Irwin Decorator Set - A Memorable Christmas Toy

We always remember more things at holiday time.  - Mrs. Ennis, Holiday Affair

Do you recall some of your favorite Christmas toys?   Growing up, the only time of year we received gifts was Christmas so gifts from Santa were quite memorable.  You can probably guess my age if you recall great toys like Tiny Tears, Thumbelina, Mystery Date and of course Barbie, Ken, Midge, Alan, Skipper, Scooter and Ricky.  Do you remember Barbie's fabulous gold brocade faux mink trimmed suit? 

Oh, and the year Santa brought me a Barbie Fashion Case I was totally beside myself!  And yes, I'm thinking back to the 60s.

One particular gift from 1967 stands out in my mind and it is also a gift that I played with well into my early teens. The Irwin Decorator Set was something similar to a doll house but it was more that a doll house.  The year I got the decorator set our family was planning to build a new house and to get ideas our family spent lots of weekends and down time going to visit new builds and open houses.  There was lots of talk about shag carpet (can you imagine?) and what colors we would paint our rooms (yes, there was talk of getting my own bedroom) and lots of looking at styles, house plans, brick and tiles.  Then Christmas came and I got my own decorator set with wall panels, flooring, fixtures and more.  The set allowed me to build from the floor up and I loved it!  

 As I think back this creative set might have been part of the reason I ended up being a home economics major.  When I started 8th grade I finally put away my decorator set and started cooking and sewing for fun instead.  

Every now and then it's fun to think back and share some of those meaningful and magically holiday moments.   Hope you are making wonderful memories this holiday season.

A Star Window

While on our trip to Lebanon we spent a night in a place called Bouyouti.  I can't wait to share more about the food, people, places, architecture and our getaway in coming posts but for now I'd like to share something about this little window.  

The owners of Bouyouti built a small church in memory of their parents.  On the eastern and western side of the building there is a small star-shaped window designed so that the sun shines into the church from both directions.  These small windows shine a lot of light into the chapel.

I've thought a lot about this little star window and its shining light and was reminded of one of my favorite scriptures.  Today, and during the Christmas season, it seems the perfect time of year for such a reminder.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. - Matthew 5:16.

Your Vote Counts

Billy & Gloria Copeland

I didn't want to go and vote today.  After all, there were only five positions being filled or decided in my hometown.  It would be easy to assume that my vote doesn't really count but unfortunately a few years ago, I learned the hard way that my vote really mattered.  

Back in the '90s my dad was running for a city council post in my home town and during the election season all of our family and friends spent every spare moment making phone calls, putting up signs, and working intersections during rush hour campaigning for my dad.  Vote Holt!

The town I grew up in, which was where my dad was campaigning, was about an hour and a half from my home town.  While I was so busy helping with my dad's campaign, I forgot to get an absentee ballot and I wasn't at home on election day.  I didn't vote.

It would be easy to think that my vote didn't matter.  But guess what. It did matter. Let me restate what I just said.  I didn't vote and neither did my husband.  Our Mayor,  an incredible city leader of 28 years lost the election.

Today on Facebook, the granddaughter of the man who lost the election the year I didn't vote, posted this message:

 It is very important that you go vote if you have not already. Some years ago Billy LOST the Mayors race by 2 votes. Just 2 votes, think about that. In talking with folks after that election, Billy came across so many of his supporters that told him "You had so much support, we just figured you would win, so I did not go vote" . If just 3 people had gone to vote that year, the outcome would have been different.
Make a difference, your vote COUNTS !

The Holidays Are Coming...

And I'm really getting excited about Thanksgiving holidays this year. 

I'm not expecting turkey for Thanksgiving but I am expecting that I'll be eating some of the best food in the world.  

Looking forward to a holiday in Beirut.

Hygge

As the seasons changed and bloggers started buzzing about fall, I started wishing for spring.  As I've gotten older I just don't enjoy fall or winter.  

Recently I read a bit about "hygge"  and since it has given me a whole new way of thinking about the season.  

Hygge, (pronounced "hooga") is a Danish word that means coziness.  

It's a warm, sociable feeling that comes to the fore in autumn and winter and that, for Danes, is one of the highest states to which humans can aspire.

Wool sweaters, hats with earflaps, blazing log fires, strong ales in old wood-paneled bars and candles galore, even at breakfast, all conjure "hygge." 

So this year instead of focusing on the cold, darkness and brown landscapes, I'll think about more candles, friends and creating a cozy environment.

Check out this NPR article about hygge if you want to learn more.