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Christmas Memories

written by

Bethany Fisher

posted on

December 19, 2024

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Sometimes in the rush of the Christmas season, I have to remind myself to slow down and take in all the little things that make the season special. I tend to go from day to day checking off my lists, and I forget to stop and just enjoy the moment. But I’ve found it’s in those moments that the best memories lie.

Christmas is one of those times of the year that has so many good memories attached to it. Or, it’s the perfect time of year to create new memories and traditions for you and your loved ones to make the season special.

So today, we wanted to share with you the favorite memories from some of the folks here at Whiffletree. Grab a cup of hot chocolate or eggnog and some cookies, sit back and relax, and enjoy!

Christmas Memories from the Farm…

Jesse Straight

“Some of my favorite memories from growing up are the Christmas Eve service with all the candles in a big dark church, all the beloved Christmas books that came out each year, my mom's "monkey bread", playing with my family’s nativity set much like I would with playmobils/legos/etc.(camels and wise men were more likely to be in a Western-style battle with the shepherds–ha!), writing funny notes on the gifts for my siblings, the handful of classic Christmas movies we would watch each year, and just getting off from school!

Some of my favorite traditions now with my family: we love getting our tree from Oakshade Farm and just hanging out there a bit. We have lots of great Christmas books that we only bring out this time of year–and as a family we read “A Christmas Lie” and “Christmas Day in the Morning.”  I am a total sucker for both.  The kids and I like to go around to our neighbors on the morning of Christmas Eve and give out gifts and notes, and then decorate the tree in the evening.  I love the kids piling on our bed with their stockings early in the morning on Christmas Day, and then off to the 7:30 Mass!  And then I like how we try to do something a little special or fun on all 12 days of Christmas.. And watching the Muppets Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life (my absolute favorite movie)!”

Liz Straight

“My favorite part of Christmas growing up was that we woke up Christmas morning to find the house all decorated and the Christmas tree lit up. My parents did all of it in the night and told us that Santa did it for us. We had to wait at the top of the stairs and go down all together after my dad turned on all the lights and made sure everything was ready. I can’t imagine staying up late and doing all of that now that I am a parent, but it was truly magical and so much fun!

Now, my favorite part of Christmas is that we take it really easy that day. We eat tasty foods that we have made ahead of time, go to Mass either at midnight on Christmas Eve or early in the morning on Christmas Day, and then relax together enjoying our new gifts, favorite games, favorite Christmas movies, and taking walks around the farm.”

Carmen Ashwell

“I have lots of wonderful Christmas memories of my family, but something I look forward to every year is the Christmas cookies. Coming from a large family of home chefs and bakers, my family goes all out with Christmas cookies. We have easily up to 20 different types to try some years! I don’t remember what year it was exactly, but I baked 13 different types of Christmas cookies, and I love to watch my family try each one and hear their thoughts. It seems like almost every year we find a new favorite to be added into the regular rotation, but that list is getting bigger and bigger! And I love to eat Christmas cookies for weeks after Christmas!”

Elliot Anderson

One Christmas Eve, my family made ginger cookies, and we walked up and down our road in Wisconsin (3.5 miles) in the slushy snow, caroling to our neighbors.”

Bethany Fisher

“I have a few favorites from the Christmas season. My absolute favorite memory from Christmas happened a couple weeks before Christmas, when we would go pick out our Christmas tree. That day was as big as Christmas Day for us. We would go to the Christmas tree farm in the morning, trudge through the snow (I grew up in Minnesota, so we usually had a few snowfalls in early December!), find the perfect tree and cut it down to bring home. Then we would make an assortment of Christmas snacks, hot chocolate, cider, and homemade eggnog. In the evening, we would put on the same Christmas CD each year and decorate the tree and house while we ate all the goodies.

A couple other favorites…on Christmas Eve, we always watch a ‘Christmas Carol,’ and then my little sister and I grab our sleeping bags and sleep under the tree. (The reason is definitely not so we can spy on our Mom as she brings out wrapped gifts for under the tree…). And then homemade caramel rolls for Christmas brunch are the best!”

Anthony Schiano

“My favorite tradition would have to be the food! More specifically, the cake that we bake every Christmas. Fittingly named the “Jesus Cake,” it’s a coffee cake I look forward to every Christmas morning.”

What is your favorite Christmas memory or tradition? Let us know in the comments below!

Merry Christmas!

~Bethany

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A Tribute to Wendell Berry from a Farmer Who Didn't Listen to His Advice

A Tribute to Wendell Berry from a Farmer Who Didn't Listen to His Advice

If you didn't hear, Wendell Berry passed away yesterday. I am indebted to Berry. In 2005 I had just graduated from college, and Liz and I were just married. And I was floundering a bit. Eager to set to some good work and to make a good life, but at a loss as to how to go about that. In terms of work and career I was all over the place--maybe med school, maybe seminary, maybe start a music festival, maybe go into audio documentary, maybe.... A friend of Liz and mine had recently spent a week visiting Berry, and sent us his short novel, A World Lost. We read it and loved it! It bit me. I was hooked. I read all of Berry's fiction that year. I read any chance I got--I remember reading at red lights. It was his vision of the good life and his critique of our modern life that captured my imagination. A big point of his is that fundamentally humans are happiest when their lives are as integrated as possible. I will get into what that means. But in contradiction to that, modern society has us "dis-integrated"--people don't live where they grew up, families don't live near each other, home and work are disconnected, children's lives and adult lives are disconnected, people are disconnected from food production, the work of the home is outsourced--no one makes anything at their home--it is only a place of ready-made consumption. Modernity is about specialization and outsourcing; and therefore dis-integration. And this has been an effective way to generate cash-wealth. If we all max our earning potential, and outsource all the work we can pay someone else to do more cheaply, then our bank accounts are ahead. So while this modern life has generated lots of cash-wealth, it has not done such a good job of making people happy. And Berry's point is that human lives are most full and most happy when they have this level of humane integratedness, rootedness, connection, localized knowledge, intimacy with your people and place; and when all the parts of your life are all intermeshed as possible--children, work, religion, home-making, neighbors, extended family, and your 3rd grade teacher are all mixed up and jumbled up in inter-crossing lines of familiarity and connection. This made a lot of sense to me, and caught me by the heart. I wanted this life of intimacy, connection, rootedness, care, friendship. That was step 1. Step 2 was coming across Joel Salatin's writings. Berry was the poet that wooed me to this idea of a good life. Salatin was the technician who laid out a compelling and reasonable plan for a novice like me to get into regenerative farming, do some good by healing land/animals/people, and actually provide a living for my family. So after doing a bunch of reading, and befriending farmers like Salatin, I decided I want to write a thank you letter to Berry. In my 1st letter I thank Berry for all his writings and let him know how he has benefited me, and let him know that I am making moves to get into regenerative farming. He sends back the below letter which is very kind and all, but essentially tells me to not go into full time farming. Ha! I remember reading that aghast, and a little angry--"this Berry guy thinks I am a fool and naive and have no idea what I am getting into--well, I will show him!" was about what I was thinking. So I take a deep breath, cool off a bit and write him back--pushing back and saying all the ways I have done my due diligence, and how I have a reasonable plan (and essentially, that "I am not a fool and naive, and I am a big grown up boy, thank you very much!"--Ha!). He then sends me back his very Berry-esque letter, which says essentially--"hey if you really want to get into farming, my advice isn't going to stop you." So Berry. Well, fast forward about 3 years from that letter. Liz and I had moved from Charlottesville back to my hometown of Warrenton (a very Berry-inspired move to be back in my hometown and near my family), and we had started Whiffletree Farm. I was working part time doing handyman work, while getting the farm business going. Berry had just published a new book of poetry and was making a reading stop at UVA. A friend involved with his stop at UVA invited us to a VIP reading. We went, and it was great. And then afterwards, there was some time where I could go up and speak to Berry. I went up and reminded him who I was and about our exchange of letters. And I told him how I was executing on this plan to ease into full time regenerative farming, with the handyman business, without going into debt, and how the farm business was growing, and that pretty soon we would be able to go full time. To this day, I can remember his reaction. It is a highlight of my life. He pumped his arm and said emphatically, "YES! This is how you have to do it!" It was my hero slapping me on the back. Major tingles. I was flying so high. My life could have gone in a lot of directions--some not so great. I was a pretty confused young man, and looking for direction. Liz and I are so grateful to Berry for his influence on us--his challenge to resist the current of modernity that prioritizes cash-wealth, and instead to go after an integrated life that prioritizes rootedness, connection, stability, sacrifice, friendship, care. It is still a daily challenge, but worth the fight! God bless Wendell Berry. Jesse Straight

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Whiffletree Farm

8717 Springs Road
Warrenton VA 20186
(540) 935-0600

info@whiffletreefarmva.com

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