Liz Flaherty's Blog, page 11

Christmas In the Kitchen

by Kim Janine Ligon

There are lots of Christmas memories that involve food. Tantalizing aromas wafting out

of the kitchen. I’m the oldest of ten kids and as soon as we each became old enough to

wield a peeler or chopper, Mother put us to work. She didn’t cook anything herself, but

orchestrated the meal through all of us. My husband said she ran her kitchen like a

general planning a battle. I spent many hours working side-by-side with my sisters. My

brothers were on the young end of the line so...

A Good Year

by Amanda Luedeke

Life moves fast. Too fast, sometimes, and it’s all we can do to keep up. We rush through Thanksgiving and then it’s on to Christmas and the New Year, and before we know it three months have passed and all we’ve done is run at a rapid pace.

Sometimes—many times—the best thing we can do is to be fully present as we reflect on the year and what we’ve learned, how we’ve grown. What God might be saying to us. So let’s do just that. 

At this very moment, you are alive and you’re...

When Holidays Share A Day

by Susie Black

Every so often, conflicting holidays fall on the same day. This year the first night of Hanukkah falls on Christmas Day. Why is Hanukkah celebrated on different dates? While it rarely seems to be celebrated on the same day, on the Hebrew calendar, Hanukkah always falls on the 25th day of the month of Kislev. The first day of Hanukkah can come as early as November or as late as the end of December, which means occasionally Hanukkah overlaps with Thanksgiving or Christmas. The las...

Keeping up the Holiday Traditions

Hello and Happy Holidays! I'm Vicki Batman, romantic comedy writer, joining you today. Thank you, Liz, for the invitation. 

Do you have holiday traditions? I love all things Christmas. I make a cheeseball. Send Christmas cards. Take a neighborhood driving tour with Handsome to look at lights. My girlfriends and I travel to a small town for their Christmas home tour, laughs, and chocolate (maybe some wine, too). People watching and checking out decorations at the mall. A big favorite is watching...

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Though I’m officially as old as dirt, this time of year turns me into a kid again. From Thanksgiving through Christmas Day, I am filled with anticipation and happiness. I want everyone to share a perfect holiday.

Before you lecture me about the real meaning of the day, let me assure you I have not forgotten the religious significance. That is why we give gifts in the first place, after all. My mother explained we give gifts to one another following the tradition of the wise men who brought gift...

The Bright Lights of Christmas: How a Family Tradition Started and How It’s Going

by Tanya Agler

I have a confession to make. I love spending time searching for the perfect Christmas present for my family members and friends. It gives me joy to think about their personalities

and what they mean to me and try to find something for each of them that will be useful but also enjoyable. However, I do not love wrapping presents because I’m rather bad at it. My

mom once worked at a department store during the holidays and could turn out beautiful packages with ribbon and bows. On ...

Evolving Traditions

by Suzanne Winslow

Our Christmas traditions are slowly evolving, and I’m part sad, part excited at the changes. I suppose this is a common experience for many empty-nesters. At the very least, we have to learn to share our adult children during the holidays. My husband and I are lucky the families of our kids’ significant others love them too. 

So, what do we do? Most of our four kids live out-of-state. Not only do they have in-laws, but also demanding jobs and limited vacation time. My husban...

The Best Gift

by Patricia Bradley

It’s that wonderful time of year! Christmas is coming and excitement rings in the air as we search for exactly the right gift for our loved ones…and not so loved ones. As I thought about this post for Window Over the Sink, I remembered a gift from my ‘tween years. Now, we didn’t call it ‘tween years back then…we would’ve said I was twelve. But that’s beside the point.

 

I had asked for a camera for Christmas…a Brownie. For those nowadays who use their phones to snap photos, ...

Christmas Frazzle

by Joan Reeves

Sometimes we get so busy orchestrating the best Christmas ever that we end up frazzled and exhausted before Christmas actually arrives. When I say we, I mean me. Someone once described me as a high speed woman in a low speed world. It followed that Christmas was the season to be moving at warp speed—creating beautiful handcrafted ornaments, the best decorated home and yard, finding the perfect gifts for everyone on my list, throwing the biggest and best Christmas party, prepari...

The Stockings Were Hung

by Margie Senechal

For as long as I can remember, stockings have been the highlight of Christmas for me. I'm sure it may have originated with the Icelandic tradition of putting our shoes in the window for a visit from the Yule Lads. My sister and I had elfin slippers in that chipped gold from the late sixties--after all, it was Iceland--that we'd put in our windows before we settled down to sleep, hoping to get a piece of chocolate or even better a Kronur. 

 

The love affair with stockings con...