Christmas

Chicken Soup and Cozy Stories

Posted on by wkennar

Who else needs comfort and reassurance during these scary times?

In our family, comfort takes many forms. 

Mugs of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream.

Snuggly blankets. Fuzzy socks. Lit candles. Lots of hugs.

And favorite stories. 

This holiday season, perhaps more than any other, we need to hold on to that which makes us feel comforted and calmed. 

We need heart-warming, re-affirming stories. 

On that note, might I do a little self-promotion and recommend Chicken Soup for the Soul: It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas – 101 Tales of Holiday Love and Wonder, a collection of feel-good, holiday-themed, non-fiction stories. 

And, if you turn to page 140, you will read “A Timeless Gift” — written by me! It’s my story of our family calendar and its place in our holiday traditions. 

May your holidays be filled with good stories and good health.

 

5 Wacky Christmas “Facts”

Posted on by wkennar

 

I don’t know which my son enjoys more – reading National Geographic’s Weird But True books or listening to my reaction to what we read.

Let me begin by saying, I believe all reading is good. Whether my son is reading a biography about Barack Obama, the latest edition of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, or a joke book, he’s an enthusiastic, eager reader. Reading is not a chore in our home. Ryan recognizes books for the true wonders they are.

So our bedtime reading varies. (Currently, we are re-reading a family favorite – Roald Dahl’s Matilda.)

But last week, each night before bed, we read some “weird but true” Christmas-related facts. Maybe it’s due to all my critical-thinking classes. Maybe it’s because I’ve been taught to not always accept things at face value, but to try and dig deeper and ask questions. 

In any event, I have a really hard time readily accepting some of these statements as “fact.”

Although, this time around with this particular book, I found Ryan asking some follow-up questions as well. So maybe it’s not just me.

So on this Christmas day, I’d like to share a few of these questionable “weird but true” statements with you. Enjoy!

Wishing my readers a happy, cozy, festive holiday!

“The world’s biggest Christmas bauble ornament is wider than a garage door and as heavy as a buffalo.”  (And I’d like to know who built such an ornament? Where is it?)

“The world’s largest Christmas pudding weighed more than a hippo.”  (I’d like to know what one does with the world’s largest Christmas pudding. How and where was it made?)

“The world’s largest Christmas stocking measures as long as four school buses lined up end to end.”  (Where is this stocking? Is it hung up each year?)

“The world’s largest wreath was wider than a soccer field and heavier than two elephants.”  (What do you do with such a heavy wreath? How was it made? Where is it now?)

“The largest cup of hot chocolate ever made could have filled 20 bathtubs.”  (We love hot chocolate, but there’s a limit. Who would think to make enough hot chocolate to fill multiple bathtubs? What was done with all that hot chocolate?)

 

A Timeless Gift

Posted on by wkennar

My kitchen calendar is flipped to the last page. Which means it’s December, and the holiday season is upon us.

How do you celebrate? Do you make cookies? (I don’t.) Do you hang a Santa-wreath on your front door? (I do.) 

What about gifts? Do you, my dear readers, have a favorite gift? Maybe a gift you received years ago, but one that is no less vivid in your memory? Or, a gift you regularly receive, but still eagerly anticipate each year?

That’s how I feel about my kitchen calendar.

Have you started your holiday shopping?

May I offer a suggestion? 

If you, or someone you know, enjoy reading heartwarming, holiday-themed, non-fiction stories, I highly recommend Chicken Soup for the Soul: It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas – 101 Tales of Holiday Love and Wonder. 

And, if you turn to page 140, you will read “A Timeless Gift” — written by me! It’s my story of our family calendar and its place in our holiday traditions. 

Here’s the first paragraph:

“My sister and I each received a new calendar every Christmas. And even though we shared a bedroom and could have shared a calendar, too, we always got our own.” 

I’m so proud to say I have a piece published in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book. And I hope this charming book will help you get into the holiday spirit and maybe even inspire you with “new plans for family fun, gift ideas, and recipes.”