On the 10th day of Christmas...

... there were dozens of Christmas cards! I absolutely love this time of year because it's one of the only times when the communication I get from people isn't digital. Yay for old-fashioned correspondence! Thank you Mr. Postman for the letters with holiday greetings, new year wishes, and pictures of friends that I see all too rarely. I collect and re-read these little treasures and pray for the senders at the start of the new year. So if you send me a card- it's a double treat- warm fuzzy feelings for me, and prayers for you! :) 

Anxiously waiting for the mail...

~Jazzy

On the ninth day of Christmas...

... There were snowmen! I think one of the ways I try to get myself through the cold winter weather, is to find things about this season that make me smile. One of those things is snowmen. From Frosty, to Sam the Snowman, to the little collection of figurines on my bookshelf, it's hard not to smile when you see one of these wintry faces. (For those of you who are like me, and didn't know- Sam the Snowman is the name of the omniscient narrator from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.) They're just so cute! When I was growing up, our "snowmen" were really more like "mudmen". The snow was usually too thin to roll into much of a ball, so our options were: a brown speckled, medium-sized snowman with more of a square-ish body since mud doesn't really roll OR a palm sized snowman, which was usually the only way to create one that was pure white. Of course, this was all back in the day when I didn't mind getting wet and cold- it was worth it to see my snowman's face smiling back at me when I finished. These days, I'm a little lazier, and opted instead to take pictures of the snowman sitting atop my bookshelf. They're all perfectly shaped, perfectly white, and perfectly situated in my warm bedroom. It really is the best of both worlds. Cute snowmen, warm bedroom.

Quite enjoying it,

~Jazzy

On the 8th day of Christmas...

... There were home-made marshmallows! One of the best parts of cold weather is warming up with hot cocoa. And one of the best parts of hot cocoa, is the marshmallows you get to put inside! There's something absolutely delightful about a marshmallow. The fluff of pure sugar is nearly irresistible, and today I made marshmallows with my best friend! The fact that these marshmallows actually turned out is just short of miraculous. You would have to have experienced some of our previous cooking efforts to fully appreciate what a victory this is. There are many stories, but in summary: more often than not, our culinary endeavors end in disaster and smoke. Victory over the cooking block!

Here's to a year full of victory over obstacles!

~Jazzy

On the 7th day of Christmas...

... There were lots of ladies (and gentlemen) dancing! A big part of the holiday season at my house involves dance recitals and productions. At least half of the family is in a Christmas dance production every year, my holiday soundtrack always includes pieces from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, and to my delight, this year I actually got to see the Nutcracker performed by the Moscow Ballet! I was also delighted that my youngest sister got to perform with the Moscow Ballet for that performance. (And when I say "delighted" here, I mean "jealous and completely green with envy")
The Nutcracker brings back so many wonderful holiday memories for me. I can remember being little, and getting dressed up to go out on a night on the town with my mom and sister. I felt so grown up to be attending a real ballet. I thought the story was completely magical, and I still do! I absolutely love the familiar music of the Sugar Plum fairy, the starched tutus, and the stage makeup. Even as I've gotten older, the theatre is still just as full of wonder and excitement for me.

Now I realize that ballet isn't for everyone, but if you've never seen a real one- this is your year! Get dressed up, give it a shot, and experience a bit of the magic!

~Jasmine