Christmas – Page 3 – Valerie's Voice

A Christmas Festival

Christmas Festival took on a whole new meaning this year… when I hear those two words together “Christmas Festival” my mind immediately thinks of the 100+ year old annual Christmas concert at St. Olaf College. But this year the Bollinger Family held its own Christmas Festival…created because of the pandemic as a safe way for celebrating Christmas together with multiple families and young energetic children.

My daughter-in-love came up with this great idea and it was fun planning it with her. She worked hard to make it happen. We helped where we could ahead of time.

The day of the festival we gathered together early one December afternoon, which ended up being a very mild day…almost 40 degrees and no wind…a beautiful blessing. The weather was tolerable for staying outdoors for five hours! We had propane heaters in one area to warm up if necessary… the adults used it a few times but not the kids – they were active enough to stay warm the entire time!

The yard was decorated with garland, lights and lanterns, and a Christmas tree which came to life at dusk…on one of the shortest days of the year.

The table was covered with a red tablecloth and decorated with lights, mini-trees and ornaments for the crock-pots of chili.

There was games and activities and a very special Nativity Story Walk all planned out for the children, which they hardily enjoyed.

Painting a Happy Birthday banner for Jesus.

Find the stars – a Story Walk to the manger scene.

Towards dusk we started fires in two fire pits. We enjoyed eating our chili dinner from compostable bowls around the bon fires.

We brought along our roasting sticks to roast marshmallows and make s’mores for dessert…all with Christmas music sounding through speakers in the back ground.

The grandchildren (and grand-dog Charlie) had a good time celebrating together while social distancing and masking up. I trust the grandchildren will remember this Christmas Festival for years to come. I know I will. The adults had a great time too!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Planters

Christmas…a wonderful time of the year. I like decorating for Christmas and one thing I like to create is Christmas planters. A friend has property out of town and she invites me to go with her to cut evergreen branches off the trees so we can work with nice, fresh greenery.

Then we go back to the garage and we both start decorating. She has a wooden box planter and an old milk can on her front porch, which we fill with greens, and other miscellaneous branches, then add a finishing touch, a Christmas bow.

The wooden box planter on our friend’s lovely front porch. She adds white lights too.

We also have an old antique milk can, off my husband’s family farm, that I fill with different types of evergreen branches.

Then I make a Christmas planter for our front porch. It’s amazing to me how much a splash of red color stands out. We always add something red. I was told Carl Larsson, the famous Swedish painter, added a touch of red to all his paintings, although a quick Internet search didn’t lead me to any evidence but in all the paintings I’ve seen of his the color red is in them.

I also put greens in my flowerboxes on our deck. I add lights to make for a cheery scene all winter long, right outside our patio door.

These are green boughs in my flower boxes on the deck.

It’s nice to be decorating for the holidays…whoever thought the pandemic would last this long…

Ninety and Beyond

We went to visit a special friend of the family…she is like a dear aunt…and she celebrated her 99^thbirthday on December 26^th. We went to offer her congratulations and wish her many happy birthday blessings for the year ahead.

Florence (99) and me. I purposely wore the Norwegian sweater that Florence and my aunt brought back for me from their 1984 trip to Norway.

Florence has a caretaker that comes to help her in the mornings but otherwise she lives on her own in a beautiful house she and my aunt (best friends for 70 years) bought together in 1968. I’ve written about their house before…it’s like stepping back in time…the house has the original gold, wool carpet…gold, heavy draperies…most of the olive green appliances(!)… and a worn linoleum floor in the kitchen. They bought the house by assuming the mortgage…it was only 2 years old when they moved in fifty years ago.

Florence talks about her various jobs she had, with wages that ranged from 33 cents an hour to her favorite job as a bookkeeper for 20 years, starting at $1.00 an hour. We wanted to ask her how she could survive financially after all these years and no pension but we didn’t. We just listened to her wonderful stories. We always enjoy our visits with her, and we always wonder how much longer she will be with us. She told us that her grandmother lived to be over 100 years old. We hope Florence will too.

Another family member in his 90’s is my Uncle Bob. Last month, during the Christmas season we spent time with my uncle, my dad’s brother. He is 92 years old and in good health and is still driving. We also enjoy visiting with him. I asked him his favorite Christmas memory and he told us this story:

As a child his parents (my grandparents) had very little money, and no money for Christmas presents. One Christmas, Bob’s brothers, Herb (my father) and Earl, who were several years older than Bob, found a beat-up old tricycle in the trash with a missing wheel. They repaired the trike, painted it and gave it to Bob. It was a very special gift – one that Bob has always remembered.

I love hearing stories of my father since he died so young (age 55 in 1974).

I relish and appreciate visiting with these two special people, Florence and Uncle Bob. Along with Bob’s wife, Auntie Joyce, they are the only people in the world who have known me all my life – since I was born. That is significant.

Merry Christmas

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:2

May God’s light shine upon you and fill your heart and home with joy. Merry Christmas.

Artist-In-Residence

As I entered the Northfield Retirement Center I read a notice on the chapel door inviting people to watch an Artist-in-Residence paint a nativity scene.

The notice depicting the different stages of the nativity painting.

Apparently there were two opportunities to see the artist, Mark Daehlin, at work. The session for final touches to his painting was on Saturday. I was visiting a resident, not going to the program, but as I left the center I snapped a photo of the artist in action. I liked his painting style.

I thought this was a great opportunity for the residents at the retirement center.

This was how far along this painting was before the artist started his final session.

The final product was going to used during the upcoming Christmas Eve service in the chapel.

Finding Jesus

The front cover of the book The Nativity. Illustrated by Julie Vivas.

Last week my 2 ½ year old granddaughter greeted me at her door with the these words,

“Grandma, will you help me find Jesus?”

Apparently when putting up the Advent Calendar, with characters from the nativity, the cloth embroidered Baby Jesus went missing and she had been looking all over the house for it.

My heart fluttered as I heard those sweet words, and my heartfelt response… “Of course Little One, I will help you find Jesus!”

The Hubbard House

We enjoy touring historic houses, especially at Christmastime when they decorate for the holidays. I also like mysteries, so when I read about the Hubbard House in Mankato, I was enticed because the attraction included a mystery to solve while on tour in the historic home. We decided to go.

The house was built in 1871. R.D. Hubbard not only founded Hubbard Milling Company, one of the largest flower mills in Minnesota, but also the Mankato Linseed Oil Company, and more. We met his “character” in his office in the house and he was interesting.

The Hubbard house is a modest house, in comparison to other historic homes we’ve visited, but it was charming. There were stunning marble fireplaces in several rooms, magnificent woodwork throughout, some stained-glass windows, interesting wallpaper, and wall lamps (after electricity was installed). The Christmas bouquets that adorned the rooms were green and natural and lovely.

There were volunteers dressed in period costumes, representing the Hubbard family members and their staff. There was someone in each room and they were engaging. Guests were encouraged to talk with them and ask questions to try to solve the mystery. So we did, and it was quite fun.

The beautiful blue sky at dust, as we left the house.

In the end we didn’t guess “who done it” (unraveled a knitted scarf – no murder here) correctly…but a maid did do it. This extra touch added a new layer of interest to this Blue Earth County Historical Society’s attraction, and made it’s history more memorable.

St. Olaf Christmas Festival

When I was the Christmas Festival Ticket Coordinator at St. Olaf College people told me over and over again that the Festival was a tradition they didn’t want to miss! Sometimes they’d get frantic about it (ha) but after many years of going myself I’m beginning to understand.

The Festival has become a tradition for us, a beautiful way to start the Christmas season. We attended the Festival last evening and were not disappointed. This year’s theme is, A New Song of Grace and Truth.

The Christmas Festival always features five St. Olaf choirs and the St. Olaf Orchestra, and this year included the Handbell Choir for one of the orchestra pieces (approximately 600 students). The music is varied and there is something new each year, but the Festival always ends with the choirs and orchestra all singing their rendition (arranged by F. Melius Christiansen) of “Beautiful Savior” as the student voices surround the auditorium.

Anticipating the concert is fun and excitement builds the day of. Being in the lobby with the crowds, seeing the new set design, reading the program and being surrounded by college students is entertaining. Then we find our seats, the glorious music begins and two hours later it’s all over, and another successful Festival has provided a delightful evening and a great start to the Christmas season.

Glass Ornaments

I have a collection of colorful glass… mostly antique art-glass vases…

I find myself attracted to any colored glass pieces though, and to dishes in general. I have my grandma’s antique china set, which I love, and many other vintage glass pieces I’ve collected over the years from antique shops and thrift stores. I think it’s great fun to hunt for them, and I get a lot of enjoyment from using them too.

The lure of colored glass prompted me to take a class on creating fussed-glass pieces. The first class I took, a few years ago, was detailed and instructional – it taught us how to cut glass and introduced the different glass and glass making tools and explained the firing/fusing process. In that class I made four coasters, two mini bowls and a star hanging. It was an interesting class.

My funky bird coasters, made in the first class.

When a friend recently told me of a class being offered making Christmas Ornaments from fused-glass, in the small town of Kenyon MN, I was all in.

The class was very relaxed. The instructor brought her glass supplies and gave simple instructions and let us use whatever we wanted from her supply. We didn’t have to do anything but create. No set up, no clean up…just show up and be creative. We entertained ourselves over and beyond the time class was to end, but it did, and we liked our results.

The snowman ornaments I made in the second class.

My friend wanted to start a tradition of making Christmas ornaments for her daughters so she made two wreath ornaments. I made three snowman ornaments, one for each of my grandchildren.

O, Holy Night

For several years now (it has become a tradition) we enjoy going to the late Christmas Eve service in one of the historic Valley Grove Churches.

As we walked in we noticed the huge decorated Christmas tree in the front of the sanctuary, and a Hardanger fiddle, flute and an organ filled the church with beautiful music.

The beautiful, full Christmas tree filled the front of the sanctuary.

Then the church bells rang to announce the start of the Christmas Eve service.

A trio making music: organ, flute and the hardanger fiddle.

We enjoy this service for many reasons, one being… there is a time for just singing Christmas carols. The congregation make requests for different carols and we all sing to our hearts content the old familiar tunes.

Pastor John Gorder, gave a sermonette. This year he included thoughts about the beloved, old, oak tree that a tornado ripped down last September. This tree was love by many folks. The rings of the tree indicated the tree was there long before the settlers, in 1862. I can only imagine all the special events that happened around that tree.

There was a branch from the tree in the church, in front of the Christmas tree. It was holding a photo of the old oak tree before it fell. Pastor Gorder had visited the stump of the oak tree a few weeks before the service, and found an acorn from that tree. The acorn… a small seed grows into a great tree, so with baby Jesus… born to be a great King.

A branch from the beloved old, oak tree, holding a photo of the tree.

As is tradition in many Christmas Eve services, we lit candles and as the lights dimmed, sang Silent Night, Holy Night, a favorite.

We saw a few friends and said “Merry Christmas” as the ringing of the bells accompanied us out of church, after the service. A beautiful Christmas night scene met us as we walked out of church – with a bright moon and stars, and a few wispy clouds in the night sky near the old stone church and I imagined a stable long ago.

The amazing view we witnessed as we departed the historic church which is directly across from another historic church in Valley Grove.

Thank you God, for giving us a holy night indeed.