Christmas Lights

Sometimes you just need to relax, and sit on your windowsill with a cup of hot chocolate... while listening to a Bing Crosby Christmas CD, and inhaling the smells that are coming from both a Christmas candle and the open window.

The roof outside of my window is somewhat flat, and therefore lends itself to the putting up of Christmas lights. My mom decided to brave the cold, sharp air, and stepped onto the roof with bunches of Christmas lights in hand. I watched her as she began to attach the lights, and occasionally handed her the necessary tools and more bunches of Christmas lights.

As the dark sky began to wrap itself around our house, my mom started to work faster in order to get all of the lights up before it was too dark and cold. I decided to make some coffee for her and hot chocolate for myself to enjoy once she was finished.

She sat right outside my window, dunking her gingersnap into the steaming coffee, and I sat on my windowsill, dunking my candy cane into the rich hot chocolate.

Everything was beautiful, and even our animals seemed to enjoy the moment as they peeked out the window!

Yes, sometimes you just need to relax, and sit on your windowsill with a cup of hot chocolate... while listening to a Bing Crosby Christmas CD, and inhaling the smells that are coming from both a Christmas candle and the open window.

Christmas - Once a Year(?)

I have recently been listening to Christmas music. Okay, I've been listening to it for a couple months now, and as I have asked before, what is wrong with that? When I listen to the deep words of each and every song, it makes me wonder why it often seems like a crime to listen to Christmas music in June. As I was listening, a very special song came on that seems to speak my thoughts well right now. This is a song by Josh Wilson called "Once a Year". Here are the lyrics:
Christmas Eve
Mom and dad
Load the car
With grocery bags
They take the kids
And drive downtown
And spend the night
Passing food out

Once a year December's here and our hearts open up
Once a year we give with cheer to those who don't have enough
Wouldn't it be something if we all learned to love
Like it's Christmas more than once a year?

No one rings a bell
At the mall in June
But nobody said
We can't give then too
And when Autumn comes
With its changing leaves
Could we spend more time
With the least of these

Once a year December's here and our hearts open up
Once a year we give with cheer to those who don't have enough
Wouldn't it be something if we all learned to love
Like it's Christmas more than once a year?

Love is patient, love is kind

Love will always find the time

Love is now and love is here

Love is more than once a year

Once a year December's here and our hearts open up
Once a year we give with cheer to those who don't have enough
Wouldn't it be something if we all learned to love
Like it's Christmas, oh, more than once a year?
Once a Year- Josh Wilson (song)

These are some powerful words. Why is it so often only Christmas time when our hearts open up? I've heard people in real life and on movies constantly say that Christmas time is when the mean, grumpy people are finally nice. I'm not trying to imply that you, my dear friends, are acting selfish and rude all year until Christmas comes around. Please don't think that that is what my point of this post is. It's simply to bring attention to the fact that it is certainly okay to be in the "Christmas spirit" year-round, and it should be so. It shouldn't matter that I get excited when I think about the day of Jesus' birth when it's August. Maybe that's not always why I get excited about Christmas, but ultimately, I think that it is. That very special, cozy feeling doesn't come from material objects. It comes from spending time with the ones we love and remembering Who loved us first.
To be honest, whenever a Christmas song comes on (and no, I don't mean Jingle Bell Rock or Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer, sheesh!), I feel like bursting. My emotions build up, and I often sing along to the song, because it feels comforting and it helps me remember the meaning behind Christmas.  

Top picture: http://www.universetoday.com/22227/the-christmas-star-fact-or-fiction/

Let's Have a Party!- My Seventeenth Birthday

About five months ago (yes, I know this blog is quite late) I celebrated my seventeenth birthday with a delicious Indian dinner. Not only was the food incredible- the decor was incredible as well. Bright pink, orange, and yellow pieces of decor filled the back patio as we began to set up the tables. It was so beautiful, and just like what I had imagined when I first thought of the idea! This was not just an ordinarily themed party. I wanted a few pieces of the decor and the overall style of the party to remind me of India. And, it sure did! The bright colors and use of flowers on the tables brought back memories of the times that we celebrated birthdays during our trips to India. As you can imagine, I was very excited about the result of everything! We had the tables decorated with orange, pink, and yellow pieces of fabric, flowers, yellow birdcages, an Indian Barbie, and more! My mom also decorated some paper lanterns with beautiful ribbons and jewels, and created fantastic napkin bands using bright paper and a paper punch (the punch used to create the napkin bands resembled the border of saris). Here are some pictures of the decor!

For food, we had Pork Vindaloo, Chicken with Coconut Curry Sauce, Paneer Tikka-Masala, garlic and plain naan, two kinds of rice, and an Indian salad! I have to thank my mom for her incredible dedication in making this delicious dinner, and for her dedication in helping with all of the decor! I have to also thank my other family members who were willing to help with some of the food and the preparations for the party! I'm lucky to have a family that enjoys helping so much!

Of course, the food and decorations weren't the only things Indian style. To enhance the atmosphere even more, I turned on my favorite Indian CD, which played awesome music throughout our entire dinner. My mom and I also wore traditional Indian outfits as shown in the picture.

I even played Badminton in my sari!

For dessert, we ate a chocolate cake that I decorated with pink and orange fondant flowers, a fondant ribbon, silver dragees, and stitching on the side. We also enjoyed some delicious Indian candy-coated fennel seeds, sugars, and Jalebi (Indian fried dough).

Overall, I think that this birthday party is probably the best I have ever had! I thoroughly enjoyed the food, the decorations, the gifts, and most of all, the family time! I hope you enjoyed reading about my birthday, and seeing the pictures! (Most photos were taken by Yana Mironov-Helmes of Hint of October Films + Photography)