Like most people in this world, I think of Christmas as American, which means deep seated in the almost 1/3rd of the population whose Germani Israelite roots, known as Germans, who blessed America so much in Christmas trees, the German Lutheran songs, Christmas programs and those traditions of brown paper bags filled with an apple, salted peanuts and candy scattered in them.
It might sound strange but my Christmas this year was started years ago from a US Soldier, who was world renowned in Col. Townsend Whelen. Explorer, survivalist, firearm cartridge developer in the infamous 35 Whelen, this old Soldier Hero of America's fringe legends once mentioned making English Plum Pudding in a wilderness tent camp and the mystery of it just fascinated me in pudding in a sack, boiled on a stove.
Bob Cratchet did not help in Dickens in speaking of that hours boiled thing which was neither dumpling nor bread, so the child in me lusted in wonder what this creation was.
For God only knows reasons, I never got around to making a plum pud, even though they sound delicious. Perhaps it was fear of the unknown in how to make a solid surrounded by a boiling cauldron of water.
This year though I already tested out a most interesting adventure using a Presto pressure cooker, which went dry, which had to be refilled, and for God's reason, it still produced my first plum pudding experiment, which I fully tomorrow will be busy making it's sibling as my custom is to celebrate Christmas Eve as that is the special time of the year for me.
I have not felt the least like Christmas this year and mentioned such today. None of it was festive and people all seem so lacking Christ in any of this in love, kindness or charity now. Fortunately, a few minutes ago a midnight struck, I grudgingly started wrapping a lone Christmas present for my Mother.......when all things changed.
To thank for this I have English designer, Lady Henrietta to bless for this change, as I was watching the telly in this most beautiful Lady of English legendary stock, when she mentioned in her great hall dining room, that she and her family would have crackers every Christmas after their meal.
I looked at the television while working here at the keyboard and thought, "How odd that rich people of such breeding are eating crackers and thinking it is such a wonderful thing".
Lady Henrietta was carrying on about riddles, gifts and lighting her Grandfather's paper crown on his head on fire for fun with the cousins, to which one time he brushed the fiery crown off into his brandy and an inferno ensued..............when it started soaking in that crackers were not crackers, but little wrapped presents filled with a crown one had to wear as they ate desert, a riddle inside to solve and a little gift.
The cracker was the crack the paper made as you pulled it apart.
That is what I have been doing in making a crown out of typing paper, finding a riddle for my Mother to solve.........
What is it that the more you dry it the wetter it becomes?
Answer: A Towel
....and putting in a little flashlight which is nothing of a gift, but a gift which has me now all excited as I am giving my Mom something of a new adventure she has never had before. That pleases me as that cracker or it probably is more of a ploofer sitting on top our tree like a toilet paper roll possess now Christmas life for me.
I used a toilet paper card to form the cracker as some instructions I found said, rolled up the crown, folded the riddle for no peeking all around the flashlight............and decided to use a paper towel I rolled around the card and tied up with string as I was not going rummaging about for pretty ribbons at this hour.
It all looks quite nice as paper towels have prints on them, and I could not be more pleased if someone told me Obama was being impeached with that whole crew of criminals in the morning.
I was telling my Mom about crackers today and she will be quite pleased and surprised that her child was busy creating England for her.
So my greatest gift this Christmas is doing what children do of all ages in acting like a child, so their parent can smile at them and wonder what they have been up to now. A 4 dollar LED flashlight, a riddle, a paper crown and a paper towel all topped off with an English Plum Pudding is worth more than money for this memory I am looking forward to.
I love traditions, but as my Auntie was complaining today in she for 70 years celebrated Christmas on Christmas eve with her family, was now being ordered no presents would be opened until everyone was together on Christmas.
Her joke was, "Well perhaps with this snow we won't be together on Christmas".
I attended a party last year where gifts were brought, but I had no fun in the exchange as no one picked the one I brought, so I was busy opening it. Am not appreciative either in a young Lady my nephew brought last year and I was attached to, wanted to get married and he decided he was not ready to, so the gift of her was taken from me much to my chagrin.
So when people ruin Christmas for others, it does stick with many people who do like the traditions, but feel too many of the hurts from Christmas pasts not quite going so well.
I guess the English would say to just slug it along and make do with a better one this year. That is what I chose to do and I hope others who have had it with "happy holidays" and these Obamatudes getting rid of Jesus, will at least make an adventure of something they enjoy to just share with someone who is not such a ninny that they can not appreciate that you are giving something in a nothing gift, because it is coming from you.
With that it is dawning Christmas Eve, the place in my heart I can build a snowman, later on conspire as I dream by the fire, hating snow and cold, but walking in my winter wonderland.
May God bless each of you and Merry Christmas.
agtG
