A Page From My Christmas Archives: A Thrill of Hope

"Music is the divine way to tell

beautiful, poetic things to the heart."

PABLO CASALS, Spanish Cellist/Composer

There seems to be such heaviness in the world some days. News that can fill our hearts with trembling. In my own little world, things are good, we're content, yet still the larger picture of sorrow and hardship often drifts into my own space - I feel the pain of the world in my heart. As I thought about what I could share this week here on my blog, I found something I wrote four Decembers ago, back in 2020. Four years later I find the words I wrote then still speak hope and peace to my own heart. It repeats the sounding joy.

And so I offer it here today... with the fervent wish that you, too, will find your own thrill of hope in the midst of whatever you, or someone you care about, might be facing these days.

A Thrill of Hope
- written December 14, 2020

The music of Christmas carols and holiday songs have always been a favourite part of Christmas for me. There are so many favourites I could talk about—I have probably loved them all in turn. But let me take you back in time and share just one carol that touched me as a girl. It still sings in my heart to this day.

I wasn't very old, maybe seven or eight, when I first heard the lovely carol O Holy Night and loved it immediately. I remember feeling something sweet swell up on the inside of me in response to the beautiful voice soaring on the top of that enthralling melody...."A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices...". It wasn't the words that stopped me in my tracks as a youngster; it was the music that made a place for those words to live in my memory forever. As I grew up the words took on meaning, especially when hard things made my heart weary.

There are seasons when we almost fall beneath the weight of the world's woes, the sorrows and suffering of people near and far, our own personal burdens. This has not been an easy year for anyone. There comes a fresh reminder every time I hear the song—perhaps a reminder for each of us—that God is with us in the midst of these hard times and places. I never have to carry these burdens by myself. If I ask, Jesus, where are you in all this, there comes the thrill of hope as He gently reminds me a name that was given to him according to ancient texts: Emmanuel, which means 'God with us'.

Not that many days from now we have a party to celebrate, albeit in smaller than usual fashion this year. In the fairy tale, Santa Claus comes to visit once a year and returns to the North Pole, but in another story Emmanuel once came and He stayed. God With Us. He lived physically on this planet for a while—now He dwells in the hearts of humans. In those words I feel a thrill of hope. I hope you will feel it too.

❦

Wishing you joy-filled anticipation as we count down these

last few days. A Merry Christmas to you!

Heart hugs,

Brenda

PS. On Tuesday, Dec 24th, I will be guest posting on

the InScribe blog - a short seasonal piece titled A Xylophonic Vibration.

If you are interested, I'd love for you to stop by then.

Photo credits:

(Top)Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

My Winter Blogging Schedule:

I post on Fridays

Gathering A Few Seasonal Books

"As winter approaches, be sure to prepare

by always having between 3 - 168 new books

on hand at any given time."

AS SEEN ON INSTAGRAM

The Christmas mood has settled upon the household and we're beginning to feel quite festive. Christmas books sit on the shelf and wait their turn at creating quiet and cozy moments on these long, dark winter evenings. Volumes are stacked near to hand with fervent hopes that we may get through the pile before the holidays are all over. For me, once the holidays are over, the mood for really Christmas-y stories is also over. Seasonal wintery books still suit fine in January.

I've had fun making a seasonal book list and checking it twice—of titles that I've read so far and what I hope to read in the next couple of weeks. It also includes titles I'm dipping into that don't need cover to cover reading to enjoy. Snippets can also provide sweet entertainment or reprieve. So I hope you'll find a title or two or three that you realize you want to read and get them squirreled away in your own Christmas reading pile.

A mix of old and new stories I've read, and enjoyed, so far this wintry season

A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas, Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (classic children's story - the author beautifully and humorously captures the world through the eyes of a young lad; I love the illustrations by Trina Hyman)
An Irish Country Yuletide by Patrick Taylor (a favourite Christmas novella)
Christmas at Thrush Green by Miss Read (a gentle read)
Once Upon A Wardrobe by Patti Callahan (Christmas novel) - a fairly new forever favourite
Rumpole at Christmas by John Mortimer (short stories with the Old Bailey barrister)
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Christmas mystery)
The Christmas Joy Ride by Melody Carlson (two women take a journey before Christmas, spreading holiday joy as they go - a nice read, predictable ending)
The Country Child by Alison Uttley (Children's, not all Christmas but there are two lovely holiday chapters)
The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann (children's, published in 1816 - I've seen the ballet numerous times but I don't ever remember reading the actual fairy tale)
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (winter & Christmas in chapters 3 - 5)
When I Love You at Christmas by David Bedford & Tamsin Ainslie (child's picture book)
Winter and Rough Weather by D.E. Stevenson (gentle novel)

A few books or tales still waiting to be read

"A Christmas Kitten" by James Herriot (from The Best of James Herriot, Favourite memories of a country vet)
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote (memoir)
A Pussycat's Christmas by Margaret Wise Brown & Anne Mortimer (child's picture book)
A Star for Christmas by Trisha Romance (children's story and art of Trisha Romance)
An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor (a forever favourite)
Christmas with Anne and other Holiday Stories by L.M. Montgomery
Little Women by Louise May Alcott (especially the Christmas chapters at the start)
Midwinter Murder by Agatha Christie (winter-themed short story mysteries)
Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon (novel) - forever favourite
Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good by Jan Karon (opens in autumn and leads straight to Christmas - so satisfying) - forever favourite
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Irish short story) - loved it
The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie (Poirot mystery)
The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict (mystery) - new to me
The Frost Fair by Natasha Hastings (children's story set in England at a time when the Thames River froze over) - new to me
The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge by Charlie Lovett (sequel to Dickens' classic) - new to me
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (from Narnia series)
Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher (novel) - forever favourite

Books for dipping in and out as the mood moves - anthologies, poetry, cookbooks

Christmas! Holiday Magazine, 2017 by Brenda Leyland (the year I gathered my Christmas blog posts and created a magazine through Blurb) 
Christmas by Susan Branch (recipes, traditions)
Christmas Classics from the Modern Library (excerpts from literature, poetry, songs and carols, old Christmas recipes, and more)
Christmas Entertaining, Inspired Menus for Cooking with Family and Friends by Williams-Sonoma
Christmas at Thompson Hall and Other Christmas Stories by Anthony Trollope - new to me
Christmas in My Heart, A Timeless Treasury of Heartwarming Stories, edited by Joe Wheeler
Christmas, Penhaligon's Scented Treasury of Verse and Prose (I visited Penhaligon's fragrance shop when in England years ago - it was lovely - the book is also lovely)
Christmas, Stories & More by InScribe Christian Writers' Fellowship (I have an essay in this book)
Christmas with Hot Apple Cider, Stories from the Season of Giving and Receiving, edited by N.J. Lindquist
Christmas poems by Wendy Cope
Haphazard by starlight, A poem a day from Advent to Epiphany by Janet Morley
Last Christmas, Memories of Christmases past and hopes for future ones, curated and introduced by Greg Wise and Emma Thompson (anthology of essays)
The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater (essays, recipes) - a lovely read
The Book of Christmas by Reader's Digest Association - 1973 (includes a lovely collection of Nativity essays, The History of Christmas by Rumer Godden, classic Christmas stories by well known authors, and Christmas around the world)
Victoria Magazine - the classic December issues are lovely for browsing 
Winter by Pierre Berton (coffee table book) - found at library book sale, haven't read yet
Winter Anthology, edited by Melissa Harrison (a favourite collection of nature essays)
Winter Solstice, An Essay by Nina MacLaughlin (nature) - new to me

On my wish list, based on recommendations from others 

A Children's Literary Christmas: An Anthology by Anna James
An English Christmas by John Julius Norwich (novel)
A Literary Christmas: An Anthology by British Library
Fifty Words for Snow by Nancy Campbell (weather, folklore)
I Saw Three Ships by Elizabeth Goudge (novel)
Jane Austen's Christmas, The Festive Season in Georgian England by Maria Hubert
Letters from Father Christmas by J R R Tolkien
Nature Tales for Winter Nights edited by Nancy Campbell
The Box of Delights by John Masefield (children's)

Something else I'm really loving these days is this Vintage Victorian Christmas, Sticker, Color & Activity Book. It's a sticker book but it's put together so beautifully - with gorgeous end papers and the backside of the sticker pages are in seasonal motifs so they can be recycled for crafts and card making once the stickers are used. A little early Christmas present to myself - the girl inside is gleeful - she still loves stickers after all these years.

When I found the book at the store and took it to the check out, the young woman was greatly intrigued by it. She asked if there were others of this sort on the shelf; yes, there was a similar book, but I had taken the last copy of this one. She gave me a conspiratorial smile, she'll order a copy. We chuckled. Turns out she is a crafter; I use them for journaling and embellishing envelopes and presents.

Such gorgeous endpapers

I had just purchased the book when my sister messaged and asked if I'd mind checking round at my  bookstore because the store carries a star ornament she loved. She couldn't find it at her store. I found it, stood in the long line, and would you believe I got the same clerk. We smiled in recognition, and this time she ooh and aah'd over the star. It was delicate and pretty. I mentioned that I had taken the last two on display (slight pause) but that she could order one in. We both laughed out loud. I said, we must be kindred spirits. It was one of those lovely human moments that swirls in the mind—and heart—for days. 

Now I must dash - wishing you a beautiful week. Happy reading.

"The rooms were very still while the pages were softly

turned and the winter sunshine crept in to touch the

bright heads and serious faces with a Christmas greeting."

LOUISA MAY ALCOTT, Little Women

❦

Heart hugs,

Brenda

Photo credits:

Top Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

Sticker book photos by Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life

My Winter Blogging Schedule:

I post on Fridays

 

Winter Stroll at the Conservatory

"I look upon the pleasure which we take in a garden as one

of the most innocent delights in human life. . . . It is naturally apt

to fill the mind with calmness and tranquility."

JOSEPH ADDISON, from The Spectator, 1712

I peer out my study window and look at my snow-covered garden and, though it looks pretty with all the snow, everything lays buried, dormant. Which is why it's such a treat when it's cold and frosty outdoors to have a place nearby where a person can slip inside to enjoy a few of those garden delights that fill our minds with calmness and tranquility.

 

The Muttart Conservatory always has its Christmas display up in time for our wedding anniversary. In fact, it was at the Conservatory twenty-six years ago where, nestled amongst the pink poinsettias, we had our wedding photos taken. Which is why it ever holds a special place in our hearts. Last week, we spent a delightful afternoon ambling through the four pyramid pavilions: Tropical, Arid, Temperate, and Feature Season. I like walking through the Feature pavilion at the end of our stroll, so our minds are filled with season's delights and our cozy memories as we head back out into a cold, grey day.

Here are a few photos from our visit contrasting the floral displays with quotes of the season's winter mood. Hope you enjoy!

"It is afternoon, which in winter is evening."

RICHARD JEFFERIES

'Haunts of the Lapwing', 1883

"The year begins to close when there is neither

twelve hours of daylight nor a perceptible nightfall,

just December afternoons."

RONALD BLYTHE

'Failing Light' from Out of the Valley:

Another Year at Wormingford, 2000

"In the west the winter sky is streaked with cirrus clouds that

look as if they have been combed across the heavens by a giant hand.

A weak sun filters through as it sinks towards the horizon,

a cold cerulean blue fading to cream white as it nears the earth.

. . . a deep chill settles in the air."

JANET WILLONER

from Winter Anthology, 2016

"So quiet and subtle is the beauty of December that escapes the

notice of many people their whole lives through. Colour gives

way to form: every branch distinct, in a delicate tracery against

the sky. New vistas, obscured all Summer by leafage, now open up."

FLORA THOMPSON

"It is just as good to come in (from outside). You stamp to shake the

snow from your boots. The flakes of snow on your coat melt instantly.

Your glasses steam up. You close the door and thank God you

remembered to put the hall light on a timer."

NIGEL SLATER

from The Christmas Chronicles

"It was a day when frost and sunshine combined

went to one's head like iced champagne."

from The Irish R.M., 1928

"Anne came dancing home in the purple

winter twilight across the snowy places."

L.M. MONTGOMERY

Anne of Green Gables

"He who marvels at the beauty of the world in summer

will find equal cause for wonder and admiration in winter. . .

In winter the stars seem to have rekindled their fires, the

moon achieves a fuller triumph, and the heavens wear

a look of a more exalted simplicity."

JOHN BURROUGHS

❦

Thanks for stopping by.

Hope you are enjoying a beautiful day,

Brenda

Photo credits:

Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life

15 Reasons Why I Love L.M. Montgomery (Part 5/5)

"When dreariness and fear threaten to overwhelm

me I shall remember this letter and say to myself,

'Take heart my child. As long as you can bring a little

delight or comfort into the lives of others life is worth living.' "

The Selected Journals of Lucy Maud Montgomery,

Volume V, Sept 24, 1938

Tomorrow—November 30th—marks Lucy Maud Montgomery's 150th birthday. Today's post wraps up the series I've been writing in celebration of this amazing woman and what her life and work have meant to me over the years. I thought about closing with a list of 150 reasons why I appreciate this author. But that felt rather daunting, both for me to write it and for you to read it, so here is a tithe's worth of that longer list. Hope you enjoy.

15 Reasons Why I Love and Appreciate Lucy Maud Montgomery

1. I was nine years old, in Grade Four, when I first 'met' Anne spelled with an 'E'. After lunch, our teacher would settle the class down by reading a chapter or two to us. I was enchanted and could hardly wait to hear more the next day. Little did I realize that having been introduced to Anne of Green Gables in elementary school, this chapter book would one day lead me to a lifetime admiration of the story's author.

2. Having been born and raised in Canada myself, I loved that Anne and her creator were also Canadian - from Prince Edward Island, on the other side of the country. It made me proud.

3. I fell in love with Anne's phrase 'kindred spirits' and secretly searched for my own bosom buddy. Anne discovered, as did I, "Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world." Yes, it is! And I have met many of them right here in blogland. And I did eventually find a dear bosom buddy or two, too.

4. Lucy Maud gave me heroines in my girlhood who were so real and alive to me. From Anne Shirley and Diana Barry to Emily of New Moon, I learned about friendship and getting along with people, dealing with life's disappointments, and taking joy in the little things in my small world.

5. First, it was the storybook heroines who captured my imagination. Later, it was Lucy Maud herself who became my inspiration and mentor from afar as I began making my way in life, trying to figure out how I could live a beautiful life, and live it well.

6. I loved discovering that Lucy Maud and I shared interests in things domestic, gardens, kitty cats, beauty in nature, and books.

7. I think it was Lucy Maud who 'gave' me permission to allow myself to take real enjoyment in the beauty of the world around me, and that it was okay to have pretty items which brought joyful pleasure to my life. It wasn't being frivolous.

8. I appreciated learning that Lucy Maud enjoyed both solitude and the society of others. I think that's when I recognized that I, too, enjoyed spending time in my own company as well as taking pleasure in those companionable times with family and friends. I needed both to flourish.

9. Her novels, poetry, autobiography (The Alpine Path, The Story of My Career), and published journals drew me into her world—a world she described in fiction and nonfiction. Even giving me a glimpse of my grandmother's era, who was born in the mid-1890s on the Canadian Prairies. 

10. Lucy Maud gave me a glimpse into a writer’s life - her struggles as well as her joys and triumphs. This ignited something within me that hitherto had lain dormant. I began to dream about writing just like LMM. She would become my literary hero.

11. I took a more active interest in poetry after reading a book of her published poems and even attempted writing a few from time to time. I enjoyed the experience. Still do.

12. Because of Lucy Maud, I began what would become a life-long joy in journaling. Learning to express myself in my journals was great practice for when I'd start writing to an audience of more than one, like here on my blog. I'm about to start Journal #193. Old volumes are stuffed in boxes stacked in the closet. I have revisited some journals - I use them as reference material for memoir writing.

13. I'm grateful for the many marvelous quotes we have that are attributed to Lucy Maud. She gave me words and lines to which I could pin my own thoughts and desires, including the familiar, hopeful words, "Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it." Written directly into my notebooks for future reference, I cannot recall how often her wisdom buoyed, comforted, and gave me courage.

14. Lucy Maud's descriptions both in her novels and journals let me feel the thrill of her delight in the world's beauty around her. Who hasn't loved Anne describing, via the author's pen, her joy in the apple blossoms in spring, the full moon in a winter sky, or the softness of a kitty purring on a lap. I started to pay attention to my world, to notice the details, and then describe them in the Lucy Maud style.

15. Through her writing, Lucy Maud showed her readers how she felt about her own life. She shared her joys and her many sorrows. I believe her candidness gave me the courage to explore with honesty my own fears and ups and downs.

Of all the wonderful quotes from which I could choose to wrap this series, here is one that is starred in my old copy of Anne of the Island: "There is so much in the world for us all if we only have the eyes to see it, and the heart to love it, and the hand to gather it to ourselves—so much in men and women, so much in art and literature, so much everywhere in which to delight, and for which to be thankful."

I lift my glass of bubbly to Lucy Maud Montgomery. An extraordinary woman - an author of whom we can be proud. I am glad for the delightful stories she wrote that so many of us still enjoy. I'm filled with gratitude for her mentorship from a bookshelf, and I'm so, so thankful for her life well lived. She was a lovely role model, and I am forever indebted to her. Happy 150th birthday to one of my favourite people.

❦

Next week we'll be well into December with Christmas full steam ahead.

(As I write, the sun glimmers off snowy rooftops set against pale blue skies.)

Until then, I wish you beauty and grace.

Brenda

Lucy Maud Inspired My Letter Writing Life (Part 4/5)

L.M. Montgomery and Our Mutual Love of Beauty (Part 3/5)

Friday Four, Including L.M. Montgomery's Inspiration to Journal (Part 2/5)

Friday Five, Including Celebrating L.M. Montgomery's 150th Birthday (Part 1/5)

Photo credits:

(Top) Image by Slava_web-designer from Pixabay

My December schedule:

I post on Fridays

Lucy Maud Inspired My Letter Writing Life (Part 4/5)

"... nothing gives me such a sense of life still being worth while as to receive a letter from one of the 'kindred spirits' of the leisurely old days. For a moment or two I find myself back there in the unhurried years and emerge from my brief communion with the past refreshed as if I had drunk a rejuvenating draught from some magic spring."

L.M. MONTGOMERY, Letter to G.B. MacMillan, August 26, 1924

For me, there is nothing like sitting down to write a letter the old-fashioned way—with pen and pretty stationery, envelopes and postage stamps. I admit to a decline in this pursuit over the years. Partly because it's so easy to stay in touch with family and friends via email, text messages, and social media. Sad to say, as a result, my penmanship has taken a gradual decline into chicken scratch hieroglyphics. Probably because now my keyboarding muscles are more dominant than my pen holding muscles. I do practice my handwriting once in while - concentrating on forming the cursive lettering as if I were back in Grade 3 or 4. To keep my hand in, as it were. Not to mention, to make it easier for my friends to read a letter from me without too much squinting and head scratching.  

As a child I watched my mom write letters and mail greeting cards for every occasion to family and friends as the chief way of keeping in touch. I recall when my little Grade 4 friend, Heidi Trussell, moved away with her family, we promised to write each other. I was tickled with the idea of writing to her, like a pen pal. Strangely enough, even though I started my letter, it never got sent off. Perhaps I never learned her new address, so it was a lost dream. I probably wrote, "Dear Heidi, How are you? I am fine. Do you like your new school? I miss you." So original. 

In my youth one of my favourite places to visit, next to the book section of a department store, was the greeting card outlets, like Hallmark. So many choices to feast one's eyes on. Finding the right message to convey what I wanted to say was a delightful but excruciating search sometimes - it had to be just so. And my heart always knew when it was 'perfect' - yes, that's the one. I wanted messages to convey encouragement or inspiration or to make someone laugh, depending on the situation. I never felt confident enough to express my feelings in my own words. I relied on the words of others. Still, it filled a need of staying in touch with people I cared about. And I'd get that thrill of the heart when I'd hear from a friend saying my note was just what she needed at the time. When I went away to college I wrote copious letters home always waiting for return mail. How horrid the semester when there was a nationwide postal strike. And no mail for weeks! I'd still go to the post office sometimes, hoping against hope there'd be a letter miraculously appearing from home, and being devastated when there wasn't anything. I became aware then how much letter writing meant to families in those days. No Internet, no text messaging, no Zoom. Phone calls were far too costly to make regularly. Pen and paper were our lifeline.

As I reflect on how Lucy Maud Montgomery has influenced my life, she certainly inspired my letter writing habits. Delighted was I to find two volumes at the library years ago of her published letters (links below). Such a delight to catch glimpses of her wide range of interests, "from domestic concerns, her cats and gardening, to her professional literary career as best-selling author". I loved her way of describing the world around her, how she set out her thoughts for someone else to read. They were entertaining as well as newsy and informative. From her examples, I imagined how I could become more creative and more interesting in my own letters. I began to step out and use my own words. It took great effort and mulling to express my thoughts in ways that made sense and were as beautifully composed as Lucy Maud's or what I read on those pretty greeting cards. I have always secretly hoped I sent off missives that were newsy, encouraging as well as entertaining, but only recipients of those long ago letters could confirm whether I was successful or not. 😉

As I mentioned, I found two collections with some of Ms. Montgomery's letters, one with her Scottish literary friend, George Boyd MacMillan. And one with Ephraim Weber, who was a young writer living in Alberta, Canada. I enjoyed reading both and still find excerpts from them copied into my old commonplace books.

My Dear Mr. M:

Letters to G.B. MacMillan from L.M. Montgomery

edited by Francis W.P. Bolger and Elizabeth R. Epperly

The Green Gables Letters:

From L.M. Montgomery to Ephraim Weber 1905-1909

edited by Wilfrid Eggleston

In the early days of lockdown and isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic, one of my creative pursuits was to pick up my pen, dust off my dormant love of writing old-fashioned notes, and send them off the snail-mail way. I stocked up on boxes of artsy blank greeting cards (thanks to Amazon's delivery service). Along with my handwritten notes, I'd tuck in small surprises: sachets of tea, quotes, stickers, blank postcards, anything fun that snugged inside a card-size envelope. The real thrill for me was imagining a friend's face when she discovered real mail waiting for her in the mailbox. Hopefully those notes created a bond of heart connection between sender and recipient during that tumultuous time in our history. What was it that John Donne once said: More than kisses, letters mingle souls. For thus, friends absent speak. We needed a little mingling of the souls when, for many of us, our physical bodies could not gather together in the usual way.

Now, with the holidays around the corner, comes the time of year when I still love shopping for and sending out beautiful Christmas cards with handwritten notes tucked inside to family and friends. (With a postal strike in our country as this post goes up, who knows if that will be possible this year - hopefully they'll settle things soon.) 

Next week will be the last in my series about Lucy Maud Montgomery and her influence in my life. Which wraps up my month long celebration of one of my favourite author's 150th anniversary of her birth—November 30, 1874. I hope to see you then. And, if you missed the previous posts, mind the links below.

❦

Wishing you a beautiful weekend,

(it's snowing here 😊)

Brenda

L.M. Montgomery and Our Mutual Love of Beauty (Part 3)

Friday Four, Including L.M. Montgomery's Inspiration to Journal (Part 2)

Friday Five, Including Celebrating L.M. Montgomery's 150th Birthday (Part 1)

Photo credits:

(Top) Image by Pezibear from Pixabay

Book Covers from Amazon

My blogging schedule:

I post on Fridays