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1) The angels said, "Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men."
All through history, humankind has longed for an end to fighting and strife. All of us can be instruments of peace. We can share our love. We can live our prayers for peace.

• Page Idea: What would peace look like to you? Do you have a place or activity that makes you feel peaceful? My home here in England has a conservatory. I love sitting among my plants on my wicker furniture with a chenille throw on my lap. A few minutes spent here always makes me feel peaceful. Photograph your peaceful spot and write about how it soothes you.
• Journaling Idea: How do you find peace? Is it through sharing your concerns? Is it by taking a walk? Or by praying? Write about what sorts you out. My neighbor Lesley and I take a walk each morning, ostensibly to give the dogs exercise. Starting our day nattering seems to clear our minds for the challenges ahead. As we tromp over hill and dale, the morning light glistening on frost-covered grasses, the filtered light through skeletonal trees, the patches of blue and gray sky peeking through the pines sets our spirits right. 
  -Add words from favorite songs to your page. 
  -Add prayers for peace to your page. 
• Photo Idea: What image represents peace to you? A child sleeping? A quiet meadow? A family gathered for a meal? Take photos of peace within your corner of the universe. 
• Activity Idea: What can you do to create peace in our world? In our time? In your home? In your life? If we all make one step in the right direction, the earth would move under our feet. Could you sponsor a child in another country? Volunteer your time or talents? Learn with your children about another culture? Scrapbook your path to peace.

2) Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar.
The Fast of Ramadan lasts the entire month and prohibits believers from eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset. When the sun sets, the end of the fast is broken with prayer and a meal called the iftar. After the iftar, many Muslims visit family and friends. Ramadan helps Muslims rededicate themselves to their faith and spend less time on the concerns of their daily life. With the world situation the way it is today, Ramadan offers all of us a special opportunity to learn about the Muslim faith.

• Activity Idea: Find a book or look up the Muslim faith in the Internet or read one of the many timely articles in periodicals. Our local women's club is holding a lecture featuring one of Prime Minister Tony Blair's advisors on the Muslim religion. My husband and I are both planning to attend. As one of my friends said, "I know so little about this religion that I feel I owe it to all involved in the September 11 tragedy to be more aware."
• Photo Idea: Take a photo of the book you read, a local mosque or a Muslim friend. 
• Journaling Idea: Use a scrapbook page to spotlight what you learn about the Muslim religion. 
• Special Note: A woman complained, "I've been avoiding my Muslim friends because I just don't know what to say to them." I suggest you see this as a chance to live your faith by manifesting good works. If you have Muslim friends, tell them of your confusion and concern. Remember, this is the UNITED States of America. The UNITED happens when you and I together show respect for each other's beliefs. 

3) In the season of such plenty, we often take time to help others in need-a personal favorite of mine is to give to the Salvation Army bell ringers. With such abundance for most of us, it only seems fair to balance our largess by giving during the holiday season.

• Photo Idea: Take a picture of a family member supporting a charity, either by writing a check, volunteering or preparing a gift. 
• Page Idea: Create a page of you and yours giving to others. Last year my son donated a big box full of stuffed toys that he had won in arcade games to the Salvation Army. I took a photo of the toys with Michael standing behind them. 
• Journaling Idea: Have you ever been on the receiving end of charity? One year after my father left us, we were the church's charity family. We laughed that we got back all the canned beets we'd given away the year before. Although the memory is bittersweet, my sisters and I laugh about it today. The memory brings us closer as we appreciate how much "wealthier" we all are today. 

4) The shortest day of the year is Winter Solstice, December 21.
After this date, the daylight portion of our 24-hours begins to grow again. One book suggests that the early Mesopotamians were first to celebrate the solstice with a 12-day festival of renewal, designed to help the god Marduk tame the monsters of chaos for one more year. Why not use this date to celebrate the order in your universe? 

• Activity Idea: Greet the dawn of the Solstice by ringing bells. If your neighbors live close by, I'd pass on the gong, but a tiny chime would be lovely. Watch the sun rise and try to feel, really feel the earth begin to tilt. From this day on, you'll have more sunshine to feed your soul. 
• Photo Idea: A page of bells you own might be a fun way to ring in the solstice. 
• Journaling Idea: What monsters of chaos would you like to tame? Make a list of what's bugging you. Scrapbook your progress! Then when it gets messy again, at least you'll have the photos to prove it was once neat. Kristi Sikora-Blankenship of Paper Adventures raved to me about The Zen of Organizing by Regina Leeds. Kristi was right! It's the best book I've found for taming the monsters of chaos.

5) Christmas and Hannukah-Hey, we celebrate it all in our family!
One of the traditions I love most is one my sister Margaret started. Because so often she and I have been apart for the holidays, Margaret got into the habit of writing a note to accompany each gift she mailed me. For example, one year she gave me a ceramic bird in a nest that she had made. The note went like this-"Jonie, I made this while my students were making their pinch pots. I kept thinking of how you love animals and of your bird nest collection." Often we give a gift, but don't explain the thought behind the present. If it is truly the thought that counts, shouldn't we make more of an effort to share the thought?

• Activity Idea: Include a small note with your gifts. Why did you choose this particular gift for this particular person? Where did you buy the gift? When? How do you visualize the gift being used? Last year, I found the PERFECT hand-carved cherry wood soup ladle for my friend Olivia, the expert cook. I wrote her a note that while I was away for a year, I hoped she'd think of me and our friendship each time she made a pot of soup. 
• Page Idea: Photograph the gift and the note together. You might even create pages telling how you chose certain gifts. At a Gift Fayre here in England, I saw a fabric castle about the size of a card table. The gray castle was machine stitched with flags, flowers, towers and even a small insect. I've ordered one to take to my nieces back in Florida. The three little girls love pretending to be princesses. I can just see them climbing inside the castle-it has an aluminum frame that snaps together like an open square-and sticking their heads out from the windows (rectangular holes with "stones" stitched around them). I want the girls to know the castle came from England where I've had a great time exploring many of the country's castles. Someday, when they are old enough, I hope my nieces and I can visit the castles together. 
• Journaling Idea: Let's borrow an idea I saw in a museum. Each exhibit had a laminated card attached with information about the item. (Another copy of the information could go on your page for your journaling block.) I think a laminated note attached to this wonderful castle will remind the girls that their auntie-far away in a country full of castles--loves them. 

6) Boxing Day is December 26. Traditionally servants were required to work on Christmas to make sure the holiday ran smoothly for wealthy landowners. On the 26th, servants took the day off. The lord and lady of the manor gave the servants boxes with gifts and bonuses. Today, the English think of Boxing Day as a day of well-deserved rest and relaxation. Often, they visit family on Boxing Day. Since most of us don't have servants (I know that sometimes I FEEL LIKE A SERVANT), we give gifts of money to those who provide us with services. I was told to tape an envelop with money on the trash can for the "bin collector." I asked, "Okay, but what if he misses it?" "Not a chance," said my friends. 

• Photo Idea: Do you use the day after Christmas to recuperate? Why ask a kind family member to take a picture of you in your jammies?
• Activity Idea: Have an English tea party to celebrate this English holiday. Serve a "creamed tea" which includes scones with clotted cream--if you can find clotted cream in the States. Other tea time delicacies include cucumber sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, water cress sandwiches, éclairs, fruit tarts and cakes. You should see the grocery stores here with entire aisles dedicated to cakes and pastries. 
• Page Idea: Scrapbook your Boxing Day. Include your tea time menu. 
• Journaling Idea: What did the members of your family do to "wind down" after Christmas? The ex-pats here have a lovely tradition of meeting the day after Christmas for a group walk around a local lake. It brings people together, expends pent up energy, and doses the lot with a big breath of fresh air. What tradition might you write about to remember for next year?

Until next year, my love to all of you. Thank you for the kind notes you so often send. I love hearing from you! May God bless us every one. -- Joanna