Keeping with tradition
However you choose to spend the holidays, chances are you
probably have a tradition or two you enjoy every year.
These rituals and the people we do them with, make the
season bright, which is why for this issue of Cobb Life
magazine, we chose to focus on our favorite customs.
After the last two years, traditions bring a sense of normalcy back to our
lives and ground us in a way we haven’t felt like in a long time (is it just me, or
does anyone else feel like they might just float off into space since the
pandemic started?). Here are a few traditions I like to get into every year.
Ever since I’ve had a place of my own, decorating for the holidays has
been like an Olympic sport. Christmas is no exception. I use a live tree and
wreath to decorate my porch and living room. I hang handmade ornaments
my great grandmother made more than half a century ago in the branches. I
hang stockings, I fill the rooms with pine scent and adorn everything with a
dash of red that I possibly can.
Despite the difference in square
footage, my home often looks like
former Georgia Governor Roy
Barnes and Marie Barnes’ Whitlock
home at Christmastime. I’ve never
had room for 19 Christmas trees like
the Barnes, but it’s safe to say, if I
had the space, I would.
Surely you’ve seen their
outdoor decorations for nearly every
national holiday while driving to the
Marietta Square. But the Barnes
were kind enough to give us a look
inside their home for this year’s
holiday issue. I hope their home will
inspire your holiday spirit and
maybe even give you an idea for
your own seasonal décor.
Of course, decorating is only
half the fun. Cooking is another
favorite pastime. December is quite
the season to indulge. I can’t explain
it, but every year I buy a peppermint
milkshake from Chick-fil-a, without
fail. But I also enjoy making special
treats at home. From cranberry
white chocolate cheesecake to spritz
cookies to roasts, spending time in
the kitchen is almost a requirement
for the holidays in my book.
Whether you’re in the kitchen
cooking, baking, helping or eating,
I’m sure it is for your household, too.
Thanks to Deborah Johnson, you
don’t have to feel guilty about all the
sweet treats and decadent dishes
you enjoy this year. She’s whipped
up five guilt-free holiday recipes for
you to try out this year. I’m certainly
going to add them to my dinner
party menu.
Our cover story about the Cobb
County-born tradition, “The Elf on
the Shelf,” is sure to bring some fun
to your home. Though my family
didn’t participate in the tradition
when I was a child, I had a blast
letter from the EDITOR
8 COBB LIFE | DECEMBER 2021