The Christmas Turnips

I just finished up our neighbor gifts this year. It have to admit it was a pretty ambitious project but I am pleased with the finished product. I made 110 bags of peppermint bark popcorn with a little book/card to go on the front.

Thank goodness for willing teenagers and an efficient assembly line! (My cute fifteen-year-old son even told his friends that he couldn't go sledding so he could help his mom finish her books!)

Before you ask about the turnip on the front of the book,  let me explain. The inside of the book tells this story. 

Dear Friends and Family, 

While we live in challenging times, there are many reasons to rejoice. We are surrounded by loving family and friends. Many happy days lie ahead in our future. We can learn much from the example of Lorenzo Snow. He was serving as the leader of a group of pioneers spending several months in the harsh winter cold and meager accommodations of Winter Quarters, Nebraska. A long wilderness crossing loomed in their future. But Lorenzo Snow worked to keep up the courage and the spirit of his small group. 

One winter night, he gathered as many of the group as possible in his “humble family mansion.”  It was a log cabin with a dirt roof and ground floor about 4 1/2 meters by 9 meters wide. He carpeted the floor for their festive gathering with a thin layer of straw. Then he dug some turnips out of the pit where they were buried. They scooped out the interior and fixed short candles in them, placing them at intervals around the walls, suspending others to the ceiling above. The candles filled the humble home with a peaceful influence and the light reflecting through those turnip rinds created a very picturesque appearance. 

Here is Lorenzo Snow’s account: “During the evening several of my friends, in the warmest expressions possible, complimented me and my family for the peculiar taste and ingenuity displayed in those unique and inexpensive arrangements. The hours were enlivened and happily passed. At the close, all seemed perfectly satisfied and withdrew, feeling as happy as though they were not homeless.”  

Thankfully, we are not homeless. We have more this season than turnips! But we too can enjoy the warm glow of friendship and love as we reach out to others. Thank you for your friendship. Thank you for sharing your faith and wonderful examples. Remember the turnips as you celebrate this wonderful season of our Savior’s birth.

Isn't that an inspiring little story? I am going to hang this little book up on our Christmas tree to remind me. 

You probably noticed that to go along with the story that it contains, our little book is made from recycled materials. 

The front and back covers are made from lunch sacks. The burlap is left over from our Harry Potter party this summer. (Remember the Devil's Snare! ) The turnips are made from white card stock, painted with water color paints. The green stuff sticking out the top comes from a cut up Christmas bow. 

Each little book costs only a few cents to make. I think that effort is worthy of Lorenzo Snow and his turnips!  I wish I could deliver one to each of you. Merry Christmas!