DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

    The holidays are filled with joyful emotions and honored traditions, including the playing of songs about snowmen, St. Nick, evergreen trees, and presents wrapped up with big bows. No matter how you celebrate the season, you'll hear these songs on the radio, T.V., at the mall, in the office, and just about anywhere music is played.     If you think the same songs are played over and over, you're right, but if this bothers you, consider the alternative: Christmas carols were banned in England between 1649 and 1660. Oliver Cromwell, serving as Lord Protector of Britain, believed Christmas should be solemn and also banned parties, limiting celebration to sermons and prayer services.     Lots of holiday songs are festive, many have spiritual overtones, and all are played so often that they are familiar no matter what your faith. But what do you know about how these songs were created and the people who wrote them?     There are some fascinating facts behind this mem

C hristmas in Wrocław, Poland                                   I’d been watching the city municipal workers assemble the rows of wooden stalls and the three-story Christmas tree in Wrocław’s town center since the middle of November. The outdoor Christmas market seemed like it was going to be a huge event. Sprawled across two lengths of the square, the builders worked just as hard at assembling as they did at shoveling the continually on-coming snow heralding the beginning of the Polish winter.    I knew the day the market opened by the smell. Fried  kielbasa,  baked gingerbread, and the distinct linger of hot mulled wine invited me in as I walked from my bus stop toward the building where I work. Luckily, the town square is positioned so that a detour through the market was, actually, right on the way.    I spent my first walk through the market hovering around the rows of stalls, and couldn’t resist the one selling warm mugs of spiced wine. The drink functio

Christmas Craft: Homemade Candy Canes Homemade cherry rainbow candy canes! My friend Heather taught me how to make homemade candy canes. Ours are so quirky and delicious, hand-twisted into all sizes - fat and stubby, tall and spindly. I love them. Have you ever wondered how they are made? It has never crossed my mind. Here's a little peek at how it works:    Candy Cane Recipe (Adapted from CandyCaneFacts.com.) 3 cups sugar   1 teaspoon Peppermint flavoring (or whatever flavor you have on hand. We made pink and cream striped creme  de   menthe  and rainbow striped cherry.)   1/2 cup water   3/4 cup light corn syrup   3/4 teaspoon food coloring   1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar   powdered sugar, for dusting   vegetable oil, for greasing pans and utensils   *You'll need a candy thermometer, latex gloves and a pair of tight-fitting knit gloves. DIRECTIONS: *Make sure you have read the instructions before you start. Also, s