Celebrations, Routines, & Traditions

Take your family on a nature walk and appreciate the beauty of the earth. Express your gratitude for this land and our freedoms. [photo from flickr.com]

We always had Thanksgiving dinner at my grandparent’s house with as many members of extended family as could attend. Every year my grandma made her delicious cheese pie, my favorite and most memorable dessert to this day. Food has a special power when it comes to memory making. For me, cheese pie doesn’t just taste … Read more

To encourage your family to remember the true purpose of the Thanksgiving holiday, get a receipt roll for each person and make a list of all the things they are grateful for that reaches from floor to ceiling. If you can do it, you get a treat! [picture from officeworld.com]

I was talking with my sisters-in-law about parenting and chores, and one of them had a great idea. She said she had heard of people giving their children a new responsibility on their birthday. For example, starting on your child’s 5th birthday, he would then be responsible for making his own bed. Previous to age … Read more

In generations past most people believed in witches. They believed there were special evil spirits that had given witches magical powers. Lady witches were usually quite old and very ugly. Witches were supposed to have two meetings a year. The most important meeting was on October 31. They often flew to this meeting on their … Read more

Katy Bratun c 2007 katybratun.com For centuries farmers and gardeners have fixed scarecrows to frighten birds and small animals from their gardens. In the New World the Indians and the Pilgrims used them too. Usually the scarecrow is put out as soon as the crop is planted. He stays all summer long. During harvest we … Read more

A treat for the whole family. 1 small to medium pumpkin 1 onion, chopped 2 T vegetable oil 1 1/2 to 2 lbs ground beef 2 T soy sauce 2 T brown sugar 1 (4-oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained 1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of chicken soup 1 1/2 c cooked rice 1 (8-oz.) can … Read more

An old Irish tale tells of a man, Stingy Jack, who as a young man tricked the devil. After his death he tried to get into heaven but was refused. The devil would not allow him to enter the lower world either. He threw Jack a hot ember. Jack caught it in a turnip. The … Read more

Some people feel that using a bedtime routine creates a dependency in a child that will keep him from falling asleep at night if anything in the routine is missing. My opinion is that no matter how simple, we all have bedtime routines. Humans are creatures of habit, and we all do certain things before … Read more