"Gold Rings"



This is the mantel in our dining room that displays
over 50 Crystal Snowflakes from my collection.

Greetings One and All - I hope this post finds everyone Happy and Healthy this Holiday Season.

 

I'm sorry that I have not been available for my story writing, as some of you know I have an online store that keeps me very busy this time of year - and I love it. I have also been working on one story that has become very sentimental to me that needed the time to develop  vs. writing many stories for the entire month of November and December. It is a piece near and dear to my heart and is a true story.

 

I hope you join me for its debut on Christmas Eve 2013.  

"Gold Rings"

 

By: Stacey L. Bolin

"A Soldier's Night Before Christmas"

 

 

Well hello my loyal readers, and to my newest readers. Hope my words find you with a smile on this fine Tuesday morning. Course for some of you, your time zone could be ahead of me or behind me, but welcome just the same. I wanted to share with you a quick story about an observation and why I feel that if we could all just hold within us, just an ounce of compassion, life could be ever so much easier. After what I saw yesterday, I realized that there are people in this world that need this true life lesson.

I had been sitting in a patient waiting area in the Walter Reed National Medical Center, waiting for my appointment in the Dental Clinic, watching people walking by as they make their way to and from the various clinics on the floor that I was on. I noticed that all of them wore the same look of frustration, stone cold, anger, and some even tried to wear a painted smile to conceal the sorrow that consumed the rest of their body. It was obvious that people were not happy, until I heard the sounds of little feet running. I saw a mother and her young son making their way to the same clinic check-in desk that I had just been standing at. I never noticed her husband that was with her until he rolled up to the counter in his motorized wheelchair. My thoughts paid no mind to his disability, but what did catch me was the dozens of people who walked by wearing a frown with the exception of his sweet son, who was probably no more than two, and his father’s face that wore a genuine smile. It was when he turned his chair around that I noticed that the jacket that he had to conceal his legs had slid off revealing the extreme redness of recent scares of his double amputation and the loss of two fingers on his right hand. My mind pondered what he may have had to endure that the end result was this extreme, until I heard him tell the staff member at the desk he had recently been in the ongoing war overseas. I felt a rush of tears making their way onto the surface of my face that was soon turned into a smile after what he did next. His wife worked with the staff to get appointments that did not go as smoothly as she had hoped, but hung in there as their son became restless and was working on a bit of a crying fit. Without hesitation, her husband lifted his son up and placed in him in his lap, and then took him for a quick spin around the hospital on our floor. Both dad and son smiled and laughed as their wheels made a unique rhythm on the tiled floor as they wooshed by.

Wow, here is a father, a dad, a Soldier who has fought for our freedom and has suffered the loss of his limbs, and yet without missing a beat, reaches out to his wife to help her by entertaining his son, with laughter and smiles, while other onlookers displayed their disgust that their wish for library silence, had been broken by their sounds of joy. For me, their laughter helped me realize that no matter what we all may have endured in our lives; we never know the stories of others and what life is like for them. I wish citizens out there that feel that being negative and mean is the way life would realize - IT'S NOT!  We can't let the sorrow take hold of us and bring us to such a low, that we can't bring ourselves up.  We must rise up and move forward with love and happiness in our hearts and be blessed that we are still alive no matter what the challenges we have faced or the ones that await us. Life is too short.

As these feelings rushed over within me, a song began to ring out in my mind and touched my heart as if it were cradled in the palm of my husband’s hand being held ever so gently. “A Soldier's Night before Christmas," This is my husband’s favorite Christmas Song and it was this year when I really learned why it means so much to him. After all that I have learned this year about my Seabee Veteran, I look up at the heavens and thank god that he and his unit came home after their time in the Gulf War from 90-91. Like the song, they too had been Soldiers that had missed Christmas, with friends and family because of their duties as a United States Soldier, yet even thought they are home, there is a part of their souls that has been taken from them and remains overseas. I have never come face to face with the destruction of war or have been on the front line, but with all of his unit members who have been willing to share their personal stories of war, I have a better understanding and a deep seeded respect and appreciation of what, my husband, the soldier in the military hospital yesterday, and our men and woman in our armed forces go through when they come from war. I am thankful that at this time, my husband may not be in a wheelchair, or needs walking aids, but he still deals with pain both physically and other times mentally of his time during the war. I will never know everything about this man I love, and what he went through, but what I do know - I love him with all that I am and here for him no matter what.

 

 

Merry Christmas Ron & Merry Christmas to our military members and the families that wait patiently for their loved ones safe return home and to those who have come home and are trying to put the pieces of their lives back together as their family lovingly waits. This song I dedicate to all of you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdEFaOoSBsw

Meatless Chicken MOM!? WHAT THE BLAZES!?

My boys and their first day back to school.
2012

 

It was a great day, and I was in the mood to do some serious cooking. The weather outside was hinting that cooler temperatures were on the horizon that would one day lead to my favorite season - autumn. I had done some grocery shopping and had decided that a roasted chicken with baked potatoes, peas, homemade rolls and a chocolate banana cream pie for dessert would be the perfect first day of school dinner.

My very own Chocolate Banana Pie.
Vanilla Pudding with Cut up bananas as the bottom layer
in a graham cracker crust.
then sprinkly crushed up vanilla wafers
then add the chocolate pudding layer.
Serve with a big scoop of cool whip.
Delicious!

Now normally when roasting a chicken, one would put it in a shallow pan, season it with your favorite taste bud teasing pleasures. Heck, some people may go as far as tenting it with tin foil to help keep the meat tender and juicy while only letting small amounts of that delicious sent, that floats through the air, escape and has your family constantly asking - "Mom...when's dinner, the smell is making me super hungry".

Yes, I'll be honest, I am one of those tenter people, but on this day I got a little daring and decided to use my chicken roaster stand on our grill. I've used it before and the outcome was delicious, so why not use it again and make baked potatoes on the grill as well.  I had timed it just right that by the time my husband got home from work, you could smell the delicious aroma throughout the community - Just want I wanted. What’s better than the smell of a great comfort food aroma dancing along a cool late afternoon breeze? Knowing it's coming from your house and it's your dinner. Yeah baby!



I got this a Bass Pro Shop - LOVE IT!
You literally cook the chicken or turkey standing up.

It comes apart so that you can filled the center with
beer, chicken broth, and/or water and spices, and then you rub the
chicken with spices too and cover it with a tent of tin foil
and put it on the grill. The head comes throught the vents and
acts like a roaster/steamer.

 

As I prepared the serving plates and side dishes, I took the chicken off its cooking stand and placed it onto a platter. It was a beautiful golden color and the scent of the spices was wonderful, however the chicken looked very strange to me. Kind of like a chicken on big time steroids. Its shape was very strange.

"That's odd?" I thought for only a moment, and then went on with getting the food to the table. My oldest son, who lately has been on a see food diet, meaning everything he sees he eats, took it upon himself to carve the bird. There was nothing holding this guy back, he'd been smelling this cook all afternoon and he was done waiting.

As I finally sat down with my family to delve into our dinner, I was once again drawn into the shape of our roaster chicken. "There is something wrong with the chicken. Don't you think so or is it just me?" I said to my husband and boys "It looks weird."

My husband then took a longer look as well. "Hua? Yeah, it does, like it's been working out at the gym or something. An Arnold Schwarzenegger look." He remarked with a chuckle followed with a puzzled expression. As my son tried to carve the meat off the bone, he was met with a growing frustration that he was not getting the food on his plate fast enough.

 "What's wrong?" I asked, worried that my special dinner was overcooked.

"Ah dry!, It won't carve!" He replied in a sarcastic and agitated tone voice.

"No way it's dry, I saw the juices bubbling under the skin on the grill."  I thought, hoping that he was wrong.

 "Let me try," boasted my husband thinking that it took a big man to crave a bird. "What the &^^*&^#%!!!!"

"What's wrong?" I questioned, worried that now my husband was just as frustrated as my son, I must have really turned our supper into a Griswold Christmas dinner moment.

"Stace, there isn't any meat on this chicken! look it's all bone when I cut into it." He was very serious - this bird was meatless!

 I got up from my chair and walked over to the other side of the table where both my husband and older son were working feverishly as if they were trying to revive an inner tube that had gone flat, just before it was time to tie it to a speed boat and zoom across the water for an afternoon of water adventures.

"Let me try." Just as the words left my mouth a pivotal moment passed over me and I caught the look on my younger sons face. I could see in his eyes a sense of worry that he would not get his favorite chicken and gravy dinner, because mom had dried the bird to the bone. "Let's check to see if there is meat underneath, and with that, I flipped it over. (I think a heaven of angels burst into song and no joke the song I added came to mind - Enjoy)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE

Light had dawned at the Bolin table that night.  Clearly it had been a long day as not one person noticed or even realized what was wrong until after flipping the chicken over. A True OMG I AM SUCH A DUMBASS MOMENT! I had place it on the platter breast side down, but because I had cooked the chicken standing up on the grill, it made the legs fall backwards giving the appearance that the bottom of the chicken was the breast side. To Funny - Not one of us noticed that the chicken was upside down. Even after cutting it, they believed it was dry; again not even realizing it was upside down. We all looked at each other dumbfounded and then burst into a fit of laughter that lasted all through dinner.

So the moral of this funny tale, be sure your breasts are always in the upright position. Have a great day and enjoy the weekend! Until next time - Blog ya later.

"Peaches for Christmas" - The Newest In Christmas Stories To Debut on Christmas Eve.

My newest in short stories will debut here on blogger.com

"Peaches for Christmas"

by Stacey L. Bolin

       Patty Granger had it together.  The presents were wrapped, the cards were addressed, the house was decorated and all the cookies and sweet Christmas traditions had been baked, yet something was still missing - Patty had lost her Christmas Spirit.  Never in her wildest of dreams could she have ever imagined, the Christmas secret that was about to be revealed and the gift that would change her and her families lives forever.

Photo and Canned Peaches by: Stacey Bolin

Coming Christmas Eve 2011

(Eastern Standard Time)


"Cherry Cherry Christmas"

I heard this song for the very first time today and immediately fell in love with its melody and the words. OK, I love anything that Neil Diamond sings. He did a great job incorporating words from many of his song into these lyrics. I have added the link below so that you can hear the song. It lifted me up so much that I have had a smile on my face all day. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am. Cherry Christmas Everyone!

Cherry Cherry Christmas

By: Neil Diamond

Wish you a very Merry Cherry Cherry Christmas

and a holly holy holiday too.

Underneath your tree,

may there always be,

sounds of harmony not a song sung blue.

Just a very merry cherry cherry Christmas

and if all of those who love you gather near.

You'll have a very merry cherry cherry,

holly holy rockin' rolly Christmas this year.

When the snow drops, on the tree tops,

It's a pretty amazing scene.

Hear the choir, light the fire,

feels like pretty amazing grace if you know what I mean.

Oh yeah, it's Christmas time.

In a world of make believe, I’m a believer.

And I believe in things not always understood.

But the things you feel make believing real.

That's why Christmas feels,

So good,

So good,

So good.

When you imagine all the world is one great chorus,

you gonna learn that every voice has got a song.

Let’s raise a Christmas toast to red red wine,

we'll even sing sweet Caroline,

while the whole world sings along.

I hear music in the sound of children laughing,

it's a beautiful noise that lifts you like a song.

Makes ya wanna have a very merry,

holly holy, cherry cherry Christmas time the whole year long.

The whole year long.

Sing your Christmas song - The whole year long.

Cherry Christmas Everyone!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjKaPHLPSXM

An Unexpected Christmas Memory - Dedicated to my mom - I love you.

(Today's blog was written while listening to the song link attached at the bottom of this blog - Noel: Christmas Eve 1913)

My kids asked me to find a song that they heard on the radio that was sung by the Muppet characters - Kermit the Frog and Fozzi Bear. "Wow" I thought, "the Muppets. I grew up with that show as a kid" and a smile found its way to my face. Now I don't know why, but suddenly I remember a skit that was done on the Muppet Show that appeared back in the late 70's.  John Denver was a guest on the holiday show and he sang a song with the Muppets called the "Peace Carol". Something about the song was very heartfelt and moving to me even through I so young. 

Most of my life as a child revolved around music and television. There are times when I hear a song or smell a smell and it takes me right to the very moment when I first experienced it. I can recall great detail about the  moment and that if I closed my eyes, sometimes I can convince myself I am there. I can remember vividly what I was wearing and doing when I first saw and heard the "Peace Carol" song. I had a huge over sized white bean bag chair I was sitting in and was wearing an extra long flannel nightgown.  I must have been about 11 years old. I had a huge bowl of popcorn that my mother had shaken in a pot on the stove and my dad had brought home for my brother, a birch beer soda, and for myself, a strawberry soda, from Dax's variety general store that used to be on Union Avenue in Laconia N.H.

Our Christmas tree stood proudly and sparkled with a wonder and peaceful glow in the front window of our living room, as the cat was trying to eat the tinsel that dangled close to the floor. I can still smell my mother cooking up one of her delicious confection wonders as it mingled with the fresh sent of our spruce tree. Our living room was adorned with only the light from our Christmas tree, the television, the rays from the adjacent kitchen light, and the flicker of the fire from underneath the solid wood stove door. Outside a great wind howled as the snow was coming down in blankets. To me, Christmas couldn't get any better than that very moment. Little did I know that so much more awaited me in my life and now I get to share the joy of Christmas with my own kids and husband and our families.  Even through my husband plows snow for the state, I'm dreaming of a White Christmas, that will have us stuck at home and he won't have to work.

Below I have written out the words to the song "Peace Carol" and I have also attached a couple of links that have put me back into a Festive spirit for the 2011 Holiday season.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to One and All.

The Peace Carol

The garment of life be it tattered and torn

The cloak of the soldier is weathered and worn

But what child is this that was poverty born?

The Peace of Christmas Day.

The branch that bears the bright holly

The dove that rests in yonder tree

The light that shines for all to see

The Peace of Christmas Day

The hope that has slumbered for two thousand years

A promise that silenced a thousand fears

A faith that can hobble an ocean of tears

The Peace of Christmas Day

The branch that bears the bright holly

The dove that rests in yonder tree

The light that shines for all to see

The Peace of Christmas Day

Add all the grief that people may bear

total the strife and the trouble and care

Put them in columns and leave them right there

The Peace of Christmas Day

The branch that bears the bright holly

The dove that rests in yonder tree

The light that shines for all to see

The Peace of Christmas Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt_9ZzMmrtE&feature=related
John Denver & The Muppets - Medley:Alfie, the Christmas tree/It's In Every One of Us

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=givAZ05_wJg

John Denver & The Muppets - The Christmas Wish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRJIS7jBuUM&feature=related
John Denver & The Muppets - The Peace Carol


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rN0El-kUnw
John Denver & The Muppets - Noel: Christmas Eve, 1913

Kindness at Christmas.

With the unexpected snow during our trip to Colorado, and the spectacular display of Christmas lights that adorned the trees of Main Street in Estes Park, I caught hold of that Christmassy time of spirit.  We walked the streets and went into every shop looking for that perfect holiday find. The stores were filled with a heavy sent of cinnamon and cedar and just the right amount of pine garland wrapped in colorful lights in their windows. It mesmerized me and with all the resistance in the world I couldn't overcome being caught in the shock and awe of it all. I was drawn in like a big mouthed bass on an experienced fisherman's line - hook, line and sinker. We were all on a mission to find the perfect gifts for friends and family when low and behold we found the perfect place.

I have to say this one store helped us do just that, The shop was called MOOSELY T's, and it was right on the main street of town.  Awesome store! And awesome owner! She had a way of making you feel as if you had known her all your life and she wasn't afraid of sharing her life with you. She wore a red Santa hat, sweatshirt, shorts and boots. I knew she'd lived there awhile as she was used to the cold weather of November to be able to wear shorts. She had a sparkle in her eye and smiled a genuine smile with every word she spoke. I can't tell you how many times I have gone into stores these days, and that customer service just isn't there, but at MOOSELY's - It's there and then some. We immediately felt at home. We had found so many unique things in her store, that most of our shopping was done there during our stay.  OK we also hit the Taffy Shop where my husband used to go when he was a kid; he suffers from an extreme disorder called O.A.S.T. - Over Active Sweet Tooth. (Smile).

Several times we'd remember someone else on our list that we wanted to get something special for, and we'd go back over and over again to both shops until we were satisfied. Needless to say, we assault our credit cards quite heavenly in these stores, with the exception of Cabela's in Sidney, Nebraska.  It's a great feeling when you can connect with people, even when they are strangers, especially at Christmas time. So if any of you happen to find yourselves in Estes Park, Colorado, be sure to stop at these two stores. You won't be disappointed.  To the owner of Moosely's, many thanks for the black n' white chocolate dipped oversized pretzel's. They were delicious.  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The Golden Snowflake - A True Story

To know me, is to know, when I get down in the dumps, it's the feeling of Christmas and its musical splendor that brings life to my soul. These past few days I have been doing something I despise the most - Cleaning my basement of clutter that has been jockied from the family room to the garage and back again over the course of 17 years. Ouch, yes, that is a long time. So my younger son, realizing what it is that can bring his mother back from the depths of bitchiness, he found "The Christmas Story" (Yes the one with the Red Rider BB Gun), he put in on the big screen TV and before I knew it I was attacking the mounds of boxes and bagged clutter once and for all. (Pictures to be posted later).  So being in that pre and way to early to think of Christmas mode, I thought of this story and wanted to share it with you. I do hope you enjoy it. So let me be the first to say...(with a big smile) Merry Christmas. 

*******

"The Golden Snowflake"

Written by Stacey L. Bolin

December 2008

As I spent my holidays running to and from and here to there, I always had one thing on my mind...finding friends and family the perfect Christmas gift. Yet, the mission of this quest, deemed harder than one would think. As I shopped and searched I had found gifts for friends and loved ones and felt at ease that my shopping was done - well almost. I had two special people remaining. Christmas had come and gone and I felt bad that it had taken me so long to find a gift, but it didn’t matter Christmas or not, I still pondered what could I give that would be special and be like me, uniquely different, (smile).

Well, I began to think back on all the special places that this special couple had shown me through pictures, conversation and even places that they had told us about, and my family went to see such as: Gettysburg, the Apply Festival in Pennsylvania and the Candle Light service at their church. But, there was one place that had been suggested, The Homestead Gardens and its lights and train display, they insisted that it was a must see, but failing to make the time in my schedule, I didn’t get there during the holiday season. I am a firm believer that all things happen for a reason. One Wednesday night after Christmas my family and I took the kids to the skate zone in Odenton, Maryland and then to the Pizza Hut in Bowie.

For whatever the reason, we didn’t come home on our normal route, this time we took route 214 instead of route 50 east. As we drove the dark and windy road and enjoyed the Christmas lights displayed in the yards of unknown families, our eyes were graced with the utmost beauty that I believe we were all anxiously looking for. The Homestead Gardens was decorated in this magical display of Christmas lights in a multitude of color. We had to stop to see this glorious holiday splendor in person. When I walked through the doors, I felt like a kid again, yet much to my hearts desire, I was striken with deep disappointment when I saw that the shelves were only filled with remnants of what was once a gorgeous display of ornaments and holiday decorations.

Although myself, and yes, my family was very disappointed with this used to be Christmas utopia’s baron shelves, I remember thinking to myself that “we just had to find the train display”. We all ran around the building as if we were looking for a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow or better yet, a crazy game of hide-and-go seek with no place to hide.  Then suddenly...there it was, miniature towns of yesteryear accented with my most favorite item that all Christmas holidays should have, even if only once, PILES OF HAVE TO HAVE SNOW. My heart smiled as I could hear my friends saying “Stacey, you have to see the train display at the Homestead, it’s just beautiful.” As I took in the beauty of the display, there lying on the snow, were five intricate designs of what looked like golden sparkled caramelized snowflakes.

I knew it then I had found the perfect gift for two special people. A gift that symbolized my love for Christmas, snow, snowflakes and that the special gift that they had given to me and my family - The gift of and unconditional friendship. Because of their many travel adventures and sharing those trips with us through pictures and conversations, my family and I have also gotten to experience some of the beauty of the world outside of our town and I can only hope we will see many more places in person. When I gave them their gift, I shared this story of where I found my special gift and hoped they would accept my gift and always remember each time our snowflakes find their way to our trees, we can rejoice in knowing God had brought us together and the bond of friendship will last forever.