Tonight: Ask Us About Our...

Gifts! Gifts! Gifts!

Because TONIGHT is WriteOn Joliet's 9th Anthology Release Party.

Here are ten reasons why you should attend.

Here is tonight's menu.

Here is your chance to connect with six small businesses.

And (finally) when you stop at the BryonySeries tables at the party, be sure to ask about the following.

1. Our handmade Christmas mice...

...that come with their own handmade stockings:

2. Our hot chocolate bombs.

3. Our mystery boxes.

All of these items are courtesy of Cindy from Ribbit-Ribbits, her gift to you with select purchases (and she will decide what those purchases are).

None of these items are for sale.

But you might be able to take some of them home (while supplies last).

So...

When you stop at the BryonySeries tables at WriteOn Joliet's 9th Annual Anthology Release Party tonight, be sure to ask about them.

Good Medicine on Christmas Day

People who have not tested positive for COVID seem to fall into two camps: those who never will and those who haven't yet.

Over the past couple weeks, I began to wonder which camp was mine and was really hoping I was in Camp One.

But on Friday morning, I migrated to Camp Two with a positive test that definitely matched my symptoms. And I didn't catch it in the community. I caught it at home.

I had previously offered to handle any breaking news on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and I'm happy to report I kept my promise.

But Christmas evening was made all the brighter when Joshua called and asked if he could bring the kids down for a bit just to get them out of the house. They had opened a few gifts, but he was saving the rest until Jan. 7, which is our family Christmas.

"I'm working," I told him. "And I have COVID. I'm not sure I have the energy for a visit, too."

They came anyway. And it was a relatively safe visit. Because the kids and Joshua all had COVID end of November into early December.

That's why we still had the kids' St. Nicholas stockings. Because the kids had COVID.

That's why we canceled our plans to take them to Festival of Gnomes in Joliet, their first theater experience. Because they had COVID.

But COVID didn't keep the joy of St. Nicholas stockings away. It just delayed it. The fact the kids tore into the stockings on December 25 instead of December 6 didn't dampen their excitement one bit.

Who would have thought Christmas could bring such a surprise - to them, to me?

It was good medicine on Christmas Day.

BryonySeries Throwback Thursday Our St. Nicholas Day Celebrations: A Few Photos

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Our St. Nicholas Day Celebrations: A Few Photos

 

 

 

Left to right: Midnight and Hope sit patiently while waiting for their St. Nicholas feast. Frances moves away from her bowl after Daniel plops in her space to play with his phone. The boys, both tuxedos--Alex and Charity--need a little encouragement to behave during the prayer. Faith had heard Christopher walk in bolted to the attic.

 

Now that my children are adults, we set a $20 limit and then draw names to see who will fill a particular family member's stocking. Everyone agrees to buy something small for the grandbabies, and we chip in for candy canes and gold coins.

 

 

Caleb Gabriel, Christopher's youngest son, can't wait to peek inside his stocking.

 

 

 

Christopher David shows "Cal" one of his treasures.

 

 

Cal wears Christopher's stocking. Someone made it for Christopher when he was a baby, and he's used it ever since.

 

 

Ronald Nathaniel poses with his father.

 

 

 

Some of the surprises St. Nicholas left Ronnie inside his stocking.

 

 

 

Daniel John never did figure out the identity of his St. Nicholas.

 

 

Rebekah Ann tries out her new hat while pulling out the next item from her stocking.

 

 

Turtles!

 

 

Cinnamon-scented pine cones for my office and a Bryony-purple bath towel on my lap.

 

 

Ronnie follows along as Daniel reads the St. Nicholas blessing prayer for candy canes.

 

 

One way to ensure no one swipes your candy canes!

 

 

The blessing of our new chalice before our church's St. Nicholas banquet.

 

 

Fifty years ago, Fr. Boris first heard about tying ribbon to the chalice and stretching it down the aisle so the faithful could connect with each other and the new Eucharistic vessel during the blessing. He realized it for the first time today.

 

 

Ronnie informs St. Nicholas he has only four requests.

 

                                            Ezekiel James, my youngest grandson, chilling on St. Nicholas' lap.