Is There Really a Santa Claus? By Cynthia Bowan
Then there was Christmas in South Carolina, when Merrill was in the Navy. I had flowers blooming outside our front door. The Christmas Santa brought our two boys a puppet theater and puppets...Holly's first Christmas - at last, little girl things besides the trucks and Legos. We have five children (three boys and two girls), one daughter-in-law, and two normal little grandsons (Will, 7, and Micah, 5). Raising five children provided us with all those things I wrote above, and much more. Time remembered, slowly slipping past. Echoes of friends no longer a part of our lives, and children before they grew up. Places that exist now only in my mind and dreams. The good times, the bad, the excitement, the joy and the love. This, too, is an important part of Christmas for me. As I pull out the boxes of ornaments and decorations, I certainly have a lot to remember. But as I place Christmas books on my coffee table, a volume of Christmas stories and poems falls open to one story. And instantly, I can see one special night. The fireplace was warming the room, the tree decorated and the stockings in their place. Mark was just turning 8. Doug at 9 knew the "real truth" behind Christmas. Although Merrill and I put our faith in the forefront of our lives, we have always allowed our children to be children, believing in Santa, but careful not to make Santa more important than the Reason for our celebrations. And here was gentle Mark, my dreamer, coming to his Dad shortly before that special day, with a troubled face and asking the age-old question of children who are walking that very fine line between being old enough and being too young. Merrill put down his newspaper, listened with his heart as well as his mind. He hugged Mark, and then walked over to the bookcase for an old book, the very one I now hold in my hands. He read the familiar story of Virginia and her letter to the editor to Mark. Then, Merrill said "It doesn't matter what other people say or do or think about Christmas, Mark. Santa Claus is a way for people to show each other all the love they have bottled up inside of them and are afraid to let out the rest of the year. What matters, son, is what is in your heart." I wrote the following that night: Tonight, I cried. And oh, how the world needs him to survive. From our home, to yours, gentle reader. May you have a blessed and beautiful holiday season, full of memories and love to treasure your entire life. CYH - consider yourself hugged! These are some traditional foods we must have every Christmas in our home. May you Enjoy! them as well. 1 gallon cranapple juice Add spices and tea bags to juice in a large pot. Thinly slice the fruit, add to punch. Heat gently, adding enough honey to suit your sweetness level. Makes about 32 one-half cup servings. 3/4 c. shortening (Crisco) Cream shortening, sugar and eggs with extracts, until fluffy. Add milk, 1 1/2 c. flour, baking soda and baking powder; beat with electric mixer. Blend remaining flour into mixture. Chill 1 hr. or longer. Roll thin on lightly floured surface; cut in desired shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheet; bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. May be garnished with nuts, cherries or colored sugars as desired, before baking. Amount depends on the shapes you choose. Store in covered containers. 1/2 c. butter Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and both sugars. Stir in milk, juice and egg. Mix in dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in nuts and cranberries. Drop dough by tsp. about 2" apart on greased baking sheet. Bake 10-15 min. Makes 11 dozen. Bethany's Christmas Gum Drop Cookies 1 c. sugar Cream sugars, shortening, eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and stir well. Stir in nuts and gumdrops (dip scissors blades in flour to make cutting easier). Drop by tsp. on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Original Cyn's Golden Fruitcake 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Chop apricots and nuts. Grease and flour 6 c. Bundt pan. Cream butter, sugar, brandy and vanilla. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add milk, alternating with dry ingredients, mix well. Stir in fruit and nuts. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add cream of tartar, continue beating until stiff but not dry. Gently fold whites into batter. spoon into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake until tester comes out clean, about 2 1/2 hr. Cool completely in pan on rack. Slice and serve, or wrap airtight with plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Note: I soften apricots and raisins in extra apricot brandy for at least 2-3 hr., drain and proceed with recipe.) |
These things give us a wealth of memories, year in and year out. They sustain us when we go through tough times, they give us something to hang on to, to look forward to, and moments to truly treasure. Like the children's chain of red and green construction
paper, one memory leads to another: The Christmas we became engaged...the first Christmas Merrill and I were married, when we bought a small artificial tree that looked like Charlie Brown's, but was beautiful to us.