“Eventually beloved customs stretch like a golden ribbon
over long years to bind generations together tenderly in memory.
Simply stated, what more in life could any of us ask?”
– Mrs. Sharpe’s Traditions
With many changes occurring in our extended family- which includes one set of grandparents recently moving across the country and no longer within an easy driving distance for visiting – things have changed for our family over the holiday season. We can either sit and pout and wait for someone to cheer us up or we can find something cheerful to do and add some coziness and lovely atmosphere to our own home.
Is this not the mother’s task?
Yes, it is up to a mother, so it seems, to hold up traditions, to create those family memories and to bond the children and parents together in tiny little rituals that weave the hearts together over the years.
In the void of certain family gatherings and traditions, there was indeed a hole. However, I think our family may have started a new tradition just this year. Recently, the girls & I were delighted to attend the Little Women musical on stage at a local theatre. To celebrate the occasion, we decided we would have a Little Women brunch the day before the show. As it turns out, we wanted to also include the Father of the House – and so, our brunch evolved into a candle-brunch-dinner {we did, however, take the photos during the day time}.
During the day, some of the girls did the baking and cooking, while the others excitedly set the table, decorated and helped prepare the simple meal.
The chattering children happily met their daddy at the back door, as he wearily returned from a day’s work at the funeral home, and led him through the dark house into the candle-lit kitchen. Decorated gaily and with festive treats, the table was all laid and ready for an evening of gentle celebration. With soft music playing in the background and the gentle light of candle flames and oil lamps, the evening was certainly charming and lovely.
Our Little Women menu consisted of:
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Several varieties of homemade jams and jellies
Fresh oranges
Devilled Eggs
Gingerbread cake, sprinkled with icing sugar
A hot pot of tea
Turkey sausages
Fresh-from-the-oven popovers with butter
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Eating together around our candle-lit table, chatting away, passing a pot of hot tea around the busy table, I do believe happy memories were made all while genteel manners were fine tuned.
After we cleaned up, we also treated the children to watch the older 1949 version of Little Women (featuring Elisabeth Taylor and June Allyson). We just love this version and it’s just absolutely charming to watch.
“Traditions are like recipes. Some we don’t alter a bit because they are perfect. Others need a dash of this or that to suit our family’s taste. As with any new dish, you’ll know soon enough whether the new custom suits your family and should become part of your repertoire. Did they enjoy it? Did you? Was the activity worth the effort it took to do it again?”
-Mrs. Sharpe’s Traditions
Have you found new traditions that help your family bond?
Here is the popover recipe, in case you would like to try it, from the Paula Deen website:
{Little Women Popovers}
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Grease 12 large muffin tin cups or 12 custard cups. Break the eggs into a bowl and beat well. Add the milk, flour and salt, and beat until just blended. Fill the muffin tin cups or custard cups three-quarters full with the batter. Place the pan on the center rack in the oven. Set the oven at 450 °F and turn it on. Bake for 30 minutes without opening the oven door.
Serve the popovers hot with butter, jam, syrup, or honey.
Post Script: Sadly, the actual live musical we attended was a horrible, changed version of the original Little Women. Modernized with worldly values and selfish values, it was certainly not as a good as the original writings of Louisa May Alcott. In my opinion, sometimes, the best things are old things.
by Gigi
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