I am probably a little biased but for me there is nothing quite as special as a country Christmas and I know for certain there are three other bloggers who feel the same way. Today the four of us country girls are sharing the heart of our Country Christmas with you.
You will find all of the links at the end of this post where other Country stories are being shared by some lovely ladies.
I am not just a little bit country, I am all the way country in my heart and when you see this photo you will see why it is true.
Mom, Dad, Sandra and I lived on this slice of heaven in the farm country of Idaho.
It was a gentle life founded on the principles of love Jesus, honor your Mom and Dad, work hard, play hard and be thankful. Very simple and yet it worked beautifully and resulted in not wanting much and being grateful for most everything.
Sundays were for Church, followed by a country-style dinner and a very special dessert.
I always looked forward to Sunday for all sorts of reason, but one was my parents always took Sunday off and that meant special things might just happen.
Even in the Winter farmers work, they have shops where they work on all of their farm equipment to get it ready for the next season. So that meant that Dad would still work, and Mom being the capable woman she was would often times help him- but not ever on Sunday.
Winters in Idaho were fabulous for a kid, there was sledding to be done, snowmen that just had to be made and of course ice-skating on all of the sloughs that snaked through the countryside.
I remember the year I received those magical skates.They were white and I had just finished reading Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates and imagined myself skating from the beginning of those icy waterways to the very end. I just knew an adventure was in the making, I was sort of a female Tom Sawyer.
On that white winter Sunday morning us girls had gone to Church while Dad stayed behind. Dad wasn't much for going to Church-he figured that since he kept a can of Copenhagen chew in his back pocket and had an Olympia beer now and again he wasn't getting in to heaven anyway.
So he kept an eye on the Sunday roast while we were away.
Mom had made an extra special dessert on this Sunday and she named it Cherries Jubilee. I know now that it wasn't really Cherries Jubilee but it sure was a jubilee to sample it.
We finished our meal and I was itching the entire time to get those skates on and get to business skating up the frozen waterways.
If you have never skated on "real ice," it's a different bird, its rough and often times the snow has to be swept off by hand with a broom before you can even begin to think of skating on it.
Once the dishes were done one of the most glorious surprises of my childhood Country Christmas was about to occur.
My Mom and Dad slipped on ice-skates that I had never seen before, to this day I do not know where they got them from or where they went after wards.
Even more of a mystery to me at the time was that they both knew how to ice-skate!
Dad's were old, brown and tattered and Mom's were not any better.
The three of us skated until our ankles hurt so terribly we could not skate one more inch.
My Dad was a pretty serious fellow, but on that sunshine infused, magical country Christmas sort of day he laughed more than I had ever seen him laugh before.
The three of us had a jubilee on ice and we looked as though we had stepped straight out of Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates and all of my Christmas wishes really had came true.
Sharing my Mom's Cherry Jubilee recipe, its super sweet and rich, but it sure is pretty!
Cherries Jubilee
Ingredients:
1 Can cherry pie filling
1 8 oz container cool-whip thawed 1 8 oz. package of cream cheese softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 graham cracker crust
Directions:
Combine softened cream cheese and cool whip with an electric mixer.
Add sugar and mix until well Incorporated.
Scoop into prepared graham cracker pie crust.
Top with cherry pie filling and chill for several hours.
I loved reading your memories today, Jemma. I can just picture your sweet little family loving that beautiful day. Your home looks so pretty and I'd love a bite of Cherries Jubilee!
All your decorations look so beautiful! And I love your sweet memories. What a special, magical day for you and a precious memory to hold onto forever topped with that yummy Cherries Jubilee! Have a wonderful week! Hugs, Cecilia
Beautiful and you wrote this in such a neat way I could picture the actual event. Enjoyed and thanks for sharing a neat story. Time with family is priceless..
Your description was so vivid I could see it all unfold! I could see you all out there! Thanks for sharing such a sweet story. Those moments shaped who you are! Your decorating is beautiful! And the pie looks yummy! It seems like you're going all out this Christmas! How fun!
What a fun story and this recipe is getting pinned for future use. I love that you all shared this on Monday. These stories have warmed my heart and put a big smile on my face. A perfect way to start the week.
What great memories, Jemma. I found a copy of the Silver Skates last year in my vintage shopping, but you brought the story to life. A treasure, for certain.
What wonderful holiday memories, Jemma. Oh, and the decorations you have to recall all this just make my heart sing. I'm especially in love with the fabulous gate with the greens and the beautiful skates! Lovely in every way!
Jemma, What great memories of your childhood farm life. To have your skates must bring back every Christmas your special memory skating with your parents, keeping them close in your heart.
This Country Christmas Memory blog tour has been one of my favorite tours to be part of. So glad to be sharing with you, Carole, and Jane.
What a beautiful Christmas story, full of country goodness and amazing memories. Thrilled you shared your memories with us. Your Christmas decor is so pretty. The skates are lovely. I never was a good ice skater...LOL. I am a California girl, so roller skating was my thing. Many blessings to you sweet Jemma. xo
What a charming story, Jemma. Sometimes the most wonderful part of the holidays and sitting quietly and letting those memories steep up to the top...thank you for sharing! :)
What a lovely memory! Thank you ever so much for sharing it with us! I am visiting you from Carole's blog. So happy to meet you! And, your Mom's recipe looks amazing...I just pinned it and plan to make it for my husband and son. :)
Hi Jemma, what a wonderful memory. I remember skating on frozen lakes as a kid with my folks & brother. Your pictures are beautiful and I love the skates and little elf! Now to the recipe...anything with cream cheese is yummy! I'll be trying this and it looks easy which I like. Wishing you a wonderful Christmas, xo
What a wonderful story. My parents were a lot like yours--except my dad was a lot older- 53 when I was born. Living on a farm like you did meant there was always work to do but,like your folks, we did not do anything on Sunday except the necessities...milking and cleaning the barn. We ice skated on the pond or the beaver dam..and my cousins and I would each walk about 2 miles to meet at the beaver dam to skate...and sometimes it was bumpy and rough--rarely ever frozen completely smooth. Wonderful memories here. I used to make that pie and had kind of forgotten about it. Time to resurrect it, I think. Happy week to you- xo Diana
Enjoyed reading your post, brings back good memories of IA winters as a kid, and thank you for the recipe, had to pin it to save (& share) for later! xo
Darling friend, for some reason, this has to be one of my FAVORITE posts of yours. I don't know why, but you hit a nerve in me this morning. I grew up in quite the opposite environment from you: in the inner city of Los Angeles. My Christmases were VERY special, thanks to the details and small generosities of my family, but being a dreamer, I always dreamed of a country Christmas, with snow and all the play that a child experiences with nature. First of all, I LOVE those little skates! And secondly, there is no place like being with nature for any season. A country Christmas, enjoying all the culinary bounty and environmental pleasures, that in itself is a gift. I love the values as well taught through a simpler life....bless you and all the memories you have to share!
Your childhood sounds perfect. We live in the country now but our little town is so weird. They don't do a lot of Christmas stuff. It makes me sad because I long for it for my family.
We make up for it on our own.
Your home looks lovely and I love hearing about your childhood.
The Cherries Jubilee looks amazing. Oh, I wish I could have a taste of it. Such wonderful memories of your mom and dad living in the farm country and the three of you ice skating! When I was in junior high, my best friend at the time took me ice skating. And Yes, it's something you definitely have to get used to, but it was so much fun! I like those little ice skates ornament. It must bring back the best memories for you, Jemma. Christmas in Idaho sounds dreamy.
I loved reading these beautiful memories of your childhood! I grew up ice skating on ponds with my dad, too ~ he was a semi-pro hockey player from Canada. :-)
Jemma, I have wanted to hear more about your childhood on the farm ever since you said you had grown up on a potato farm, so thank you for this beautiful story about it. I felt as if I were viewing your life there in person. And I know "your kind of people," grew up with them, the bedrock of our country. And I made that pie in my young married days! Thank you for reminding me of it.
I loved reading your memories today, Jemma. I can just picture your sweet little family loving that beautiful day. Your home looks so pretty and I'd love a bite of Cherries Jubilee!
ReplyDeleteAll your decorations look so beautiful! And I love your sweet memories. What a special, magical day for you and a precious memory to hold onto forever topped with that yummy Cherries Jubilee! Have a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Cecilia
Beautiful and you wrote this in such a neat way I could picture the actual event. Enjoyed and thanks for sharing a neat story. Time with family is priceless..
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful memories shared. Your decor is looking so pretty. That Cherries Jubilee looks really yummy.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Week.
Hugs,
Kris
Your description was so vivid I could see it all unfold! I could see you all out there! Thanks for sharing such a sweet story. Those moments shaped who you are! Your decorating is beautiful! And the pie looks yummy! It seems like you're going all out this Christmas! How fun!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post, Jemma! You told the story so well that I could vividly imagine it all unfolding. What wonderful memories!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun story and this recipe is getting pinned for future use. I love that you all shared this on Monday. These stories have warmed my heart and put a big smile on my face. A perfect way to start the week.
ReplyDeleteWhat great memories, Jemma. I found a copy of the Silver Skates last year in my vintage shopping, but you brought the story to life. A treasure, for certain.
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful holiday memories, Jemma. Oh, and the decorations you have to recall all this just make my heart sing. I'm especially in love with the fabulous gate with the greens and the beautiful skates! Lovely in every way!
ReplyDeleteJemma,
ReplyDeleteWhat great memories of your childhood farm life. To have your skates must bring back every Christmas your special memory skating with your parents, keeping them close in your heart.
This Country Christmas Memory blog tour has been one of my favorite tours to be part of. So glad to be sharing with you, Carole, and Jane.
Judith
Jemma, your Christmas decorations are so lovely and what a wonderful childhood memory! Blessings, Cecilia
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful Christmas story, full of country goodness and amazing memories. Thrilled you shared your memories with us. Your Christmas decor is so pretty. The skates are lovely. I never was a good ice skater...LOL. I am a California girl, so roller skating was my thing. Many blessings to you sweet Jemma. xo
ReplyDeleteJemma how wonderful to grow up in a winter wonderland! I was freezing just reading you sweet story!
ReplyDeleteWhat a charming story, Jemma. Sometimes the most wonderful part of the holidays and sitting quietly and letting those memories steep up to the top...thank you for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely memory! Thank you ever so much for sharing it with us! I am visiting you from Carole's blog. So happy to meet you! And, your Mom's recipe looks amazing...I just pinned it and plan to make it for my husband and son. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jemma, what a wonderful memory. I remember skating on frozen lakes as a kid with my folks & brother. Your pictures are beautiful and I love the skates and little elf! Now to the recipe...anything with cream cheese is yummy! I'll be trying this and it looks easy which I like. Wishing you a wonderful Christmas, xo
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful story. My parents were a lot like yours--except my dad was a lot older- 53 when I was born. Living on a farm like you did meant there was always work to do but,like your folks, we did not do anything on Sunday except the necessities...milking and cleaning the barn.
ReplyDeleteWe ice skated on the pond or the beaver dam..and my cousins and I would each walk about 2 miles to meet at the beaver dam to skate...and sometimes it was bumpy and rough--rarely ever frozen completely smooth.
Wonderful memories here.
I used to make that pie and had kind of forgotten about it. Time to resurrect it, I think. Happy week to you- xo Diana
Enjoyed reading your post, brings back good memories of IA winters as a kid, and thank you for the recipe, had to pin it to save (& share) for later! xo
ReplyDeleteDarling friend, for some reason, this has to be one of my FAVORITE posts of yours. I don't know why, but you hit a nerve in me this morning. I grew up in quite the opposite environment from you: in the inner city of Los Angeles. My Christmases were VERY special, thanks to the details and small generosities of my family, but being a dreamer, I always dreamed of a country Christmas, with snow and all the play that a child experiences with nature. First of all, I LOVE those little skates! And secondly, there is no place like being with nature for any season. A country Christmas, enjoying all the culinary bounty and environmental pleasures, that in itself is a gift. I love the values as well taught through a simpler life....bless you and all the memories you have to share!
ReplyDeleteYour childhood sounds perfect. We live in the country now but our little town is so weird. They don't do a lot of Christmas stuff. It makes me sad because I long for it for my family.
ReplyDeleteWe make up for it on our own.
Your home looks lovely and I love hearing about your childhood.
The Cherries Jubilee looks amazing. Oh, I wish I could have a taste of it. Such wonderful memories of your mom and dad living in the farm country and the three of you ice skating! When I was in junior high, my best friend at the time took me ice skating. And Yes, it's something you definitely have to get used to, but it was so much fun! I like those little ice skates ornament. It must bring back the best memories for you, Jemma. Christmas in Idaho sounds dreamy.
ReplyDeletelove, ~Sheri
What a great memory. Thanks for sharing it and your mom's yummy recipe.
ReplyDeleteThis is just lovely.
ReplyDeleteWhat sweet memories.
I love the family connection of memories, special food, and special memories.
There is nothing better!
I loved reading these beautiful memories of your childhood! I grew up ice skating on ponds with my dad, too ~ he was a semi-pro hockey player from Canada. :-)
ReplyDeleteSuch a sweet memory and a sweet dessert! I do remember going to the local skating rink and just ice skating all night...it was always magical.
ReplyDeleteJemma, I have wanted to hear more about your childhood on the farm ever since you said you had grown up on a potato farm, so thank you for this beautiful story about it. I felt as if I were viewing your life there in person. And I know "your kind of people," grew up with them, the bedrock of our country. And I made that pie in my young married days! Thank you for reminding me of it.
ReplyDelete