Advent 2025 Posts
December 1st
Christmas Mouse Decorating the Tree ‘Tis the season to decorate! This little mouse is a pre-fired piece of ceramic that I painted in the Craft Center at Brigham Young University in the summer of 1981. In those days, the Craft Center was located downstairs in…
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December 2nd
I don’t remember when I got this small (less than 2 inches beak to tail) hand-painted wooden bird, but I know I have had it since I was a little girl. We lived in an adobe house in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It had a big…
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December 3rd
Though dated 1980, this rocking horse wasn’t completed until 1981. It hung on the tree for Stephen’s first Christmas. I doubt he remembers the event because he was not quite 3 months old, but he does know that is his horse. He is patiently waiting…
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December 4th
A miniature gumball machine! The stand is actually made of metal and is heavy for its size. The dome is acrylic and filled with glass seed beads as the gumballs – very clever. It came from a Secret Santa gift exchange, so the giver remains…
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December 5th
Fort Hood, Texas was our first active duty station after Layden was commissioned as an Army Chaplain in 1995. We were there for a total of 4 years. One year Layden decided it would be great fun to set up our video camcorder to record…
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December 6th
December 6th is the feast day of Saint Nicholas, a 4th century early Christian bishop known for his generosity, kindness to children, and secret gift-giving. Many countries in Europe, such as Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Ukraine, celebrate this day. The most common way is…
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December 7th
Today is the 2nd Sunday of Advent. In general Protestant religions, Advent Sundays anticipate the weeks before Christ’s birth through worship services focused on the events preceding Christ’s birth, including reading scripture, singing Christmas hymns and carols, and lighting candles – one for each Sunday…
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December 8th
Layden was the Brigade Chaplain for the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. Most of his time in this assignment was spent on a 15-month deployment to Iraq, November 2007-January 2009. This particular period is called The Surge, and was a time when troop…
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December 9th
Mix and Match Nutcracker has been a favorite ornament over the years. It is the one most often removed from the tree because it is great fun to mix up the heads and bodies of the four different nutcrackers. The first actual nutcrackers were simple…
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December 10th
The Nutcracker, Clara, and the Mouse King More about nutcrackers: In 1816, a German writer named E.T.A. Hoffmann became enchanted with the nutcrackers being made in the Erzgebirge region of Germany. Hoffmann was a fantasy and Gothic horror writer. In 1816 he decided to write…
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December 11th
This ornament commemorates the release of the 2001 New York state quarter. In 1999 the US Mint began issuing commemorative quarters – 5 per year – for the 50 states. 2001 included New York. Ironically, this was also the year when the US was attacked…
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December 12th
This charming straw ornament was picked up years ago by Sarah in Santa Fe, NM. It has proven to be remarkably sturdy over the years, and has been witness to many memorable Christmases, including the one that we call the QVC Christmas. It was the…
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December 13th
Christmas in Germany is a magical time of year. One of our favorite things to do while we were stationed there was to go to the Weihnachtsmarkt or Christmas Markets. In the south of Germany these are also called Christkindlmarkt. Most towns in Germany will…
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December 14th
Glass Dreidel Wait a minute – what is a dreidel doing in the middle of Christmas ornaments? Isn’t this a thing for Hanukkah? Yes – yes it is. A dreidel is a 4-sided top used in a traditional game of chance played during the 8-night…
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December 15th
Teeny Tiny Christmas Book This 1 1/2 inch square book that we picked up at a German Christmas market is charming. When the book is open all the way, magnets in the front and back covers connect, turning it into a Christmas ornament. Each section…
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December 16th
Northern Cardinal We picked this ornament up while we were living in North Carolina while we were stationed at Fort Bragg. We transferred there from Hawaii. It took a while to get adjusted because we loved Hawaii, but we learned to appreciate our new surroundings,…
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December 17th
Another bird tale: The Black Forest region of Germany, (part of Bavaria, southeastern Germany) is famous for producing cuckoo clocks. They are made in all sizes, some very simple and some ornately carved and painted. No matter the size, they all include a little wooden…
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December 18th
These ornaments are among our very favorites. Our oldest daughter, who continually amazes her Dad with her talents and generosity, helped her children make these snowman ornaments for us. Each snowman is actually the handprint of one of our grandchildren! She got some paint and…
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December 19th
Danish Christmas Heart This ornament is made out of red and white paper woven together to form a small basket or envelope. They are a tradition in Denmark, most often made by families to decorate their tree. They are usually filled with candies or other…
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December 20th
This is a string or garland of Danish flags, called danneborg (dan-a-bro, which translates to Danish cloth) Traditionally these are made of paper and are the last decoration to be placed on the Christmas tree. The use of flag garlands began about 1848 during the…
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December 21st
Two for One Today is the 4th Sunday of Advent, represented by the angel, and also the Winter Solstice, represented by the sun. The angel is a clay-fired ornament with white glaze and hand-painted details. Originally made in Mexico, I picked this up in Santa…
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December 22nd
Two More When Layden and I were young children we would wait impatiently for the Christmas specials to air on TV. At the time there was no such thing as a DVD or a video tape, and certainly no streaming. Most of the country had…
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December 23rd
When I was in college, one of the ways I earned money was to sell Avon. This is when it was a door-to-door operation. About every two weeks I would get a stack of the current catalog along with samples of new cosmetics and other…
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December 24th Christmas Eve
Well, here it is – Christmas Eve! Santa’s big scene. The night before Christmas, though generally through my house it is not as quiet as a mouse. It is often a busy day. This was especially true for the years when Layden served as a…
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December 25th Christmas Day
It is here! Christmas Day!!! For some of you, the morning may have started off early with eager young children anxious to see what has been left for them under the tree. For others it may have gotten off to a more leisurely start. However…
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December 26th
One of our favorite things in December is sending and receiving Christmas cards. Not digital ones, but real ones, with stamps, pretty or festive designs – maybe even with glittery snow – and perhaps a newsletter or photo enclosed as well. Christmas cards became the…
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December 27th
A Tale of a Dog & Apples These paper mache apples covered in a shiny glaze were an after-Christmas purchase – a plastic container of 20 on sale cheap. They look great on the Christmas tree and are perfect for hanging on the lower branches…
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December 28th
Another Dog Tail This small ceramic ornament is part of the Hallmark ornament collection. We got it because we had a brown dog named Ginger. We got her in Utah, moved her with us to Texas for our first full-time Army assignment, and then to…
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December 29th
From the Jell-O Museum, Leroy New York What? A Jell-O museum? Yup. A Jell-O museum. We encountered this place on a trip we made to Toronto to attend a conference for Layden. At the time, we were stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. We decided…
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December 30th
Australia! We got these ornaments when we visited our son who lives in Australia. These ones came from our first visit there, when he was living in Sydney. We got to do all sorts of things – visit the Sydney Opera House (one of my…
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December 31st
I hope you have enjoyed this brief journey of nostalgia and family history. For the last day of 2025 I chose this mercury glass ornament. It is one we picked up in Poland. Whenever I hang this ornament on the tree I think of a…
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Publication and A Reading
My poem, Inapposite Inquiry: Did Your Husband Kill Anyone in Iraq?, was selected for publication in Volume 14 of Proud To Be: Writing buy American Warriors. It also received an honourable mention. Many thanks to Missouri Humanities and Green Tower Press for this opportunity to be on the pages of this premier publication of military-themed…
Poem – Proud To Be Vol 14
Many thanks to the Missouri Humanities and Greentower Press for the honor of being published in this excellent journal.
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Recommended Reading
I have posted a review of this book on Amazon and Goodreads. I am posting the review here as well because I think it is an excellent resource, whether you are writing for yourself, mentoring, or teaching. In her latest book, The Wounded Line: A…
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Here We Go – Again
Hi there. I have been reviewing some of my writing and came across a personal essay that was picked up by The War Horse, a great site that publishes stories, essay, and journalism related to the true costs of war and military service. I wrote…
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First Bandelier Poem is Out in the World!
Many thanks to Arvilla Fee for accepting 3 of my poems and 1 photograph in the first issue of Soul Poetry, Prose and Art Magazine. My poems are on pp 23-25. Here is the link: https://soulpoetry7.com/soul-poetry-prose-arts-magazine-issue-1-volume-1-upon-these-wings/ The poem on page 24, Abert’s Squirrel, is the…
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Artist-in-Residence Signing Out
Yesterday was my glorious gift of one more day. I savored sharing this wonderful place with my supportive and patient husband. He came here to keep me company on the long drive home, not realizing that once he was here I was home already…. But,…
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The Gift of One More Day
When I arrived in Bandelier on September 1st, I knew I would have to leave on September 30th, which means I knew exactly my allotted time. Somehow, knowing a fixed date makes each day seem valuable and precious. And, as those days draw to a…
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So Little Time…
It is the 29th of September, my penultimate day as the Artist in Residence here at Bandelier National Monument. It has been a marvelous month, rich with experiences, sights, sounds, and the wonderful people here that have made my time so rewarding. With all that…
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Autumn in the Canyon
Fall has arrived on the Pajarito plateau. Aspens on the higher elevations of the Jemez mountains to the west and north are gracing the hills with brilliant spots of color. The grasses in the Valles Caldera are fading from greens to a variety of bronze…
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Slow Going
As mentioned in a previous post, I have an injury. It has had an impact on my time here in Bandelier. There are things here I simply can’t do, like climbing 140 feet of long ladders and stairs to Alcove House. It is the sort…
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How I Got Into Trouble In Zion
I have a long-standing affection for hiking, backpacking, and exploring the natural world on foot and independently. I also am a big fan of the National Park system and all the opportunities and experiences it offers. When setting out for adventure, it was my habit…
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Cultural Ties
The Artist-in-Residence program gives visitors to Bandelier a chance to meet and engage with different kinds of artists. Today I had the opportunity to teach some mini writing workshops here in the park. I enjoyed having the chance to share my craft and encourage participants…
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Book Spine Poetry
Bandelier has a research library! It is small but full of all sorts of books on lots of topics such as Bandelier, archaeology, park history, natural history, human history, New Mexico, Pueblo cultures, children’s books, fiction, poetry, and others. I was hoping to find something…
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The Writing Life – Another Peek
The purpose of the Artist in Residence program here at Bandelier is to give artists, in my case a creative writer, the chance to pursue their craft in the unique environment of this canyon. There is much to experience here. Exploring the park and neighboring…
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A Fiery Past
Frijoles Canyon, which is part of the Pajarito Plateau, was formed by an enormous volcanic eruption about 1.25 million years ago. The ash and cinders from this eruption have been found in Kansas, Texas, and other states, travelling as far East as the Mississippi River.…
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9/11
Where were you when the towers came down? That’s a common question on this date. I was on the floor of our quarters in Mannheim, Germany, my husband stateside for required Army training as I scrunched against the couch, arm clutching our dog to my…
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Family Ties
This weekend my brother Dan and his wife Linda came to visit me here in Bandelier (sorry Linda – I didn’t get a picture of us). Dan and I haven’t been here together for decades – I think I was about nine and he was…
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A Glimpse Into The Writing Life
I realize the tag on this site says “Dispatches From A Writing Life” which is a very idyllic-sounding sort of life to have. I also realize I have said very little about it, so here is a peek. One of the ways I process experiences…
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People You Meet
One of the more interesting things I have been able to do with my time as an Artist in Residence is to hang out in various places in the park and chat with people. Visitors to Bandelier come from all over the United States and…
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Hatch Chile Season
Hatch, New Mexico is famous for it’s chiles. It used to be that you had to go to Hatch, or someplace close by, to get them, but now they are widely exported. I think they are best in their home state, fresh roasted during chile…
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Safe and Secure
When the park is open for visitors, chatter and laughter combine with bird song and cell phone tones join the rasp and buzz of insects. The shuttle bus arrives every 20 minutes with a hydraulic sigh. A few cars come and go, doors squeak open…
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Hello!
It’s official! My time as Artist in Residence at Bandelier National Monument began today. After a somewhat harrowing drive (who would have guessed that after a long, dry Texas summer it would rain buckets and sheets as I made my way west) I arrived safely…
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Sarah T. Colby 