Happy Holidays - let your light break the darkness

 Every year I undertake the drawing of a Christmas holiday card. Something I started in the seventies. Originally they were just mimeograph drawings run off and then colored my hand. I tried a block printed card, way more work than the time allowed.

I then began to draw them by hand, using pen and ink to finish the drawing. These could then be photocopied, hand colored and became a family project to complete. They were then 8x11 inch drawings. The drawings usually contained something that we were doing as a family. Moving our residence, decorating the tree, stringing lights up outside and similar holiday activities all became included. 

As time passed the cards were drawn as 18x22 inch drawings, still a pencil cartoon, then pen and ink conversion and finally using either watercolor paint or colored pencils to add the painted final appearance. The subject matter began to change with the addition of grandchildren. Starting with one, of course,  and progressing to the final six. 

Various locations and activities began to appear in the cards. As the grand children have matured into young adults I still include them but now the cards seem to be stating a more serious view of the season.

I now set a schedule of idea/concept by Halloween. Drawing and color completed by Thanksgiving. Off too the printers and then ... signed sealed and delivered by New Year's 

With the current divisiveness and destruction of our democratic ideals I found myself in a quandary as to how I could remain optimistic in these trying times.

I began to look for light and after some searching I found a wish I could share with everyone. 

No matter your ethnic background, your gender, your political alignment, your religious beliefs, or what ever you guides your principle: I ask that you share your light freely with no malice towards others. 

That you open your arms in this dark time of the year to share your love, joy and peace with all you come in contact with. 

May your light shatter the darkness and bring you and those you come in contact with PEACE.

  

The rough pencil cartoon

Final card 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting ready for Christmas decorating

Every year as I get older I think the decorating gets a bit more of "how can I simplify this?'.

I have hung up our Christmas green  sprays on the garage sidelights and plugged in the lights.

That's it so far. I missed the opportunity before the big snows to put up the other outdoor lights. I may have to skip them this year. Still thinking though of an alternative lighting plan. Perhaps changing it up. I read today that a big freeze is heading our way so that may dampen any real outdoor lighting endeavors.

Here is an image  looking out the front entrance, I will be getting the tree down to place in the entry hall. That needs to get put up soon.

Looking out the front door at the winter storm snow. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Some interesting facts about St. Nick or Santa Claus

     St. Nicholas is the world's most popular non-Biblical saint. He has over 2,000 churches dedicated to him in France and Germany, and 400 in England.

        German-born American illustrator Thomas Nast (1840-1902) helped create the modern version of Santa as jolly, chubby, and dressed mainly in red. Coca-Cola further solidified his image in the mainstream media in 1931 when they used him in their advertising.  

        In the mid 1800s, poet Thomas Nash wrote a poem that famously placed Santa's home in the North Pole, even though the original saint lived in Turkey. Nash most likely chose the North Pole because, at the time, there were several scientific explorations to the North Pole, a region that was seen as a type of fantasy land, mysterious and just out of reach.

        Believing in Santa Claus cultivates a child's imagination and ability to think of possibilities and potentialities.

        In Europe, before the 16th century, gifts were exchanged on December 6th, the feast of St. Nicholas. Later, German protestants began celebrating Christkindl on December 25, a feast day for the Christ child.

       In the Santa Claus narrative, naughty children most likely receive coal as a matter of convenience. Santa is already wriggling down the chimney, so it's easy for him to pick up coal. Another theory links coal to Charles Dickens's Christmas Carol, in which Scrooge refuses to give Bob Cratchit even one piece of coal. 

      In Austria and Britain, beer and sherry are left for Santa Claus.

      Clement Moore's famous 1822 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas," also known as "The Night Before Christmas," helped popularize Santa as jolly, plump, and the owner of eight reindeer. Moore did not claim ownership of the poem until 20 years after its publication, and its true authorship is debatable.

      Santa's list of "naughty" and "nice" children has its roots in Belgium and the Netherlands where their version of Santa Claus, Sinterklaas, kept a similar list. The Norse god Odin kept two ravens that would listen at people's chimneys to find out who was good or bad.

      With over 2.1 billion children in the world and an average of 2.5 children per household, Santa must make 842 million stops on Christmas Eve. 

      Santa Claus must travel 218 million miles on Christmas Eve, which means he must travel 1,280 miles per second to reach everyone.

      Researchers calculate that if Santa is to reach every child on Christmas Eve, he has only a millisecond to go down each chimney, eat cookies, and distribute presents.

      Santa's sleigh would weigh over 400,000 tons if it carried enough toys for all the children in the world. To carry that much weight, Santa would need over 360,000 reindeer. 

      Assuming each household in the whole world leaves out two chocolate chip cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve, he would eat 374 billion calories, 33,000 tons of sugar, and 151,000 tons of fat in one night. If Santa could run an eight-minute mile, he would have to run for 109 centuries (109,000 years) to burn off all those treats.

      f Santa needs presents for nearly 2 billion children globally, and if, on average, each child's presents take 31.5 inches (80 cm) of wrapping paper, Santa needs about 1.6 million miles of wrapping paper. That is enough to wrap around the world 60 times.

So as you can see from some of these facts, the work of Santa and his history are truly remarkable!

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where Has The Time Gone?

     Again it seems I have been do busy that I forgot to do my blog. Well, it is that time of year when being indoors allows me the pleasure of writing this blog. I will try to keep up and update things since the last post over the upcoming winter season. 

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I am thankful that am able to be here and enjoy the weather and quietude of winter. We are experiencing some high winds, freezing snow and the swaying of the trees. Keeping the birds and other wildlife fed and protected.

The feeders are filled. The peanuts are out.  The pond has it's air bubblers on, the fish are content.

I have completed my Christmas Card. Soon it will go to the printers and then arrive in the mail to those on my list.

We traveled to Great Britain again last summer to spend time with our friend Malcolm and his family members. We met the Germans there and we traveled to the Yorkshire countryside and coast. I will place a few photos from our trip below.

We spent time in Whitby, Scarborough and York . The views of the countryside were fantastic. Like traveling to find our own"Escape to the Country". Stepping back into medieval England in York with a walk along the Shambles to the Cathedral. A most pleasurable time. A great thank you to our good friend Malcolm for his organizing and getting us to such wonderful places by auto and train.

 

                     A village along the way from Pickering our base to Whitby
 

Another view of the countryside village.

The Abbey at Whitby

Another view of the Whitby Abbey

 

 

Clifford's Tower York

 

The Cathedral at York 

Flower stand near the Shambles entrance York

 

 

The Shambles, a medieval street of market shops. Ancient outside, modern within.

 

 

  

A cozy pub wher we,wife, son and myself enjoy a pint and a glass while escaping the rain.

 

 

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 Garden and Friends

Well here is another post from Moondog's Place. It's been a while since the last post. We are enjoying the warm weather and the shade here, as well as the wildlife.

We were spending a lot of our time scaring off a Raccoon and here kids. We believe they are now gone, . No signs of their damage to feeders and gardens foe last few weeks.

We were entertained by the assortment of squirrels, chipmunks and rabbits . The occasional deer also adds to our menagerie. Feeding them peanuts seems to keep in a less destructive mode. 

We were experiencing an early cold spell which kept the garden on a slow growing schedule but as of late the temperature has ratcheted up along with the humidity. Perfect growing weather but blooms don't linger as long. We have also had some very strong lake winds that have toppled out foxgloves.

So here are a few photos from the past months.

 Mother turkey and poults at the pond

 

Foxglove, chives and dianthus

   

 

 

 

 

 

Iris

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clematis

Weather has broken = spring may be on the way

 We have had a considerable amount frigid temperatures and some nice heavy snow drops this pat winter.

Touring the yard today i found the snowdrops in bloom and the daffodils beginning to peak out from their winter slumber. 

I am excited again to begin a yard clean up but know from experiance that i need to be patient, Still a bit to early to uncover resting perennials.

Hopefully the tree trimmers will be arriving soon so that i can get some serious work done in those areas. 

The birds are returning, wrens, finches, titmice, cardinals, nuthatches and a great variety of woodpeckers.

Our favorite woodpeckers - Pileated (aka WOODY)- are busy completing nesting holes.

We are also seeing the deer in the early morning and late evening. 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This little guy sings loud and clear all day long.

My biggest worry was the thick covering of ice on my backyard pond. Even though I had a aerator running all winter the ice was so thick that I couldn't see the fish. Great news today the ice is open and all seven are well and doing fine!

 

Christmas Eve 2024

 

 

Well we have reached another Christmas Eve and are looking forward to the new day tomorrow.. Every year seems a bit new and a bit old at the same time.We see the coming and going of traditions. We wait in anticipation for the serenity that will be this evening.

We struggled this year with a huge live cut Christmas tree. This, it was decided, would be our last Christmas with a live  tree.  However, I remember we had said that before. So we will have to wait until next year to see what transpires. (We purchased a large boxed tree already.) Seems the cards may be stacked.

It took us nearly a week to decorate it and thanks to our neighbor for the use of his tall step ladder we managed to get it done. Looks fine I think and sitting at night with the fireplace and music it becomes mystical.

We did eventually get it decked out in our many favorite memories of  Christmas past. Here is a shot of it in it's bedazzled glory.

The tree measured 10.5 feet this year.

We always put up a smaller hall tree also. We decorate this with special ornaments that we have acquired over the years. One set of old antique glass ornaments from my grandmother and great aunt. Bells that jingle. My other grand mother gave us a box of glass bubbles on our first Christmas together. There ornaments from friends and family that have been given to us over the years. The grands came and added the icicles to finish if off. St. Nick and his elves  reside at the base with the lovely tree skirt made by youngest sister. It's one of the two we have used for many years. It also contains many of Coca-Cola collectible elves and Santa Claus' gathered over the years.

There is.a pickle on the tree. the first to spot gets the prize!

 Another of the many Santa's in my collection is perched high above watching out for Naughty and nice. I have more Santa's than space mow so Every year I change them out a bit differently.

This Father Christmas Santa was another gift from y little sister.

I always like to decorate a table or two and this year I did a new arrangement of Santa with his timber wolf Fridolf and comic elves amongst a collection of gifts. The little blue book at Santa's feet is the book where the Elves recorded the good and bad deeds of our children when they were younger.

Santa Announces Christmas with sound of his trumpet and Fridolf – peaceful wolf howls.

The mantle is also lit with candles, lights and small surprises throughout. Santa and his elfin helpers drift by the window of our back garden woods.

 

 

 

I thank you for allowing me to share this Holiday Season from our hime to yours. May you have happiness, joy and Peace now amd into the New Year. 

                        May father Christmas and Mother Earth bless you and keep you safe.

Until next time....................

Card is printed and will be sent soon

 Well. I have gotten the card from the printer and we are busy sending our holiday wishes  to all on our list.

This year's card captures our wildlife. We spend many of our hours when we can just observing our woodland friends. It is always a pleasant day when some unexpected critter arrives and entertains us.

The elves of course represent our grand children, now all young adults. I started the elves when there was only Isadore and have added the others as they arrived. Amelia, Owen, Eleanore, Ruby and Yasmin all creating the incredible fantastic six. The Santa appeared as a gift from my children and soon became the model for all the Santa's in each card.

I remember the first holiday card was a block print of our home at  Basler Farm in black and white. Then I discovered the ability to use color ditto masters and created the card of Santa holding a tray of dirt with a can of peas. The message was Peas on Earth. Than with introduction of photocopiers I began to draw 8.5 by 11 inch drawings in black line ink. Copying them in black and white and then hand coloring them. This was often a family activity. The themes changed with the events of our family during the year of their creation. Welcoming an exchange student, packing to move, and decorating the new home are just a few of past themes.

Then, as I do now, I switched to doing drawings 18 x 24 inchdrawings in pen and ink with colored pencil painting. Once they were completed a photo is shot and passed to the printer for the publication process. Now i try to create story themes, Baking, sending packages, making candy are some of those story drawings.

This year's card was extremely difficult to create. The life altering direction of country created some anxiety in my psyche.  There is a political reference if you can find it. Devastated by the grim outcome and distasteful election of of a lying bully crook I added my thoughts of staying positive and vocal as we move forward. Never give up the fight for the rights of all!

So whatever your race, creed, gender, or religion look forward to a brighter future through your own perseverance in speech and actions.

Happy Holiday for 2024