Country Cousin

Christmas...

Hi Folks!

The rain and fog have gone away. The sun is shining once again, and weather has been fine for winter, which officially arrives in America with the Winter Solstice at 12:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 22.

The word solstice comes from the Latin words “sun” and “to stop,” due to the fact that the Sun seems to stop in the sky. The Sun is directly overhead at high noon on Winter Solstice at the latitude called the Tropic of Capricorn, which is in the Southern Hemisphere, half way between the Equator and the South Pole. In the Northern Hemisphere, the solstice days are the days with the fewest hours of sunlight during the year, and of course that means the longest hours of darkness. At the North Pole it means no sunrise at all.

The sun doesn’t rise here until 7:25 a.m. on Thursday, and goes to bed just 8 hours and 51 minutes later, at 4:16 p.m. No overtime for Old Sol!

But at least we’ve been seeing that wonderful, bright orb in the sky occasionally on recent days. Weather had been so dreary for weeks that some of us began to wonder if the sun was gone for good. And, as Steve Martin once said, “A day without sunshine is like...you know, night.”

Anyway, cheer up. Once Thursday has passed, days start getting longer again. On New Year’s Eve Day, Dec. 31, the sun will put in three more minutes above the horizon, rising at 7:28 a.m. and setting at 4:22 p.m.

Forecasters all across the nation, including the Old Farmer’s Almanac, are predicting that for our area, this will be a winter of more extreme cold and greater precipitation than normal. Sure do hope they’re wrong!

PACKING THE SLEIGH

Christmas is all but here! Certainly Santa and his helpers are out there already, packing that sleigh with gifts for good little boys and girls all over the world. And of course, since this is the time of Winter Solstice, they’re working pretty much in the dark. I do hear, though, that the perennial snow up there brightens things just a little.

Here in Good Old TIMESland, streets and homes are decorated and ready for the big day, at least most of them. Yours Truly needs to get busy real soon! Tree isn’t up yet.

Back in our family tradition was to trim the tree on Christmas Eve, and a fine tradition it was. The more adult family members got to stay up and help with the fun of hanging lights and ornaments and strands and strands of tinsel, and then admire the results in the hush of what really is a silent, holy night.

The little tykes, of course, had to go to bed early or Santa might not stop. In the morning, what had been a plain, green tree was glimmering with lights and tinsel, and under it was the mountain of gifts that Christmas morning looks like in most large families. Once again, everything was transformed by the magic of Christmas. Santa and his elves certainly had a busy night!

LITTLE CHRISTMAS

My father’s family was French, and he said to them, the big gift exchange and celebration time was New Year’s Eve and New year’s Day. Members of his father’s large family would gather at the old family homestead in Walsh for a time of partying and fun. Gathering was not that easy, either, in the days when both cars and roads were scarce in Marinette County.

Anyway, although the family home was large, there was not enough room for everyone, so the kids would sleep in hay in the barn. Dad said it was warm enough for them, and they all looked forward to the annual family reunion.

The Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s was generally celebrated as the Feast Day of the Holy Family. They called Jan. 6, “Little Christmas.” We know it as Epiphany or the Feast of the Three Wise men, and in our family home it was mandatory for the Christmas Tree to stay up at least until then.

EPIPHANY

For Epiphany, Germans traditionally eat a Three Kings cake which may be a golden pastry ring filled with orange and spice and candied fruits representing gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Traditionally, seven large buns are baked in a round pan, forming a crown shape. Often they’re made of typical rich Christmas bread dough with cardamom and pearl sugar in the same seven bun crown shape.

Epiphany is an especially joyful day for the young and young at heart as this is the day dedicated to “pl�ndern,” which means Christmas trees are “plundered” of their cookies and sweets by eager children (and adults) and gingerbread houses and any other good things left in the house from Christmas are devoured.

Sounds like a plan to me! How did we ever let that tradition slip by us?

NIGHT DELIVERY

As Christmas approaches, it’s good to think of what it means, or should mean, to us and to the whole world.

Billy Graham had it right when he said, in an Advent meditation: “The greatest sermon ever preached was delivered by angels on this historic night. It has always been interesting to me that this message was delivered at night. It wasn’t night because the sun had gone down. It was night because the world was surrounded in spiritual and moral gloom.”

He went on, “People were driven by greed, intolerance, and lust for power. Religion had become a device for the rich in the exploitation of the poor. Men robbed and swindled and profiteered under the cloak of religion; they even fought wars in the name of religion. In every arena of life, it was the night when Jesus came.”

It seems in many ways that today things on this old world are nearly as bad as they were when Jesus came to save us, and in some ways they are even worse.

Have we wasted the Gift of Him?

As Graham put it, “There seems to be a moral night that has settled over our world - sexual immorality, pleasure-mad people, lusting for money and power - the same as it was in the days when Jesus came 2,000 years ago.”

Graham offers a glimmer of hope we can all hang on to, “It is in the darkest hour that Christ often comes. He brings the joy, the thrill, the peace, and the glory such as you have never known - when you and your loved ones give your lives to Him,” and then he asked, “How has Jesus shown Himself to you in your darkest hour?”

Sometimes we need to really look, but when we need Him (and His Father) They’re there!

HOLIDAY TRAVEL

Maybe it’s a good thing space travel hasn’t become common place. With all the problems travelers have today with airlines and lost luggage, can you imagine what it would be like if it had to be traced through the Solar system?

COOKIN’ TIME

Let’s celebrate! God gave us a myriad of good things in this old world, and He wants us to enjoy them. In moderation, of course!

ZINGY TUNA SALAD

Light and luscious and lovely treat for holiday snacking, or as a course for that Feast of the Seven Fishes we talked about last week as a Christmas Eve tradition. Serve with toast points, celery sticks, romaine lettuce, snack crackers or pita triangles. Or use as a sandwich filling between slices of buttered toast.

2 cups tuna, canned, in water

1/2 cups cran-raisins

1/4 cup celery, chopped

1/4 cup almonds, sliced

1 small granny smith apple, chopped

2 Tbs. sweet onion or scallion, chopped small

1/3 cup mayonnaise

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients thoroughly together; fold mayonnaise in last and mix very well again. Chill for an hour or more before serving.

FROZEN FRUIT CAKES

A refreshing twist on the heavier foods that come with the Christmas feast. Easy to make. No baking required.

1 pound graham crackers

1 pound miniature marshmallows

1 pound chopped dates

1 pound pecans, whole or pieces

1 3 1/2-ounce can coconut flakes

1 10-ounce jar maraschino cherries, drained with juice reserved

1/2 pint whipping cream, whipped

Crush graham crackers until very fine. Cut dates, pecans and cherries into small pieces. Combine these, coconut and marshmallows and add to crumbs. In a separate bowl mix cherry juice and whipping cream and add to other mixture. Mix well and form into two rolls. Wrap in foil. (May be packed into two foil-lined loaf pans instead of rolls). Freeze and keep frozen until served. Slice and serve with coffee or other favorite drink.

PEANUT BUTTER POPCORN

Have not tried this, but it sounds like an interesting version of the traditional popcorn balls.

2 quarts popped popcorn

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3 tablespoons fruit jam or jelly

Measure 2 quarts popped corn into a large bowl; set aside. In medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, bring corn syrup to a boil and boil for 3 minutes, stirring slowly. Remove from heat. Stir in the peanut butter. Working quickly, pour the hot peanut butter mixture over popcorn, tossing gently to coat. Allow the mixture to cool about 10 minutes, then shape into 18 balls, each about two inches around. Press thumb firmly into center of each ball and fill the hole with half a teaspoon of jam or jelly in whatever flavor you like. Store in airtight container.

HARVEY WALLBANGER CAKE

Remember this delicious cake? Baked in a Bundt pan, and decorated as a crown, wouldn’t it make a wonderful Birthday Cake for the Christmas table?

1 box orange cake mix

1 3 ounce package of instant vanilla pudding mix

4 whole eggs

1/2 cup cooking oil

1/2 cup Galliano liqueur shopping list

6 ounces of orange juice

1 ounce vodka

Glaze:

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vodka

1 tablespoon Galliano

Whipped Cream, optional

Decorations of your choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Empty the cake mix into a large bowl. Add the pudding mix and blend. Mix in the four eggs, oil, 1 ounce of vodka, 1/2 cup of Galliano, and orange juice. Mix all until smooth. Pour into a greased and floured 10 inch tube or bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool before glazing.

Glaze:

Mix sifted powdered sugar slowly with 1 ounce each of Galliano and vodka. Pour over the cooled cake. Serve as is or frost with whipped cream, and decorate with candied fruits, maraschino cherries or other decorations of your choice.

Thought for the Week: Christmas is all but here. As His birthday approaches, have you considered giving yourself to Him?

Merry Christmas everyone, and may God Bless us, one and all!

COUNTRY COUSIN

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