Each holiday- be it Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter- my "Grandma B" would bake the most wonderful bread- Finnish Pulla. Pulla is an egg-based sweetbread with cardamom. Most Scandinavian countries have something similar. It smells and tastes like Christmas to me. Although Gram has passed on to Greater Glory- I aim to continue the tradition of making pulla for our family. One of the things I'm purposeful about is "connecting the dots" for my kids. So, when we make pulla together I share with them stories about my grandmother- how she once made a large wreath for my 7th grade class to accompany an interview and report I did about her early years. I was so proud to share a piece of our h
I think we've landed on a new family tradition for the Gulletts. We recently volunteered on the Chehalis-Centralia Steam Train's version of "The Polar Express". This was a wonderful way to not only give back- but thoroughly enjoy one of our passions- trains. When we purchased the farm we were ecstatic to find that the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad line is just on the other side of the river. We can see the train every twenty minutes or so from our kitchen window. To some that might not be a thrill- but to folks that love trains, it's wonderful. More than that, it's a comfort. Coming from a railroading family- I've always seen trains as a symbol of the progress of life. Folks tr
There's nothing like singing together during the holiday season. Music truly makes things "merry and bright." Does it not? Our church music group recently gathered to sing at a local craft fair. It was a great excuse to step away from farm type activities for awhile. Music has always allowed me to break away from the rest of my "to-dos". I tend not to multitask as much when singing or playing the piano. Sure, there is always work to be done....and part of that work is striving for balance in our lives. Hopefully you're making time this holiday season to savor the time with family and friends. If you're like me, being present is the best present of all. Falalalala Lalalala!
Advent and Christmas bring with them a host of "to-dos". We try to "stay on target" in terms of the meaning of the season focusing on traditions and customs that weave in our heritage. I want our kiddos to be able to have tangible memories of our holiday time as a family and connections with their "roots". One of the traditions from Adam's side of the family is the creating of a "Winter Scene" using Plaster of Paris and newspaper on a reusable wooden base. This was an all-afternoon project, but a fun quality time with their dad. The kids then trimmed branches left over from the Advent Wreath we made last week- and inserted them into the plaster to serve as a forest. The neatest part
