“I am a book of snow,
a spacious hand, an open meadow,
a circle that waits,
I belong to the earth and its winter.”
— Pablo Neruda
Snow has come to town, and I sit at my study desk writing this column with a big pot of homemade chili simmering on the stove, Christmas lights glowing, the gas fire logs flickering, and snow outside, the shadowed trees silhouetted against silver sky.
Around holiday time, as the days get shorter and darker, it’s a time of reflection, along with remembering loved ones and times past, and of celebration. Sequined Christmas ornaments made by my brothers and me long ago sparkle on my tree; I remember how we spent afternoons around the big oak claw-foot table making those pin by pin, sequin by sequin. I think my mother must have bought all those intricate bead and sequin ornament kits to keep us out of trouble now that I think more closely about it!
Memories: One of my favorite Christmas treats is the stocking because I remember sneaking out to get mine in the quiet wee hours on Christmas morning. Ribbon candy, foil-wrapped German chocolates, quarters, a striped peppermint cane, fragrant tangerines, whole unshelled nuts to crack, a little red box of raisins and always a small carefully wrapped package.
With my flashlight, I’d crawl back in the warm bed and peek at all the goodies. Yes, smallest things are the most wonderful, aren’t they? These days, I usually put something in my own stocking so it won’t be empty; and I smile, remembering those memories of hearing my dad spill nuts all over the kitchen floor as he tried to sneak and fill all those stockings around midnight. Oh, I miss that!
Congratulations to Stoney Lamar: The Collectors of Wood Art, a national organization of collectors, galleries and artists in the field of wood arts and furniture-making, conferred its Lifetime Achievement Award for 2010 to him.
The award was given in recognition of Stoney’s distinguished service over a lifetime in the field as an artist, scholar, advocate and fund raiser. His work is displayed in collections in the High Museum of Art (Atlanta), Museum of Arts & Design (NY), Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Institute, Yale University Gallery of Art, Mint Museum of Craft & Design (NC), Minneapolis Institute of Art, Racine Art Museum (Wis.) and the Detroit Institute of Art, as well as 20 other major institutions. Also, Stoney is on the board of the American Craft Council.
We’re all proud of him!
Gerry Crisp (Oct. 2, 1920 to Nov. 21, 2010) will be greatly missed, both here in Saluda and in S.C. Miss Gerry always would send me a card with a hand-written note over the years. She was a special character!
Happy birthday to Holly Wilkes, Perry Ellwood, Theresa Wilkes, James Blanton, Jeff Bradley, Preston Mintz, Josh Lindsay, Carolyn Morgan.
Please add your birthday to the list — I’m always trying to keep it updated, but need all the help I can get. Age not mentioned, unless you’re under 2 and don’t mind yet.
May all of you out in Bulletin land have a wonderful holiday season. Remember your bird friends when the mercury drops, and on frozen days have a little water outside for them.
Think about what you’re grateful for, and keep it close to your heart, for that’s the greatest gift.
I’m grateful for fuzzy warm mittens someone generously shared with me, for delicate snowflakes dancing in the morning, for a stranger wishing me “Merry Christmas” in the grocery store, for hot and fresh coffee to start the day off right, for a wrinkled Pooh dog warming my feet on a chilly day and for all of you.
What are you grateful for? Let me know, and there will be a list next time.
Thank you for reading this column; as ever, the goal is to make you, dear reader, feel like you’re enjoying a front porch visit with me — your comments are always wanted and valued. With cold weather here, we’ll just move inside and find a cozy spot for hot tea instead.
Keep in mind if you have something of note, feel free to e-mail me at bbardos@gmail.com; or call me at 749-1153. You may also visit my web site at bonniebardos.com.