Tag: christmas (page 3 of 21)

HELLO, December

Hello, December! We’ve already felt the crisp chill in the air that you bring and it is heavenly! We’re ready for the magic that you hold in this most glorious of seasons. We’re ready for hot chocolate and quiet early mornings in the dark where we softly listen to Christmas music and let the morning unfold as it will.

We’re ready for late nights by the glow of the Christmas tree lights to watch old movies while we feast on popcorn . We’re ready to work on our Christmas puzzles and play endless games of Scrabble. We’re ready for the stillness that you bring as the world darkens and quiets.

We’re ready for school to come to a close for the year and the breathing space that brings. We’re ready for the mile high coconut cake that Christmas will deliver and the fact that a piece or two might get eaten for breakfast alongside a fresh cup of coffee.

We’re ready for holiday baking and the house to smell of gingerbread. We’re ready for frosty morning walks where the breeze bites our cheeks and we stop to watch the waves roll in and maybe spot a seal or two. We’re ready for all that you hold and have to offer and the enchanting feeling that hangs in the air like mist.

{Snow at a Shrine Entrance, Kawase Hasui, 1929 // Found HERE}

Feast Of The Seven Fishes

I am fully aware that we are no longer in the season of Christmas; in fact we are just about to flip the calendar over to April. This is a post I had been working on in the weeks leading up to December, but as with many things these past few months, some pots have to move to the back burner and this was a pot that got moved and turned to low. However, we are currently in the season of Lent and as “fish” is still playing a prominent role and my love for Christmas doesn’t begin and end in December, I’ve rationally reasoned that I can just slip this in under the wire and so I’m running with that. 

More than a year ago now, back in late October of 2019, I was scanning through YouTube in search of a clip for a piece I was writing. A movie trailer popped up in the suggested list and I was amused by the title, so I clicked on it. Before the trailer even finished, I knew this was a film that I had to see. I showed it to Mr. Michie that evening and he was in complete agreement. So, one Friday night, curled up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn between us we watched it. We laughed, we cried, we recognised these characters in front of us and then we watched it again and after that we watched it again and after that… well you get the drift. 

We discerned after our first screening, but that thought became more solidified with each successive viewing, that we would be making our family watch this over the Christmas holidays when we were all together (*This was Pre-Covid when we could move freely). One side of my family is loud, crazy and Italian. All of our events revolve around food, but doesn’t everyone’s? This movie resonated with me, it spoke to my soul. I know these people, I know this town, I understood Tony’s reservations about letting someone else peer into the idiosyncrasies of his family. Every family has their own dynamic and letting someone else have entry into that world is a very personal thing, it’s a baring of your soul.

One evening, after Christmas day, by the twinkle of the lights on the tree, we sat everyone down and pressed PLAY. The rest, as they say, is history. Like us, they were hooked. It has truly become one of my parent’s favourite movies of the past year. So much so, that they have bought it, watched it repeatedly and told everyone else about it. This movie isn’t a secret that you keep to yourself. Personally, I’ve watched this movie in parts here or there, or fast forwarded to a favourite scene at some point almost every day of 2020, that’s still happening in 2021. It has been one of the many things that has gotten us through this current period with humour. 

Feast of the Seven Fishes, is a charming, comically and tenderly crafted story with a lot of heart and soul. I feel that I know each of the characters. The clothes, the cars and the sets are perfect, down to the tiniest detail. The grandparent’s house is inviting and cozy, you believe this family truly lives there, it’s like being at your actual Nonni’s house. The Christmas tablecloth draped over the small dinette set in the kitchen, the angel card stuck on the avocado hued fridge and the ceramic tree with it’s jewelled toned lights glowing on the counter are all the little touches that seamlessly work to enhance and flesh out each scene alongside an outstanding ensemble of actors. Like a real family, their expressions say more at times than their words do. 

Robert Tinnell has written a story about life, home, family, relationships, love, good food and the people you meet along your journey. I don’t care if you come from a crazy Catholic Italian family or not, this movie will speak to you. At its heart, it is simply about family and everyone can relate to that. 

Do yourself a favour and go watch this movie! 

Boun Natale!

The following are two conversations I found interesting, you might too:

Conversations with the cast and director of Feast of the Seven Fishes

The FEAST Podcast: A conversation with director Robert Tinnell

Happy Epiphany

Wise men still seek him. ✨

{Albert Edelfelt (Finnish, 1854–1905) Itämaan Tietäjät (Three Wise Men), s.d. gouache 43 x 30.5 cm. (16.93 x 12 in.) signed private collection}

Happy New Year

🌟 HAPPY NEW YEAR! 🌟

May this New Year lay an abundance of blessings, peace and love upon your door.

{Image: 26th December 1942: Couple kissing under mistletoe during a Christmas party for the Flying Fortress Boys. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) // Pinned HERE}

Happy New Year’s Eve

We are ready to ring in the New Year, hoping that it brings better tidings than this last one did. However, there is a silver lining to all things. This past year, Mr. Michie and I have been blessed to spend a lot of quality time with one another and for that I am forever grateful. In all the ups and downs that occurred in 2020, we have, as we always do, faced them together. I am blessed that I have a partner by my side who is truly a ‘partner’ in every sense of the word. We leave this year behind with a renewed sense of gratitude for each other. We will shepherd in that appreciation to the New Year.

I come from a family that makes the best of every situation and tries to find the humour in things. And I know that so many people have joked this year that they are “surviving, one glass of wine at a time” and I do see the funny side to that. But, I don’t want to be just “surviving”, I want to be thriving! And that is what we did in 2020 and that is what we will continue to do in 2021.

Wishing love and light to you all as we close the book on this past year and open a new one tomorrow. 

{Image: Arthur Sarnoff “Happy New Year!”, The Progressive Farmer Magazine Cover 1958 // Pinned HERE}

Merry Christmas Eve

One more sleep…

{Ralph Hulett (1915-1974), is an artist mainly known for his work at Disney, but he also did a number of Christmas card designs as well as commercial work for major agencies, such as Swiss-Air and NBC. The “Christmas Mouse” above is from a card design created in the 1960s}

The Christmas Waltz

As I write this post, the sky has already darkened, and with the window slightly cracked I can hear the rain falling outside. Lights are twinkling and ‘The Christmas Waltz’ is playing on the stereo.

I love Christmas music. I don’t say that lightly. I listen to it throughout the year not just from Thanksgiving through Epiphany. There are particular holiday songs that fill my heart with so much emotion. They wash over me like a wave of nostalgia; surfacing many happy memories. This year, with no end to the pandemic in sight, that list of songs has grown.

I don’t know why ‘The Christmas Waltz’ in particular brings me to tears? 

Maybe it’s the song itself? The smooth and enchanting way it begins, the arrangement, the words of magic, hope and love, or the simple and endearing way that Frank Sinatra signs off with “Merry Christmas.” It stirs something deep within me. 

Maybe, it’s because my Nana loved Frank Sinatra? I’ll never forget the sound of her voice and the twinkle in her eye, the first time she told me about skipping school to go hear him sing; and how the man who ran the candy store hid her books behind the counter for her.   I loved that story. To me, it was part of our bond – a special secret she had shared with me.

Maybe, it’s because when Frank croons about the “the time of year when the world falls in love” it reminds me of the power of the season. Whatever the reason, and whatever I may be doing, if ‘The Christmas Waltz’ comes on I often find myself in tears. They’re not tears of sadness. They’re tears of hope; of sweet memories; of knowing that better days lie ahead. 

This holiday season will look very different for so many people. 

I have lived an ocean away from my family for far too long to ever take getting to see them (in person) for granted. And because of the current state of things, we have now passed the year mark since we saw them last. As hard as that is, there are blessings in the times we live in. Unlike the intrepid adventurers of the past, who set sail across unknown seas, or traveled through mountain passes in covered wagons, or journeyed through deserts on the backs of camels, never knowing when or if they would see their families again, we have the luxury of Skype, Zoom and FaceTime. At the click of a button, I can hear their voices and see their beautiful faces. 

Being apart from those you love is never easy. The strain that the pandemic is putting on people’s livelihoods, their families and their general well-being is immense and that’s an understatement. But, in times of uncertainty, I feel it is important to hold on to the rituals that we cherish. Even, if it is on a much smaller scale than we are used too. Maybe this season will bring so many back to what is truly important. It’s not about the presents and the mountains of food, it’s about being surrounded by those that you love. And I pray that next year brings us closer to all those we hold so tightly in our hearts. 

Let us enter this season with a renewed sense of gratitude for one another. To bloom where we are planted and as the song says:

Merry Christmas

May your New Year dreams come true

And this song of mine in three quarter time

Wishes you and yours the same thing too

Frank Sinatra