May we not spend Christmas or observe Christmas but rather keep it. ~ Peter Marshall
Sometimes people seem to want to stop having Christmas as soon as midnight strikes on Christmas Day, but I think Christmas should last all the way to New Year’s and on as we continue to find joy in focusing our thoughts on a long ago starry night in Bethlehem when our Savior was born.
As Christians, we do remember the reason for the season but sometimes all the expectations of Christmas traditions can be overwhelming. People often ask if I’m ready for Christmas and I always say that Christmas comes, ready or not. And it did again this year. I didn’t get everything done. I totally failed at sending out all my Christmas cards. One of my gifts hasn’t made it to my mailbox yet. I didn’t make those crackerjacks like my mother always made or got other things done I thought I should do. We often make ourselves a way too long Christmas “to do” list when we should be thinking of the greatest gift ever given–Jesus.
So now, that my family celebrations are over, I’m going to take a moment to remember how a few of my characters celebrated Christmas. I like stepping back in time with my characters when Christmas expectations did seem simpler. Back in the 19th century, many families had a much different celebration. Perhaps families decorated a tree. Perhaps they didn’t. They may have gone to church and I have no difficulty imagining my characters reading the Christmas story from the Bible by candlelight. Families surely gathered to celebrate when they lived near one another. Stockings were hung by the fireplaces and filled with fruit and candy that were a special treat. Now, most of us can buy fruit and candy every week of the year if we choose instead of only buying it at Christmastime. Even in the 1930’s and 40’s Christmas was still a simpler time for many families.
I do celebrate Christmas with my characters in several of my books. In Summer of Joy, a story set in the 1960’s, my young heroine, Jocie, is surprised with a new bike, and if you know Jocie from my Heart of Hollyhill books, you know how happy that made her.
Head back a few more years with me to 1945 and my story Love Comes Home. With Christmas only days away, Kate welcomes Jay home from World War II. You can be sure I loved writing a romantic first Christmas for them since they married right before he went overseas in 1942. Here’s a bit of a Christmas scene.
“What is it you want to find under the tree on Christmas morning?” Jay asked. He kept the ring he’d bought in Virginia secret in his pocket, glad he’d gotten something for her then, because now he couldn’t bear to let Kate out of his sight long enough to shop.
“You,” Kate whispered. “Only you.”
“But you’ve already got me.”
“Sometimes Christmas comes early.”
Then in These Healing Hills, it’s still 1945 with my midwife nurse, Fran, looking forward to a peaceful, joyful Appalachian Mountain Christmas.
When she thought about how her mother back in the city would be frantically decorating and planning for Christmas, Fran was glad to be in a cabin sitting by a warm fire with her dog at her feet. She had mailed her mother a pair of mittens Jeralene’s mother knitted and sent Harold a jar of sorghum molasses. Christmas shopping done.
She might go to Wendover on Christmas Day if Becca wasn’t having her baby. Or maybe she’d make cookies and stay right here at the Center to hand out treats to anybody who came by. She could even wrap up some to take to Granny Em. That way she could stop in at the Locke house. Just thinking about that made her smile. She’d bought a little cloth sack of thumb-sized handkerchief dolls from one of the mountain women. Mrs. Jessup said they were church babies. Fran couldn’t wait to give those to Sadie.
Don’t you just love the picture of the church babies that I bought at a craft fair once? I was so glad to be able to work them into a story.
So I’ve been able to celebrate Christmas with several different families. True, they are made-up families, but in my mind they became real as I wrote their stories. That made it extra fun to write them a blessed and merry Christmas. I wish you all the same as you remember the shepherds hearing angels sing, a baby born in a stable, and Mary pondering the wonder of it all in her heart. (Luke 2:19)
May you also keep the wonder and joy of Christmas in your hearts as you welcome in a New Year in a few days.
Comments 12
Seeing the picture of the church babies, makes me want to make some!
I went to the library after work today and looked for your books. They had several more today than I’ve ever seen there; but, I have already read all of those! There’s only a few earlier books that I haven’t read. They may be checked out or at one of the branches. We also have another (historic) library not related to the main library and it’s branches. They have some of your books there; but, I don’t go to that side of town very often. I love all of your books; especially, the ones that I can pick out the general areas, of their location, if not its exact location! Those bring back family memories. But, what can I say? I love all of them!!! ❤
Hi. My library didn’t have a lot of Ann’s books. They would do an interlibrary loan request (ordered from other local libraries). You could see if they’ll do that for you.Now they order all her books. I think other people enjoy her books just as much as I do.
Author
How neat is that, Julie, how your request to read my books led to your library having them on its shelves. Love that and thanks so much. I love knowing my books are in libraries.
Author
Thank you, Linda Dianne. I thought you probably already had all my inspirational novel titles. Those are the ones that are still in print except for Christmas at Harmony Hill and it is still availabe as an e-book. Of course, it could still be available at libraries too. My older books might be harder to find. I had two published years ago by Warner Books in the General Market and 11 young adult or middle reader books. Those are all out of print. I have a few copies of most of them that I saved in case my grandkids wanted one. So far, the ones who have read my books, just read the ones I gave their parents. I do have a bunch of Wish Come True, the only book the publishers offered to let me buy when the book went out of print. I give those away when I have a chance even though it’s not my favorite of the young adult stories I’ve written.
I do appreciate you reading my stories.
I love this. (I’m happy to see that I have more books of yours to read too. ) I love the idea of church babies. Merry Christmas week Ann.
Author
Thank you, Susan, and Merry Christmas week to you too. I’m glad you like my church babies and the intro to some of my other books. I hope if you decided to read them, you’ll enjoy the story. Love Comes Home is the third Rosey Corner book following up Angel Sister and Small Town Girl. Summer of Joy is the last of the Hollyhill books following Scent of Lilacs and Orchard of Hope. They can all be read as stand-alones, but if you think you might like to read them all, it’s more fun if you read them in order. These Healing Hills is a stand-alone book without other books about those characters although I do have other Appalachian setting books.
I love those church babies…I hope you had a wonderful Christmas Ann. We sure did.
Author
So glad you had a great Christmas with your family, Lisa. We had a good time here too although all my grandkids are growing up and don’t get as excited about presents under grandma’s tree anymore. I did get them all books and my two grandsons who don’t like books that much were polite. One of them even said he probably should read that. LOL. Maybe someday I’ll find a book that will get them interested. They did get other presents too.
Glad you liked the church babies. I think they are so cute. I put them on my Christmas tree in their cute little sack each year.
Ann, that was lovely. The part from Love Comes Home reminded me of my mom and dad. They married in 1942 and Dad can home in 1945. It would have been difficult for Mom if not for family. Back then family lived with other family members and no one thought twice about it. I was lucky to grow up with my grandparents and aunts and uncles everywhere! Mom had eight brothers. We always had a big Christmas celebration at someone’s house with many cousins running around all over. There was a lot of German infused on my dad’s side which was the most fun.
Your books are always so homey and comfy to read. One of those stories you really don’t want to end. Have a very happy and blessed New Year.
Author
So glad you’ve enjoyed my stories, Carol, and my characters. Many newlyweds or war brides had some lonesome years before their husbands came home from the war. And of course, some didn’t make it home. I liked writing the homecoming scene for Jay and Kate in Love Comes Home.
I had so much fun with my cousins when I was a kid although I’m sure I didn’t have as many as you did since my mom only had three sisters and Dad had one sister who never married. But cousins make family visits the best.
Oh, Ann, I love stepping back in time, and imagining what past characters are up to. Because, to us (your readers) they have become “real” . I often, after finishing a book, wonder what happened next?
I love the Church Babies. I had a handmade cloth topsey-turvey doll that I took to church. And, I loved it when my mama carried her gray suede handbag, because I could use my finger to draw on it. One swipe in the opposite direction cleared the board, and I could start all over. Wonderful memories.
I enjoy all your writings from your wonderful books, your FB posts, to your emails.
May God continue to bless you, and bring you health and happiness in the new year.
Your friend,
Brenda Vess Teague
Author
Thank you for the sweet New Year’s wishes and the blessings. I appreciate that so much. And I appreciate you reading my words too. It takes a reader to make a story come to life. I’m that reader while I’m writing the story, but then every person who picks up one of my books is the reader to bring the story to life in their imagination after there.
I too sometimes imagine the continuing story of characters in books I read and in my own stories. Those characters I write about do before very real to me.
I think the church babies are so neat. A dear church friend made me one of those topsy-turvey dolls. She was a wizard with her needle. And I remember doing the same with suede when I was a kid. Sometimes now when, on occasion, I can’t settle my mind to go to sleep at night, I imagine swiping that velvet one direction and then another. But maybe I should draw a picture instead. 🙂