Plaasabilities

A few years ago a lady from Oak Ridge, TN took inspiration from a childhood Christmas tradition in her home and co-authored the now famous "Elf on the Shelf" book. When I first heard about Carol Aebersold's elf book last year I chuckled at it's meteoric rise to fame. "It's not new," I thought, "I've had a red pixie in my Christmas Tree for most of my life." Now a bit battered from decades of affection, it's my most cherished Christmas ornament. Why? Because of what this little pixie represents. It was in December 50 some odd years ago that my sister, Stephanie, and I were hospitalized in Reno, Nevada to have pesky tonsils removed. Stephanie, the sensitive artist, and yours truly, the grounded realist, reacted to the experience quite differently. For years after my mother delightedly told the story of how her two daughters reacted to the imaginative tales told by the hospital priest. Stephanie was enchanted; I told him he was wrong ...

Isabella  I was pleasantly surprised by a visit from two of my nephews, their wives, and two of my great-nieces today. We had several hours together, just hanging out and talking. Well, you know me, that would be talking and taking pictures of the kids. I love all my nieces and nephews. Being an aunt is the greatest thing ever. Nothing brings me more joy than "auntie time." I'm grateful for wonderful nieces and nephews who generously share their lives and families with me so I have lots of family too. I am so blessed! Alina Isabella and Alina

 I was digging around in the corners of bookcases, old files, and boxes last night in hope of locating my favorite cheesecake recipe. I did not find the recipe but I located many other "lost" things, including a sizable stash of family photos. I had removed these photos from their acid-laden toxic albums, protected them with archival papers, and slipped them into protective sleeves for safe-keeping. I promptly forgot where they were, but they were "safe." When mother passed away in August I was encouraged to gather photos for a video to be shown during the viewing. Knowing my mother wouldn't like such a display and not having the time nor energy to locate the photos, scan the slides, and give them to the funeral director in a few short days, I didn't do it. I had a few weeks more to gather images to be turned into a photobook, a part of the "package" they assured me, but I just couldn't deal with it. The old photos remained in their scatter...

Middlin' Middle Prong Little River, Tremont Great Smoky Mountains National Park © 2014 Kristina Plaas, All Rights Reserved Nothing Gold Can Stay Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay. Robert Frost, 1923 As a nature lover and photographer I eagerly await the first hints of buds emerging from the trees in early spring. I adore the bright, cheery green trees in the Smokies in April. That green evolves to a deep, velvety hue as summer progresses then, before you know it, hints of gold show up in early September. It's just a tease, of course, as the richest red and golds won't show up until late October. It's futile to wish those rich hues would remain. Fall always has it's way as wind, rain, and snow turn the golds to brown and down, down, down they come. Gone. The gold is gone. The leaves ar...

I started the New Year by sleeping in, then I turned on the TV to watch the news. On the Today Show they were discussing New Year's traditions. Here in the Southeastern USA, everyone talks about eating black-eyed peas and collard greens for good luck during the year. I can't stand either so I guess I've lived with bad luck all my life. Not really, I seem to be just fine. But when  Kathie Lee and Hoda said the Dutch eat doughnuts on New Year's my ears perked up. I'm part Dutch and I've never heard anything about doughnuts. I confess I had visions of Krispy Kremes dancing in my head, but I went to the source to get the real answer - mother. I asked mother about the Dutch and doughnuts and she started laughing. "Not doughnuts," she said, "oliebollen!" Yes, a long story ensued. Mother is Dutch and lived in Holland for part of her early life, especially after WWII. Both mother and daddy served LDS church missions to the Netherlands, though no...

I've shared many of the little things I'm grateful for over the course of the month, but today I want to talk about a big thing -- my family. As I have gotten older, I have become increasingly aware of just how blessed am I to be a part of the Plaas family. My parents have been married for 55 years and have been devoted to each other my entire life. My brother and sisters and I were loved, cared for, and taught well by both parents. I always knew my family would be there for me no matter what happened in my life -- and they have been. Being a part of an eternal family is a special thing and I am grateful for mine. Mother and Daddy on their 55th Anniversary August 2012