I fondly remember the Christmas’s that my children strung together plain popcorn and fresh cranberries into long, colorful swags to hang on the tree, along the mantelpiece, or in the windows. After the holidays we hung the strings outside for the birds to enjoy.

And we’ve turned many an old holiday card into gift tags, fancy tree ornaments and colorful paper chains. (In fact some of those paper chains from yesteryear are hanging on our tree this year!)

I also remember the time my Brownie troop made a cookie exchange: I asked each child to bring a big batch of cookies (rolled cookies, bar cookies, drop cookies, or decorated cookies—whatever was their favorite). We had such a wonderful, yummy assortment! (And many shared their recipes.) Each child brought a container to take cookies home (plastic freezer bags, tins or sealable plastic containers with waxed paper or parchment for separating layers of cookies). We also delivered cookies to the local senior home…

I’ll never forget the warm hugs we received from residents who were by themselves. We even hung out with a few – and played cards or helped with puzzles.

Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My Friend
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