Flair For Writing Holiday Special

Flair For Writing Newsletter Issue Twelve
Thanksgiving/ Christmas Issue
Editor: Megan Rose Princess Megan Rose 10 Years
Assistant Editor: Angel Angel

Greetings! Megan and Angel here. How was Halloween? I only had one trick or treater, my three year old second cousin. She was all dressed in pink like a Barbie Princess. She loved my Doll Room. It was cold and chilly in Indiana. Now, off to the next Holiday, Thanksgiving. Of course, Christmas. Angel and I just love Christmas. Snow, Santa, Reindeers, Elves, Rudolph, presents and of course, Jesus's Birthday. It will be here before we know it. The most wonderful time of the year. First, we will talk about Thanksgiving.

My husband and I stay home at Thanksgiving and I make a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. My son drops by. His wife is working at Applebees. My parents have other plans. Last year, we watched The Dog Show on TV. The past Thanksgivings as a kid, I always spent with my grandparents and parents. The food was always good and it was nice to be with family.

Wyn{she is a member here at Writing} had this to say: Usually, for Thanksgiving, my family and I go to my mother's house in Georgia. This year I'm not sure if we will make the trip or not considering my husband is being sent to Kuwiat. As for Christmas, we have a family get together at my in-laws house where the children exchange gifts and the adults play a game called Chinese Auction. My in-laws live in the same town as we do so I'm pretty sure that we will continue the tradition of going there on Christmas Eve. Wyn All of us here will keep you in our thoughts and prayers.

This from Mary . I am typing this in her own words. Thanks, Mary.

Hi Megan,
Here is the Apple Pie recipe. Apple pie is a symbol of many good things in the American Home, especially around Thanksgiving. You will not be disappointed with this one, made from wholesome ingredients, You can serve a wedge with whipped cream or your favorite vanilla ice cream.

I cut corners with the pie crust and use Betty Crocker Pie Crust Mix, which yields two 9 ich pie crusts. Or you can use the following recipe:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup shortening
6-7 tablespoons of cold water

Mix the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or two knives. Combine lightly only until the mixture resembles course meal or very tiny peas; it's texture will not be uniform but will contain crumbs and small bits and pieces. Sprinkle water over the flour mixture, a tablespoon at a time, and mix lightly with a fork, using only enough water so that the pastry will hold together when pressed gently into a ball. Divide the dough into two balls. Roll the bottom crust out 2 inches larger then the pie pan{9 inch}. Ease it into the pan, filling it loosely but firmly. Roll out the top crust. Fill the pie with the following ingredients. Put the top crust over the apples. Crimp the edges and cut small fork holes into the top for vents.

Apple Pie Recipe
3/4-1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
6 large firm tart apples
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 425 degreesF. Line a 9 inch pie pan with half the pastry dough. Mix the sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour in a large bowl. Peel, core and slice apples and toss them into the sugar mixture, coating them well. Pile them into the lined pan and dot with pieces of butter. Roll out the top crust and drape it over the pie. Crimp the edges and cut several vents into the top. Bake for 10 minutes then lower the heat to 350 degreesF and back 30 to 40 minutes more or until the apples are tender when pierced with a skewer and the crust is browned.

Hint: It is much easier to use a ready mix pie crust or even a frozen pie crust then making your own. But, if you are ambitious and want the whole thing from scratch, please by all means, go for it.

The last step is to enjoy this wonderful pie with your family. I guarantee it wil not last the night.

Peace and Happy Thanksgiving to all writing.com members and especially to my good friend Megan. Something, we will be thankful for, is this great Newsletter.

Peace, Mary Mary

Thanks, Mary so much for the recipe and kind words. I'm glad I have Angel to help with the newsletter and everyone who reads and contributes to this. Hugs to Mary, Wyn, Angel and of course newsletter members and everyone here. Love You All: Megan

Thanksgiving Day
By: Angel Angel

November, 1992, I was up early thatmorning. I had so many things to do and I wanted to make sure eveerything was done perfectly, days before I had gone to the grocery store, to buy the last minute stuff that I had forgotten. I had my turkey soaking with salt water for almost 2 hours. I was running like always... my company was to arrive for Thanksgiving, at 2:00PM and I had baked my pies the night before.

The morning was going fast and I was hoping that maybe somebody could help me peel the potatoes like always...I asked Ray. "Ray, could you do me a favor?" Please peel the potatoes for me?" I guess it was no problem with him helping me. He took the trash can into the living room with him and the bag of potatoes and there he sat peeling potatoes. Sitting watching the football game, After while, I noticed the time was going pretty fast and I looked at Ray and he only peeled 4 potatoes. t not done right. I walked up to him and Said: "Ray! I need the potatoes right now! Not on Christmas, darn! Give them to me!" I was really upset. I took the peeler from him and walked away with the bag of potatoes. He said:" Boy, don't be so grumpy butt munch." I guess he had watched too much of of the Beavis and Butthead Shows. I was so mad at him like always.... Five minutes later, I had my potatoes on the burner. It took me an few minutes to peel 20 potatoes but I was pretty fast at my work.

I was running around making sure everything was in order and my son Bobby was in his room listening to some music. I knocked on his door and said:"Bobby, can you change Albert's cat box?" "Why do I always have to clean the stupid cat box?" I said:"Bobby, please do it right now. Everyone will soon be here. So please hurry up!" By then, I was yelling at him. 12:30 came around and the door bell rang. I thought to my self: No Way! Isn't it too early? In my front door was Ray's mother, father, sister and her husband and kids. Dinner was supposed to be ready around two but we ended up serving around five. When I was ready to turn my turkey, the darn thing decided to take a flight up in the air, landing on the floor. I just stood there and everybody had their eye on the turkey while it was falling to the floor. My mouth almost dropped but I was pretty fast catching the bird after it fell to the floor. Touchdown! At least, my floor is clean! Everyone started laughing. Making this story short..

After all of us had said grace, we started to eat. My ex-mother-in-law noticed her husband{bless his heart} was eating the turkey with the turkey fork and you know that fork is big..she just pointed at him and everybody was laughing at him. The poor man has Alzheimer's Disease. I really felt really sorry for him. I said:"You guys stop that!" I wanted to laugh a little bit because it was a bit humorous. After all the yelling and getting mad at Ray and Bobby and rushing to have a great dinner, well it all paid off.
Everybody thought my dinner was great! And it was....my pies and sweet potatoes came out wonderful and the turkey? What can I say but it was magnificent. In the end, everyone ended up acting like normal people.

Thanks, Angel! This sounds like my family.



Let's talk about Christmas. Snow, Santa, Reindeer, The North Pole. Watching the Rudolph Special. Oh to be a child again. As adults, we still love Christmas. The memories are still there and the fudge, cookies and goodies, well some of us still make them. I'm not a cook but my mother is and she makes the best goodies. Jesus is the reason for the season as we celebrate his Birthday..

I have another item to share. This, too is from Mary about The Twelve Days of Christmas. It's quite informative and I hope it will inspire you.

Mary
We are all familiar with the twelve days of Christmas. {My 12th Newsletter as well!} To most the song is a delightful nonsense rhyme set to music. But it had a serious meaning when written. It's more then a song about a repeated melody with pretty phases and a list of gifts.

Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829, when Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England, were prohibited from ANY practice of their faith by law- private or public: It was a crime to BE a Catholic.

"The Twelve Days Of Christmas" was written in England for the Catholics to learn the tenets of faith- a memory aid. Anyone caught singing or writing this song meant you were a Catholic and you would be imprisoned and put to death. Hanging was fashionable back then as was being disembowelled while still alive. The punishments are too gruesome too print. Too bad, freedom of religion was a crime.

The song gifts are hidden meanings to the teachings of the faith. The "true" love" mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthy suitor, it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. The partridge in the pair tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge which feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpness nestings, much in memory of the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem.: "Jerusalem!" Jerusalem!" How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks but thou wouldst not have it so."

The other symbols mean:
2 Turtle Doves- The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens-Faith, Hope, and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds-the Four Gospels and the 4 Evangelists
5 Golden Rings-The first five books of the Old Testament the "Pentateuch" which gives the history of man's fall from grace.
6 GeeseA-Laying- the six days of creation
7 Swans A-swimming-the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
8 Maid A-Milking-the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing-the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-Leaping- the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping-the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming-the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed.

Again, thanks, Mary. This is uplifting and meaningful. It will make us appreciate the song even more.

I found this item interesting. It's about a Snow Maiden. Russian Folklore claims The Snow Maiden is Jack Frost's grandchild and she helps him distribute gifts to Russia's children on New Year's Eve. She is said to have long blonde hair in braids and wear a long white pretty robe and boots to match. She, too has a story.
Once upon a time, an old peasant married Russian couple were unable to have children of their own. They watched the neighbor children play in the snow and build snowmen. They were sad because they had no children but they never spoke of it to anyone or each other. The Russian couple made a snow angel which was a little girl snowman. In this case, a snowgirl. They put braids on her, an old dress of the woman's and wished they could keep her as their daughter. They talked to her as if she was their real daughter. Suddenly, she had long blonde braids, pink lips and cheeks and beautiful blue eyes. She had come to life! They hugged her and took her into their house to live with them. She was their real child and so beautful and they loved her. She played with the other children who befriended her and loved her as well. Life was good for the poor Russian couple. One day, she told her new parents she had to leave. The days were getting warm and the couple were heartbroken when she slowly melted away. The couple had their child for such a short time and loved her so much. The couple went on their life and missed her so much. The summer came and went then soon it was autumn. The weather started getting colder and the snow appeared. One night there was a knock on the door and a familiar little girl's voice that called: "Mother, Father, I'm home!" The couple were so happy as they embraced her and their hearts were happy. Their little girl had returned. When Spring came, she had to leave again but the couple knew they would see her her when the snow came back after autumn. They looked forward to her visits home.Their little Snow Maiden would always return.

Angel and I hope you have a Thanksgiving and enjoy this newsletter. Please R&R. If you have any Christmas ideas, please let us know. We will have a all Christmas Newsletter next month. All Sigs made by Angel. Hugs: Megan and Angel








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