Making the most of the season

One of the nice things about this season is the time that we can share with one another in creative ways.

- spending time together -

For several years now the ladies of the congregation get together to make holiday pieces (not used just for Christmas – I noticed recently that there is some kind of discussion about this in the States). They invite their friends and neighbors, we plunder our backyard and the container park (the place where everyone takes their trash, but also their cuttings from their yard – free green stuff!), and everyone brings some creaitive stuff (you know- glue, glitter, ribbons and rhymes) and they spend a morning together talking, being creative and getting to know one another. They end the day with a prayer together.

- backyard plunder -

- fun and friendship -

At home we have a tradition of making Christmas cookies as our Christmas cards. We don’t do cards (you will have noticed that through the years) mostly because of the cost in the beginning (and our monthly newsletter took the place of many people’s year-end news). But for the people we know in the village or in Maastricht we like to let them know that we are thinking about them. So we make cookies, wrap them special and bring them around. Most people are not used to home-baked cookies for one, and the gesture is especially appreciated. This year Sean had his friend Wouter over after the last day of exams – so Wouter helped out too.

- cookie cards -

I would be interested in any traditions you have in your house that involve creativity (doesn’t have to be Christmas).

Scott