:

Lisa,
This all started because I saw you crying and wanted to help. But over the last few weeks, I’ve become very intrigued by you. I would like to meet you and have a chance to get to know you, but there is no pressure from me. If you’re married or dating someone else, I understand. This will be my last note. If you’d like to meet, then ride the 4:52 tomorrow.
Ray

I bought a new blue sweater on my lunch break, and I watched the clock all afternoon. I left work at exactly 4:30, but a fire across from my building closed the street and I had to run three blocks out of my way.

I missed the 4:52 and my chance to meet Ray.

Tears blurred my eyes as I boarded the 5:03 and fought off a miserable wave of helplessness. I excused myself up the crowded aisle looking for a vacant seat.

When I reached the third row, I stopped and stared. A dozen red roses lay in my seat. A handsome man with wavy dark brown hair sat in the aisle seat next to mine. He wore a charcoal business suite with an eye-catching red tie.

I smiled, hope rising in my heart. “Excuse me. Is that seat taken?”

He glanced at me, and a slight smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “Well, I was saving it for someone . . . but she’s late . . . so would you like to sit down?” His brown eyes danced with amusement.

I nodded and bit my lip.

He reached for the roses, then stood and moved into the aisle. For a moment we stood face-to-face, smiling into each other’s eyes. “When you didn’t get on the 4:52, I took a chance and waited for the 5:03.” Ray handed me the roses.

My smile bloomed, and I hoped it would express what my words could not. I lifted the bouquet to my nose and inhaled their sweet scent. “Thank you, Ray. They’re beautiful.”

We sat down together in the third row, and we laughed and talked all the way home to New Jersey.