Thankful for old books

I have a large box of old books that my parents gave to me when I had my kids. There are lots of books from the 70s and 80s in there but there are also several that were considered "old" even when I was young. Here is a little treasure I found among them, the book has good pictures but it is the words in this book that make me like it so much. The kids love it too:


A Christmas Party

On Christmas Eve would you believe the forest gave a party.
She asked the little squirrels in and rabbits, fat and hearty.
She called the bear who slumbered there until he heard the talking.
And all the little woodchucks came in couples nearly walking.
She lit the skies to charm their eyes with many Christmas tapers.
She spread the ground with snowy rugs to help their merry capers.
She hung a tree for all to see with frosty chains and pompons.
She spread a feast for scores at least with nuts and carrot bonbons.
They clapped their paws and joined their claws and danced in dizzy measure,
and Santa Claus drove home that way and dropped them each a treasure.
He gave the bear a lion’s share of sweets and Christmas candy.
The rabbits, bows, and no one knows how fine they felt and dandy.
Each squirrel found pecans, a pound, the woodchucks corn and clover,
and Santa stayed to watch a while until the fun was over.
On Christmas Eve, would you believe? And yet I think it shocking,
not one of all the guests who came could hang a Christmas stocking.

Poem by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey 1909.

I googled her and found of that she was born in 1875 and was an American children's author. In 1947 she won a Newbery Medal for her book Miss Hickory.

The “Little Things”

In response to my dear friend Andrea’s blog, I am blogging about the “Little Things”. I can easily list the “Big Things” and even the “Funny Things” but listing the “Little Things” took me more thought.

BIG THINGS
Finding a wonderful church
Family, friends, and my wonderful dog
Time for hockey
The people I work with
Ian and I both having a job


FUNNY THINGS
An Evening with Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood, who we saw last week
Kaiden’s skunk spray (thanks for reminding me about this Celeste!)
The way my cat sits
My husband
Kael’s lack of understanding…


Yesterady....
Kaiden: “Kael, what are your superpowers?”
Kael: “Two”
Kaiden: “No Kael, I said what are your superpowers?!”
Kael: “Two”
Kaiden: “Kael that makes no sense, I asked you what do you have for superpowers, like super speed, or are you invisible?”
Kael: “I’m two” …. this went on for the whole ride to town.


AND THE LITTLE THINGS
Bedtime stories
Hot coco
Scotch Tape
Drop in visits (thanks Piszczeks!)
Playing Tomb with Ian
Putting together puzzles with kids around….

HISTORY!

History! Where were you when Obama was declared the President Elect????

I was in tears last night. A big night for our nation. It is funny because I had somewhat forgotten he was black. Well, I don't think I forgot, my excitement just wasn't focused on it. I just wanted him to be president so badly because of his policies and for the person he is. It wasn't really until last night that this overwhelming joy filled me (on top of my joy that I was already feeling) as to what this means for the African American community.

Donna Brazile, an African American, gave a great visual last night on CNN (she's one of my favorite analysts, probably second only to David Gergen ...man I love that guy!). She was walking down the streets of her town, getting ready to cast her vote, she was talking about the role model Obama will be to young African American kids. That's when it hit me. And as some else said, it's not about Obama, its about possibilities. Some truth there.

The pride, the joy, the hope, the example that Obama is and will be to so many black kids. I imagine I may feel this when a woman is president. But our plight in America, altough a rough one, was not nearly as bad as slavery. So maybe I won't think of it as the same. Thinking back on a time, a time when my parents were young, that blacks were treated by most as second class citizens, and just a few generations before that... slavery. Amazing, disgusting, and heart breaking. But now, the symbol Obama will be. And what a symbol he is. It took a man of his caliber, his grace, his smarts, and his calmness to do it and I am so excited for where he will take us in the next 8 years. Maybe I am all goggly eyes over him, but I just have so much hope for our nation now. My expectation are high.

His policies are my highlight, but his race is like the cherry on top.