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Christmas Spirit – 12 Ways to Make it Last

January 5, 2017 By Talya Tate Boerner

Christmas Spirit - make it last all year

Happy Twelfth Day of Christmas! Today is that day—the twelve drummers drumming day. The day the Magi arrived in Bethlehem long, long ago. Epiphany Eve, Twelfth Night, this is a day with a multitude of names and rich in history. And no matter how you frame it, for many of us, today marks the official end of the Christmas season.

Say it ain’t so.

Okay, I know many of you tossed your tree and packed the ornaments days ago. I get it. I took my tree down just after Christmas this year because it was as dry as a Texas tumbleweed. Even so, just because we pack away Christmas doesn’t mean we have to pack away our Christmas Spirit. There are a few simple ways to make the season last all year.

Twelve ways. For the twelve days of Christmas.
See what I did?Continue Reading

Merry Christmas from St. Patrick’s Cathedral

December 25, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

Merry Christmas to all my reader friends! I thought I’d share a few pictures I took a couple of weeks ago at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. Christmas in New York is gorgeous and visiting St. Patrick’s was a definite highlight for me. In the midst of such traffic and congestion and holiday hustle and bustle, directly across from the madness of Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral provides a place of peaceful sanctuary.

The building is beyond stunning. Incredibly, it was built entirely from donations from poor immigrants and $1,000 pledges from 103 prominent residents.The cornerstone was laid in 1858, construction was stalled for five years during the Civil War, and the doors opened in 1869.

St. Patrick's Cathedral

According to cathedral history, Archbishop Hughes’ original construction proposal was ridiculed. The site was considered to be in a “near-wilderness” area too far outside the city. Archbishop Hughes persisted in his vision of building the most beautiful Gothic Cathedral in the New World in what he believed would one day be the heart of the city. Neither the bloodshed of the Civil War nor the resultant lack of manpower or funds would derail the ultimate fulfillment of Hughes’ dream. Continue Reading


Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (2022)

THE THIRD ACT OF THEO GRUENE (coming 2025)

Recent Ramblings:

  • Sunday Letter: May 25, 2025
  • Sunday Letter: May 4, 2025
  • Sunday Letter: Rainy Day Edition
  • Spiderwort: my love-hate relationship
  • Sunday Letter: March 23, 2025

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