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Changing customs

Through the years Christmas customs change. Some changes are caused by marriages. Some are changed by relocation. We have been through it all. When I lived at home Christmas Day was spent visiting the Great-grandparents. In the morning we went to Grandmother’s mother’s house and in the afternoon, we went to great-grandpa’s. We had dinner at great-grandpa’s house. When they both passed, we began having Christmas dinner at my grandma and grandpa’s house. That was where I lived so it was at home. I helped grandma get her house ready for company. One thing I remember is ...

This Christmas we need a Wise Man

It’s supposed to get easier every year. After all, Dear Richard and I have each been putting up Christmas trees for over 50 years. You would think we’d have mastered decking the halls by now. Turns out wassailing might be our best seasonal skill. We have arrived at the ancient stage of being older and wiser. Older is knowing how to put up the decorations. And wiser is … actually, forget wiser. Our only acquired wisdom? Older equals slower. Decorating the house for Christmas is now a long, slow slog. That’s the rub … because I want it all to be like every other year. The ...

Cats are perfect companions

“We’ve never had cats that acted like this before,” remarks my wife Judith in perhaps an understatement as she watches our latest feline acquisitions chase each other around the house and engage in spirited tussles. She also notes that over the years we’ve had about nine other ...

No capacity worries await in heaven

Penn State’s Beaver Stadium in Happy Valley can help us to contemplate heaven. Beaver Stadium has a seating capacity of more than 106,000. This makes Beaver Stadium the fourth largest stadium in the world behind Michigan’s “The Big House,” The Rungrado in North Korea, and the largest being the Narendra Modi Stadium in India which houses roughly 130,000. Football draws people. This time of year marks the college bowl season where many stadiums are packed to full capacity. Think of all the games this season in the Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC that have filled up stadiums. Try and ...

View from Hickory Heights How do we see Jesus?

Do you ever think about how people see Jesus? Personally, I think they see him like themselves. There is a song called “Some Children See Him” written by Albert Burt, the son of an Episcopal priest. My source said that Bates Gilbert Burt, the father, grew tired of the generic greeting cards and decided to write a song, put together with some art, and mail it to those he usually sent cards to. The response he received inspired him to adopt the tradition. Burt’s son, Albert was classically trained in music. Since the elder Burt was limited by his lack of formal musical ...

The delights, curses of Christmas cards

Bah humbug!! To me, Christmas cards represent the best and the worst about the holiday season. Don’t get me wrong, I love receiving them. It’s the sending part that I hate. It’s a long story. When I was a kid, my mother sent cards to only extended family and out-of-town friends. “Why would I send cards to people I see every day? I can wish them a Merry Christmas in person without wasting a card and a 3-cent stamp.” Imagine that price. I do remember buying 3-cent stamps. We received a handful of cards each year to hang on the dining room mantle. But Mom always bemoaned how ...