BMancastw Farming, Saturday, December 18. 1999
Create Liey ant; Easy Holiday Sparkle
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Fanning Staff
LEESPORT (Berks Co.)
Ideas for food, gifts, decor, and the
energy and right attitudes to cope
with holiday stress are a primary
concern for many homemakers.
“Get the Holiday Spirit,” offered
some unique perspectives to the
300 persons who attended the
annual holiday program sponsored
by the Berks County Extension.
Beginning the day-long prog
ram, repeated on two consecutive
days recently, was a motivational
pep talk by Grover Gouker, moti
vator and humorist Gouker main
tains that “no one can ruin your day
without your permission.”
Gouker said, “It doesn’t matter
how miserable someone is, if you
don’t give into it, they can’t ruin
your day."
For people who are critical of
positive thinking influencing hap
penings in their lives, Grouker
asked, “What are the benefits of
being negative?"
Holiday ‘Attitune Ups’
•No one can ruin your day
without YOUR permission.
• Most people will be about as
happy as they decide
• the man who feels certain
he will not succeed is seldom
mistaken.
• The greatest discovery in
the world is SELF-DISCOVERY.
• One of the rarest things
that a man ever does is the best
he can.
• There is no future in any
job. The future lies in the man
who holds the job
• There isn’t any map to suc
cess; you have to find your own
way
• Happiness is like a kiss. In
order to get any good out of it,
you have to give it to someone
else
• Life is not a having and a
getting, but a being and a
becoming.
• Go out on a limb once in a
while. That’s where the fruit is
• Losers, in life, get started
Mary Haldeman demonstrates wreath making by adding
new touches to an outdated wreath.
An example of looking at a
negative experience from a posi
tive perspective was demonstrated
by Gouker’s response to losing
hearing in one car; “I don’t want to
hear half the stuff anyway,” he
said.
Elegant, Easy Decorations
Mary Haldeman shared design
ideas that she uses at Sycamore
Springs.
Haldeman demonstrated bow
easy it is to transform a Thanksgiv
ing wreath into a Christmas one by
adding greens and berries, and
changing the bow.
For a window decoration, Hal
deman used a decorative box with a
lid. She insetted styrofoam in the
box, tucked in a variety of greens,
that spilled over the edges and
added a gold bow.
For the windows, Haldeman
started with three decorative holi
day balls and threaded shear gold
ribbon through the hangers. She
tied the balls to hang at three diffc-
early.
• Positive anything is better
than negative nothing.
• It’s always too soon to quit.
• Adversity introduces a per
son to oneself.
• On should never lose one’s
taste for success.
• Praise is the hand up the
ladder.
• All people smile in the same
language.
• The point of living is to
believe that the best is yet to
become
• Happiness is a habit.
Cultivate it
• Everyone has a fair turn to
be as great as one pleases.
• Be what you want others to
become.
• It is no use to wait for your
ship to come in unless you have
sent it out.
•If there were no clouds,
where would the blessed show
ers come from?
Grover Goucker
tent levels. The swinging balls can
be attached to the inside of a win
dow from the top or from the
middle.
Use tiny wreaths to surround
candles. Tuck pepper berries,
chokcbetries, cedar and yew into
the wreath and attach to a tall
candlcbolder.
“Don’t limit yourself to using
candleholders only for candles,”
Haldeman said. “Use the holders to
hold decorative holiday balls.”
Styrofoam balls can be coveted
with lemon leaves and sprayed
with both green and gold paint
Wrap with sheer wire ribbon. Glue
to prevent sliding and press onto a
candlestick. Under the bow, tuck
greens, berries, a silk rose or as
much or as little decorations as
desired.
“Sunday afternoon walks are a
great place to find wonderful natur
al materials to use in holiday
arrangements,” Hal deman said of
hedgerows that often contain rose
hips, bittersweet, and American
holly.
Other ideas included the
following:
• Cover grapevine wreath with
preserved ivy and insert preserved
fruit or flowers.
•Fill the base of a clear container
with cranberries or lemons or even
carrots, potatoes, and grapes. Insert
a bouquet of roses and greenery.
• Give a holiday touch by lightly
spraying cream-colored rose petals
with gold paint.
• Spray pinccones lightly with
gold paint to give a holiday sparkle
to a basketful.
• Urns, vases, and other items
can be given a new life by spaying
with antique paint to make them
appear old.
• A variety of sugared fruits are
available for purchase. Haldeman
prefers fruits that ate coated with
coarse salt instead of sugar.
Italian Flavors
Italian cooking in America
today is universally popular in all
cultures and with good reason,
according to Fay Strickler, home
economist. “It's economical, easy,
fun, and delicious.”
“Italian food is a feast for the
senses. Tantalizing aromas, rich
and varied colors, and savory fla
vors tempt the cook to try one new
dish after another,” she said.
In addition to sharing typical
foods served by Italians during
Christmas celebrations, Mae Can
delori, part owner of Monte Lauro,
also shared customs observed in
her country.
Candelori said that traditions
from the old country includes a
12-day celebration before Christ
mas Day. Musical instruments
such as the flute and accordian are
played throughout the town.
Families visit a manger scene,
and Christmas Eve the animals
must always be cared for before
attending to one's own needs.
Children are satisfied with
simple things because consumer
ism is lowkcy. In fact, no gifts are
given except each child receives
one orange on his or her plate.
“Each Christmas, children com
pose letters to their parents and tell
them how they appreciate them.
On Christmas Eve, Italians eat a
bitter herb as a reminder to rid
one's life of bitterness while wait
ing for the Christ child. No meat is
served during the Christmas Eve
meal. Chick peas are eaten as a
reminder to thank the Lord for
plenty.
Christmas dinner includes tradi
tional Italian dishes such as wed
ding soup, antipasto, bread loaves.
Fay Strickler holds a canning Jar that holds a cord of 20
miniature lights and filled with potpourri. Top with a cro
cheted doily. When the lights are plugged in the heat
released the potpourri scent.
Candlesticks can be used to hold more than candles as
this design by Mary Haldeman demonstrates. Purchased
decorative holiday balls or make your own by covering Styr
ofoam balls with natural materials and wrapping with sheer
ribbon. Tuck in greens, berries, or silk materials to create
your own preferred personal touch.
roast chicken, veal, and stuffed and pointed out the significant**, of
olives that are breaded and Med. selecting books tailored to the
Additional Topics
Other topics addressed during A booklet including some of
the workshop included toasting eti- Candclori's recipes and other Ita
quette taught by S trickier and a lian recipes sent in by participants
new lode at books for gift giving, were compiled and reveals the
Melinda Fant from Borders, a evor-widening variety found in Ita
book and music cafe, encouraged Uau -oolong,
people to give books as presents. L,; are some of the recipes:
Pant introduced many new books p- urn to Page ggj
receivers’ interests.