Nine Lessons and Carols, All Saints Chapel, Sewanee, TN

For the last 5 years our family has driven up to Sewanee,TN to enjoy Lessons and Carols at All Saints on the campus of The University of the South. It is always bitter cold and you must get there an hour and a half early and wait outside to get a good seat for the service. Lessons and Carols were started in England in the 1880's, and is an annual event in many Anglican, Lutheran and Roman churches. Through nine readings (Lessons) of scripture from Genesis to the Gospels and Carols which correspond to the scripture the story of the advent of Christ is told. All Saints is an ancient looking cathedral, although it is not much more than 50 years old. The Sewanee choir sing the carols, many in Latin or German and the audience can sing some also. You can probably hear The Kings Choir perform this service from England on a Public radio station on Christmas Eve. Our Advent Season would not be complete without this tradition.

Florida Christmas Decorations

For the last two years I have had Thanksgiving at my in-laws in Florida. There is something so wrong about eating turkey then sitting on the beach. No icy rain as in Chattanooga. No hot chocolate by the fireplace. No regrets about not raking the leaves off the steps before guests arrive to eat. Both years I've been taken by the Christmas decorations in South Florida. Somehow reindeer on still green grass, wreaths on the front of yachts, lights wrapped around the trunks of palm trees are bizarrely incongruous. This year I sat by the pool as my daughter swam and watched the condo association decorate the pool area. If a Santa went by on a jet ski it would have been a nice touch.