Haul Out the Holly

And grab the punch bowl while you’re at it

My look, or, if you prefer, “lewk” for this holiday season. Photo: British Vogue, 1956

However you’re feeling about the week that was, the brilliant

India Knight

’s funny, irreverent and wise words are just the thing. I’m still laughing about the defiled punch.

Five things

You can read the entire piece, and I hope you will, by clicking on the above. I was especially struck by this:

… not that finding comfort in small bits of joy is remotely frivolous, au contraire. It is SANITY…

— India Knight,

Home

It was a great reminder to me that you don’t need a permission slip to allow merriment, small comforts and sometimes downright silliness in — they are essential — especially during difficult times.

Inspired by this, along with my almost deranged love of the holidays, plus the lyrics of a Jerry Herman classic, I’ve decided to let my Christmas freak-flag fly early this year.

Haul out the Holly, put up the tree before my spirit falls again

Fill up the stocking, I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now

For we need a little music, need a little laughter, need a little singing ringing through the rafter

And we need a little snappy, happy ever after

We need a little Christmas now

— from We Need a Little Christmas, 1966, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, from the musical Mame

I’m decorating my tree this weekend, Chicago is already airing non-stop Christmas music at 96.9 Lite Fm (https://939litefm.iheart.com) and I’m having a hot toddy that I’m calling the Frivolity Chaser.

Hot Toddy. Photo: Jolene

Since we opened this post with punch, also pictured in this boozy tableaux is the terrific book Punch by David Wondrich. I wrote about it earlier this year, and I’m taking a second look at some of the vintage punch recipes within that I might want to make this season.

To make this particular hot toddy I used a recipe from Jameson’s : 2 lemon slices that steep in 3oz of hot water for a few minutes; 1 tsp of honey — or 2tsp is you like it sweeter. They don’t specify amount for the whiskey, so I used the smaller side of a jigger which is 0.75 ounces; finally, add more boiling water to fill the 8oz mug. Enjoy. ✨

Advent

Detail from my vintage Advent Calendar. Photo: Jolene

I’ve already started working on the Time Travel Kitchen Advent Calendar which will debut on December 1st and run through the 24th, with lots of delicious goodies and history, tiny snippets and surprises each day.

The four Sunday posts will be slightly longer as I introduce the traditional themes at the beginning of each week of Advent: Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. ✨

I was writing back and forth this week with my friend, poet

@AmyRazeghi

, who writes so beautifully at

Constellations In Her Bones

. She signed off with this, and I just love it.

On to the next wild wave, the next verse.

And I’ll sign off with the legend Angela Lansbury singing We Need a Little Christmas from the original cast album for Mame in 1966. Take care, everyone. ❤️

Jolene