The ‘true’ story of Christmas

There is a world of difference between truth and facts. Facts can obscure the truth. Maya Angelou

Does it really matter if the Christmas story is factual? If a pregnant Mary really rode on a donkey and gave birth in a stable? If shepherds did, in fact, see choirs of angels? If a star actually guided Wise Men to the infant?

The truth, for Christians, is that God truly experienced human life, not as a king or a mighty warrior, but as a vulnerable baby born to a teenage mom, a refugee, one of the undeserving poor.

Growing up in a farming family of ten kids Christmas was not the commercial venture it is now. We rarely had a Christmas tree, though we did have a few decorations and lights. We also had a creche (which did not survive ten children). A Christmas Eve tradition was listening to a dramatized Christmas story on a LP record. My mother, who had two babies at the beginning of January did not enjoy thinking of riding a donkey in her state! We may each have received a gift (before we reached our teen years), and we all received a plate of candy, nuts, an orange and grapes — a wonderful treat! — on Christmas morning.

Burkard family creche
Burkard family creche

 

My in-laws had quite different customs. I learned there about Advent and Advent candles. When Volker was young it was the Christ Child who came on Christmas Eve while the family was at church and left behind a beautiful tree and gifts. His family too had a creche, but it was not touched by children.

 

When Simon was born I decided I wanted a creche that children could play with. When he was two years old I found a pattern in a magazine and over the next several years I made the pieces.

Small friends play with the creche
Small friends play with the creche

 

I have since lost the pattern, but these little bean-bag dolls have been played with by many children over the years. (A dear friend from the Middle East refers to the shepherds and Wise Men as the Mullahs and Ayatollahs.) I am so thrilled that now my grandchildren will also have that opportunity.

 

 

 

 

A Christmas Owl

IMG_1589Some months ago my delightful niece, Lexi, sent me this picture wondering if I could make one of these little phone pockets that she could give her mom for Christmas.

Of course I was happy to take up the challenge.

A Google search revealed several gorgeous pictures of owls (click on the picture to enlarge it, click again to close the image):

camoflaged owl 1                   owl-tree             Camouflaged-Owl-16

Inspired by these photos I created this cell phone cozy (of course, I didn’t dare post this before today):

Cheryl's owl
Cheryl’s owl

For the body and wings I used a bit of leftover variegated wool from a previous project and a 3mm hook and an alternating dc/sc pattern. The eyes and beak are done with #8 perle cotton. I didn’t use a pattern, just invented as I went. I had to make it somewhat generic as I’m not even sure what model of phone Cheryl has. I used my iPod Touch (first generation) as a model.

Trina suggested I make a pattern and tutorial for this little guy. Perhaps I shall, someday.

Ripley’s Aquarium

Yesterday I met Trina, Gary, Mina and Volker at Ripey’s Aquarium in Toronto. What a fun place that is! I highly recommend it for a good place for a family to spend a couple of hours. Unfortunately I don’t have a lot of pictures because my camera isn’t wonderful in low light and Mina moves too much for the light conditions. However, I’ve put the best I got into a slideshow.

Love Letters

When I was young my mother had a wooden box in the top drawer of her dresser that contained letters she and my father wrote to each other before they were married. I would sometimes sneak a peak at these letters. It showed me an aspect of my parents I didn’t ever see otherwise. These letters also greatly influenced the kind of man I wanted in my life – someone with whom I could share the love of God.

Volker and I also wrote letters to each other, before and after our marriage. I too keep them in a wooden box, along with some other special letters and things.

treasures

The two soft magnets were part of a valentine card I made for Volker that said,
“Pumpkins are orange,
zucchinis are green,
You’re the best husband
I’ve ever seen.”

The pink sugar cupid was on a cookie he bought for me.

The little shoes are slippers I made for my baby boy.

The child’s drawing is from a card that Trina made for me when she was six, “because I wanted to show you that I love you.”

My treasures!

When Mom moved to into long term care the wooden box was still in that drawer, but it was now empty and the lid was off. It was looking it’s age. I took it home.

letterbox1Because it had so influenced me, I want to pass that on somehow. My own kids are grown and married, so, I thought, I’d like to pass this on to my granddaughter. We have a lot of fun with mail because we live so far apart. I want her to treasure the really important things in life, the less tangible — the love we give and receive.

I asked my brother, Myron, who besides being a wonderful photographer, is really good in the refinishing department. Last night he brought Mom’s wooden box back to me. Isn’t it beautiful! Definitely a treasure box now!

letterbox2

As Mina is only four years old I will wait awhile before I give her this box, but in the meantime I will put a few treasure into it for her.

Celebrating Family

Yesterday the Bender family held a celebration service for their matriarch, my Mom’s last surviving sibling, Ellen Margaret Bender.

Ellen Bender
Ellen Bender 1922-1913

(Follow this link for family pictures Paul Bender posted on Facebook celebrating his mother’s life.)

It was good to see so many family!

I took the opportunity to snap a few pictures of the newest member of our family with her Mom and Great-Grandma. And Barbie Bender took a picture of a bunch of us Gingerich Girls: