Merry Christmas!

Have you ever made one of these yule logs? They are simply delish!

I grew up with the tradition of having an advent yule log. As I have mentioned in past posts, when I got married, my Dad made one for me also.

This morning I was reading "Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas" by Ace Collins. It is very interesting. And I found out where the tradition of the yule log comes from.


"During the Middle Ages, English peasants had adopted the Viking custom of the Yule log. Each winter a family would go out into the woods, cut down a huge tree, drag it back home, cut away its branches, and hollow out its core. They then filled the hole with oils, spices, and other sweet-smelling ingredients, and set the log in the fireplace. Kindling was sprinkled around the Yule log, and a daughter or a wife would light the fire with a splinter left over from last year's log. Families that burned a Yule log each year believed that good luck would befall their household.

When those who embraced this custom became Christians, they adapted the Yule log to Christmas. Eventually the timber came to symbolize the wood of the cross, and the sweet packing to represent the beautiful life Christ offered each Christian - His ultimate sacrifice on that cross. The log was brought into the home on Christmas Eve and was lit. It was hoped that the log would burn for the entire twelve days of Christmas.....

In England, 'The First Noel' was sung each year by many peasants as they lit the Yule log. Therefore, this became the song that started the entire Christmas season.

'The First Noel' is one of the oldest Christmas ballads still sung today. Though it first appeared in print in 1833, the song goes back at least three hundred years prior to that. The exact place and time of its origin are in doubt, with both France and England claiming it as a part of their heritage. "(you can read more about this by purchasing this wonderful little book)

Merry Christmas!

Early Christmas

Mindy came home from Alabama early. She is working Christmas.
We went to look at
lights.

??



Had our Christmas dinner. This year we didn't have a traditional meal. We went with a Japanese meal instead - oyakodomburi! YUM!



And opened presents.








A Sophie smirk



Mindy has left. How we will miss her! She tried to get left before the

SNOW!



Singing and dancing with the broom


More Christmas celebrations to come!

Feeding the hungry

Numana, Inc. is a nonprofit hunger relief organization with the mission to empower people to save the starving. Through meal packaging events, Numana sends food to countries where intense insecurity exists.

Numana started a couple of years ago after the earthquake in Haiti. Since then they have continued to help other nations.

The hospital pharmacy workers and their families got together to help pack almost 13 boxes to send for hunger relief to the Somalian refugees in Kenya.

These are the rice bags we put together. Each bag is enough for 6 meals.

These are the Numana volunteers who came to show us how to package the meals. In talking with them, I found out that their grandson married the daughter of some friends of ours who live in Pennsylvania. Small world! (yes, young couples - that was quite a bit of "spaghetti-ing" to find that out!)


We had to put on some protective gear.

We looked real pretty.


The first step was to put a vitamin packet in each bag.
Next came some beans.

And soy mix.

Last of all was the rice. This bag was then given to the person who would weigh the bag.
If it did not weigh enough, more rice was added. If it weighed too much, rice was taken out. Amazing how just a few kernels made a difference.


Young and old, we all helped. We took turns doing the different jobs.

The bags were sealed.

Then pounded flat and even.


Meanwhile, the artists are busy drawing, coloring and putting stickers on the boxes.



When 36 bags are completed, they are put in the boxes. We completed 461 bags or 2,766 meals. Each meal costs about 30 cents; that includes shipping. Numana does not pay for this. This is what the volunteers also help out with. We have so much in America - we need to help those who don't have enough! I can't imagine being a mother with a starving baby in my lap.


When each box was completed, we would all clap and cheer.

There was a raffle for a Numana t-shirt and wrist band.

Clean up.

What a fun activity. I think it would be neat to do next year as well. If anyone wants to join us, please call!