Category Archives: holidays

Cool Nights, Warm Hearts.

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Winter here at The Oasis at Four Queen Palms has been chilly longer than I remember.  Usually, the cold weather lasts about a month – a period of time where jeans and a warm jacket or heavy sweater are part of the fashion.  Not so this year, yet I did manage to wear shorts yesterday.  So, it might finally be warming up.

We were working in our yard yesterday with the usual late winter clean up.  The sun was shining brightly, and in the trees, birds were singing happily.  It was quiet otherwise, except for Turban, a neighbor living nearby with The Wild One.  She was yakking on her phone, but not wearing her trademark turban.  Earlier that morning, The Wild One went somewhere on his motorcycle – vroom! vroom! vroom!  They are a story for another essay.  Maybe.

I noticed that some of our more tender plants died from the heavy frosts in December.  I cut back many of them to about two or three inches because I could see they are still viable.  Over the next few days, I will be researching replacement plants and making a list for a trip to the nursery.  I have some ideas, but I need to research to make sure my ideas will work in the specific bare spots.  The azaleas have buds, and one already popped open her red blooms.

The evenings now are warmer, but still cool.  A snuggle next to the burning fireplace is a warm experience – add a cup of hot tea and a good old book, and there’s a night to enjoy!

Saint Valentine’s Day is only a few weeks away.  I am planning something, but I am not sure of the “what” yet, except that it will be tailored to us.  Oh, that reminds me:  it’s time to address and send out a few Valentines to those I and/or we care about.  I usually add a short note to update the recipients on what we’ve been up to since the Holidays.  It’s a nice gesture to keep in touch with people and it goes both ways with the more caring and interested people.

I remember when I was in grade school, one of the art projects we did was to cover a shoe box with festive – and hopefully Valentine-y themed – wrapping paper.  Mom or Dad would cut a small slit in the top, and these decorative shoe boxes were ready for the Valentine’s Day card exchange in the classroom.  It was so much fun to see who gave us a card, and they were so much prettier than today’s cards.  They usually were a single piece, covered in silver glitter, and with a fun sentiment so appropriate for youngsters.  They came in a box of twenty or so, complete with white envelopes.

Though the evenings might be cool here at The Oasis at Four Queen Palms, warm hearts still prevail.

As ever,

Lady Susan Marie Molloy

✿●▬▬▬●✿ ©2023 The Oasis at Four Queen Palms ✿●▬▬▬●✿

FIREPLACE WHITE

Festivities 2022 – Part IV.

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The early dawn hours held little more than grey clouds and a lone hawk flying far above the field as I peered out the rear window.  The air was decidedly cool for January, and the day would promise little more than a rise of five degrees in temperature by midday.  The 2022 holiday season is winding down – for us here at The Oasis of Four Queen Palms, it ends on January 6 – and this season proved to be festive for Best Friend and me.  For us, the holidays are an eventful time of year, yet busy in its own way than the rest of the year.

As we decorated The Oasis of Four Queen Palms this season, I couldn’t help but remember the one year we went all out with the decorations.  That year, we meticulously wrapped the staircase banister with pine garland and added gold velvet bows to each point where we fastened the garland to the railing – up the staircase and around the loft’s railing.  We attached many variously sized ornaments on the garland – globes, teardrops, sparkling snowflakes, starbursts, and candy canes.  And nestled within the green pine needles were those tiny twinkling clear lights of which we are fond.  We decorated the tree with our souvenir ornaments we collect from our travels, sentimental ornaments from my family, and a few new ones I created.  Heirloom tchotchke glittered and sparkled as they sat peppered around the house – those miniature sleighs, reindeer, and fireplace stockings.  The house was a holiday wonderland.

Yet, this year we toned it down a bit and decorated only the main house for a change of pace.  Instead of our usual three trees, we chose just one.  I immersed myself in more baking than ever, and that included those special cookies from my family’s recipes, the fresh homemade fruitcake, and a loaf of traditional date nut bread.  I worked on the dinner menus, mostly to ensure I had all the ingredients for something special.  Best Friend and I decided upon which restaurants to visit, and I prepared all those appetizing homemade hors d’oeurves that I enjoy creating during this season.

We celebrated Chanukah, particularly as an homage to our ancestors and to augment our spiritual lives.  Christmas Eve dinner was simple – a glass of Mogen David wine and a simple fare of Shrimp Scampi on vermicelli with a side of roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots.  Our special dessert was sliced homemade fruitcake.  On Christmas Day, we enjoyed cocktails and presented our fresh homemade hors d’oeurves.

Part of our festivities this year included writing out our Christmas cards and including short notes with them, as appropriate.  This year was a little bit daunting, only in that we decided to send cards and notes to just about everyone we know.  Therefore, instead of working only one evening on them near the warm and crackling fireplace and a glass of bourbon eggnog sprinkled with nutmeg on the table, we instead spread out the writing project over several evenings.

Festivities don’t always need to be something spectacular at the coliseum that costs an arm and a leg, so to speak.  Best Friend and I attended the tree lighting in our town.  We went to the boat parade where we saw a lone boat where Santa rang his bell.  We attended a music concert in a nearby town.  On the Homefront at The Oasis, we are watching those extraordinary (and some corny) old Christmas movies and listen to great old Christmas carols.  During this season, I also focused my reading to include old holiday-themed stories and poems.  We didn’t do as much as we normally do this season, since I was under the weather for several days.

It might seem like a lot of activity, nonetheless, but for us, it is a welcomed fact of our life, and we adjust everything accordingly, if needed.  Every day during the Christmas-Chanukah-New Year’s season can be – and should be – festive, fun, and peaceful.

Now that the religious holidays of the season are past, we are now focusing on celebrating the incoming new year.  We both have traditions we follow from our younger years, and in my next essay on our festivities, I will outline them for your reading enjoyment.

For New Year’s Eve, we opted out of celebrating at our neighborhood diner.  At a cost of $65 per person, and their menu quality greatly lacking (we discovered none is freshly made but rather, processed frozen ready-made meals from a large food production corporation) and last year’s fiasco, we are turned off forever from their faux five-star greasy spoon approach.

Sigh.

For our New Year’s Eve cocktail party, we prepared an assortment of hors d’oeurves, canapés, spreads, dips, and desserts.  Some of our creations included recreating my sister’s hot artichoke dip, simple cream cheese and pickle pinwheels, my spicy frijoles con jalapeño dip with corn tortilla chips, celery and cream cheese sprinkled with paprika, olives, cherry tomatoes, deviled eggs, and homemade cookies.  We enjoyed wine from our local winery that has become a favorite of ours.  We played classic and calming music in the background as we enjoyed the evening’s festivities.

At midnight, we greeted the new year with all the hope and positivity that we all deserve.

NEW YEAR 1C

The next day, we partook in our yearly traditions of welcoming the new year by setting the stages for good prosperity and luck.  Best Friend enjoyed a hot bowl of fresh black-eyed peas with bacon and onion pieces.  I savored a few pieces of cold pickled śledź – that’s herring!

Insofar as resolutions for the new year go, yes, I made a few, and they are ones that I can reach.  I believe that if one is inclined towards making resolutions, they should be realistic, with just the right amount of struggle to make the goals worthwhile when they’re reached.

This new year holds many promises for Best Friend and me.  We have many activities already planned, and I will be sharing them periodically as essays here on this site.

Make your holiday season, your life, and the new year festive, with consideration and respect towards others, for that all helps for a better world.

Wishing you prosperity, good health, and true peace within.

Make your holiday season and new year festive.

As ever,

Lady Susan Marie Molloy

©2022 The Oasis at Four Queen Palms

BELLS NEW YEAR 1A

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Gracious Holiday Living – Part V.

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One of the simple enjoyments I have during the holiday season is dressing up, particularly if the occasion or activity calls for more than jeans and a shirt.

Presenting oneself in an appropriate ensemble with good personal grooming is key.  Too often today, in our laid back, sloppy world, people view “dressing up” as wearing faded jeans, gym shoes, and a wrinkled sweatshirt to any occasion these days, no matter the casualness or formality of it – I have seen such “fashion” at weddings, wakes, funerals, church, concerts, and nice restaurants.  I have seen people wear pajamas in public, and one huckster on television hawks his slippers that you can “wear any time, any place.”  Well, there’s nothing like promoting slovenliness!

Sigh.

Best Friend and I were at a holiday philharmonia concert a few weeks ago.  We couldn’t help but notice the varied modes of dress:  ripped and faded blue jeans, a wrinkled cotton housedress, a forest green lamé pantsuit, colorful sequined jackets, sweatshirts, oversized ugly Christmas sweaters, dark suits and ties, and the most shocking of all was the micro miniskirt with thigh-high suede boots.

Why, even the current leader of the Ukraine spoke in person to the United States Congress last week in nothing better than cargo pants and a tired-looking sweatshirt.  And that isn’t even the traditional Ukrainian national dress, so there was no excuse for not wearing a suit and tie.  In fact, his ensemble loudly proclaimed disrespect and thuggery.  Moreover, I believe there is a guy who will be going to the United States Senate next term who wears oversized hoodie jackets and jeans everywhere as his signature ensemble.

Mercy!

The manner in which you dress and groom yourself presents to the world how you view yourself, and it shows the world what you think of everyone else.

The way you dress also has an impact on how you communicate.  I believe that when a person is dressed in clean and ironed clothing and personal grooming is neat and fresh, respectful comportment and language follows.  You cannot help but feel good and speak with intelligence.  This isn’t to say that is a one hundred per cent fact, that once a person combs his hair and puts on a tuxedo that magically he is metamorphosed into the personification of etiquette and the King’s English, but it does ring true in my experience with others – that a well-groomed person feels better about himself and thus exudes respect towards others in manners and language.

A person doesn’t have to be a slovenly slob at home, either.  In fact, there are days that even if I stay home all day, I still comb and style my hair, put on a little makeup, and wear stud earrings.  That little bit of simple grooming goes a long way into making me feel good about myself.  To be an unkempt slob is to not care a wit about yourself or others.

The 2022 holiday season is drawing to a close, and soon it will be written as yet another chapter in my journal for the year.  If you are attending a New Year’s Eve party, being a guest at someone’s house, or just staying home to celebrate the incoming new year, why not think well of yourself – comb your hair and dress up!

Make your holiday season classy.

As ever,

Lady Susan Marie Molloy

©2022 The Oasis at Four Queen Palms

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Delightful celebration at the table.

Festivities – Part III.

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Our weekend festivities turned out well, and though we experienced the icy blast of winter weather that blanketed the North American continent, we stayed warm.

FIREPLACE WHITE

We began our weekend by dining out on Friday at one of our favorite Italian restaurants.  It was crowded, yet we were able to secure a table in a good spot.  Though it wasn’t the usual private booth we prefer, the table was nevertheless in a cozy setting.

We started with a glass of Peroni – an Italian beer favored by Best Friend – and a glass of pinot noir – my go-to wine at this Italian restaurant.

As I glanced around the dining room, it was good to see that the restaurant was as busy as it was, for it told me that the restaurant is managing to stay viable, and that people are still enjoying themselves, making the best of whatever their situations are.

My attention returned to our menu, which we perused, and then ordered.  Our waiter, Gerardo, brought a bowl of pasta e fagioli soup and a cup of Italian wedding soup to our table.  We immediately noticed that the amount of soup in the bowl was more like a cup’s worth, and the cup of soup was only halfway filled.

So much for keeping costs down, but it’s understandable.

Our meals arrived just as we conversed about our observations of the other patrons – Gerardo was attentive, and he did a swell job keeping up with everyone despite the crowd.  Best Friend enjoyed his beef ravioli, and I enjoyed my chicken picatta with the ginormous capers (they were the size of Queen olives), though I could have done without the slick lemony-oily spaghetti.

Yet, our conversation is something I wish to touch upon in this essay.  It was somewhat difficult to carry on a low-volume conversation at our tale.  The patrons who sat in the booth behind us spoke so loudly that I, for one, felt I was sitting with them, rather than with Best Friend.  At one point, I said to Best Friend, “I’ll be back in a few minutes.  It seems I am sitting at the booth being forced to listen to their conversations.”  And with great aplomb, Best Friend smiled and understood.

I trust that when people are dining in a restaurant, many do not know their voices easily carry to the other tables and booths.  Occasionally, it is the design of the room’s acoustics that help to project loud talkers’ voices to all corners.  Sometimes it is just the unaware loudness of people’s voices; they are used to yelling everywhere.  No matter the reason, being forced to hear strangers’ conversations is discourteous.

With that in mind, Best Friend and I find it easy to modulate our voices to a low volume, and we still understand one another without shouting across the table.  Sometimes, the yelling from other tables is so distracting that we don’t talk with each other during our meal.  Instead, we wait until we are out of the restaurant to continue our conversation.

ITALIAN DINING IA

It is most considerate to keep your conversations to your own table and nix the booming “look at me” volume so prevalent these days.  No one really wants to hear your political leanings or vulgar language or how perfect your children and grandchildren are.

This is a season in which to sparkle and revel in your own considerate style.

Make your holiday season festive.

As ever,

Lady Susan Marie Molloy

✿●▬▬▬●✿ ©2022 The Oasis at Four Queen Palms ✿●▬▬▬●✿

Gracious Holiday Living – Part IV.

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They’re well-known stereotypes –

The perfectly decorated house.  The aromas of cinnamon and pinewood and freshly baked cookies.  The constant in-and-out of family and friends and the phone ringing every half hour with good news and heartfelt wishes.  The gathering around the baby grand piano singing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”  The constant hugs and kisses, and everyone getting along with nary a cross word.

That is what I named The Hallmark Holiday.  And it’s not always the reality.  Sure, it’s something pleasant to which to aspire, but don’t think you’re missing out if this isn’t in your world.  Much like crypto currencies, it isn’t real.

As for me, sure, I’m not with all the people I’d like to spend the holidays with, since circumstances prevent it – most have passed away, some live in another state and others are living in other countries.  I will be spending this holiday season with Best Friend, Rat Terrier, Miss Doxie, and Mademoiselle Kitten, here at The Oasis at Four Queen Palms, and we are grateful for that.  So, we are spending our holidays by ourselves, but not.

That brings me to the fact that some people – many people – spend the holidays by themselves; or at least not with the people they would rather be around.  Perhaps you will be alone during the holidays.  It might be your choice.  It might be happenstance.  Your holidays might look different from what you think a Hallmark holiday, or a Christmas in Connecticut, is all about.

Yet, the reality is never, ever what the hype tries to sell.  Many people – more than you know – are by themselves during the holidays.  That is not strange.  There is nothing wrong with it.  Your holidays might appear much different from the hyped-up “norm” of the perfectly appointed celebrations with perfection nonpareil.  Sure, that does paint a pretty picture, but that is rarely the reality.

How you spend your holidays depends on your attitude.  No one wants to hear someone’s “poor me” mantra; no one wants to hear gossip about others – you know, the yado-yado-yada.  No one wants to hear complaints either.  That might take them down a path they don’t want to go, and you yourself might feel all the more miserable.  Snap out of it!  No one deserves that.  Not them, not you.  Here are a few of my thoughts to help you actually enjoy this time of year:

Don’t compare your holiday season or life to someone else’s celebrations.  That’s them; this is you.  What you see in others’ lives isn’t all the truth.  Unless you’re them, or unless you live in their homes, you really don’t see, nor know, the entire picture.

Accept and be grateful for what you have.

Remember the true purpose of the holidays.  Introspection is key.

Don’t compare your life or your holidays to anyone else’s.  You shouldn’t assume that their meadow is greener on their side of the fence.  Look at your own.  It just might be that your pasture is as, or more, emerald green and luxurious than you ever imagined.

Play a Christmas carol album.

Call someone you know and send some happiness.

Drop a friend a line or two with happy news.

Invite another “solo celebrator” over for supper.  Make it a party.

Keep busy with the activities you love to do.

Make your holiday season classy.

As ever,

Lady Susan Marie Molloy

Wife at Window 2A

©2022 The Oasis at Four Queen Palms

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Festivities 2022 – Part II.

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Being the holiday season, Best Friend and I decided to attend an evening at the philharmonia orchestra, where the playlist promised holiday songs from classic to popular.  It was that, and so much more.

We dressed warmly since the weather was chilly, and that called for something hot to eat.  We began our evening with a hot meal of barbecue at an establishment near the performing arts center.  As Best Friend noshed on beef brisket and I on pulled pork, we noticed a trio of old houses across the field.

BBQ 1

After eating, we drove past the houses, I grabbed the addresses, where further research revealed that they were built in 1924.  Two of the houses have one bedroom and one bath, with a whopping 620 square feet of living space.  The third house is a two-bedroom, one bath with 727 square feet of space.  The houses need quite a bit of work to return them to their original glory, and I wished that my research had a glimpse of their interiors, but sadly, there was none.

1924 HOUSE 203 OSCEOLA

We arrived at the performing arts center and took our places in the orchestra left center seating.  The auditorium was packed; I didn’t see an empty seat, but then, I wasn’t inspecting every row.  I was entertained with the visuals of the incoming patrons before the concert began.

DEC 22 PHILHARMONIA

There appeared to be a favoritism of red sweaters and vests throughout; so much so that when I spotted a woman wearing a sparkling forest green pantsuit, it was a feast for my eyes.  Unfortunately, I was unable to snap a photograph of her fashion statement.

And speaking of fashion, we saw everything from ripped jeans to three-piece suits to sequined blouses to ugly sweaters over yoga pants.  There were so many different fashions that it would fill a book – which might be a thing to do for me, one day.

There was a young woman who sat in front of me.  Her fashion statement was interesting.  Her long hair was a bright turquoise blue, save for the black roots, and she was heavily made up, right down to the tarantula-like false eyelashes.  She wore a beige velour top that barely covered her tuchus, and her black suede high heeled boots came well above her knees.  I could only whisper to Best Friend at this sight, “Hi, G. I. Joe.  I love you long time.”  To which Best Friend replied, “Five dollah.”

I LOVE YOU LONG TIME

The music was good, as was the singing, to an extent.  This philharmonia orchestra (as they call it) is a group of volunteers who do not necessarily sing and play musical instruments as their full-time employment.  For example, one of the singers is a preacher who has his own congregation in an adjacent county.  Best Friend nicknamed him “Country Jesus Elvis.”  I will leave the idea here for you to picture him in your own imagination.  I silently panicked when he started going up and down the aisles singing his tunes, and I dearly hoped that he wouldn’t get as far as our row.  After all, if he was going to encourage patrons to sing, too, I don’t do that for free, and I knew that wasn’t coming.  Thankfully, he never got as far as our row.

The music in the second act was jolly in its own way, but it did not follow what was printed on the playbill, for there was a bit of juggling around to add several more songs.  I wondered if the singers were becoming tired, for the usually peppy songs and the more religious ones were sung almost at a dirge-like tempo.

DEC 22 PROGRAM

All in all, it was a pleasant evening for the both of us, with a few visual curiosities not on stage thrown in for good measure.  Though the orchestra was not what we thought it to be – we anticipated a more reverent experience that a philharmonic orchestra brings – we got sort of a cruise ship-Disney feel to the entertainment.  With that in mind, the entertainment was still worthwhile.  We’ll just know for the next time we are looking for philharmonic rather than Disney.

We have several more festive avenues to experience before the arrival of Three Kings Day.  I will be sharing some of them with you over the next several weeks.

In the meantime, keep your holiday season festive.

As ever,

Lady Susan Marie Molloy

©2022 The Oasis at Four Queen Palms

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Gracious Holiday Living – Part III.

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As Irving Berlin wrote in his song, “Count Your Blessing (Instead of Sheep),” written for the 1954 movie, White Christmas:

When I’m worried and I can’t sleep

I count my blessings instead of sheep

And I fall asleep counting my blessings.

When my bankroll is getting small

I think of when I had none at all

And I fall asleep counting my blessings.

There is so much from which to learn, for those 43 words give much food for thought.  Even I sometimes fall into the doldrums from time to time, particularly when events and people from outside the walls of The Oasis at Four Queen Palms to enter and upset the pacific atmosphere here.  I know that they do not deserve that power, and for the most part, I don’t let their silly nonsense infiltrate.  Yet, it isn’t a 100 per cent stoppable guarantee.  Life happens; it’s how I handle the garbage that counts.  With that said, I discovered a 1913 book by Fannie Dickerson Chase, Good Form and Social Ethics, which also puts forth a cornucopia of points for us that are well worth the time to ponder.  Here, I will share some of what she wrote:

Do not be a slave to other people’s opinions.  As I see it, don’t be a willow tree in the breeze, bending this way and that, taking other people’s opinions as your own.  Don’t fall into the “your opinion is my opinion” mantra.  Gosh.  To me, and to others, that means you have no thoughts of your own, and we mind as well just be talking to ourselves.

Be quick to forgive.  If we are still marinating in something we think another person did to us years ago, let it go, for Pete’s sake!  Learn from what happened and stop wallowing in it.

Magnify your joys.  The world is, and always will be, filled with grief and ordeals, but it is also filled with good and rewards.  To alleviate one’s own bitterness is to remember that other people are experiencing even heavier trials and emotions.

Hear accurately and speak accurately.  No one likes to hear misinformation, nor gossip.

Do not be a servant to your moods.  By the same token, don’t drag others into your moodiness.  Stop feeling sorry for yourself.  It is not productive, nor becoming.

Do the right thing.  Be honorable, keep your promises regardless of how you might feel towards the person to whom you made that promise.

Be slow to discredit another’s word or action.  It is best to believe in others until you find absolute substantiation to not believe in them. 

Do not be soured and worried by disappointments.  Take your disappointments gracefully, for they have been given to you for a greater purpose.

Do not be thoughtless.  Lapses of courtesy does not bode well.

Be truthful.  If you fib your way through life, one day, people will – and they do! – eventually discover that you’ve been a fraudster.

Be sympathetic.  You may not really know the true story about the other person.

These, and the many other points that are made in the book, are words to live by throughout the year.  I bring this topic up now during the holiday season to point out that this time of year should be more joyful, more calming, and more twinkling than ever.  Yes, the world seems to be careening towards the Dark Side more and more each day, yet we need to maintain the sanity, happiness, joy, and true good in ourselves despite the ugliness.  Don’t let the Devil overtake your life.

Make your holiday season classy.

As ever,

Lady Susan Marie Molloy

READING 1A

©2022 The Oasis at Four Queen Palms 

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Festivities 2022 – Part I.

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The winter holidays are a sparkling, twinkling, enchanting time of year filled with pretty panoramas and, if you are so inclined, religious observances.

Best Friend and I kicked off our holidays this month with a trip into town for the annual boat parade.  The weather was pleasant enough for us to walk around the lake and enjoy the lit decorations that were strategically placed within the park.  We caught a glimpse of Santa Claus in a boat ringing his jingle bells with great fervor.  We thought Santa would float on over to where the tall Christmas tree was and light it with all the pomp usually afforded such celebrations.  But alas! it was not to be.  The hands of the clock turned to 6 o’clock, and the tree, along with other electric decorations lit up automatically.  No pomp, no speeches, no carols, no gaiety.  And Santa was floating on a boat somewhere on the Chain of Lakes.

Oh, and there were no hayrides as promised in the flyer that announced the boat parade.  Speaking of the boat parade, that in itself was sparse.  Yes, there were boats docked at the piers, some were positioned on the sandy shore, but they weren’t in the parade.  All in all, there probably was a small handful of decorated boats, but the one Santa was on was the only one I spotted.

Well, that parade fizzled out.

Earlier that evening, while we were resting on a park bench, a trio of Mormon missionaries interrupted our meditation to proselytize.  Best Friend handled that well, and the trio went on their merry way to menace a lady with a baby.TREES LIGHTS PARK

Best Friend and I spent some time walking the paths within the park, and since we were getting very hungry, and the on-site restaurant had a two-hour wait for a table, we left and grabbed a bite at one of our local chain restaurants.  That experience wasn’t anything to write home about, but it was fuel.  Afterwards, we headed home for a relaxing evening with a contemporary movie about a dog who saved Christmas.  It, too, was nothing to write home about.  In fact, we both decided it was sappy.

During this holiday season, we have been streaming music through the Internet.  As I wrote in my essay, Looking Beneath the Surface., some of the more contemporary music and singers are something less than enjoyable in my realm.  Most have that so-called “creaky voice” or “vocal fry” that is not attractive.  Many singers also have that need-a-laxative voice.  You know that type of voice – it’s deep in the throat, the vocal cords straining mightily to get something out, and it’s a colossal struggle.  Think “All I Want for Christmas is You” croaked out by Mariah Carey.  Then go from there.  Guaranteed you will find that most of today’s singers have those phlegmy, gravelly, struggling voices mixed in with electronic mixing.  No, thank you.  Give me those smooth, velvety voices from days long gone.

At home, one of our trees is up and decorated, and underneath it, a few wrapped presents are waiting to be opened on Christmas Eve.  The rest of the main house is sprinkled with glittery decorations and lights.  We declined decorating the casita this year.  We usually add another tree there with lights, but we decided to focus on decorating the main house instead.  It’s good to mix things up sometimes and not fall into a doldrum or rut.TREE FIREPLACE 1

One of the biggest projects we have is addressing our Christmas and Hanukah cards.  We might toss in a few New Year’s cards for those who don’t celebrate either of the religious holidays.  We are still vacillating on including a short holiday letter, so we’ll see what we decide.  There still is time before mailing the cards out, so there is no need to stress about it all.

This is a season in which to sparkle and revel in your own style.

Make your holiday season festive.

As ever,

Lady Susan Marie MolloyGREETINGS FROM THE CITY

©2022 The Oasis at Four Queen Palms

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Gracious Holiday Living – Part II.

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One of the things that I enjoy doing is homemaking.  Yes, honest-to-goodness homemaking.  And that includes preparing and presenting meals at home.

I always held the belief that eating at home should be just as elegant as dining out at a nice restaurant.  For that reason, most of the meals at home are on a properly set table, with our good china and silverware, nice napkins, crystal wine glasses, lit candles in crystal holders, and perhaps a flower centerpiece.  This arrangement goes for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.  Sometimes we’ll tune into a Mantovani or a Tony Bennett CD for some mood music.  It’s all covered.

Now, sometimes when Best Friend and I are eating light and having only a simple thrown-together sandwich, we might eat it off of paper plates, although those paper plates are invariably good quality and the seasonally decorated ones (not the flimsy boring white ones), with matching paper napkins.

Yes, the two of us eat at home with all the class and decorum of hosting a dinner with invited guests.

We generally put aside our technological devices at the table.  I admit that sometimes I will have mine nearby out of horrific habit, but I am getting better at not using it as some awful crutch.  We might quickly use a device to clarify a fact of some sort with the conversational topic we are having, but other than that – no devices at the table.

This set-up of eating at home in an elegant manner is a year-round tradition in our home, not just for those special occasions and holidays.  Each day is extraordinarily special in our book.  Think about some of the characters on the program, The Office, who ate lunch together at work once a month, eating off of good plates, using good silverware, and holding intelligent conversation.  It’s easy to do if you try it, and you will find that you will feel good about eating like a civilized person.

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I do recommend it for everyone, even for the singles who live alone.  For the time I lived by myself, I ate my meals at my dinette table with good dishes and well-made and well-presented meals.  If I stopped on the way home from work for an Italian beef sandwich, when I got home that sandwich found itself on a real plate on my dinette table, along with a good napkin and silverware.  If I also brought home something to drink, I poured that drink in a good glass – no drinking directly from the bottle or can!  (Would you drink straight from the milk jug in the refrigerator?  Hmmmmm?)  And I did not eat while watching television.  One enjoys the taste of the meal better when fully engaged.  (I did not, in fact, watch television for years, and the only time I turned it on was to watch an old movie on TCM, and that waiting until I was done eating.)

I cannot imagine dining at home in a helter-skelter and sloppy manner, when it is so easy to eat like a civilized person.

Make your holiday season classy.

As ever,

Lady Susan Marie Molloy

©2022 The Oasis at Four Queen Palms

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Looking Beneath the Surface.

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We awakened early this December morning.  The crisp, cool air felt lively on my face as I opened the kitchen door to let in the outdoor air.  At 58oF (14oC), the crisp air was a welcomed burst of freshness.  The sunrise, though short, was a pretty ombre of yellow, peach, and pink strewn across the eastern horizon.

One of my Christmas traditions is listening to holiday-themed music.  This year is no exception.  For us, we began playing songs last Thursday, and continue every day, even if it’s only for an hour or so.

We turned on the music for a bit of festivity.  Whilst listening, “The Little Drummer Boy” sung by Andy Williams popped up.  This is the song whereby a little kid goes to Bethlehem to bang his drum for Baby Jesus since that was the only gift he could give.  Ra-pum-pum-pum-a-dum.  I listened closely to the lyrics this time.  I heard something that struck me – or rather, it was something I didn’t hear that struck me:

Mary nodded . . . the ox and lamb kept time . . .

But wait!  What about Saint Joseph?  Where was he, and what was he doing at the time?  What was the donkey doing?  There is no mention of either of them in this song.

Granted, the lyrics are what they are.  But is it always necessary to know more?  I believe so.  This song always seems to lack the full story.  It would make a better story for me to know that Joseph took the donkey and rode to the other side of Bethlehem for carry-out, maybe an order of falafel or at least Chinese (it’s a Christmas tradition for some, of course.)  Knowing that Joseph was an honorable and providing man, he would make sure Mary had something to eat.  She would have been pretty darn hungry after delivering Jesus.

Then there is “Driving Home for Christmas” by Chris Rae.  Gracious mercy!  It is the only song I know that gives a play-by-play of driving in heavy traffic:

I’m driving home for Christmas

Oh, I can’t wait to see those faces

I’m driving home for Christmas, yeah

Well, I’m moving down that line

And it’s been so long

But I will be there . . .

At this point, why is it that the singer “can’t wait to see those faces?”  Where has he been?  Why the surprise?   Was he in jail and just got sprung?  Was he in the service and is home on leave? Or is he one of those people that pops up during the Holidays, hoping for a wad of dough-re-me or a stack of presents?   There is no clue.  Yet, this song goes on with descriptions of heavy traffic:

Top to toe in tailbacks

Oh, I got red lights all around

For a bit of translation from British English to American English, “tailbacks” is a British term for bumper-to-bumper traffic.  Honk your horns!  The singer judges the guy in the car next to him:

I take a look at the driver next to me

He’s just the same

Just the same.

I still want to know the reason the singer is going to surprise the people at his destination.  Is his intention respectable or nefarious?

I prefer the traditional carols with singers who sang with no electronic enhancements.  Today’s singers?  Well, they yell, holler, and scream.  You don’t hear their voices; those “voices” you hear are the artificial creations the sound engineers create, along with the instruments’ sounds.

Right now, Bob Dylan’s version of “Must Be Santa” is playing.  It has a polka beat.

Oom-pa-pah.

Good heavens.

As ever,

Lady Susan Marie Molloy

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©2022 The Oasis at Four Queen Palms

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