Memorial Day

Once known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day is an American holiday celebrated on the last Monday in May and honors those who have died serving their country. Historians agree that it originated during the American Civil War, honoring the many who died during those bloody conflicts.  Many states claim to have been the first but it was not until a congressional proclamation in 1966 that an 1866 Waterloo, New York observance was cited as the birthplace.

Decoration Day changed to Memorial Day, honoring all who’ve died in U.S. wars, after World War I and has been celebrated on the last Monday in May since 1971.  

Traditional customs and symbols include:

- the laying of the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery (VA)

- nationwide religious services, parades, and speeches

- graves of veterans decorated with flags, insignia, and flowers

Interested in learning more about Arlington National Cemetery?

“Most Hallowed Ground” part of the series Ken Burns: The Civil War (available on Kanopy)

Arlington National Cemetery by Bob Temple and Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by Jinnow Khalid are both available on Hoopla.
Take a virtual tour by clicking here.

Due to COVID-19, this year observations differ in many ways. For instance:

On Memorial Day weekend in 1988, 2500 motorcyclists rode into Washington, D.C. for the first Rolling Thunder rally in order to draw attention to Vietnam War soldiers still missing in action and prisoners of war. By 2002, the ride had swelled to 300,000 bikers, many of them veterans, and in 2018, the numbers were likely closer to half a million.

Though it was reported that 2019 would be the group’s last Memorial Day ride, the organization American Veterans (AMVETS) is continuing the tradition in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to WUSA9. Now known as Rolling to Remember, 2020’s ride will be a bit different—instead of hundreds of thousands of riders going through Washington, D.C., organizers are asking participants to ride 22 miles through their own community for a virtual Memorial Day demonstration on Sunday, May 24. Riders will then be able to track and share their progress using the REVER app.

Traveling 22 miles is significant, because in addition to raising awareness for soldiers missing in action and prisoners of war, AMVETS wants to bring attention to the average 22 veterans who die by suicide every day. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/27858/10-things-remember-about-memorial-day

Here are several resources available online:

Unknown Valor: A Story of Family, Courage, and Sacrifice from Pearl Harbor to Iwo Jima by Martha MacCallum (available on Libby/Overdrive)

Alone at Dawn: Medal of Honor Recipient John Chapman and the Untold Story of the World’s Deadliest Special Operations Force by Dan Schilling & Lori Chapman Longfritz (available on Libby/Overdrive)

WAR by Sebastian Junger (available on Libby/Overdrive)

The Lost Eleven: The Forgotten Story of Black American Soldiers Brutally Massacred in World War II by Denise George (available on Hoopla)

Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley (available on Libby/Overdrive)

Behind the Lines: Powerful and Revealing American and Foreign War Letters & One Man’s Search to Find Them by Andrew Carroll (available on Hoopla)

Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s 1854 poem, The Charge of the Light Brigade (available from the Poetry Foundation)

- PBS is airing the National Memorial Day Concert on Sunday May 24, 2020 at 7pm CT.  Check your local listings for availability.

- The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is hosting a live-streamed event at 12pm CT on Monday, May 25, 2020. Visit their website for more information.

- The American Veterans Center is also hosting a television broadcast. Though this year's event is canceled, a pre-recorded television special titled, The National Memorial Day Parade: America Stands Tall, that will broadcast on Memorial Day to more than 100 million households on ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox stations nationwide. Visit their website for a full list of broadcast times and channels.

As a reminder, Emmet O’Neal Library is closed to the public until further notice but will be resuming curbside pickup for library materials on Monday, June 1, 2020.  Details on how the service works will be available Tuesday, May 26. Follow our social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram and our website at www.eolib.org for the latest news on library programs and services.

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Memorial-Day

Holley

Mother's Day

While festivals honoring mothers and mother goddesses date to ancient times, a version of an official Mother’s Day has been around since the Middle Ages. It was customary to allow those who had moved away to visit their mothers in their home parishes on Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of lent, which became Mothering Sunday in Britain. The modern day form of the holiday originated here in the U.S. and has been adopted widely around the world.

The first Mother’s Day was held on May 12, 1907 in Grafton, West Virginia. It quickly became a success, celebrated in nearly every state within five years, and was made a national holiday by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914. (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mothers-Day)

In honor of Mother’s Day, coming up next weekend on Sunday, May 10th, here are some of the most entertaining mothers in print.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
ebook/eaudio on your Libby app

“You-will-never-touch-our-children-again!” A doting and devoted mother, Molly Weasley is the center around which the Weasley universe revolves. A generous soul, she takes on Harry Potter as if he were her own. Their means may be limited, but the children never go without food in their bellies, a warm hug, and a gift now and then. But that’s not all. She is a powerful witch who can take on formidable opponents, especially if her kids are threatened. Now that’s a supermom!

Motherest by Kristen Iskandrian

ebook/eaudio on your Libby app

(amazon) Marrying the sharp insights of Jenny Offill with the dark humor of Maria Semple, Motherest is an inventive and moving coming-of-age novel that captures the pain of fractured family life, the heat of new love, and the particular magic of the female friendship--all through the lens of a fraying daughter-mother bond.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
ebook/eaudio on your Libby app

The Carters are a modern fictional family, and Lisa is the glue that holds them together. Lisa got pregnant as a teenager and dealt with her mother’s rejection. A nurse, she raised her children, Starr and Sekani, to be strong and well-aware of the racial injustice of their neighborhood and the world they live in. She’s forged a strong marriage despite her husband’s incarceration and affair, and she treats Seven, the product of that affair, with love. The Hate U Give is a story of strength in the face of adversity, and Lisa is one of the strongest characters in Garden Heights.

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
ebook/eaudio on your Libby app

If your mom loves to lose herself in big, epic novels along the lines of The Queen of the Night or Pachinko that she can lose herself in, she'll love See's latest, The Island of Sea Women, about two friends working in their Korean village's all-female diving collective. Their bond is tested as they come of age against a backdrop of war, social change, and technological advancements. What's even cooler: See based her novel on a real place, Jeju, where men take care of children while women work as divers. This is a novel about women who are strong as your own mom.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
ebook/eaudio on your Libby app
ebook/eaudio on your Hoopla app
ebook in the National Emergency Library

“Watch and pray dear, and never get tired of trying, and never think it is impossible to conquer your fault” Let’s start with the gold standard of literary motherhood – Margaret March, affectionately called Marmee by her daughters. She is the ideal mother – kind, endearing, compassionate and everything nice. A highly principled and charitable woman, she is never too busy to gently guide her daughters. She provides them the emotional strength they need to endure the pains of growing up. She is poor; she is hard working, yet she never encourages her daughters to marry for money. All in all, she is everything a mother is expected to be.

The Color of Water by James McBride
ebook/eaudio on your Libby app
ebook in the National Emergency Library

When James McBride started writing his memoir, I don’t think he knew the way the world would fall in love with his mother. The book is told in two narratives: McBride tells his story about the struggles he faced growing up black with a white mom, and Ruth tells her story growing up Jewish in the South. I’m breaking the mold here and choosing a non-fictional mom, but if you’ve read this book you know just how touching Ruth is. She raised twelve children, mostly by herself. She had no family to rely on other than her husband’s and their children. If ever there was a super-mom, she was Ruth McBride.

Room by Emma Donoghue
ebook/eaudio on your Libby app
ebook/eaudio on your Hoopla app
streaming movie on your Kanopy app

Ma  and 5 year old Jack live in an 11 foot by 11 foot room.  Ma sacrifices everything for her son so they can escape from “room” and have a chance at a normal life. Despite her abduction and abuse, Ma is able to create a world for her son and does everything in her power to make that world a better place.  

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
ebook/eaudio on your Libby app
ebook/eaudio on your Hoopla app
ebook in the National Emergency Library

“You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion for my poor nerves.” This constantly irritated, perpetually annoyed mother of five daughters would feature on any list on the subject of memorable mothers. She might be an utter embarrassment to her family with her frivolous nature and alarmingly loud voice, but she is certainly not forgettable to the reader. Mrs. Bennett embodies a style of motherhood diametrically opposite to that of Marmee March. She is a social climber and would rather have her daughters marry a rich man than be happy with someone who understands them. I suppose she loves her daughters in her own way, but trying to push them into inconvenient marriages is an odd way of showing it, don’t you think?

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

ebook/eaudio on your Libby app
ebook in the National Emergency Library

Everyone needs a mom that will keep them over-caffeinated and bear with them through the early years of playing an instrument. Gayle Forman writes Kat as an awesome rocker mom to a cello-playing teenager. Their personalities couldn’t be more opposite, but they couldn’t have a closer relationship. It’s so clear in every page that Kat supports any and every decision Mia makes. Go to Juliard or stay in Portland with your boyfriend? Most moms would say “you’re going to college” but not Kat. Not many moms would slap noise cancelling headphones onto their baby and bring them into a rock concert, but it is this that makes Kat so special. Her unconditional love for her children mixed with her desire to treat them like small adults qualifies her for fictional mom of the year.

The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman
ebook/eaudio on your Libby app
ebook in the National Emergency Library

Coralie Sardie is raised by a terrible father and trained from a young age to work as a mermaid in his coney island “museum”.  Coralie is all but ignored by her father and is raised by the family maid, Maureen.  Once again, this mother figure provides Coralie with the strength to pursue her own dreams and live her life in her own extraordinary way.

Bleak House by Charles Dickens
ebook/eaudio on your Libby app
ebook/eaudio on your Hoopla app
ebook in the National Emergency Library

“Truly I am the worst mother of all time! How can you forgive me, child? Yet we cannot see each other again!” With the haughty and distant personality she presents to the world and an explosive secret to hide, Lady Honoria Dedlock is an emotionally divided woman. But the reader soon realizes she is far from being a snob. Three things define her – a great passion, a broken heart and an illegitimate child she loves deeply and will die to protect from the judgment of society. When Esther falls ill, Lady Dedlock is clearly distraught. She disguises herself and goes around trying to get information about her daughter. She could have been a good mother, but her circumstances are unfortunate. However, she is one character that doesn’t easily fade from memory.

The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty by Susan Page
ebook/eaudio on your Libby app

Susan Page, the award-winning Washington bureau chief for USA Today, details the unbelievable life of the former First Lady, and what it was like to be wife to one president and mother to another.  

Becoming by Michelle Obama

ebook/eaudio on your Libby app

The former First Lady tells her life story, from her growing up on Chicago's South Side to her journey to the White House. If your mom is so inclined, you can opt for the audiobook and let your mom listen to Obama read it in her own voice.

Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan

ebook/eaudio on your Libby app

Are there certain words and phrases that create strong relationships? In this collection of essays from Kelly Corrigan, she reflects on 12 phrases that connect us as humans—from “Tell Me More,” to “I Was Wrong.” Your mom will love Corrigan’s musings on marriage and motherhood, and she will find the essay is poignant, funny, and filled with warmth.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

ebook/eaudio on your Libby app

Bernadette is an unlikely mother to make the list.  She leaves her daughter and husband temporarily and goes on a hunt to find where her mother has gone.  This is a book about mother-daughter relationships. Forcing her daughter to become a little more independent and simultaneously doing something for her self, this is an oddly touching tale.

Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips
ebook/eaudio on your Libby app

(amazon) The zoo is nearly empty as Joan and her four-year-old son soak up the last few moments of playtime. They are happy, and the day has been close to perfect. But what Joan sees as she hustles her son toward the exit gate minutes before closing time sends her sprinting back into the zoo, her child in her arms. And for the next three hours—the entire scope of the novel—she keeps on running.

Using your Kanopy app, watch the 2-part series "Moms" from filmmakers Louis Alvarez & Andrew Kolker, a series from The Center for New American Media presenting mothers from all walks of life speaking amusingly and movingly, without sentimentality, about what it's like to have kids. 

Hoopla also has movies about moms and families of all kinds.

SOURCES

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/mothers-day/g23793799/books-for-moms/
https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/literary-mum-unforgettable-mothers-from-the-world-of-fiction/1575503/
https://bookstr.com/article/five-times-we-found-the-best-moms-in-books/
https://www.beyondthebookends.com/2017/05/12/14-best-literary-moms/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/the-10-best-moms-in-fiction/
https://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holidays/mothers-day/books-for-mom?slide=6953d0ff-c7ef-4119-82a1-ed10e6d67b14#6953d0ff-c7ef-4119-82a1-ed10e6d67b14

World Festivals & Holidays

As many countries around the world celebrated Christmas and New Years, GRG met in the spirit of cooperation for a discussion of world festivals and holidays!

Carnival Masks of Venice: A Photographic Essay by J.C. Brown
(amazon) Every February, Venice becomes a living theater as residents and tourists alike take to the canals and streets in fabulous costumes for one of the major events of the year. The tradition of wearing a mask to hide your identity and allow you to misbehave with impunity is ancient, but only in Venice is the tradition kept so alive today. This pictorial essay on the disguises that characterize Carnival will delight and inspire by examining the history of the event and providing a clear explanation of the different types of mask in use. With 125 exceptionally beautiful photographs, all presented with the highest of production standards, this exquisite record is a true treasure.

Black Orpheus (DVD, 1959)
(Rotten Tomatoes) Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro) is literally what its title suggests: a retelling of the "Orpheus and Eurydice" legend enacted by black performers. This time the setting is the annual Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Orpheus (Breno Mello) is a streetcar conductor; Eurydice (Marpessa Dawn) has just jilted her lover and is attempting to escape his wrath. Orpheus himself falls in love with Eurydice, whereupon her ex-lover, disguised as the Angel of Death shows up and kills Eurydice. To reclaim his lost love, Orpheus enters "Hell" (the Rio morgue) and uses supernatural methods to revive the dead girl. A multi-award winner on the international film scene, Black Orpheus features a samba musical score by Luiz Bonfa and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

GENERAL DISCUSSION: The African/Native American tradition of the Big Chiefs during New Orleans' Mardi Gras.  In 1995, Rick Bragg wrote a Pulitzer Prize-winning article about thistradition, which honors American Indians who once gave sanctuary to escaped slaves.  Also, the multicultural, celebratory sounds of the Afro Celt Sound System.

Holy Holidays: The Catholic Origins of Celebration by Greg Tobin
(powells) How did Sunday become the “Sabbath Day?” Why did St. Valentine become the patron saint of lovebirds? Most people happily participate in Mardi Gras, Halloween, and St. Patrick's Day with very little knowledge of the origins and meanings of those celebrations. Greg Tobin unearths the religious roots of the seemingly secular, offering historical trivia and the sometimes bizarre origins of the days throughout the year that bring people together. In these pages, readers will discover that:

--Jesus was not born on Christmas Day.

--The Easter Bunny is a deeply pagan tradition that simply could not be suppressed by the Church. Same with Easter eggs.

--Mothers Day falls in early May, the month dedicated to Mary, the Mother of Christ and the Catholic symbol of motherhood.

--Saint Patrick is not only the patron saint of Ireland but also Nigeria.

--and much more!

Calendar: Humanity's Epic Struggle to Determine a True and Accurate Year by David Ewing Duncan
(powells) The adventure spans the world from Stonehenge to astronomically aligned pyramids at Giza, from Mayan observatories at Chichen Itza to the atomic clock in Washington, the world's official timekeeper since the 1960s. We visit cultures from Vedic India and Cleopatra's Egypt to Byzantium and the Elizabethan court; and meet an impressive cast of historic personages from Julius Caesar to Omar Khayyam, and giants of science from Galileo and Copernicus to Stephen Hawking. Our present calendar system predates the invention of the telescope, the mechanical clock, and the concept of zero and its development is one of the great untold stories of science and history. How did Pope Gregory set right a calendar which was in error by at least ten lull days? What did time mean to a farmer on the Rhine in 800 A.D.? What was daily life like in the Middle Ages, when the general population reckoned births and marriages by seasons, wars, kings reigns, and saints' days?

GENERAL DISCUSSION: Talk of time and the marking of its passage brought to mind the 2012 novel, Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker. (powells) On a seemingly ordinary Saturday in a California suburb, Julia and her family awake to discover, along with the rest of the world, that the rotation of the earth has suddenly begun to slow. The days and nights grow longer and longer, gravity is affected, the environment is thrown into disarray. Yet as she struggles to navigate an ever-shifting landscape, Julia is also coping with the normal disasters of everyday life — the fissures in her parents’ marriage, the loss of old friends, the hopeful anguish of first love, the bizarre behavior of her grandfather who, convinced of a government conspiracy, spends his days obsessively cataloging his possessions. As Julia adjusts to the new normal, the slowing inexorably continues.

The Book of Thanksgiving by Paul Dickson
(amazon) An illustrated celebration of the traditions and festivities surrounding America's most popular holiday--Thanksgiving--is filled with anecdotes, toasts, blessings, recipes, and facts of regional and historical interest covering everything from Lincoln's designation of the holiday to carving a turkey.

Shamrocks, Harps, and Shillelaghs: The Story of the St.Patrick’s Day Symbols by Edna Barth
(powells) Shamrocks, shillelaghs, reed pipes, and leprechauns—these are some of the many symbols that remind us of St. Patrick's Day. Who was St. Patrick? And what is this early spring holiday all about? With warmth and vitality, Edna Barth tells the colorful stories, legends, and historical facts behind St. Patrick's Day and shows how the spirit of this ancient Irish holiday is still alive in many countries. Illustrated with black and white drawings by Ursula Arndt, this is a book to be discovered and read with pleasure by young readers.

The Haggis: A Little History by Clarissa Wright
(powells) The author, one of the Two Fat Ladies of television cookbook fame, handles the history of the haggis with aplomb in this little cookbook. Haggis, for the unititated, is a dish commonly made in a sheep's maw, of minced lungs, hearts, and liver of the same animal.However, the haggis is much more than a mere meal. The haggis, or some version of it, may be found in the histories of countries as varied as ancient Greece, Sweden, and the United States. Yet the haggis is most closely associated with Scotland and has come to represent that country just as pasta represents Italy. Scotland may thank its beloved bard, Robert Burns, for this. Burns immortalized the dish in perhaps his best-known poem, Address to the Haggis. In it, he refers to the haggis as the Great Chieftan o' the Puddin'-race. How far the haggis had come. Originally a meal of the lower classes who could not afford to waste any edible portion of their livestock, the haggis mysteriously transformed into a delicacy deemed worthy of royalty. Queen Victoria, an enthusiast for most all things Scottish, said of the haggis, “I find I like it very well”

Yule: A Celebration of Light & Warmth by Dorothy Morrison
(powells) There's just something magical about the Yuletide season, no matter where you live or who you are. As bright candlelight mingles with the smells of pine and warm cookies and we perform our yearly rituals of song and family gatherings, the spirit of peace and goodwill seems to reach the heart of even the most cynical Scrooge. In the pages of Yule, Dorothy Morrison presents a wonderful potpourri of holiday lore from around the world and throughout history, along with fun crafts, delicious recipe seven a calendar of celebrations for every day in December. Learn where the traditions of the season originated--for instance, did you know that the ringing of bells was meant to drive away the demons who inhabited the darkest days of the year? That leaving cookies for Santa mirrors the old tradition of leaving a loaf of bread on the table overnight to bring prosperity in the new year? That the Yule log can be traced back to the ancient Greeks? Need a recipe for wassail or plum pudding? Tips for your holiday party? Want to make the season special by making your own decorative crafts and gifts? That's just a sampling of what's inside. Best of all, Yule shows that the spirit of the season is universal and, however we chose to celebrate and worship, we can all join together in the spirit of peace, love, and harmony at this special time of year.

The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition by Carol Aebersold and Chanda Bell
(powells) How does Santa really know who is naughty or nice? The answer is finally revealed in... The Elf on the Shelf, a Christmas Tradition.The Elf on the Shelf, a Christmas Tradition is an activity the entire family will enjoy. Based on the tradition Carol Aebersold began with her family in the 1970s, this cleverly rhymed children's book explains that Santa knows who is naughty and/or nice because he sends a scout elf to every home. During the holiday season, the elf watches children by day and reports to Santa each night. When children awake, the elf has returned from the North Pole and can be found hiding in a different location. This activity allows The Elf on the Shelf to become a delightful hide-and-seek game. In addition, each shipment is marked for special delivery from Santa's workshop.

New Orleans: Behind the Masks of America's Most Exotic City by Carol Flake
(publishers weekly) Beneath the surface wildness of New Orleans's Mardi Gras persona lies an urban alchemy that, for over a century, has created and dominated the city's flamboyant character--its politics, high and low society, and economy--according to Flake. New Orleans has brought about the marriage of pagan tradition, Catholic religiosity, black jazz and blue-blood Anglo society, and it has served as a uniquely integrating force for its Creole, black and white communities, gays, transvestites, artists, musicians and businesspeople. But the city has also been a powerful instrument of conflict, segregation and decadence. In Flake's kaleidoscopic vision, layers of secret societies, Carnival clubs and virtual caste structures are laid open. The jousting for dominance among the eccentric characters who run the city and produce its famous Carnival plays against New Orleans's declining fortunes and the now-shifting foundations that made the Mardi Gras synonymous with the city. Flake ( Tarnished Crown ) brings to her account both the affection of an erstwhile resident and the skeptical eye of a reporter. The book is a tour de force worthy of the colorful city she profiles.

A Very Special Christmas: Volume 1 (music CD)
(amazon) When was the last time you heard collard greens being sung about in a Christmas song? Probably never, unless you're a Run DMC fan, or were wise enough to hop on the Very Special Christmas tip. The rappers' contribution to this benefit collection is probably the highlight, although traditional songs covered by now-traditional artists like the Pretenders ("Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas") provide the majority of the material here. Eurythmics turn in a suitably chilly "Winter Wonderland," Stevie Nicks sings a beautifully haunting "Silent Night," and Whitney Houston proves again that she's every woman with "Do You Hear What I Hear"--that is, every woman with a voice strong enough to do the song justice. "Santa Baby," Madonna's contribution, isn't as sultry as it could be, but there's more fun thanks to hell-on-heels, the Pointer Sisters and Bon Jovi. --Steve Gdula

GENERAL DISCUSSION: (From their website) For the last 26 years, the biggest and brightest voices in the recording industry have generously lent their time and talents to Special Olympics to create the holiday album series – A Very Special Christmas (AVSC) – the single most successful benefit recording in musical history.  This series has also brought joy to the world through the transformative power of sport. Approximately $116 million in royalties and investment proceeds has been generated by the sale of the AVSC albums to support Special Olympics’ athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Several GRG members mentioned that an MTV documentary about the popular series aired at some point, but I could find no additional information about it. 

The Little Drummer Boy (VHS)
(amazon) The model animation techniques in this 1968 Rankin and Bass TV chestnut are primitive by today's standards, and picky kids may reject them out of hand. The story, however, which elaborates on the popular Christmas song about a shepherd boy who plays his drum for the baby Jesus and makes the animals dance, is a little more tough-minded than you might expect. The kid begins the story as what we'd now call a neglected child, a surly urchin who says he hates all people. He's pulled back from the brink, first by learning to make music, and then by his encounter with the Christ child. The underlying message alone--that everybody has something worth contributing--qualifies the show for holiday-perennial status. The big-name voice performers, Jose Ferrer and Greer Garson (who narrates), may be a little too ponderous for the occasion, but the familiar cartoony tones of Paul Frees (aka Boris Badenov) and June Forey (aka Rocket J. Squirrel) help liven up the proceedings. It's only 23 minutes long, so it's worth a shot for younger children. --David Chute

A Christmas Prayer by Kimberla Lawson Roby
(powells) Alexis Fletcher hasn't had a merry Christmas since losing her mother. Every December she remembers the joy her mother brought to everyone during the holiday season, and wishes her family could be whole again. And even as Alexis prepares to start a new family with her fiancé, Chase Dupont, outside forces threaten to destroy her potential happiness. But fate has one more surprise in store for Alexis, and it might be exactly what she needs to finally embrace the one holiday that has brought her nothing but heartache.

Touring Great Festivals of Europe (DVD, 2008)
(amazon) Here's your invitation to Europe's most festive celebrations. These festivals are not staged for tourists. They are for the locals celebrating their own lives and traditions. Share in the rituals and revelry, the folklore and fun, the costumes and the commotion of eight spectacular festivals. The colorful Storica Regata in Venice, Italy, honors the fastest rowers on the Grand Canal. Spend three madcap days in Fasnachtin Switzerland. Witness mask making and mask mischief at Carnival in Limoux in the south of France. During the Moors & Christian Fest in Alcoy Spain, an epic mock battle resolves the ancient turmoil between two bloodlines. Party like its 1549 at the Ommegang in Brussels.April Fest in Brielle, Netherlands is Cinco de Mayo, Bastille Day and the Fourth of July all rolled into one. Raise a stein at Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, a festival of rowdy abandonment that celebrates Germany's longstanding love affair with beer. Finally, plunge into winter and drive out pagan ogres during Perchten in Altenmark, Austria.