HYACINTHS FOR THE SOUL

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

A Look Back at Christmas 2010

Sherry @ No Minimalist Here

is hosting a

Holiday Dining Block Party

I'm sharing our holiday table from Christmas 2010.

The joy of Christmas for me is time spent with both family and friends. Our holidays are simple times of shared meals, laughter, and friendship.

Traditional red, green, and white were the colors of the evening.

Our Christmas Eve dinner was around a table

simply set with a theme of evergreens and red tassels.

An antique ironstone tureen held fresh spruce branches accented with ornamental cabbage, white mums, and cuttings from the garden.

Christmas red tassels served as

napkin rings for monogramed white linens.

The tassels gave a nod to the festive border on the dinner plates in Queen's Rooster. The border of red gingham, swags, and tassels was the perfect compliment for the evergreen wide bands of the Zrike chargers. Larger white chargers beneath were used in place of a linen cloth on the table.

Place cards were little decorative favor boxes filled with chocolates for each guest to take home for a late night snack.

The next evening's table of pine trees, pomegranates, and red birds continued the color theme for Christmas Day dinner for four of us at a friend's home.

A simple white bowl held bright red pomegranates,

white twigs, and gorgeous tree ornaments.

A closer look at the ornaments

shows red birds among a snowy scene.

Each place setting featured this little winter birdie on the red linen mats with green borders. The Vietri red chargers with white polka dots held traditional Spode Christmas Tree dinner plates.

Spode Christmas Tree, a favorite traditional Christmas pattern, was first introduced in 1938. Even after all these years and with all the other beautiful Christmas patterns available these days, I find this pattern totally charming with its simple pine tree decorated with ornaments.

Linen napkins with a peppermint candy

design were held with rings of red jingle bells.

Petite boxes of Godiva chocolates

were the sweet little favor to carry home.

Christmas 2010 is now but a memory ~

One of joyful memories of cherished friendships!

Joining

Holiday Dining Block Party @ No Minimalist Here

Tablescape Thrusday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Show & Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Potpourri @ 2805

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound

Seasonal Sunday @ The Tablescaper

Sunday Favorites @ Happy to Design

Saturday, December 3, 2011

A Favorite Holiday Story

book review

Sharing a holiday favorite . . .

THE GIFT OF THE MAGI

~Written by O. Henry ~

~ Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger~

THE GIFT OF THE MAGI is not a new publication, and no doubt many of you reading this post have read this story of a young couple's sacrifice and love for each other. William Sidney Porter's short story was first published in a New York City newspaper in 1905. Since that time it has become known as a classic Christmas story of poverty, selfless love, and generosity.

Tis the day before Christmas and Della is distraught because she has but $1.87 with which to purchase a gift for her beloved husband, James. The young couple, struggling to make ends meet on $20 a week, lives in a bleak apartment in New York City.

The couple has but two treasured possessions among them ~ "Della's beautiful hair fell about her rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters" and "Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's." After a heartfelt cry, Della sets out onto the streets of the cold city to Mme Sofronie's Hair Goods of All Kinds. Then with another $20 in hand, Della spends the next two hours in search "of something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim."

With gift in hand, Della returns home to "repair the ravages made by generosity added to love." With heated curling irons her short hair becomes a mass of tiny curls, and she feels intoxicated with joy knowing that she has purchased the perfect Christmas gift for her beloved Jim ~ a fob chain for his treasured gold watch.

"At 7 o'clock the coffee was made and the frying pan was on the back of the stove hot and ready to cook the chops." When Jim walks into the apartment and see's Della's short bob, Della cannot read the expression on his face. He draws Della to him and then pulls a package from his pocket. For Jim had purchased a set of tortoise hair combs that Della had long admired in a shop window along Broadway.

Holding out the precious metal watch fob in her hand, Della hears Jim say that there is no longer a gold watch to be chained. For Jim has sacrificed his treasured gold watch to buy the tortoise combs for Della's vanished hair.

Wise beyond their years and full of selfless love for one another, Jim says, "Dell, let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em a while. They're too nice to use just at the present. . . . And now suppose you put the chops on."

William Sidney Porter, who wrote under the pen name of O. Henry, is known for witty and playful stories that end with a twist. He was born in Greensboro, NC in 1862. Porter moved to Austin in 1884 where he later married Athol Estes. He and Athol had a daughter, Margaret Worth Porter. The young family lived in this house which now serves as the O. Henry Museum.

It is both a National Registry Property and a National Literary Landmark. Specifics about the museum can be found at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/ohenry/.

I recommend you pick up a copy of Lisbeth Zwerger's beautifully illustrated version of this famous story available here on Amazon. It's a perfect story to share the true meaning of gift giving ~ gifts given from one's heart with self-sacrifice and the generosity of love.

And now, let's eat that chop.

This post was originally published last December for

Jain's Food for Thought featuring

Christmas & Holiday Themed Books in December.

This week I'm joining

Chari for Sunday Favorites

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday

Smiling Sally for Blue Monday

Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday

Sunday, November 27, 2011

"Normandy Life"

Emma Bridgewater Pottery

Many of you know Maggie,

the author of the delightful blog

Normandy Life.

Maggie and her husband live in the beautiful countryside of Normandy, France, in a charming 16th and 18th century Prespbytery that they lovingly restored 15 years ago. We have been friends through the years, having first met in 2000 while attending an Annual Meeting of Quimper Club International. This past October "the chef" and I had the pleasure of experiencing Normandy Life in real time.

Each morning we woke to the most

incredible views just outside our windows.

In the quiet hours of early morning,

the fog gently rose, and the rosy pink sky

ushered in the sunshine of a new day.

All about us were pastures of fresh green grass and herds of gentle Normandy cows grazing about. Every view offered a photo perfect scene that one might find in the quintessential landscape of a pastoral setting.

Normandy cows, prized for both their

protein rich milk and quality beef,

are characteristically brown and white.

Not far down the lane is a Romanesque style church built on the site of an old chapel. The fishbone pattern, still visible in the choir and the nave, shows that it was built in the 11th century. The churchyard with its ancient tombstones and grave markers is often the subject of Maggie's magnificent images for Shadow Shot Sunday @ Hey Harriets.

More delights are found wandering

the beautiful lawns and gardens.

A perfect sunny spot for two friends to sit and chat.

Inside one is inspired by the awe of living

in such a beautiful, historic treasure.

There are wonderful pieces of Quimper.

Special touches of French symbols and . . .

Sweet Mr. Ben

Along with the frisky M'selle Fleur.

Every morning there was fresh

French bread, croissants, and pain au chocolat.

Always served on Emma Bridgewater's

pottery from the classic Black Toast Collection.

This dishaholic was totally smitten!

One morning Maggie and I drove to nearby Bayeux

To visit the famous Bayeux Tapestry

and walk through the magnificent

Bayeux Cathedral

that was consecrated in 1077.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch of a Normandy crepe

filled with fresh greens - a perfect ladies lunch.

While the girls were away,

the husbands were back at the

Presbytery reading, visiting, and lunching

alfresco on the lawn in the warm sunshine.

Delicious evening meals were prepared by Mr. B, dining on Chicken Divan one meal and another on the best Boeuf Bourguignon we've ever tasted. The mosaic above features a meal we enjoyed out at a local country restaurant. I think the photos speak for themselves.