Four Days After Christmas

 

One of the best gifts I got happened a few days before Christmas, when a crocus I had been working with for the last four months bloomed inside. It made me very happy. Other leaves are up, and I hope there are more blooms to come.

Winter is showing itself throughout the country, whether with heavy rains, deep snow, or wild winds. Here, the front that's been wreaking havoc across the country has made it very windy with temperatures dropping 30°F in just a few hours. Some of the neighbor's trees have come down, but we're okay. I hope that all of our old trees have already come down, as we have lost four in the last few years. My sister in Maine had almost 2 feet of snow on Christmas Eve, which changed more than one holiday plan. I feel fortunate that we were not trying to travel during these challenging times. 

Or I should say, we weren't trying to travel far. We went to Ward's father's house on Christmas, which is only 1 1/2 hours away if traffic cooperates. And it did that day. There were 20 of us who gathered, and a good time was had by all, with ages ranging from 4 months to 92. It still amazes me that we are able to shove all of the furniture aside and piece together a table where we all sit together for dinner. 

We're slowly putting away the Christmas clutter, but don't plan to take down the decorations yet. I'm a "take it down on New Year's Day" kind of person, but Ward likes to leave things up until Three Kings Day on January 6. And that's okay because the lights on the tree and the mantle make a very nice atmosphere.

Wally and Theo got me an air fryer for Christmas. I'm looking forward to learning how to use it and doing all the amazing things my friends say it can do. They brought some tater tots over for its maiden test, and they were quite crispy. 

Also, Theo got me an American's Test Kitchen cookbook, and we've made one recipe from it — a Spanish lentil dish. There was a nice blend of spices, but we both thought it wasn't good enough to warrant all of the steps it took to make it. I'm still deciding what to cook next. We plan to take turns picking a recipe from it to try. 

Of course, when Wally was looking at it, he started on page 314 (for Pi). Next, he doubled and checked out the recipe on page 628. It reminded me of when he was at home, and I sometimes made him responsible for meals during his school breaks. He would take a cookbook, open it at random, and alternate between choosing the recipe on the right or one on the left. Whatever worked for him. 😀 I didn't interfere unless he asked for help. 

Back to the mundane. I need to get the sheets out of the dryer and remake the bed.

Until next time...

P.S. I haven't taken many pictures recently, except at family gatherings, and I can't show all of those faces. Let's see if my next post has more pictures.

Christmas Feelings

 Merry Christmas to one and all! 

I hope everyone is having some peace today as they celebrate (or don't) Christmas. However, I realize that Christmas is not always jolly and bright, and I, too, have mixed emotions. Below is a post I wrote about missing my mother that sums up my jumbled feelings on this joyous day.

Christmas Smiles

My mother, last Christmas

Tears flow easily these days. I miss my mother. I have always heard that the holidays are especially hard when you have lost someone, but I've never really experienced it like this. It's taken me by surprise, because in my logical mind, I thought I would be thinking about all the special Christmases I had with her and feeling sad. But logic is not necessarily at work here. It's not the Christmases I miss. I miss the emotional connection.

My mother had dementia and slowly left us over the years in many ways. It was discouraging and sad to watch, but no matter what her outward appearance was, I always felt a connection between us during my visits. Towards the end, she was usually quiet, often with a distant stare. But then I'd say something, and there would be a little glint in her eye or a slight smile, and I knew that she was communicating in the way that was available to her at that point in her life.  We were connecting, and it made me happy. Before I experienced the last couple of years with my mother, I never would have thought that those difficult times would be the ones I missed the most. But for now, they are.

However, life goes on no matter what the circumstances, and this grief is not consuming my life. It's just a part of it. I am happily preparing for Christmas. I am ahead this year in many things and feeling more relaxed than usual. I am enjoying the Christmas lights and the Christmas music. I am having good times with my sisters and friends. Ward and I are having long talks and making fun plans.

With all of those things, I'm trying to live what my mother taught me up until the end of her life. She kept living even when it seemed to the outside world that life wasn't worth it. So as I think of her little smiles, I smile, too. Through the tears.

Time Flies

It's happened again. It seems like I posted just a few days ago, but it's been a week and a half. So let's play catch-up again.

View out our kitchen window. I hope the neighbors don't mind that their houses show up on my blog. 

We woke up to snow this morning, about 5 inches at our house, but it's really hard to tell because the winds were blowing at 20 mph, creating drifts. That, with a dropping temperature, kept me inside all day. So instead of making a snowman outside, I just enjoyed my bouncy snowman inside.

A friend gave this to me, and I can't help but smile when I see it. 

But before the frigid weather set in, I harvested the last of the turnips, rutabagas, beets, and spinach. Luckily, the ground wasn't frozen hard yet, so I could pull them easily. After we had a good meal for supper, I have them in the garage for storage. I think I have them secured so mice won't be dining on them, but we shall see. 

Turnips and rutabagas. 

Otherwise, we've been working on Christmas prep. The tree is up, the lights are up, and presents are wrapped. At least, mine are. I think Ward is still making some things. We are finalizing the menu for next week when my family gathers for Christmas and my nephew's birthday. Today, I began making sweets to give away, starting with fudge. I love fudge, so I need to give it away sooner rather than later, before I make myself sick "sampling" it. 😋

Poinsettias from last year that are starting to show color.

Better get back to it and start on my next round of goodies.

Until next time...

This and That

 I think it's time for some speed blogging. The timer today is set at 14 minutes.  

We won't be putting up any Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving.

Anne at Cooking and All That Jazz has been doing a countdown 'til Christmas for weeks (months?) now.  Reading her posts about what she has done toward the holidays makes me anxious every time I read them. But it isn't even Thanksgiving yet, I tell myself. However, I have several gifts ordered and am working on ideas for others. We don't have elaborate decorations, so I don't need to start too far ahead of time. The weekend after Thanksgiving, the fall wreath will come down, and the holiday one will go up. The outdoor lights go up then, too, if the weather cooperates. A weekend or two after that, the tree will go up. 

Recently, we had a tree taken down, but before that happened, we had to remove the rock pile we had around it. We have very rocky soil, so when we dig up rocks in our various flower beds, we add them to the pile. We have accumulated quite a few since we started doing this. As we were moving the rocks, I felt like I was working on a prison chain gang. But I like rocks, and I like my pile. Just because.

As we moved the rocks, we sorted them into small, medium, and large sizes. This helps when we go to the pile for a rock for a particular use.

And speaking of maintenance projects, we figured out this week that we have a leak around the bow window in our living room. The window is only a few years old and didn't appear to be compromised, so we surmised the likely culprit was cracked caulking in several places around the outside of the window. After some major bush trimming to be able to get ladders in place, Ward did the tedious job of recaulking. While he did that, I cleared the debris that had been cut. I hope this fixes things because leaks are so hard to figure out sometimes. At least we know it hasn't been going on for long, so there shouldn't be much damage to the wood around the window. Fingers crossed. 

Installing the bow window a few years ago. Ward recaulked the outside of it.

While I enjoy the company of others, I am an introvert, and new social situations are not easy for me. However, when I was asked to join a bowling league, I said, "Sure." Not because I was dying to go bowling, but because I thought it would be good for me to get out of my comfort zone. I have only bowled occasionally throughout my life, with years and years between games. I'm usually happy if fewer than half of my balls end up in the gutter. But this is a fun league, not competitive, so it was a good fit in that way. 

Last week, I went for my first time. Our local bowling alley does duckpin bowling, which uses smaller balls and pins, and you get three balls/frame. On the surface, that sounds easier than 10-pin bowling, but it has a set of challenges of its own. So, what did I think? The people were friendly and not too serious, but I'm not sure I like bowling. However, I'm going again this week. We'll see how I do.

My 14-minute timer is going off, so that's it for today. I'll set it again one more time to find some pictures to insert.

Until next ... 

Merry Christmas!

 

 ^"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.^"

"...And that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." 

 "A Charlie Brown Christmas" 

That Christmas Feeling

 Christmas comes with so many emotions, and most of the time, they are all jumbled up. At least, that's the way it is for me. That may be why I'm having difficulty finding a focus for this post. 

Holidays always bring up memories of those who are no longer with us, and for me, that also makes me think about my own mortality. Pretty heavy thoughts for a supposed joyous season. Also, I've been thinking about a past Christmas when we moved my mother to a nursing home just before Christmas. It was the right thing to do because, even with two caregivers, she couldn't be managed at home. But it also meant to me that was where she was going to die. That took me a long time to adjust to. Granted, she had another 2 1/2, mostly good years after that move, but I didn't know that then. 

But I'm also thinking about my childhood Christmases and the magic that they held. I loved the anticipation, and my mother made them special. Another time, I'll tell you about that. Then, I'm thinking about the Christmases we spent in Texas without any family around and how we're lucky that we can now visit with some of both Ward's and my families. 

I am thinking about troubled family members who will be spending this Christmas alone. 

I've just scratched the surface of my busy mind. I think it's time to move on to the here and now.

We are organized this Christmas, and it hasn't been very stressful. (Stress comes from everyday stuff like bank mistakes and leaking pipes) We've made and bought all of our gifts and have them wrapped. We've delivered cookies to the neighbors, candy to my coworkers, and have goody bags ready for all of Ward's family. We've been enjoying our Christmas tree and other decorations. Tonight, my sisters and families are coming over for dinner and gift exchanges. We've hit the easy button and are going to order Chinese. It's all good. 

Despite all of that, I've felt a malaise. That was until last night when Ward, Wally, and I drove around and looked at Christmas lights. While we discussed our favorites, we played Christmas music and sang along with the familiar carols. That little outing made me happy.

It just occurred to me. I think I know the purpose of this post.  Last night was special because I was in the moment. I wasn't preparing or anticipating anything. I was just enjoying the beautiful lights and singing. Hopefully, this epiphany will help me remember that "The present is the present."

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

(The guests are arriving. No time to add pictures.)

Blogger

 Blogger has been filling my Reading List with posts from 5-10 years ago. Every once in a while, a current one is sprinkled in. All that means is that if I'm absent from commenting on your blog, your post is lost among the old ones. Hopefully, this will right itself soon. It's been happening for a couple of days.

And now a picture from Christmas past.

Annie loved the Christmas mints. She would knock the basket over and then roll around on the floor with them. Maybe they reminded her of catnip? But she did it every day.

A Cold Holiday Catchup

Ward got a combination of Thanksgiving and anniversary flowers. (Our anniversary was on Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Good morning! It's a chilly 21 degrees F outside, and I am so happy. to have a working furnace. I don't like being cold and am ready to hibernate for the next few months. It's a real chore for me to go outside in the cold, even when I'm dressed for it. However, the hard freezes we've had recently have finally killed all the plants, so some bed clean-up is in order—at least in the front where the neighbors can see. 

Also, it's time to put up the outdoor Christmas lights. Last year, we simplified and put them only on the front bushes instead of along the roof line. I don't do tall ladders, and I convinced Ward he didn't need all the ladder work either. However, the cold is discouraging this chore right now—even for Ward, who usually describes cold weather as invigorating. But perhaps, more than the cold, we are avoiding untangling and testing all of the lights. We have slowly changed all of our lights to LEDs, which are supposed to last for years and years. Has anyone else had problems with the wires to the lights? The bulbs seem to be doing well, but the wires are shorting somewhere along the line, causing problems. Good bulbs with cheap wiring are not a good combination. 

Anyway, I'm not immediately ready to jump with both feet into the holidays, as many are right after Thanksgiving. I like to give Thanksgiving a little time to simmer before switching gears. We had a low-key Thanksgiving here with a dozen people. Ward smoked a turkey while I baked a ham, made a pie, and a couple of sides. Others brought sides, and Wally and Theo helped with the setup, where we got one long table set up in the living room for everyone to sit together. The entertainment for the day was the 15-month-old with a sense of humor that only a 15-month-old understands. :) We have just about finished the leftovers, so we may have to cook today. Oh, well, it was fun while it lasted. 

Over the weekend, we attended a 90th birthday party for a dear friend. It was at a fancy restaurant, and Ward and I dressed up for it. Putting on our fancy clothes was a rare event, but it was one we could do more often. Anyway, a good time was had by all on this momentous occasion.

Work keeps chugging along, and I am struggling to keep up. Hopefully, I can play catchup today, so I better get going.

Until next time...

Merry Christmas!

 Merry Christmas to One and All!

The holidays, especially Christmas, are a time when emotions seem to surface more readily. And often, they are tinged with sadness. While I have shed a few tears this year, my emotions were not as raw as they were my first Christmas after my mother passed away. Here is a post I wrote back then.

If you are feeling sad, I hope you can find at least one reason to smile today.

Christmas Smiles

My mother, last Christmas

Tears flow easily these days. I miss my mother. I have always heard that the holidays are especially hard when you have lost someone, but I've never really experienced it like this. It's taken me by surprise because, in my logical mind, I thought I would be thinking about all of the special Christmas times I had with her and be sad. But logic is not necessarily at work here. It's not the Christmases I miss. I miss the emotional connection.

My mother had dementia and slowly left us over the years in many ways. It was discouraging and sad to watch, but no matter what her outward appearance was, I always felt a connection between us during my visits. Towards the end, she was usually quiet, often with a distant stare. But then I'd say something, and there would be a little glint in her eye or a slight smile, and I knew that she was communicating in the way that was available to her at that point in her life. We were connecting, and it made me happy. Before I experienced the last couple of years with my mother, I never would have thought that those difficult times would be the ones I missed the most. But for now, they are.

However, life goes on no matter what the circumstances and this grief is not consuming my life. It's just a part of it. I am ahead this year in many things and feeling more relaxed than usual. I am enjoying the Christmas lights and the Christmas music. I am having good times with my sisters and friends. Ward and I are having long talks and making fun plans.

With all those things, I'm trying to live what my mother taught me until the end of her life. She kept living even when it seemed to the outside world life wasn't worth it. So, as I think of her little smiles, I smile, too. Through the tears.

Tis the Season

Elderly Annie does not bother the ornaments these days,
but does enjoy sitting under the tree and chewing on it.

We've been continuing to do a bit of this and that, getting in the Christmas spirit. Last night, we drove around with Christmas music playing, looking at lights. One of the local realtors sponsors a light contest. People enter, he produces a map, and then people vote on their favorite. The winner gets their December electric bill paid for by him. 

So, armed with the contest map and some Christmas CDs, we set out. Some of the displays were huge like you see on TV, and others were more scaled down, but pretty all the same. We went along the route for a while when we found a neighborhood with great lights on almost every house. It was good enough that I will tell my friends about it. After that, it was getting late, so we went home and hoped to pick up the route another night.

Flowers from Ward

I've wrapped more presents and delivered my gifts to work. Speaking of work, Ward sent me a lovely Christmas arrangement at work the other day just because. He's nice that way. We had plans for Christmas and Christmas Eve, but they are up in the air now. Some work schedules may change, and Wally and Theo have COVID. The timing is just so that they may or may not be able to be out and about by Christmas. We shall see. We will save our immediate family celebration until we can all be together and do what's safest for everyone.

When I was growing up, after my oldest sister married, we waited to open presents and celebrate Christmas until she could be there. More often than not, it was after Christmas Day. The rule was that you could open any presents from friends on Christmas, but no family presents. I didn't mind. In fact, sometimes I didn't do my shopping until after Christmas when everything was on sale. I liked that. :)

I've been making candies to give out for some gifts. And, of course, I had to do quality control and sample along the way. If I'm going to do full disclosure about that, I feel a little like I'm on sugar overload right now. Good thing I made a pot of vegetable soup earlier. Maybe the soup and the candy will cancel each other out. :)

Gotta get ready for work this evening, so

Until next time...

A Cold Day in December

Or Ramblings about the Weather and Other Things

When we went to bed last night, it was windy, with a warm, steady rain. But this morning, we woke up to our first snow of the year (except for "conversational snow," as the weatherman calls it - meaning flurries.) A big surprise for almost everyone. Although the temperatures have risen and the snow has melted, it's still cold and windy. At least, I think so. And in my world, that's the opinion that matters. However, I will be very happy next spring with temperatures in the 30s and 40s after a typically very cold January and February. It's all relative.

I didn't finish this post, which I started two days ago, and now it's old news. There is nothing interesting in the forecast for the next few days except cold days and colder nights. Not sure what the weather around Christmas will be, but luckily, we will be traveling locally and won't have to worry about getting stuck in an airport waiting for a storm to clear up. Been there, done that, and will be happy to never do it again. Good luck to all of you who will be traveling. May all of your travels be uneventful and safe.

I guess that's enough about the weather. How's that saying go, "If it weren't for the weather, most of us wouldn't know what to talk about." :) But wait! Another weather-related comment. Despite the freezing nights and days, our camellia is blooming with beautiful pink blossoms. I'm not sure how that works, as all of the other plants are either dead or in winter dormancy right now, but the blooms are a bright spot on the grey and brown landscape. 

The pink blossoms are holding their own quite well with the holiday lights that abound. We tried a different arrangement for our outdoor lights this year so that we could use some of the half-lit strands we have. LED bulbs may burn forever, but if they are on cheap wire that breaks, that long-life doesn't do you any good, she says a little annoyed with the whole thing.

Otherwise, Christmas prep is going well. Most gifts are bought. A few are wrapped. And the ones we're making are well on their way. The tree is up, and all the indoor decorating that is going to get done is done. Still up is baking, but I'll get around to that soon. Maybe. 

This year's tree.

Tomorrow, we visit my father-in-law and help him with some of his Christmas preparations. He still likes to have everyone gather at his house for Christmas and stays out of the way, as his kids make it happen. Gathering there is a long tradition in Ward's family that we are lucky to continue.

I think I'll go bake some brownies now. Not to give away at Christmas, but I'm feeling the need to have something sweet for Ward and me for a bedtime snack.

Until next time...

After Christmas

And a Recipe 

We had a good Christmas Day. After opening presents here in the morning, we headed to Ward's father's house in VA to spend the day with his family. There were 19 of us, with ages ranging from 89 to 10 months. It was a lot of fun. Yesterday was a relaxed day with puzzle working and crafting. 

Today we need to add back some more of the food groups to all of the holiday chocolate we've been eating. We have leftover ham, so I'm hoping Wally will make his potato ham soup before he leaves today. Below is the post it first appeared in.

Until next time...

______________________________________________________________

Wally Makes Soup

Wally likes to eat. No, let me correct that. Wally loves to eat. However, he doesn't like to cook. But today, he did just that. I asked him to help me with some potato soup by peeling the potatoes. One thing led to another and in less than an hour he had created a delicious potato ham soup.

True to the family tradition, he didn't follow a recipe. He looked at couple of recipes, took inventory of ingredients on hand and started cooking. For better nutrition he added carrots and used low-fat cream cheese. He didn't use onions as a favor to Ward and he added his own special optional ingredient at the end--Stubb's Spicy BBQ Sauce. The result was a very delicious soup that reminded me of scalloped potatoes with ham. I hope this successful cooking adventure is the beginning of a new trend.

Below are basic instructions for making the soup. Detailed recipe at the end.

Chop potatoes, celery, carrots and ham.

Saute celery, carrots, and garlic before adding potatoes and water. Cook until veggies are tender. Add cream cheese and ham.                                     

Garnish with cheddar cheese and/or Stubb's Spicy BBQ sauce. Serve and enjoy!

Wally's Potato Ham Soup

Ingredients:

Oil, 1 T

Celery, 2 stalks chopped

Carrots, 3 large chopped

Garlic, 3 cloves minced

Potatoes, 7 medium--5-6 cups chopped

Water, 4 ½ cups

Chicken bouillon cubes, 2

Low fat cream cheese, 8 oz, softened and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

Ham, 2 cups chopped (¾ lb)

For garnish:

Shredded cheddar cheese

Stubb's BBQ Sauce, 1 teaspoon/bowl

Saute celery, carrots, and garlic in oil until celery is starting soften.

Add potatoes, water, and bouillon cubes. Bring to boil and boil until vegetables are tender. Approximately 10- 15 minutes.

Lower heat or turn off heat on electric range and add cream cheese. Stir until melted.

Stir in ham.

Note: I added a little of Stubb's spicy BBQ sauce into my bowl. It gave the soup just a hint of spicy hotness without overwhelming the other flavors.

My mom and dad just put a little shredded cheese on theirs.

Everyone was happy. I hope you like it too.

Merry Christmas!

 ^"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.^"

"...And that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." 

 "A Charlie Brown Christmas" 

Thankful Sunday

I am thankful for joys in my life.

 I look for something to smile about every day. A good joke, a flower, a wave from a stranger, or a call from my son all make me happy and bring a smile. But true joys are fewer and farther between. 

I can't show you the neighborhood dogs, but I can show Miss Landers' dog
joyfully playing ball in the river.

However, I am blessed that I have an opportunity for a joyful activity most mornings. A golden retriever, Max, lives across the street, and every morning at 7 am, he has a visitor, Frodo - a smaller black dog. Frodo's owner lets him off the lead, and Max comes out to play. They romp, run, and wrestle. They exude joy as only dogs can, and it is contagious. They play for about 15 minutes while Frodo's owner stands quietly on the side. And then they all go on their merry ways. It's a great way to start the day.

Tonight, I had a rarer joy- Christmas carolers. For a few years now, the kids in the neighborhood have gotten together and gone caroling. Tonight we were serenaded by 16 kids ranging in age from preschoolers to teenagers. The older ones took care of the younger ones and pulled them in a wagon from house to house. The group had music to which they sang 4 songs. There were shy kids who hid behind others, there were bouncy ones who danced to every song, and there were serious singers who sang from the heart. Watching and listening to those kids was pure joy for me. They represented the spirit of the season in every way. And not to mention, they were too cute for words.

I can't show you the neighborhood kids, so I'll show you Charlie Brown and the gang caroling on our doormat. (Along with my toes.)

So for the free spirit and joy of playing dogs and the caroling of children, I am thankful.

Thankful Sunday

 I am thankful for my curious kitties.

I have old cats. They move slowly, sleep a lot, and groom little. They look and act very much like the 19-year-old cats they are. But yesterday, their younger selves emerged when we brought out the Christmas decorations. They sniffed, pawed, and otherwise tried to dominate the different Christmas containers and bags. And for this spark of curiosity that I saw in Annie and Leo, I am thankful.

(And I'm also thankful that they aren't knocking all of the ornaments off the tree, or knocking it over, for that matter.)

Thankful Sunday, January 2, 2022

A few things from the last week.

I am thankful for our large table. To have more seating, Ward made a tabletop extension for our banquet table. It easily holds 10 people. 

And with a nice tablecloth, you'd never know that there's a sheet of plywood underneath.

I am thankful for carolers. The kids in the neighborhood practiced and
then caroled on two different nights. They were as good as they were cute.

And each house got a homemade card from them.

I am thankful for new poinsettias. We got two poinsettias as gifts from friends this year.

And the plan is to keep them alive so they can bloom again next year like this one.
That's the plan anyway. :)

I am thankful the cats had fun at Christmas. Our cats are over 18 years old and are not very lively. However, the Christmas things seem to give them new life.

But they didn't forget how to enjoy a sunbeam.

I am thankful for new ornaments. My sister-in-law made this one with epoxy.

And the tree is still up to hang it on.
Some of the decorations are down,
but the tree will stay until Jan. 6, Epiphany. 

I am thankful for a new puzzle.

And an old coloring book. Both provided some relaxing downtime.

Until next time...

After Christmas

Annie got into the mints again this year.

 We had a great Christmas this year. Like last year, we didn't travel, but unlike last year, we actually celebrated with some family. We spent Christmas Eve with Ward's family and Christmas Day with my family. On Christmas Eve, the weather was warm (50s) and sunny, so we were able to sit out on our porch and visit. Then, we moved inside for the meal and had a sit-down, family-style dinner. All except Theo that is. He was not comfortable removing his mask around his grandfather, so he chose to eat separately. 

The gloomy clouds never cleared as forecast on Christmas Day, so we stayed inside. Both days were low-key, and it was fun to visit with family again. Someday, we'll be able to have the entire family together, but we'll take what we can get at this point. 

Wally was also visiting for a few days and said he wanted to walk around the yard with me. We did this more often at our old house when I was doing my Second Looks. I was surprised that I still found some color amongst the grays and browns of winter. I've shared pictures below.

Wally has now gone home, and we're all back to work, but we are still enjoying the Christmas decorations and the good feelings that come with the season. We are trying hard not to look too far into the new year when so many things will need our attention. For now, "The present is the present."

Until next time...

Camellia 

Phlox

Spirea

Anemone 

Mums

Nandina berries

Pansies

Turnips

Merry Christmas!

 

Merry Christmas!

^"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth 

peace and goodwill towards men."

"...And that's what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown."

 "A Charlie Brown Christmas"