Let’s Start With Winter Sports
This past week I was able to touch base with the 3 ski areas in North Dakota, and although the cold weather has tested our resilience a bit, it has allowed all 3 areas, Huff Hills south of Bismarck, Bottineau Winter Park near Lake Metigoshe and Frost Fire near Cavalier, ND, to turn on their snowmaking machinery as they get ready for their opening days, probably this weekend (December 7th & 8th). All 3 ski areas said to be sure and check their Facebook pages for current information about operating and snow conditions. These areas are super family friendly, and you can book lessons if this is your first time skiing.
If skiing or snowboarding is more than what you want to take on, there is always tubing. Dressing warm and planning for warm-up breaks will make your visit a great experience. Nothing is better than a cup of hot chocolate as you rest between your snow adventures.
Timing is Everything
Once we turn the page and get past Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we find ourselves also turning the page on the calendar to December, and yes, it’s only 22 days until Christmas. (Actually, it will be less than 20 days until Christmas on Friday when the Northern Sentry is delivered).
Homemade Christmas Decorations
Growing up in a small North Dakota community, each family would have their holiday traditions. My Mom came from a German family, and she would spend hours decorating our house. We would gather hundreds of pinecones, and they would become pinecone trees, complete with lights and decorations. Believe it or not we saved magazines and would fold them into the shapes of Santa Claus, snowmen or even elves. A little paint, a lot of creativity, and we would build a Christmas city of magazine characters. I wish I had pictures, but unfortunately only memories.
Making Candles
Our largest Christmas project, except for the actual Christmas tree, were the many candles that we made. My Mom would save the candles from church events and melt them down to liquid. (Careful! Liquid wax can catch fire). And then what? Well, all of those cardboard frames, from wrapping paper tubes to milk cartons, were filled with wax and a wick was inserted. But that was only step 1. Once the wax hardened (cold North Dakota temps helped the process), we would peel off the cardboard and voila, there it was, a new candle. But again, only step 2 of the process. The most unique step in our candle making process was whipping liquid wax, which would give it a white, almost whipped cream looking appearance and consistancy. Once it has that whipped cream texture, you can apply it your raw candles, kind of like frosting a cake, giving it that special Christmas look. Time is of the essence, as the wax hardens quickly. I haven’t made candles in a long time. Candles are not as popular as they once were, and to be honest, I am pretty sure my candle making talent falls far short of my Mom’s.
Trimming the Tree
We had another family tradition. We would always trim our Christmas tree on the 15th of December. The local grocery store would be the Christmas tree warehouse. This was before artificial trees of course. It wasn’t a matter of deciding real or artificial, but how large and what type of tree you wanted. Short needles-long needles-6 foot tall-8 foot tall. Those were the decisions. My Mom always purchased one of the very tallest trees, and she had a love for the longer needles. The tree, although it probably had been picked out well in advance of the 15th, arrived on top of my Dad’s truck. It was placed in the stand, and we would secure the tree to the wall with long strings. The tree would warm up for a bit, and the whole family would attack the tree with lights, decorations, garland and finally tinsel. The final touch was spraying the tree with artificial snow.
Christmas Baking
Christmas baking takes on a life of its own depending a lot on your nationality. Whether you make Krumkake or Sun buckles, fudge or peanut brittle, divinity or flatbread, Christmas baking was an all-consuming effort. The kitchen would be transformed into a Christmas goodie factory. You didn’t just make a few of anything, you made lots of everything. When you delivered your Christmas cards to the neighbors, you would bring a plate usually filled with an assortment of your Christmas baking efforts. It was, however, a losing proposition to think that you would reduce the Christmas baking inventory that has more than likely taken over every space in your house. The doorbell would ring and there were the Andersons from next door with a Christmas card and a plate of their Christmas craft. And then there was the fruit cake. No family could go without being given a fruit cake. My Dad once said “why doesn’t everyone just keep their own fruitcakes? That would save all of us a whole lot of effort.”
No use trying to maintain your normal weight during Christmas. We all believed, or kind of believed, that the extra weight gained during Christmas will start to come off on January 1st when your New Year’s Resolutions, including that annual diet, would go into effect. Yep, it’s one of those Christmas traditions.
Best Kept Secrets
I was able to take a walk through the Scandinavian Heritage store the other day. What a neat place to begin, and end, your Christmas shopping. Everything from popular Pride of Dakota products to local crafts. Looking for something unique for that hard to buy for person? This just might be your best bet.
Today’s Chuckle
Many a rising star ends up being a falling one.
