A Walnut Bowl’s Gift

Hoo-wee!!! Christmas came early in my house and I am not afraid to show it!!!!

We all have fond childhood memories, of some sort, and some of my favorites are Christmas related with my cousins, and my dad’s family. We would gather in my grandma’s tiny house on Christmas Eve, have dinner where pickled cucumbers and cream cheese celery were amongst the favorites, culinary delights if you will. It was an honor to sit at the kitchen bar to eat supper, and present exchanges were a ton of fun, second to watching grandma open her gifts. The highlight of it all though, the pinnacle that those memories can be found wrapped in, is a walnut bowl with crackers and picks. Some of you may have had the same walnut bowl in your Christmas memories, at a grandparent or relative’s home, so you’ll know exactly what I am talking about. For those of you that have no idea what I am referring to, let me show you.

This gem is the centerpiece of Christmas memories for me. Look at her shine in all of her laquered beauty!! What genius decided long ago to take a part of the tree, lathe it, make a bowl to fill with walnuts, and to include the tools needed to indulge in walnutery?! *Swoon* Thank you to the person that made this amazing invention!

Every December when grandma would bring the walnut bowl with walnuts out, you knew you were IN the Christmas Season. Things were brighter, shinier, happier, warmer, cozier, glowier…ahhhh!!! Christmas! There were games and activities to be had, family all around, all leading up to that day, December 24th, when we would gather, celebrate and rejoice in our love for one another and the season.

Bill also had a walnut bowl in his childhood memories, but my affection for the setup, runs much, much deeper. He did tell me that he didn’t always use the cracker, he could crack walnuts with his bare hands…okay Bill.

Apparently so. I stand corrected. But I did ask, why would he deny himself the pleasure of cracking the nuts with the crackers? He said, he enjoys cracking by hand. Aight then.

As we sat cracking walnuts reminiscing on childhood Christmas memories, I was transported back to a more simple time in life, a time that I miss and reflect upon fondly. As I sit, looking at my walnut bowl, I am reminded that while we can’t recapture the past, we can definitely purposely live and move towards more simplicity. We can also make our time better by focusing on those around us that are more meaningful, that cultivate more joy in our lives, and for the first time in about 30 years(or so), I will be spending time with my cousins that my bowl memories are associated with! I cannot wait to enjoy an evening laughing, reliving shared memories and making a new tradition for years to come…and to think, a walnut bowl will be holding all of this together, the rest of my life! I love it.

Drop me a line, let me know if you have a walnut bowl, or a similar item that signifies Christmas for you! I would love to know!