Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 6B
Never too late to start traditions
W hen my husband and I
got married, we both
agreed that we wanted
our family to have lots and
lots of traditions — especially
when it came to the holidays.
We had no idea at the time
that God would bless us
(rather quickly, I might add)
with four children so we
were able to get started right
away creating traditions that
we hope will be passed on
from generation to generation.
If you have children or
grandchildren — or you just
want to make the holidays
more memorable, it is never
too late to create some tradi
tions that are certain to make
this time of year special. Even
if you have teenagers and are
dreading their negativity when
you exclaim, “Time to make
cookies for Santa!” I promise
that secretly, they will enjoy
this activity.
One of our favorite holiday
food traditions (and you prob-
The joy and courtesy of indulging in the art of sulking
O n my way home from a
speaking engagement,
my sister, Louise, called
me on my cell phone.
“Whadda you doin’?” she
asked as usual then quickly cut
to the purpose of the call.
“Can you take Mama to the
funeral home tonight?” she
asked before explaining that
the husband of a family friend
had passed away.
Dadgum it. My heart sank.
I had big plans for the evening.
I was going home to sulk.
After a battering day, I had
promised myself the treat of
locking myself away from the
world and taking the entire
evening to appropriately sulk.
Sulking is a woman’s pre
rogative. It’s very important to
us that we get to indulge our¬
selves and do this every once
in a while. A couple of times a
year, I allow myself an evening
—.
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Presents
9th Annual
Christmas in Cumming
Arts & Crafts Show
Dec. 9 & 10, 2005
Friday 4:00 -10:00 and Saturday 10:00 - 5:00
• Over 100 Arts and Crafts Booths*
• Hayrides and Caroling - Friday 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Free Photos With Santa
Fri. 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm & Sat. 12pm - 3 pm
Arts & Crafts Show held inside Fairground Barn
$1.00 Admission
Children 12 and Under FREE
Cumming Fairgrounds ~ Cumming, GA
Call 770-423-1330 for more information
FORSYTH county NEWS — Sunday, December 4,2005
home
MMIHvIij
by Adlen
w.
Robinson
for the
Forsyth
County
News
ably knew that food was going
to come up somewhere in all
of this), is to allow every fami
ly member to choose whatever
food they want to eat on
Christmas Eve. Over the years,
this has been quite an amusing
thing to witness. When our
children were very young,
they would request hot dogs,
pizza, double cheeseburgers,
etc. Fairly quickly, we had to
establish a few ground rules: A
ixie
by
Ronda Rich
for the
Forsyth
County
News
of uninterrupted sulking. Then,
the next morning I awake, all
the combative darkness has
been freed from soul and I
bounce back as good as new.
I really needed to be home
sulking, not going to the funer¬
al home but I knew that Louise
would never accept that as an
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maximum of three food items
could be chosen and
because of our child with a
serious sweet tooth, we had to
say the foods could not be a
dessert. Dessert on Christmas
Even is always the cookies we
make for Santa — we just
make extra for ourselves. Of
course Santa always gets a
special cookie from each of us.
If you are wondering what
my husband and I typically eat
on this special night, the
answer is lobster-and we will
save some lobster tales for
another column.
Here are some other
favorite family Christmas tra¬
ditions — e-mail me some of
yours!
• Create a Christmas scrap¬
book. Every year add updated
pages with current pictures of
the family. Record what is
happening in the family at the
time, i.e. what sports children
are playing, school subjects
are current favorites, etc.
excuse so I sighed resignedly
and mumbled half-heartedly,
“Okay.”
My dear friend Tim
Richmond, a NASCAR super
star before his untimely death,
used to badger me about my
“pouting.” Normally, this came
after our routine bickering. I
loved Tim but anyone who
knew him will tell you that it
was mentally exhausting and
emotionally depleting to be his
friend. He was spoiled rotten
and life was always all about
him.
If I were unusually quiet,
he would say, “Uh-oh. You're
not pouting again, are you?”
“I’m not pouting, I’m mop
ing. There’s a difference.”
“Really?” He’d cocked his
head to one side and look at
me suspiciously.
“Pouting is when you’re
quiet because you’re mad.
Hanging
in there
Jackson
Eastland, 3,
braces himself
on a tire swing
on the play¬
ground at
Forsyth
Central Park.
Photo/Ron Logan
• Have a family baking
day. Do some preparations
ahead of time so that you have
ingredients, recipes, contain¬
ers, etc. Instead of purchasing
gifts for teachers, co-workers,
etc, give them homemade
treats.
• Attend holiday church
services. Even if your family
does not have a church
“home,” this is the perfect
time of year to visit one of our
many local churches.
• Do some volunteer work.
Nothing teaches children
about the joy of giving more
than when they give of them¬
selves. Spend a few hours at a
soup kitchen or working at
one of the numerous non-prof¬
it agencies in our county.
Adopt a needy family and
help to make their Christmas
special.
• Take a drive around the
county to simply enjoy the
lights. If you can work it into
your budget, take a trip to see
66
It's very important though of , that sulking
be done in the privacy one's own
home, away from everyone. The major
rule of this female indulgence is that no
one else, should be exposed to it
Moping is when you’re quiet
because you’re sad. You make
me sad a lot so I mope.
I have grown up now and
matured from moping to sulk
ing. It’s very important,
though, that sulking be done in
the privacy of one’s own home,
away from everyone. The
major rule of this female indul
gence is that no one else
should be exposed to it. That
would be rude. And beholding
to proper Southern woman-
letters « ;
im —
anta
1
Please send letters to
Letters to Santa, Forsyth County News, P.0. Box 210, Cumming, GA 30028
OR SIND THEM VIA EMAIL: events@forsythnews.com
Name: _ Grade:
_
School:: Teacher:
Santa: 4 i
Dear ** i
Letters to Santa should be submitted by MONDAY, DEC. 12.
Letters will be printed in The Forsyth County News as space
allows during the holidays. All letters received by Christmas
Eve will automatically be forwarded to the North Pole:
the spectacular lights at Lake
Lanier Islands. Young and old
will love this treat — allow
time, to visit with Santa at
Santa’s workshop at the end of
the tour of lights.
• Bring some treats to a
nursing home. Remember that
many of these folks will spend
the holidays alone.
• Organize a neighborhood
Christmas Carroling event.
After caroling, treat the group
to hot chocolate and hot cider.
• Have frequent family
movie nights and watch
Christmas movies. Be sure
and enjoy classics like “It’s a
Wonderful Life” and the old
version of “Miracle on 34th
Street.”
• Make Christmas orna¬
ments. Craft stores have plen¬
ty of supplies ideas for creat¬
ing a one-of-a-kind ornament.
• If you have children, this
is the perfect month to do a
major room-cleanout. When
my children were very young,
hood, it is expected courtesy to
stay away from people when
you’re not feeling bright and
cheerful.
At the funeral home, Mama
loitered at length, chatting hap
pily away.
I tugged discretely at her
sleeve. “Mama,” I whispered.
“Let’s go home. I need to sulk.”
She ignored me and sat
down on the sofa for a long
talk. Finally, 1 nudged her out
the door and into the car.
we would clean out their clos¬
ets, toy chests, and under their
beds. We would box every¬
thing up and take the toys to
charity.
• Go see a Christmas Carol
— the production here in
Cumming at the Cumming
Playhouse is excellent.
Nothing puts you in the
Christmas spirit quicker than
hearing Ebenezer Scrooge say
“Ba Humbug.”
• Play Christmas music
and build a fire. Make it a
point to sit around the fire and
talk about your fondest
Christmas memories.
Adlen Robinson’s “Home
Matters" column is published
in every Sunday’s Lifestyles
section of the newspaper. You
can also read her food column
in Friday's newspaper. She
welcomes reader tips, com¬
ments and suggestions! Please
e-mail her at a4kidz@bell
south.net or write to her at the
newspaper.
“Let’s stop and have din¬
ner,” Mama suggested. “I’ll
buy.”
Mama offering to buy is so
rare that I would never turn it
down. Not even to sulk.
“Okay. But we have to
make it quick. I’ve got to get
home to sulk.”
As soon as Mama laid her
fork down, 1 grabbed up my
purse and said, “Okay, let’s go.
We’re wasting my sulking
time.”
When she got out of the car
at her house, she looked back.
Hope you have a good sulk.”
“Thanks,” I replied. “I
will.
And I did. Nothing beats a
good sulk. I’m so glad that it’s
a prerogative of womanhood.
Ronda Rich is the author of
“What Southern Women Know
(That Every’ Woman Should)’’
and “The Town That Came A-