Before the storm......

I so like the Guardian book site. It is one of my regular reads. Today I discovered that they have a book advent calendar! Go here and see what literary delights they have behind each day, until Christmas. Now that's a calendar that makes my book-lover's heart all happy.

Virtual Advent Tour

Dec 7:

Amanda at The Zen Leaf has the most amazing video featuring Death and Baby Death singing "Silent Night" and a discussion that is perfectly, wonderfully hilarious. It really has to be viewed. It sounds so un-Christmas and still it works! Delightful, and for anyone who wants the absurd. Don't miss it!!!

Kiirsten from A Book A Week (another blogger from Canada! How have I missed these bloggers?) has cookies, socks, treasured family bake-off and a new book to celebrate her Christmas with us. I want a pair of those lovely socks, they are beautiful. And then there are the cookies. I started drooling at reading what they made. It sounds like they had a wonderful day baking - from age 8 to 80! - and I'm really delighted that she shared her family day with us.

Tami, of Dave and Tami at Just One More Thing, has shared her Christmas cookie memories also. They too, have a generational gathering to make cookies that has lasted for 5 generations. I like how she says each time the children have grown up, someone inherits the cookie cutters to use for the next round of children, and now they have some very old cookie cutters. I have copied out the sugar recipe to try myself.

It seems to me that part of the pleasure of reading these posts is getting a glimpse of how the differences in traditions make the fact that we have the same traditions that much stronger. We all make cakes or cookies or Christmas puddings or turkey, it's only in how we do it that makes it a bit different. And part of our Christmas experience that we cherish, is doing things together with our families. My friend, who only has limited family left, has started baking this week, and we her friends are the lucky recipients of her baking. I've already invited her for Christmas dinner, but she has said she's tried before and she always feels like a stranger because she doesn't know the family traditions each household has, and I know she's right. So one of the things I am doing this year is making sure she feels loved and appreciated all through the holidays. And eating all her wonderful generous baked Christmas treats!

Kristen at BookNAround has an absolutely delightful tale of how her father used to chase the elves out of the house Christmas morning before they could steal the stockings and the presents.
That is pure magic! What a lovely way to start Christmas morning, and keep children from getting up too early and peeking!

Dec 8: Now to today's virtual tour:

Darren at Bart's Bookshelf has the most absolutely hilarious rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas read by Frank Kelly. It really is a delight. And what would really happen if your true love did give you all those things......I have to admit I like the subversive, and this is right up there with yesterday's Death and Death's Baby singing O Holy Night. I love the variety in this advent tour, the cherished memories, and the slightly bizarre!!

Bluestocking at The Bluestocking Guide has a lovely post on The Dickens Festival she attended last weekend. She makes me want to go to one! We have nothing like that here in Ottawa. She describes how the main street is shut down for the night, and everything is decorated and dressed Victorian. She has pictures also, so if you need a touch of Victoriana to put you in the mood for this year, her album is perfect. I really enjoyed this post, and it reminded me again that I really must read A Christmas Carol, as well as watch the movies. I have to read a Charles Dickens book this year!

Nan at Letters From a Hill Farm has a delightful post on her husband's fabulous collection of Christmas ties, some from his students as gifts, some inherited. This is quite a collection and I find myself a tad envious and wondering if I can convince my husband that it's cool to wear a Christmas tie. So far he has categorically denied wanting or being able to sport any Christmas clothing at all. The English schoolboy who wore a uniform can be very stubbom when it comes to standing out in the crowd as an adult!!! So I love Nan's husband's collection. I think the ties are beautiful, and how lucky he is to be able to wear a different one every day through the Christmas season!

Last but not most definitely never least, on today's tour, is
Raidergirl3 at An Adventure in Reading, and her post is a brain-teaser! She wants to know if you can guess the songs from the first letters of the title put together - so Deck the Halls becomes DTH. Are you up for it? Need a brain-twister to wake you up? Challenge yourself and see if you can guess all 21 songs without peeking!!! I like this idea. Original indeed, and lots of fun.


What a wide variety of wonderful Christmas posts we have gotten over the first 8 days of this tour! I hope you are enjoying it, and are feeling the seasonal spirit grow now. I am amazed and surprised at how much variety there is, and really enjoying the tour. Happy holidays indeed!

Before the storm......
We have finally had a wee bit of snow, and are expecting our first snow storm tomorrow, so it will feel a LOT like Christmas on Friday!