Sun Chant

In my yoga class today, we chanted "Saria" which means "sun".  We closed our eyes and imagined the sun warming us while slowly singing the word Sar-i-a. Okay, I felt a little silly but I convinced myself it was a good breathing exercise. I also figured it wouldn't hurt to try to feel the warmth of the sun, if only in my head. In these short cold dark days of English winter, any little bit helps. When we came out of class, there was the sun! Maybe we invoked the sun gods?

Advent Calendars

Something new I've discovered living over here is Advent Calendars.  I'm sure they exist back home but they are really a big deal in England, especially among children. It's a way to countdown to Christmas by having a surprise to open each day.  Usually behind each day's window there is a chocolate candy with a picture of a Christmas symbol.  Last year, as Lexi and I would drive to school each morning in December, her favorite radio station, Capital, would have a segment where a child would phone in ready to open their advent calendar window for the day live on the air.  First the kids would say what type of calendar they had such as "Polly Pocket", or "Hello Kitty" or "Gingerbread House". They never seemed to be religious. Then the drama unfolded as the kid would announce what item they just uncovered. "It's a stocking" (pronounced stawkin). Or "It's a candy cane" or a kitty (ki-ee).  The kids were so cute with their very british accents.

So this year I decided to buy Lexi her own Advent Calendar. The one I chose was Santa's Joke calendar.  What was I thinking?  She's wanting to know where the chocolate is!  Oh well, some of the jokes were cute, some we just didn't get.  "What did the biscuit say when it got run over?  Oh crumbs! Huh?  How does an intruder get into your house?  Intruder window!  Ha!

Here's a picture of our calendar:

They even sell Advent Calendars for your dog with dog treats inside:

Of course we bought one. Here are Jack and Ginger eagerly awaiting their daily Advent treat:

Gotta love that Advent!

Amen and Alleluia

I attended New Year's Eve Mass at a beautiful old church in Saalbach, Austria during our recent ski trip.

I'm not much of a skier so I let hubby and kids do the ski thing while I wandered the village and discovered the quaint church right next to our hotel.  The distinctive custard yellow building with an onion-shaped dome atop its steeple is like the centerpiece of the village. Where ever I walked, I had a view of it.

See the church?

I had stopped in to look at the church earlier in the week and noticed how beautiful it was.  But I was awe-struck when I attended an actual Mass there. Every candle on the altar was lit. Christmas decorations were still up and the Christmas trees were lit. The organ played beautiful music, even some Christmas songs, gotta love the Catholics, they keep Christmas alive until after the New Year.  The church was full of worshippers, even some straight off the ski slopes. The Mass was in German so the only words I recognized were "Amen" and "Alleluia".  I thought right then, what a great title for my next blog!

Balconies and organ at back of church

Church cemetery with Christmas trees on each grave

Church peeking out behind our Hotel