La Borda Bleu: December 2009

Friday, December 18, 2009

{the famous New York Sun editorial......love this!}

The famous The New York Sun editorial that answered eight-year-old Virginia Hanlon's question about Santa's existence is a great example of Christmas writing. Journalist Francis Church wrote the response in 1897 and it quickly became one of the most famous editorials in American history. It was reprinted in the Sun every year until 1949 when the paper went out of business and has been reprinted in books, made into an Emmy-winning animated children's video, and was the inspiration for the 2004 Ginny Celebrates doll by Vogue.

Is There A Santa Claus?

We take pleasure in answering at once and thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of THE SUN:

Dear Editor -

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus? - Virginia O'Hanlon

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Merry Christmas to All! ~nan

{a lil bitty tinsel tree}

these few pics are some of my favorite christmas ornaments we place on this lil tinsel tree....it was handed down to my husband...it was his mom & dad's first christmas tree! we put it up every year and such a joy to look at...I love all the shiny, sparkly tinsel branches and the size is about 2 1/2 feet tall..it's soo darling! we adorn it w/ era style ornaments as you can see below!

xoxo's Nan

{an old picture frame turned into cork board}

the frame and the cork squares

I took this old picture frame I bought several years ago at a garage sale {cost $2} and turned it into a cork board..this year I thought I'd display all our lovely christmas cards from our wonderful friends! I took 6 pieces of cork, hot glued on a piece of thin wood board-the size of frame, attached it all and here you go! it's a perfect piece for many uses thru-out the year...
you could get a lil more fancy and put a fabric background...myself like the look of Cork!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

{2009 American Girl Bday Party...She's 7, OMG!}

I wanted to share some pics w/ all of you! We took Madeleine to Dallas to the American Girl/Bistro to celebrate her 7th Birthday! We all had a Great time w/ her!