Boxing Day Observed

Since my hubby is British, I often think that he must get homesick for some of the traditions and goodies he enjoyed around the holidays when he lived in England. I asked him one year what fun things he wanted to incorporate into our family traditions so that it might lessen those feelings, and he said he missed Boxing Day the most.

Boxing Day, for many Brits, is like Christmas Day Part 2. All the same foods and fun but repeated at a relative's -- grandparents' or aunt/uncle's -- house. It was the day that Stuart said they got their prezzies from their grandparents. An extension of the fun, so to speak.

When we lived in Britain, we were always invited over to a friends' home to join in the fun. A beautiful and tasty roasted meal with Christmas pudding, mince pies, Christmas crackers, and a small present afterwards.

So now we try to recreate this goodness in our house each year.

Only this year, our turkey decided NOT to thaw in time. I took it out of the freezer at the suggested moment, but it must have been in a deep freeze when I bought it because that bird was still a bit frozen even a week after I started thawing it. We delayed our meal for a few days, and it was still as lovely and fun as always.

Great food. Great company.

We ended with a demonstration of bunny hopping and a meeting of the piggies.

Pagoda Day! Pagoda Day!

Pagoda Day 2014!

In our family, we like to be goofy, enjoy silliness, and make memories.

Pagoda Day is a good one for that.

It was started by our 13-year-old son, Edward, when he was 3 years old. He wanted something that would celebrate the awesomeness of the Pagoda, a local landmark in the Reading area. He planned it out with Emily, complete with a date and musical theme song. We played along but kept saying it was "too far away" and "maybe we'd go there one day"...and then we surprised them after dinner on their chosen date by driving up Mt. Penn to see it up close and personal -- and to take a family photo.

As you can see here and here and here and here, it has become something of an annual tradition (sadly, not always blogged about).

So on this our 11th Pagoda Day, we extend to you a warm and fun Happy Pagoda Day!

What kind of silly and fun family traditions do you celebrate?

The Eve of Christmas Eve

Way back in 1988 -- on this very date, in fact -- we took a picnic to the park. Let me explain the "we." I had just moved to England at the end of October and met some friends named Sarah, Stuart, and Euan. We got this crazy idea to have an "American meal" by way of a picnic in the nearby Lydiard Park (one of my very favorite places to visit whilst living in England).

It was freezing cold and damp, the kind of cold that penetrates through whatever you're wearing and makes you cold down to your toes. We took peanut-butter-and-jam sandwiches, salt-and-vinegar crisps, a pint of milk, and Euan was kind enough to find a can of Schweppes American ginger ale (I'd mistaken ginger beer for ginger ale at our first time out as a group) for me.

It was fun. We were young, crazy, and silly. People stared as they passed. But a memory was made. I think Stuart and I remember it more vividly and with far more nostalgia than the day deserves, but it's still fun.

Years later, in the heart of our living room, we decided to revive the "Eve of Christmas Eve picnic in the park" idea with the same menu...and our kids. It's been a fun remembrance with them.

Fast forward to this year. and we decided to go one further and picnic in Central Park with them. We didn't quite make it to the park (it was the "perfect" weather) due to the wetness. Still, a memory was made.

Our first stop was a surprise visit with Santa in Macy's Santaland.

Ethan had requested this earlier in the season, but we didn't think we'd get there. When he told Santa he had been hoping to see him, Santa said he wondered when Ethan was going to come and visit, that he'd been waiting for him. Ethan was amazed!

We made it to Central Park, but we were so tired and cold 

that we decided to forego having our picnic there.

Our "selfie"

The Build-a-Bear Workshop was on our list of places to visit.

Ethan found a huge bucket of Nutella.

Waiting for the subway.

Edward found a newly-retired LEGO set he'd been wanting...

the last set in FAO Schwartz. Christmas money well-spent!

Emily used her Christmas money for some sale clothing

she found at Aeropostale in Times Square.

Love visiting our lion friends outside the New York Public Library.

And we finally got our "picnic" (the one that Stuart lugged all around New York City for us): our own homemade sandwiches and salt-and-vinegar crisps. We had some Schweppes ginger ale in the car, but we enjoyed that at a later date. 

This year's picnic included Starbucks.

Throwback Thursday

So, since today is often #tbt (throwback Thursday), I decided to find an old photo of Stuart and me to share.

This one comes from 1992. I had gone back to England to see Stuart during my Christmas break at uni. We were sitting in a country pub, enjoying some drinks with another couple. We were 22.

22?!?

Twenty-two!!! 

We just hit double that age this year.

That cold winter night seems an eternity ago. The pub was warm and loud and friendly. There was a fire in a big fireplace. And I remember there was freezing fog outside -- something I'd never heard of before, even though I'd lived in England only two year earlier.

Sigh.

Emily realized she's nearly the same age as Stuart and me when we met.

Sur-real!!

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What "throwback memories" do you remember when you see old photos? I'd love to hear about them!

Curious (About) George?

Happy St. George's Day!

The day that St. George, the patron saint of England, died and thus is celebrated each year.

So saith wikipedia.com, and you can learn a bit more about his encounter with dragons here.

We typically wish each other a happy day and have something yummy and English (synonymous, really) for dinner. Stuart insists that every holiday that revolves around an English saint involves wings -- this one being no exception -- but I'm thinking something more along the lines of pork pie might be in order this year.

The photo is from Ethan's first St. George's Day in 2009. He's not quite ready for knighthood yet, but he could be the Knight of Sweetness, maybe?

We read quite a bit about St. Patrick this year, trying to understand him as a man. So I looked up something on St. George, too, and here it is... A bit of background on the man behind the holiday from the website WearetheEnglish.com:

St George - The Man

Hard facts are hard to come by, but what is know is that St George was a Roman soldier who was tortured to death in the Holy Land around 300AD for refusing to renounce his faith. Apart from this much of the rest of his life remains shrouded in mystery and even his nationality is uncertain although he was probably Turkish or possibly Palestinian. He certainly wasn't English but then again St Patrick isn't Irish and St Andrew isn't a Scot.

The English are not the only people to stake a claim to him. In the Middle East, Christians invoke his powers to exorcise demons. In many countries St George is associated with fertility and his day marks the beginning of summer. In Lithuania he is revered as the guardian of animals and in parts of Spain his day is celebrated with feasts and gift giving.

From the middle ages his cross had become the flag of London, Durham, Lincoln, Rochester and York as well as England itself. Tales of St George were brought back with the early crusaders and with his story, even at that time being so vague he could be made to fit more comfortably with the violence of England's warlike kings than many of his more pacifist counterparts.

The later crusades really cemented George's status and in 1191, Richard the Lionheart was reputed to have discovered his tomb at Lod in present day Israel. During the 11th century siege of Antioch he is said to have appeared to the crusaders, as a knight dressed in white robes decorated with a red cross urging the men forward and again 800 years later British troops reported sightings of him on the western front.

Fact or fiction, with the tale of his slaying of the dragon, St George represents the victory of good over evil and touches something very deep and potent in the English psyche.

The legend of St George is probably best summed up by William Cook who finishes a book review of St George by saying: "You are left with a strong suspicion that, even though most of this tale is surely legend, something incredible really did happen in Palestine 1,700 years ago - well worth a round of drinks on 23 April".

If I Close My Eyes...

and breathe in the remnants of fragrance after I empty a box of Earl Grey tea....

...I am transported back to England to the coastline of Cornwall where I am sitting in the garden of the old Victorian hotel where we are staying, having a cup of tea with my sister and pretending to be old married women conversing about our grown children.  We are proper and polite and speak with "frightfully nice" accents.

...I am hugging the t-shirt my sister brought me from her trip to England with Teen Mission International. She has all kinds of goodies from her trip, including Earl Grey tea, and everything in her luggage smells of it. It is my first time smelling it, and I know immediately that I love it, even though I am 11 and don't really like tea yet. Five years later, I buy a box of it to put in my own luggage on my trip to England with Teen Missions International. I enjoy a few cups of it along the way, too.

...I am on my honeymoon in Windermere, England. I am sitting across from my new husband, enjoying a milder day on our honeymoon...and a pot of Earl Grey tea.  Stuart isn't a "tea drinker," per se. But he enjoys it for me. That's true love.

...I am holding a small gray baby bunny, from the second of Bonny Bunny's litters. He is small and gray...unlike his brother and older sisters at the same age. I wonder at his coloring given the fact that both of his parents are Himalayan Netherland Dwarfs. He is the one that Emily chooses for her 4-H project. He is the one with the most determined personality. He is the one that she names Earl Grey in honor of her favorite tea. He is the one who lives up to the nobility of his name. He sits proud and tall when she talks about him in the 4-H meetings. He loves his hut and sits on the roof like a bunny version of Snoopy. He uses his litterbox with pride and munches on hay whilst sitting in it.

...I am holding a long white bunny, no longer strong and proud. He is sick and dying. It is the middle of the night. I awaken his owner, his "mommy" and the one that he loves more than any other person. She holds him and pets him as he slips away to live with Jesus....

Earl Grey = a tea, a bunny, and so many memories.

Wordless Wednesday

By George, Time's Not A-"Dragon"

Waaaay back, a long time ago (maybe in October?), Emily saw a little outfit and thought it would be perfect for Ethan for St. George's Day. (Not that you have to dress specially for this particular holiday.)

(I know. I know. That's really thinking ahead. But it was so cute, and we knew we'd never find it again if we didn't buy it there and then.)

So we did, thinking that Ethan -- being only 7 months old by St. George's Day -- would fit it perfectly.

Hmmm....

Voila.


Ethan being Ethan...it fits but only just (and that's because I haven't washed it yet). This kid is growing like a weed. Where's the time going? It's certainly not "dragon," huh? *wink-grin*

Have a wonderful St. George's Day! Read the history of this momentous day here. And don't forget to buy your dragon wings and thank your "knight in shining armor!"

St. George's Day Food (and Fun)

Happy St. George's Day!

In case you don't know anything about the patron saint of England, you can go here, or keep reading...

According to my born-and-raised-in-England-and-veritable-St.-George's-Day-food-expert husband:

Did you know that as well as slaying the dragon and being patron saint of England, he also invented hot wings?

Well, the first hot wings were dragon wings, of course, and each one would feed a village! (The hot pepper sauce was to commemorate the dragon's fiery breath). Unfortunately, as time went on, dragon meat was seldom available at Saensburryes, Tesscoes, or even AszDah/Wallemaerte, and so chicken wings were substituted.

Incredible, huh?

*wink*

Cry God for Harry, England, and St. George!

Guy Fawkes' Folly

I'm pausing in my Monday Musings to bring you a special holiday story. Tune in tomorrow for Tuesday Tidings...

HAPPY GUY FAWKES DAY!

Never heard of it?

Well, neither had I until we moved to England in the autumn of 1988.

It's an obscure holiday to celebrate the demise of a man named...you guessed it: Guy Fawkes, who tried to burn down Parliment in the 17th Century. (Of course, my English hubby tells it a different way and says they celebrate the fact that he "had a go." Glad I'm the one who teaches history around here...)

Anyways, I couldn't believe this when I read this a couple of weeks ago. How sad for this town!!

* * *

Bonfire event banned in Guy Fawkes' home town

By Andrew Hough

LONDON (Reuters) - A bonfire celebration in York, the home town of Guy Fawkes, has been banned on health and safety grounds, the local council said Tuesday.

Thousands were due to attend the spectacle on the 402nd anniversary of Fawkes' failed plot to blow up parliament.

But York City Football Club was told their ground was too small to ensure spectator safety, a decision which left the head of the cathedral city's tourist board "lost for words."

York Council's head of licensing, Dick Haswell, declined to be interviewed Tuesday.

But in an emailed statement he defended the decision, saying it was made on health and safety grounds.

"Because the football club was proposing to hold a firework display in a certified sports ground, legally, they had to apply to York's Safety at Sports Advisory Group for a Special Safety Certificate," he said. "Unfortunately, the ground was not large enough to provide the necessary distance between the area where fireworks could fall and spectators."

The chief executive of York Tourism Board, Gillian Crudass, said she was "lost for words" at the council's decision.

"We are very much disappointed because it is a British tradition," she told Reuters.

"It attracts a lot of interest not just from local people, but also from visitors from all around the country who come for a short break -- as well as international interest."

A spokesman for the football club declined to comment.

Guy Fawkes was born in April 1570 in Stonegate, York and was in charge of executing the Roman Catholic plot to blow up parliament and the protestant King James I during the state opening of parliament on November 5, 1605.

The plot was uncovered at the last minute and Fawkes was caught and executed early in 1606.

Happy St. George's Day

Happy St. George's Day to you! Never heard of this holiday? Well, it's the day England celebrates its patron saint -- named George, of course -- whom, legend has it, slew the last dragon in England.

Gotta love those legends, huh? Click here for more interesting info.

Emily wondered if we could have dragon wings and burgers for dinner in celebration. We all wondered where we'd find such items in Giant...

* * *

Happy Monday to you, too! Another new week with another new bunch of busyness and another new video...brought to you courtesy of a new online friend/birthday buddy. (As an aside, I love how the Internet can link people who might never have ever met...it's a cool time to live.)

And, of course, another new episode of 24 in a few hours! It's getting more and more exciting!! Tonight, Jack will actually see Audrey in person! I was very disappointed to read several bad reviews of the season thus far. Everyone is so impatient and wants the show to be bigger and better every season. I think the media has done everyone a disservice with all the hype it did of the show in the beginning. What's wrong with status quo...especially when it's already excellent? Oh, well.

Idle grass.

Stuart and I did a bunch of work on the house over the weekend. Finally, we had a warm weekend. There's a bunch more painting to do, but we're well on our way. I also trimmed our rose hedge...and have all the poke marks (despite my gauntlet rose gloves) to prove it. We planted it three years ago to give our yard some privacy. It's hard work to keep up with it. I liken trimming it to doing Bonsai....on a much larger scale, of course.

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• a new lipstick color
• spring’s first peepers
• an elegant archway
• joie de vivre
• an unexpected treat

* * *

Growing up, I lived in the country.

I loved when Spring arrived because -- despite my hayfever -- I could smell the freshly-mowed onion grass and hear the springtime "peepers," the little frogs that lived in the nearby creeks and ponds, serenading one another.

It always meant that Spring had officially "sprung," and Summer would soon follow.

The lazy, hazy, carefree days of Summer...when you stayed outside late into the evening and played hide-n-seek and toasted marshmallows and got mosquito-bitten....

Ah! Gave one "joie de vivre!"

Off to cook wings for 24! Maybe I should have looked for dragon wings.....