Santa Claus - grace grits and gardening

Sunday Letter: 12.18.22

December 18, 2022 By Talya Tate Boerner

Dear Sunday Letter friends,

Ho ho ho! ‘Tis the week before Christmas which means we finalize menus and grocery shop, prep dishes, finish wrapping gifts, await family (and Santa Claus) coming into town.

Anticipation is a huge part of Christmas for me.

My husband often points out that I am a big kid, not that he thinks there’s anything wrong with that. Christmas is my favorite for many reasons—the sparkle and twinkle, the carols, the tastes and aromas, the memories of family and church and a time when magic tasted as real as the chocolate candy in my stocking. Yes, memories are probably at the root of my seasonal joy. From the time school was out for Christmas until the first week of January, family (led by Momma) always made the holidays extra special. And I do my best to carry those traditions with me throughout the season and into the new year.Continue Reading

Chocolate Crinkles: the most magical cookie of all!

December 23, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

Chocolate Crinkles are everyone’s favorite, especially at Christmastime. This throwback recipe is from Betty Crocker herself. I haven’t changed a thing because why trifle with chocolate perfection? My mother made these when I was a kid, and I remember thinking they were magical because in the end, there’s a powdered sugar design on top. Like a snowflake, no two are alike.

These were Santa’s favorite, too. We always left a few on a plate near the fireplace, with a glass of milk. Santa needed lots of strength for traveling around the globe on Christmas Eve.

And the reindeer always got carrots.Continue Reading

The Scary Side of Christmas

December 21, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

As a child, Christmas was my favorite time of the year. Homemade stockings hung by the chimney with extra-care. Daddy was in a semi-decent mood. Yummy food spread on the kitchen countertop morning, noon and night. School was out for weeks. Sometimes knee high snow fell while I slept. Plus, Christmas was Jesus’ birthday which included certain church perks like singing Christmas hymns instead of regular hymns and receiving tangerines at the end of the Christmas program.

Brinkley Chapel Choir. (l-r Monica, Staci, Lesa, Mitzi, Me, Kim, Karen, Jamie)

But.

In my young mind, there was a scary side of Christmas, too. A dark side that adults glossed over or ignored altogether. Two worrisome things in particular kept me awake at night during the most wonderful time of the year.

Number 1 Scary Christmas Thing: Jesus was born to a very young virgin mother. Although the specific details of being an unspoiled virgin versus “one of those girls” were fuzzy, I had a vague idea of what it meant.

WHAT IF THAT HAPPENED TO ME?

I wanted no part of it.

When the angel Gabriel said, fear not for behold I bring you tidings of great joy, Mary and her whole family went right along with everything. Mary was so wonderful and worthy she even sang a song about it.

If Gabriel visited me in the night, such tidings would not be well received by Thomas Tate.

Daddy (Thomas Tate)

Not at all.

I also believed the more I stewed on something, the more likely a self-fulfilling prophecy would occur. So I tried to focus on other things—anything other than being a pregnant virgin child like Mary. Like trying to be extra good and not pouting because Santa Claus watched my every move.

Number 2 Scary Christmas Thing. The Naughty or Nice List that controlled Christmas. I knew Santa made a list and checked it twice, but that’s all I knew about his curious list.

When did he make the list?

What were the list guidelines?

Exactly how bad did I have to be to find myself knocked off the good list and onto the bad list?

I had lots and lots of questions that no one seemed qualified to answer.

Each year, I felt certain I had NOT been good enough. All throughout Christmas Eve night, I worried that I would wake on Christmas morning to no toys, no new Barbies, no clothes even. Nothing at all. After all, I wasn’t nearly as agreeable as Mary (see Number 1 Scary Thing above).

Worry-wart much?

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]The scary side of #Christmas…Yikes! #VirginMary #BetterNotPout[/tweetthis]

Musical Pairing:

Mindy Gledhill – Santa Claus is Coming to Town