A Season of Delight

Just hear those sleigh-bells ring-a-ling
Ting-ting-a-lingaling too
Come on it’s lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you!

Outside the snow is falling
And friends are calling yoo-hoo
Come on it’s lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you!

I don’t know if there’s a birthday party at farmer Gray’s this year or not, but the holidays have always had a strong connection for me with cheery music, tasty cookies, and warm firesides. Winter can be a dreary state of affairs in northern climates, which likely plays into traditions of hanging greenery, lighting candles, or even today hanging lights on homes and trees. Our sun-loving minds seek to fill the oppressive darkness with the light of fires, electricity, and smiles.

Hark how the bells, sweet silver bells
All seem to say, throw cares away
Christmas is here, bring in good cheer
From everywhere, filling the air.

The Midwest seems to have a thing about singing and dancing. But don’t let any Scrouginess get in the way of enjoying the holidays. Kids love to jive along with music, what my parents called “hipping” when Kara and I were little. Sway-hop-prance, do a little dance to the tune. The holidays are a great time to enjoy all those simple little pleasures we knew as kids. Leave that serious facade for the moment and sing your favorite Christmas carol. It’s no big deal if you can’t remember all the words or sing a little off key. Enjoy the season!

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Jackfrost nipping at your nose
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.

Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
Will help to make the season bright
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.

Of course, I could wax cranky over the overplayed tunes in stores, the ugly opulence of stuff trying to sell itself everywhere, or the meaningless rush towards the biggest savings event. But between baking thumbprint cookies, feeding the chickens, making presents, and decorating with Grandma’s beloved porcelain Dickens’ village, those consumer pressures fade away to what really matters this time of year—time. Time with friends, time with family. Taking time to make something special for them or taking time to visit.

Christmas time is comin’
Christmas time is comin’
Christmas time is comin’
And I know I’m going home.

On the farm, it’s hard to get away, even for the holidays. The livestock still need our attention every day, as well as the complicated aquaponics greenhouse. So, while Thanksgiving can be a quiet affair, everyone who can make it up comes to the farm for Christmas. We’re not a big family, so that doesn’t mean a crowd, but for some relatives this may be the only time we see them all year. It’s great to catch up, share stories, split wood, eat great farm food, and enjoy the crackling fireside.

Even before we lived fulltime on the farm, we’d always make the drive up to the old farmhouse for the holiday. Sometimes that meant driving Christmas morning, if Mom was still on-call with her medical practice. So, sometimes Santa had to know if we were at home or at the farm. And then, sometimes he came both places, just in case. I remember long drives from downstate, watching my breath steam up the car window as snowflakes and countryside zipped by. The farm was a magical place for Christmas, with snow forts to dig, snow animals and angels to make, and icicles to wave as playful crystal fencing foils.

Snowflakes falling all over town
Slipping, sliding, everybody’s rushing round
There’s an icy chill in the air
Telling us that winter’s really here.

Oh I’m so glad that winter is here
Grab your sled and let out a happy cheer
Because it’s snowing, blowing, all through the day
Winter winds will surely blow all your cares away.

Feeling in the mood for the season of delight? You can share some of the fun right here on the farm with open studio classes, a harvest dinner and concert this Saturday, great food, music, and more. Stop on by, check out the website or Facebook, and share the holiday cheer. We wish you the merriest of seasons! See you down on the farm sometime.