Christmas Memories and Christmas Clicks

We sent out a few cards, our first, and I hope will have a few more in the mail tomorrow.  Willow made this one for our neighbors who just had these two trees (long dead) cut from in front of their home.  It's a memory.  Roan, bless his heart, decorated the envelope with the trees mid-destruction!  He loves a good tree removal, even as his sweet spirit is sad to see it go.  

I picked up a bag of black walnuts yesterday.  The natural world still has a lot to offer, even as it appears to sleep.  Mountain folks have always been good at finding ways to make their living from these hills and fields.  Some friends of ours are selling walnut cakes this year, so we were happy to spend five minutes helping.  Now that we know their plans, we'll be sure to hold out the one hundred gallons (yes, really) that fall right next door.  It warms my heart to hear of people doing traditional things like this, even if I don't enjoy black walnuts. 

I have not forgotten my plans to share Appalachian Christmas customs here.  The problem with sharing holiday ideas, I think, is that they are often ill-timed.  Too early and we are not interested, too late and we feel too rushed.  So, I thought I would share them over the Twelve Days, since most old festivities were centered on that time, anyway.  The book I love most has twelve chapters, so this is just right, I think.  I feel Christmas most strongly, most deeply, and most quietly after the bulk of our population has cast it aside and made their gift returns.

I thought I'd share a few Christmas links today, just little things that we are enjoying listening to and watching.  Forgive me--there is very little schmaltz (or Hallmark) to my Christmas preferences.

A Scottish Christmas :: A great album, all around.  We love Al Petteway.
A Winter's Solstice from Windham Hill:: Mike and I picked up this record for our first Solstice after we married.  I always love listening to it.
December from John Winston:: Another great album, more reflective.  I really love good instrumentals, it seems. ;-)
Traditional Christmas Carols from Pete Seeger :: I really love "Masters in this Hall," and the image of a world turned on its ear.
Wassail! Wassail!  Early American Christmas Music by the Christmas Revels :: I have loved this album since I found it in college.  It includes Jean Ritchie reading Christmas stories from her book The Singing Family of the Cumberlands.
A Child's Christmas in Wales :: A nice recollection of Christmas memories.  Not too far off from the original text, as far as I can tell.  The children have really loved it.  Oh, if we could sing like those dear folks.  We can, but can we be so bold?  We've done various Wassailing efforts over the years.  It makes me want to have caroling become a more firm tradition.
A Christmas Memory :: I read this many times for an academic bowl team I was on.  I still feel the mood.  It was neat to see the story set to life.  I was thinking of it as I collected the walnuts, frozen to the ground.

And with that, I wish you all a wonderful third Sunday of Advent!  It's time for the beasts to gather in anticipation!