Holiday Traditions

About this time of year, when the rain has started and the temperature has dropped, and the trees have gone from vibrant to barren--dropping the leaves to become soggy and forgotten in the early winter wetness, I start to get holiday fever.  I have a lot of holiday traditions that require planning ahead.  Two must be started in November.

The first, one of my favorite traditions, are my paperwhites.

I plant them every year in November, because they take 4-6 weeks to bloom--just in time to compliment my holiday decor, which will be going up the weekend after Thanksgiving.

You see, I decorate in red, white and silver.  So the delicate white bloom of the paperwhite brings an ethereal quality to my Christmas decor.   Their whiteness a touch of purity and hope amidst holiday glitz and bustle.

I plant them in anything I can find, urns, pitchers, interesting pots. . .and I place them about my home, nestling them in between metal snowflakes and glass reindeer.  It has a really lovely effect. . .so long as you don't get caught off guard by the smell.  

Paperwhites have a very distinct aroma that is strongest immediately following the opening of the bloom.  The first year we planted them I had been doing some decorating and I had nailed up some frames on a wall with a gas line.  Rob was convinced I had hit one.

Not that the smell is bad, really, once you know what it is.  And it does fade, but it is something you should be aware of when planting them on every surface in your home.  Even with their unique odor, I think they are beautiful and well worth it.

The second is our family calendar.

Years ago before I became a member of Rob's extended family, they had a family calender that was printed up each year.  Somehow, shortly after we were married the honor of creating the calendar was passed to me.  I taught myself photoshop making those calendars.  And for years I printed them on my computer and bound them with my own wire binder.  But in recent years I got smart and started sending them to a local printer.  

The calendar is filled with pictures of Rob's extended family with little captions to remind everyone who's who--with that many great grandkids it's hard to keep track.  The pages hold everyone's birthdays and anniversaries, and the back is packed with every way imaginable to contact everyone--perhaps this blog address will makes its debut there this year.  

This week the pictures started rolling in.  So next week the work begins.  The idea is to complete it by December and get it shipped out to arrive in time for Christmas.  And always, always, Rob's grandma would have a message in the front for all her family.  For she was the instigator of this family tradition.  And she loved it.  When she passed away last January every one of the family calendars were proudly displayed at her funeral for all the family to laugh and cry over--remembering the years of joy that she had presided over.  

This year it will be dedicated to her in loving memory of the legacy she has left behind. . .5 children. . .19 grandchildren. . .28 great grand children.  This is one tradition greatly appreciated and worth the effort.