On Being a Farm Wife (and other hazards) Joyce Bupp It’s time to hang it up. Hang up the stockings. Hang up the mistletoe. Hang up the bright icicle lights across the porch, out the wreaths, hang up all the pretty holiday cards we’ve received. Hang up the bells and the bows and the brightly-shining baubles. Time to hang up the cows. What? You don’t hang up cows? Well, get with it. It’s the Christmas-cow season. Our Christmas-cow decora tions are a tradition of the season in our farmhouse. They’re espe cially precious because each one reminds us of the friend or fami ly member who gifted it to us. So now our six-foot-tall, potted Norfolk Island Pine (which scrapes the ceiling of the green house where it winters after holi day engagements), is once again decked out with tiny white lights illuminating the assorted, color ful members of our Christmas herd. There are cows on tiny, red skis. Cows with minuscule Swiss style bells around their necks. Bejeweled cows. Wicker cows. Solid cows carved of wood. Shiny, ceramic cows. Sparkling metal cows. Soft-hided cows. Paper cow streamers. A cow which preens itself in a lighted, Hollywood-star-type mirror. And, of course, the carved wooden cow which is part of our quarter-century-old manger scene. Cards with cows sent by both farm and nonfarm friends are lined up for display on one countertop. A stuffed, cow-fabric tree decorated with red pom poms has, as grandson Caleb gleefully chuckles, “cows all over.” And a delightful wall hanging, creation of the same nimble-fingered maker as the stuffed tree, brightens our kitch en with a cheery holiday farm of all sorts of animals compliment ing the focal centerpiece, which is are you surprised? a black and white cow. The Christmas herd is not a tive ViaAiJiuuv lAx&tmaA' civecA/, ct to/ eastern!/ tivcmicA'|xvi/ tfvi-A' pcuiX xuuuv aJumruL vCii,R/ toAjL. Make The Holiday Magic Last Longer Christmas is here! Rejoice! A wonderful time of cele bration, thankfulness, and shar ing with ones we love. This beautiful day, along with the preceding weeks of anticipa tion and preparation, is often a magical time for children and adults alike. Once the holiday season has passed, however, many people, young and old, find themselves feeling rather “blue.” This is not unusual, because the post-holi day period can be a letdown. Balloon Has Popped Family members may be re turning to homes far away. Dec orations must be packed and re- tradition we ever purposely set out to acquire. It has “repro duced” on its own over the years, enhancing the assorted cow-par aphernalia which personalizes our home year-round. And it wouldn’t be the holiday season without them. So, as you celebrate the season in whatever way is traditional at your house, don’t forget to sing an occasional burst of our favor ite holiday song about our bovine friends. “Deck the halls with cows, by goliy...fa la la la la, la la. la la, Jandy, Butter, Patty, Molly...fa la la la la, la la, la, la, Celebrate with bovine herald s...fa la la la la la, la la, la la, Olga, Pat, Elvira, CaroL.fa la la la la la, la la, la la.” From The Farmers and all our Girls... Merry Christmas! turned to storage. The children are restless caught in limbo between Santa Claus’s coming and getting back to school to see their friends. It’s almost as if a balloon has popped! What can be done to prolong the festive, warm feeling of the Christmas season, yet still re adjust to the normal everyday routine? Is there anything that can be done to make the magic last a little longer? Giving is an important part of Christmas. It is also a gesture that can be continued through out the year. With so many chil dren receiving new toys at Christmas, now is a time to clean out toy boxes and closets. Toys which are no longer used or interesting may be donated to your church or favorite charity. These toys will be a welcome gift to a less fortunate child and give your child the joy of making some other child happy. Too Many Toys Many children receive an enormous array of toys at Christmas. To help excitement over toys last longer than a few days, try this: After the initial excitement with new gifts has worn off, ask your child to choose his/her fa vorite three or four. Let him keep these to play with. Put the others in storage. These “hidden” gifts can then be taken out at regular intervals throughout the winter, making for great excitement. Children WA tom Farmers <>f America Northeast PO Box 4844, Syracuse, NY 13221 315-433-0100 Mid East Area 3737 Embassy Park Way, Fairlawn, Ohio 44334 1-800-837-6776 MIDDLEBURY CO-OP *l WORKING FOR YOU MIDDLEBURY COOPERATIVE MILK PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION INC. RR #4 Box 1018, Little Marsh, PA 16950 570-376-2192 Mount Joy Farmers Co-operative Association 1471 W. Main Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552 1 -800-860-6569 717-653-5431 tZualify “TfttiA 'Pn&ducen& Pairylea Cooperative Inc ❖ P.O. Box 4844 Syracuse, N.Y. 13221 800-654-6838 Land Qlakcs, Inc. Cumberland Valley Milk Producers Liberty Plaza • Suite 205 • 1227 Liberty Street Allentown, PA 18102-2605 Phone (610) 776-8250 • Fax (610) 776-8145 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 23, 2000-B3 Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association, Inc. www.mdvamilk.com 1-800-552-1976 405 Park Drive Carlisle, PA 17013 1-800-645-MILK will be far more interested in these toys than if they’d had them all at once. Children need to learn to show appreciation and the holi day season is a perfect time for this. The days following Christ mas me ideal for writing thank you notes. Even the youngest child can be involved in this en deavor by making a drawing and having a parent write out what he dictates. Snapshots are fun to enclose in thank-you notes. A child who writes Grandma and Grandpa to say “thank you” for the red sweater can include a picture of herself wearing the sweater. What a special way to say thanks! Taking decorations down and getting the house back in order need not be drudgery. It can also be made a family affair. It is fun to safely tuck two or three spe cial snapshots taken on Christ mas day into the box decorations are stored in. That way, when you get the decorations out next year, you’ll have some happy memories of last Christmas to talk about as you decorate the tree. While these suggestions are not meant to be the cure-all for post-Christmas blues, they may help lift your spirits. Be creative! Develop your own post-holiday traditions which will be mean ingful and memorable. If your family has something to look forward to after Christ mas, the after-Christ- mas letdown can be re- placed with other activities. Relax and enjoy a Merry Christmas! Make Those Rodent Tracks tMO! * Mine 1 Tracking Powder* Kills Rats & Mice i 6 lb. Bucket \ [ + $6.00 Shipping i Blain Supply Rt 1 Box 117 H, Blain, PA 17006 717/536-3861 Wood Stoves, Gas Stoves and Fireplaces by [==] VERMONT JeJ CASTINGS 1060 Division Highway 322 East, Ephrata, PA 17522 1 Block Eist of Rl. 222 (717) 733-4973 800-642-0310 www.bowmansstove.com Mon.,Tues.,W«d. 10 to 6;Thurt, Fn. 10 to 8; Sat. 10 to 4
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