The 12 Authors of Christmas — Bonnie Leon

Meet Bonnie!

Bonnie Leon is the author of fifteen novels, including the popular Queensland Chronicles and the Sydney Cove series, plus the bestselling Journey of Eleven Moons. She’s excited about several new book proposals presently making the rounds at the publishing houses and is looking forward to the release of book two in the Sydney Cove series next summer.

She also stays busy speaking and teaching at writing seminars and conventions. Bonnie and her husband Greg live in the mountains of Southern Oregon. They have three grown children and four grandchildren.

Tell us about your first Christmas memory?

My first is long ago. Actually I don’t remember this, but my mom told me that the Christmas programs used to be on the radio. We didn’t have a television, most people didn’t. Mom said that my brothers and sisters and I used to gather ‘round the radio and we were absolutely enchanted by the stories and music. Sounds lovely, wish I could remember.

One of my first memories is a church play I was supposed to be in. I was one of the angels. My mother had made me a fabulous costume with a halo and wings and everything. I was so excited . . . until the big moment – and then the tears came and I just couldn’t make myself get up in front of the audience, a pattern that followed me for many years. I was shy and never wanted to be the center of attention. Hard to believe I speak and teach now and generally I feel completely at ease. One thing I swore I’d never do is sing in front of anyone. I should know to never say never. A couple of years ago, my sister and I sang two songs for our women’s retreat—it was great fun and surprisingly I wasn’t scared at all. Strange, especially because I don’t have a great voice—my sister does.

Growing up, did your family have Christmas traditions? Tell us how you incorporated them into your family life. Or, how you created new ones.

My family believed in traditions and we had lots of them, more than I have room to share here. I’ll tell you about some of the most important ones.

Christmas season began with a trip into the mountains to cut a tree. We’d take our sleds, inner tubes, hot chocolate and sandwiches. After tromping through deep snow, to find the “perfect” tree, we’d spend the day sledding, building snow men, and having snowball wars. We’d warm ourselves with hot chocolate, not the kind that comes in a packet. My mother made it from scratch with whole milk, and then she filled thermoses with the delicious hot drink.

Whenever possible, my husband and I and an assorted array of our kids and grandkids still trek into the mountains to find a tree. And I make hot chocolate to take along. A few years ago, we couldn’t fit a tree hunting trip into our schedules and I ended up going into town, alone, and buying a tree off a lot. It was a sad experience; I hope it doesn’t happen again.

Baking was a big part of our Christmas holiday. Christmas wasn’t Christmas without homemade fudge, date cookies (my mother’s specialty) and divinity. My sisters and I and Mom used to make an assortment of goodies for the family. Baking together always felt good and tasted good too—a lot went in our mouths as we cooked.

Christmas baking is still part of my family’s traditions. I now create the date cookies (yum), but there is always fudge and sugar cookies. My kids used to get very creative with their sugar cookie creations and now so do my grandchildren.

Believe it or not, when I was a youngster, nectarines were an important part of Christmas morning. Fresh fruit was a treat during the winter. My mother canned fruit during the summer and that’s what we had until the next summer. But on Christmas we could count on a special delicacy—fresh nectarines. My parents always made sure we each had one in the toe of our Christmas stockings. We’d make our way through some of the candies and then devour our nectarines. I carried on the tradition and always made sure to include a nectarine in my children’s stockings. To this day nectarines are always part of our Christmas breakfast.

Growing up, caroling was an integral part of family Christmases. We almost always gathered with friends for a night of caroling a week or so before Christmas. And if that wasn’t possible, we had our own singing fests. This is a tradition that survived the generations. We’ve always been big on music. My sister and her family used to gather our house almost every Christmas. My sister would sit at the piano and play while we sang away the evening, laughing and talking about the “good old days”. My children remember those days fondly. Whenever possible, we still get together and sing the traditional Christmas tunes.

When do you put up your tree? At my house, it goes up when my kids’ begging is louder than my procrastination (around December 1). My husband works assembles my prelighted tree. I do the rest. Describe the decorating at your house.

We keep our tree through the New Year so we usually wait to cut one until two weeks prior to Christmas. That way it remains fresh. Growing up, my father always put the lights on first and then my brothers and sisters and I, along with Mom did the rest. My mother was always very careful about how we placed the icicles. (I’m a no icicle kind of person these days.) My father would put the top on (usually a star).

As a newly wed, I figured this tradition would carry into my married life. I was in for a shock. My new husband had no similar expectations. He was happy to sit on the sofa and let me do it all the decorating. To say the least, I was disappointed . . . and determined this new tradition would change. It took a few years, but I managed to retrain him. Now, with just the two of us, we share the decorating duties accompanied by Christmas carols playing on our CD player—a must for proper tree-decorating etiquette.

Throughout the years, my mother has purchased a special ornament for each of my children (and for all her grandchildren) so there would be at least three new ornaments each year. She still buys for my kids and grandkids. And I’ve continued the tradition and make sure my grandchildren each get an ornament with their name and the year. And I also purchase a special new ornament for our tree.

What is your favorite Christmas song or album? I recently bough Unexpected Gifts and I love it! They are old favorites sung in a new way. Includes “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (Bethany Dillon); “Do You Hear What I Hear” (Nichole Nordeman); “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (Steven Curtis Chapman); and “Silent Night” (Sanctus Real).

Music was and is a big part of Christmas for me and my family. I play a lot of Christmas music throughout the season and every year I buy one or two new Christmas CD’s. Mannheim Steamroller is never a disappointment, but my very favorite CD is One Silent Night. It includes three artists—Amy Grant, Jaci Velasquez and Marie Brennan. It includes some of the old traditional carols and some new ones. Its fabulous music and I play it over and over during the Christmas season.

Christmas morning, my parents brother and I would head over to my grandparents’ house and open all our presents there. Or they’d come to our house … so we didn’t open them until we were up, dressed, showered and fed. Relive your childhood Christmas mornings for us.

As a child, Christmas morning always began on Christmas Eve, in the sense that I went to bed wriggling with excitement and could never sleep. I remember wondering what if . . . what if Santa Clause was real. :- )

Us kids would be up before daylight. We were allowed to get into our stockings, but gift opening must wait. Our stockings had all sorts of candies, nuts, and of course a nectarine.

Once Mom and Dad had made their coffee and Mom had gotten the breakfast goodies baking, we would gather ‘round the tree. The kids would dibs their spots and then Dad would take his place under the tree. With a twinkle of mischief in his eye (he always seemed to contain some special delight) he’d play Santa and hand out gifts.

My parents didn’t have much money so they would wait until Christmas Eve to shop when all the sales were on. That way, they could get us each several gifts. As we discovered our new treasures, the room would fill with exclamations, look at this, and thank you’s. Mom never opened her gifts until we’d all opened ours. She didn’t want to miss out on our joy and excitement.

Back then, the presents were simple but we thought every gift was precious. However, I do remember one year each of us kids got a sleeping bag. Mom and Dad thought they were great surprises, but I remember being disappointed—a sleeping bag?

I much preferred the stick horse I received one year. I proudly rode my steed all over the neighborhood. In my mind I was astride a fine stallion and the wind was in my hair and the sound of hoof beats accompanied me. Even then, my imagination was in full swing.

Seems to me snow and Christmas go together, and in Montana that’s almost a given! Tell us about your Christmas setting?

We always hope for snow, but living in Western Oregon means snow on Christmas Eve is rare. It’s not unusual to have snow on the ground, however. We live high in the foothills and snow is common that time of year. We love it especially when it dumps and we have piles of snow on the trees and in the fields around our home.

We live very rural, amidst the forest. When we get a heavy snowfall it looks like a winter scene on a postcard. Beautiful!

We heat our home with wood so Christmas morning is also accompanied by the crackle of wood and the slight aroma of smoke.

It’s Christmas Eve… Describe your day and evening.

Christmas Eve day is usually spent in preparation for Christmas—baking and wrapping any gifts that still need to be done. These days, Christmas Eve is different than it once was. My husband and I usually attend a Christmas Eve service at our church. We thoroughly enjoy the singing and worship, but do miss the days when we gathered together as a family for a quiet Christmas Eve. We’d read a story and sing or watch a special movie on television. We tried to keep Christmas Eve to ourselves when the children were young. Those were precious days and we cherish the memories.

Then as now, I always spend time alone on Christmas Eve, when the house is quiet and everyone has gone to bed. I usually sit in the living room with candles flickering and the lights on the tree glistening off the ornaments. It’s a time of quiet reflection. I think about the birth of my Savior so many years ago, I reminisce and soak in the peace of God’s presence and reread the Biblical account of our Savior’s birth. Sometimes I’ll watch a Christmas Eve service on television or an old movie. I always spend time with my Lord. It is a quiet breath in the midst of all the doing that happens this time of year.

Confession time. Shop on line or at the mall?

I do both. Shopping on line can be easy, but I love to get out and about with other shoppers. I live in a small community so I almost always meet people I know. I love the lights and the displays, the greetings of Merry Christmas and the bell ringers for the Salvation Army. I love it all. And I go out again and again, even though my feet and back complain. It’s wonderful to be part of the joy.

Christmas grows more and more commercial every year. Setting the hustle and bustle aside, what does Christmas really mean to you?

Christmas is many things. Of course, first and foremost its time to consider the holy birth of our Savior—how God came down and made himself man for us. It’s a gift I can’t fathom. I thank Him for His love.

Even with all the commercialism, there is something magical about Christmas—the lights, the caroling, fields of white, family and friends, parties and special events. Last night I went to a performance of The Messiah—it was pure magic. Handel was a musical genius. I loved every note. Next week I get to watch a church play and then there will be a children’s Christmas pageant at my grandchildren’s school and another play at church for the kids. There are celebrations all around. And even though we sometimes spend more than we should and we eat more than we should, the celebration rejuvenates me and restores hope in a, sometimes, bleak world.

Christmas is a multi-layered gift from God.

It’s Christmas day… what’s for dinner? Do you make cookies or other traditional foods?

Dinner varies each year. The meat chosen depends on what we’ve had too much of at Thanksgiving. It’s often roast beef. There is usually mashed potatoes and gravy, salad, homemade rolls and depending upon the guests an assortment of their favorites. We always have pie, usually blackberry and apple.

Tell us about your favorite Christmas memory.

My favorite Christmas memory took place in 1974. I was a new believer and it was my first Christmas as a Christian. I joined my mother and we attended a midnight mass at her church. I remember sitting in the gorgeous sanctuary. The flicker of candlelight glistened in stained glass windows and fir boughs and red ribbons had been placed in alcoves and on balustrades. The room smelled of pine and scented candles. It felt like a dream.

When worship began the words in the songs meant something, for the first time. They told a story about my Savior—His birth and life. He was there, in my heart and in that place. I praised Him then and I praise him now for His great love.

What are you plans for this season?

Everything is different this year. My husband and I won’t be home. Our oldest daughter will be celebrating Christmas with her son and friends in Washington, our youngest daughter, her husband and three children will be here in Southern Oregon, but Greg and I are traveling to Central Oregon to spend Christmas with our son and his wife.

They live in a small apartment so we’ll be staying at a condo. We plan to take some of our traditions with us. It won’t be the same—not bad, just different. The resort has fabulous light displays throughout the grounds. I plan to take more than one trip through the colorful decorations.

After a good visit and some fun with my son and his wife, I’ll have my quiet Christmas Eve ritual and then I’ll celebrate Christmas with people I love.
And maybe we’ll have snow.

Any final thoughts on Christmas?

Just this; no matter where you find yourself, with family and friends or alone, at home or away, remember Christ our Savior came to earth as a babe–for one purpose—to save us from our sins.

Remember Him. After all, He is the “reason for the season.”

Blessings,

Bonnie

Unveiling Truth Through Fiction
http://www.bonnieleon.com/

Thank you Bonnie…what wonderful memories and traditions!