A bit about Traditional Christmas Foods

Serving Christmas Pulla

I’m from Northern Ontario. Rural Sudbury, as a matter of fact.  Pretty much everyone I knew was Native, Finn or French Canadian… or a combination of the the three. There were other people- but I didn’t know them. Or at least, I didn’t know them well. 

I’ve been a resident of Southern Ontario for (gasp) 39 years, been with my partner who is French Canadian for 24 years. Did I adapt all his cultural traditions from Montreal, Quebec? … NOPE.  Well, some - but it’s all about what I call mine.  I do the cooking. I am the Mom. 

Every cultural background has their traditional food - Finns have Pulla Bread. It’s yeasty and tastes of cardamom. It takes forever to make, is messy but takes up enough hours to make it a ritualistic exercise in custom and seasonal belief. Even when it dries up (as it will shortly) I feed it to the birds. That’s my seasonal custom. 

Gather Ingredients 

Let it rise

Extra Points if Kids look Finn

Divide into loaves

Dynamics of family change.  What remains? Family tradition and Christmas food. One day my children will (hopefully) remember My Pulla and Christmas meals, as I remember my Moumma’s. (Grandmother’s).

My Christmas Pulla

Glaze 

Mom shapes Christmas Tradition

It’s the end of the year, it’s cold and the grand finale is being planned and executed.  

I’m the "Mom the Matriarch" and there’s a certain awe in that revelation.  My Children are now young adults.  My own birth Mother and Mother in law do not - will not - have not been the Matriarch for the Holiday season in decades and my Partner and I, have realized that we are and always have been, the ones our offspring look upon to shape our family’s Christmas tradition. 

I didn’t always realize I was the catalyst of how our rituals, customs and holiday celebrations play out. I’ve written before about the Winter Solstice.  I truly respect the evolution of astrological and environmental changes this pivotal time brings.  I have also shared how my family has come to know Christmas. It’s about scholarly debate; traditional & commercial rituals.  

When our children were little, everything revolved around Santa, that great Spirit (I explained) who like a ghost, came into our lives to bestow gifts upon them, because he represented love and cherishing.  We invited extended members of the family that we barely saw through out the year - because it was tradition. I did that for the children… so they would know grandparents, aunts or uncles.

Santa "Ghosts" the Spirit of being Loved & Cherished

Over the years we established routine and modified it a few times, because our family dynamic -like everyone else’s - was subject to change.  What remains today for us, is celebration and commercialized gift giving on Christmas Eve and feasting on Christmas Day. Even the birds are fed special on Christmas Day.  I hope my Children have noticed that.  Some of my Partner’s French Canadian customs are honoured and some of my Finnish roots are - subtly played out throughout the season and I believe there is now a comfortable traditional compromise that pleases us all.

What Christmas has come to be, for us... is

when we spoil our children with gifts,  drink more wine than usual and put great emphasis on the traditional meal that we share. 

A bit about the Autumn season

Melancholy is the season, from warm to cold

Autumn is the outcome as summer harvests and lives unfold. 

Every Autumn we celebrate harvests and participate in life and death celebrations.  Children go back to school, back to seriousness and we all stock pile our summer traditions and outdoor belongings as we get ready to hunker down for the onslaught of winter.  

There’s a sense of ending when Fall comes. Isn’t there?  We don our snuggly woolies and venture out to enjoy the spectacular changing of the leaves.  Each September I feel older; my kids are in a higher grade, and our homestead just experienced another year of decay.

Of course I’ll be participating in many fall festivals, the life/death celebrations and the giving of thanks, but I’ll also adopt a more reflective state of mind.  Maturity? Perhaps that’s it. Acceptance? Yes, Autumn is the time of year that people come to terms with the reality that they have created. Choices, whether self imposed or forced by others- come to fruition in the autumn months. Is it any wonder that this is the time selected for government elections?  Make a choice and stick with it - 

reap what you sow. 

So with the approaching chilly nights, I myself will dispose of my porch’s summer florals and replace them with Autumn dry & preserved imitations. I will vote for the term ahead for governing parties, I will plan my thanksgiving traditions and will set aside time to remember  the death of the season, the passing of many lives and the resting nature of the earth and I'll do it from the comfort of a warmed home and comfy couch.  Does red wine not taste any smoother, than in the folds of Fall?

Autumn Years Ago/Falling Forward.  Blogger's own Children when they were wee.

A bit about Spiritual readings and the like.

It’s a broad industry.  For centuries the divinely skilled (or fraudster) has made money, traded goods, gifted, awed, shocked and advised their way into global acceptance that for the most part - there are indeed some people who can relay messages based on magic, intuition, coincidence or etherial spirt.

I believe.  I think everyone can experience the phenomena, at least once in their life.  I just don’t believe that all psychic medium/channels/spiritual advisors are 100% accurate and belong on one of the prestigious tested | certified American lists like;  www.bestamericanpsychics.com  www.globalpsychicsolutions.com       www.foreverfamilyfoundations.com  www.certifiedpsychicsociety.org 

There are no certifiable associations in Canada. Certainly they'll be many such organizations in Europe and beyond and I’m sure the tools used will be different like using the iChing, feng shui and shaministic practices.

An intuitive reading is dependent on a tool that allows the reader to to pick up subtle meanings in symbolism.  It could be cards, stones, bones or tea patterns.
Even palm reading is based on the placement of the lines we have worn into our skin.
The possibilities are endless. It isn’t the tool so much as “How” they interpret. Anyone can learn but it takes special people to not only describe the text book meaning but combine it with potential.

In my experience, 90% of the readings I have ever had- have been horribly vague. But every once and a while I can pull out a gem of recognition and yes, I can honestly say I can validate the incident. I have even been known to pull out my own tarot cards and entertain girlfriends over wine or tea. NOTE: I am not claiming to be a physic medium, neither are most of the spiritual readers out there. They are exploring their intuitive side and they are rather successful at it.

Magical people like the Long Island Medium, John Edward & Sally Morgan get clear messages from spirit. No tools required, their symbolism is brought to their minds from spirit.  These guys are the real Psychic Mediums.  Authentic psychic mediums use no tools; no tarot cards or anything else for that matter. They are evidential and they are rare.  But back to spiritual readers because they represent the majority of who we people, pay to visit for readings.

Lithomancy by Gary L. Wimmer

When a reading is bang on... it certainly is and I have come to know that you don’t need an object or tool to “feel” somebody’s energy because their words and actions can easily provide that information.

When a reading is not good.... you can sense it in the first few minutes. It sounds like a recording that could be read to anyone. I have actually experienced the blurring of sound, repeated interruptions and once when this guy was giving me a past life reading I had an intense ringing in one ear- leading me to believe I was not supposed to listen to his bull shit.

Where did that ringing come from?  Why at that moment?

I do indeed find the process of divination fascinating. I can see how it can be called guidance as sometimes we need to hear from somewhere, some kind of direction.  It’s like taking a peek within your own subconscious and deciding if it could be a probability.

A life journey menu... of sorts.  Just means you have choices.  It's fascinating.

A bit about metaphysical totem encounters and their meanings

For centuries people of faith and nature devotion have linked creature encounters with 

spiritual guidance and interaction.  They draw out warnings, affirmations and subtle messages.  

In Shamanism, the world’s oldest healing tradition, the animal spirit guide from the spirit world, offers insight, guidance and helps people on their life journey. For example; land animals represent your physical and emotional grounding and are linked to intuition and vigilance.  Birds are symbolic of your strengths, desire for freedom and represent harmony with other creatures.  Reptiles help how you see yourself both internally and externally.  Insects help you with persistence and determination and will guide you toward patience and help you develop the ability to be objective.

I got two wasp stings a few days ago while altering the grounds around a home that had  recently experienced a tragedy. As I network with many spiritual advisors and practitioners of energy faith - it wasn’t surprising  (though appreciated) that a few offered the meanings and possible messages that could be attached to this encounter.  What's interesting about their readings... is that none of them had known about my personal life. 

One of two wasp stings

It could have been life threatening.  I am allergic to wasp stings and even have gone into anaphylactic shock, once in my life.  I did not have my epi pen.  I knew I was only 5 minutes away from the hospital and knew to speak up and ask for help. I wasn’t scared at the onset. I got the medication in time, with no fanfare and I am fine. This was noted.

I was told the incident was an outbreak of released energy of anger and jealousy directed toward me and that Angelic protection was there to guide me to take a warrior stance against the onslaught. Wasps are female warriors of stout determination.  Curious that, as I have just started taking an online course in NON CONFLICT COMMUNICATION to ease a troubling ban on communication in my family.  It was proposed that I was confrontational, so I thought learning to redirect my previous mode of speaking, would be for the good of all. The sting encounter was telling me to go ahead, but proceed cautiously as people who have not yet become observant, will be defensive.  People will go to great odds to protect their ego, bringing mention to what they have done wrong will undoubtedly madden them. 

I can’t possibly imagine how someone can perceive me as threatening, so I will now be extra careful not to project words or actions that make people feel bad about their decisions.  That choice makes me feel better as a person. Learning to stand up for one’s self and combine compassion, is a life lesson that is difficult to learn. 

Respect the sting.  I'm also thankful for the nudge to stand proudly in a place of protection. 

A bit about.... Dog Days of Summer

The Old Farmer’s almanac lists the traditional period of the Dog Days as the 40 days beginning July 3rd and ending August 11th, coinciding with the ancient (at sunrise) rising of the Dog Star, Sirius. These are the days of the year with the least rainfall in the Northern Hemisphere.  Least?  I don’t know if global warming affected that or not, but as I type today in Toronto, Canada- it has been raining - off and on.

My Dog Finn epitomizes the Dog Days

According to the 1552 edition of the The Book of Common Prayer  the "Dog Daies" begin July 6th and end August 17th, just a little fluctuation there. This corresponds very closely to the 1611 edition of the King James Bible (also called the Authorized version of the Bible) which indicates the Dog Days beginning on July 6th and ending on September 5th, okay... another variation.   

Basically, it’s the most sultry period of summer.  In the latitude of the Mediterranean region,  this period coincided with hot days that were plagued with disease and discomfort. Of course anyone who grew up without air conditioning  can relate - regardless of global location.  

To me, it’s the time when you wish to be at a cottage retreat, the thrills of summer city life are slowest and yard sales are starting to get boring. It’s also the time that I affectionately refer to as “summer fading”.  A solemn

peak period before nature matures and  back to school shopping begins.

In reflection of the winter of 2013-14, I for one, am going to relish every dry heat moment this period is offering us.  I’m going to surrender myself to the ripe floral blossoms, thick foliage and the sweetness of morning coffee outside.... Cuz it just ain’t gonna get any better! 

Please take a look at EW's Fading issue, available online soon.  www.energyworksmagazine.com

A bit about May Celebrations

First, there’s May Day.  Western europeans and the north american generations that

were born from them- celebrate the first of May. It’s an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival that has blurred into an International Workers Day. 

Originally from Pagan tradition it merged with Christian celebration and happily settled as local custom with dancing, dining, acknowledging spring fertility and recognizing the ability to work for a living. In others words, it has become a great excuse for a party. 

My Finnish cousins celebrate with with food and beverage.  The Brits have the May Pole and frolic about. It’s nice out...we all just survived a reluctant spring and now it’s time to have a little fun.

Kids, campfires & fireworks.  May 24 Weekend

Here in Canada we have another May Tradition;  May 24.   It doesn’t always land on the 24th of May... but often does.  Growing up, I had thought it referred to a case of twenty four beer, the beverage consumed at the unofficial start of cottage season. It's actually called Victoria Day but nicknamed May 24. 

Across most of Canada (except the East Coast) Canucks celebrate Victoria Day.  It honours Queen Victoria’s birthday.  May 24, 1819 is Queen Victoria's birth date. The dates don’t always line up, but the celebration does and there are hours of traffic into cottage country.  This year, I’ll already be  in cottage country and my family will join the hordes of others.... inching their way up. It’s tradition and so - it is. 

There will be fireworks. Often you can see the flares from cottage to cottage, luck is when they go off at different times, so you merely have to reposition your chair to get a continuous view. Ah May 24 Weekend....we all open up our cottages, slather on bug repellent and get outdoors. 

Large Cities provide fireworks for the public for those who don’t have the chance to get away.  Every patio is full, parks are teaming with day users and backyards are once again- alive with life.  Its the season kick off, don’t you know!  

May is promising.  Get out there and enjoy it.