Merry Christmas!

“There is no peace that cannot be found in the present moment.” ― Tasha Tudor

Virgin Mary and Child
by Tasha Tudor
[source]

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7)

If Mary could find Peace in a stable, certainly we can endeavor to find Him today and everyday in our modern world...wishing you a Merry Christmas!

A GOOD REMINDER

[The text below is reprinted from my parish Sunday bulletin, "The Orthodox Weekly Bulletin" Vestal, Cliffwood, New Jersey, December 23, 2012]

Do you recall the "Dennis the Menace" comics, which chronicled the escapades of a mischievous young lad who constantly got himself into trouble? For many years on Christmas morning, newspapers would run a particular comic strip where Dennis would be standing in the middle of his living room, which was filled with toys and discarded boxes, bows and wrapping paper. With a look of bewilderment on his face, he asks this question: "Is this all there is?" 

source

Sadly, for many people, this is all there is to Christmas - the frantic rush to purchase something for someone who doesn't really need it in the first place, and who likely will return it to the department store the following day! Thankfully, for Christians, this festive day means much more. Whatever Christmas has become in all its secular glory, the most important aspect of this joyous feast is still summoned up in its first six letters: C H R I S T!

CHRISTMAS IN THE MANGER by Nola Buck, illustrated by Felicia Bond.  Sweet and gentle telling of the Nativity story for the very youngest, a "pat and peek" book with a rhyming text from the point of view of the animals, shepherds, Mary and Joseph.  The last line is so sweet,

"I am the baby asleep in the hay, and I am the reason for Christmas Day".

Christmas reminds us that "God so loved the world that he gave His Only-Begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him may not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) Christmas is a time for us to recall that peaceful night when God sent a Savior to His people, keeping His ancient promise. It is a day for us to sing like the angelic hosts: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men!" It is also a day for us to imitate the shepherds, who left from their encounter with the Christ Child glorifying and praising God, and an opportunity for us to exhibit the same perseverance as the Wise Men, seeking our King no matter the sacrifice involved.

image by Niko Chocheli - source

As we sing in one of the feast's hymns of Vespers: "Heaven and earth are united today because Christ is born." Indeed, this is all there is and all we need to know about this glorious day.

PREPARE O BETHLEHEM:  THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY, by Niko Chocheli. Luminously illustrated verses from Orthodox hymns of the prefeast and feast of the Nativity. 

A good reminder in these last days of preparation...

Mistletoe rules...?

Hello! Once upon a time, I published a collection of 3 Christmas stories with a small press, titled Mistletoe Rules, and in 2010 the book was a Write Touch Readers' Award Winner. I received my rights back, and this fall I decided to re-release them as individual books in a new Romancing Wisconsin series that I plan to expand.

  

Christmas recipe for love—combine a matchmaking Santa, lots of mistletoe, one iron-clad rule, fated hearts; mix and stir. The Riley siblings don't stand a chance. 

I knew I was going to do a boxed set in time for Christmas, however I wanted to include a bonus story. At first it was going to be about Santa Butch and Judy, but considering they're inspired by my parents, I wasn't too keen on writing any steamy kissing scenes with them. 

The original book title was a play on words; not only was there an iron-clad mistletoe rule, but in the Riley family, mistletoe rules above all else. While the original book was well-received, it was not widely read, so I decided to go ahead and re-use the Mistletoe Rules title in the boxed set's exclusive bonus story.

When Benedict Riley first meets Susan Whitcomb at a college holiday dance, she’s engaged to be married to another man. In this story where mistletoe rules, you’ll learn how the Riley Family Mistletoe Rules all began one fateful Christmas, not too long ago…

You can read all about it in the Romancing Wisconsin Volume I (Holiday Boxed Set)

Amazon, BN, Kobo

Thanks for reading, and I wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Stacey Joy Netzel

Award-winning author Stacey Joy Netzel fell in love with books at a young age, so for her the graduation to writing them was natural. An avid reader and fan of movies with a happily ever after, she is thrilled to call herself a full-time writer after 20 years as a travel agent. She writes romantic suspense, contemporary romance, and the occasional paranormal romance short story. Colorado is one of her favorite settings for her books, followed closely by Wisconsin and Italy.

She lives in her native Wisconsin with her husband and three children, a couple horses and some barn cats. In her limited free time she enjoys gardening, canning, and visiting her parents in Northeastern Wisconsin (Up North) at the family cabin on the lake.

Website and Blog:  http://www.StaceyJoyNetzel.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/StaceyJoyNetzel

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/StaceyJoyNetzel

Jolly Old St. Nick - He's Everywhere!

Come on in, you'll see what I mean...

Here he is in beautiful vinage ornament made by my daughter last year.

He's on our piano,

I've been collecting St. Nicolas figures for years -  most of these were gifts from family and friends

in our Russian icon, 

on the hearth,

in some "new" books for us this year,

"A Visit to Santa Claus", by Mararet Evans Price
(vintage reproduction book - just lovely!)

"Strange fancies of flying came into his head
while his mother patted and tucked him in bed..."

"A Christmas Treasury", by Gary Hildebrant

And of course, on our tree! 

Santa Claus is anyone who loves another and seeks to make them happy; who gives himself by thought or word or deed in every gift that he bestows -Edwin Osgood Grover

ONE MORE...

A Jolly Old Elf?
Even my baby grandson had a visit from St. Nicholas!

SILHOUETTE CHRISTMAS (& Don't Forget to Comment for my Giveaway!)

It's December 1st, and that means it's time to get out my Christmas dishes!  This year I added to my collection - look at these cute "Yuletide" Victorian silhouette plates I found at Cost Plus World Market!!!  If you've followed my blog very long, you may know I love the art of silhouette.

In fact, these dishes (which we'll use during December and throughout the 12 Days of Christmas) brought to mind some beautiful silhouette Christmas books I've highlighted in the past. 

The titles can be found on my Christmas Book Resource Page, but I've reposted some photos, in case you missed them...

The Night Before Christmas (reviewed here)

Text:  Clement Moore

Illustrator: Niroot Puttapipat

And two more beauties, from Author/Illustrator Jan Pienkowski:

The First Christmas

With text from the "King James Bible", the nativity story is brought gloriously to life with illuminated pages of silhouettes set against glowing colours.

The First Noel, A Christmas Carousel
Part carousel, part shadow box, this elegant stand-alone Nativity book designed by a master paper engineer reflects all the wonder of Christmas and will be treasured for seasons to come.

The book opens to make a beautiful
centerpiece for your table

Here are a couple more lacy, "paper-cut" looking things for Christmas...

Pottery Barn Candles - here

Snowflake wrap from Crate and Barrel - here

These gorgeous silhouette covers do not adorn Christmas books, but they'd make wonderful gifts for any child this holiday season! (You can see all of Barnes and Noble's Leather Bound Classic series here - they're a deal at just $9!)
  

My Giveaway Contest ends today at 11:00 AM (PST).  I'll be announcing the winner at noon (PST) today (12/1/12)!  To enter, just leave a comment here or on my Audrey Eclectic post, HERE, for a chance to win a set of her beautiful Christmas cards. Giveaway over - thanks for all who participated!

go here to read my interview with the artist, Heather...

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN - ALREADY?

source: onecharmingparty (right click)

Why am I posting about Christmas early in November, before we've even celebrated Thanksgiving?
My husband and I drove past our huge local shopping mall a couple of nights ago and could hardly believe our eyes: the shops and parking lot were all decked out for Christmas!

[photo sources: OC Register]

It can be challenging to find ways to help children keep their focus on the birth of Christ during the annual "Countdown to Santa/Christmas Presents" that our frenzied culture of consumers gets so caught up in. Well, thank goodness for another kind of countdown: Advent, a time of joyous expectation.
Advent means "coming" or "arrival", referring to the coming of the Christ Child as Messiah.  It is a time of waiting and of preparation.

For Western Catholic and Protestant Christians, the season of Advent doesn't start until the fourth Sunday before Christmas.  But for me, an Eastern Orthodox Christian, Advent - also know as the "Nativity Fast" - begins on November 15th every year, lasting 40 days.

In helping to mark off the anticipated days leading up to Christmas, many families enjoy using Advent Wreaths with candles and Advent Calendars with little windows to open (look for my Advent Calendar GIVE-AWAY here or at the end of this post). Give-away over 11/15/12

Some devotional books you might consider using during your Advent Countdown...

A daily prayer and activity book for families
during Advent. Link here (right click)

This book has a story for each night of December.
description here (right click)

A great resource during Advent, with Christmas
traditions, recipes, and crafts from many different countries.
right click to browse inside

Make an Advent Calendar of Christmas Books: 

I'd like to share some ideas for incorporating beautiful Christmas picture books into your family traditions during this time of anticipation. It takes a little planning, but it's worth the forethought and effort... 

1- You need to determine how many books you need - this will depend on how many days leading up to Christmas you'd like to do this activity (i.e. during all of Advent, during the month of December, or just the last two weeks leading up to Christmas).

 2-  Choose the books.  Gather Christmas books you already have (add some library books if you don't have enough of your own - just be sure to label and read the ones from the library first, so they won't be overdue).  This is also a nice way to start collecting Christmas picture books - buy a few a year to add in!  Click here for my Christmas Book Resource Page, if you need book recommendations.

photo source

3- Wrap the chosen books in Christmas paper and number each book according to which day you want your child to open and read each one. [If you're very ambitious, you could number envelopes to adhere to the books.  Inside you would put a card with either an Advent activity, craft, or bible reading written on it.  Refer to the 3 books I mentioned at the beginning of this post for ideas. Or - look here for Christmas crafts from Crafty Crow, and here for Orthodox readings for 40 Days of Advent].

Source here (right click)

4- Put the wrapped, numbered books in a special place...
Some families put them in a basket by the fireplace, ready for a book to be chosen and read each night.

source: The Blackberry Vine

You might want to put them under the Christmas tree - opening and reading the last one on Christmas Eve and replacing with presents for Christmas morning...

source: babyjaynes (right click to open new window)

You could line them across your fireplace mantel...

This ambitious idea is from Babycinno (right click)

Or on bookcase shelves...

from Sarahjanestudios (right click)

Whatever you choose, have fun.  And don't miss MY ADVENT GIVEAWAY 2012: An Advent Calendar with artwork by Ruth Sanderson from Monastery Greetings. Leave a comment on this post and go HERE for details. 

HOW TO ENTER: Giveaway over 11/15/12 - Congratulations to Marianthy (mom2eleni)!

1- Leave a comment here or on any of my blogs posted from November 12, 2012 through November 14, 2012. 

2- "Like" or comment on this post (or any others I post from 11/12-14/12) on Facebook.  

3- Share this post from my Facebook page to yours, to enter your name in the drawing twice.