Goodbye 2008... Welcome 2009!

The countdown to 2009 has shifted into high gear as we begin to say our goodbyes and farewells to 2008.

It would be very easy to create a recap post of the years top stories; but nearly every news station has had a recap sprinkled in their newscasts since mid December. I don't think we need to look back once again at the scandals, the losses, the election and the tragic news stories.

2008 truly brought this blog to life. While I started this small space in 2007, the blog has experienced tremendous growth during 2008. When I first started this space my friends and family would check in and see what was going on. As we wrap up the year, over 1,000 people visit each week and many are now regular visitors who stop in for their 'cup' of House Blend. I'm forever grateful for the opportunity to share this space with so many great people from all over the world.

The turning point for House Blend was the interview with Dr. Brent Ridge. The interview that appeared here in June of this year, generated the highest number of page views and single day visits. (You can still read the interview.. look for Dr. Brent in the topic section on the sidebar) It is still one of the most 'searched' pages. Thank you again, Dr. Brent for your generosity and your time to make the interview such a success!

We often hear about the 'power of the media' and 2008 brought that power to life for me. During the course of a call in segment on "Morning Living" (Martha Stewart Living Radio), Tracie Hotchner, host of Cat Chat received a call from a woman who was in need of help with two cats that belonged to her sister. Her sister had been hospitalized and she needed to find a foster home for the cats until her sister was well enough to take care of them. Tracie made the connection that maybe I could help her through the animal rescue I'm affiliated with. She made this connection not even knowing if the caller was close to me. All within 24 hours, the caller made her plea for help, Tracie made the connection to me with the caller, I made contact with the caller as well as the animal rescue, and help was on the way. Within two weeks, the cats were safely housed at the shelter as foster cats. They will return to their owner soon. I'm thankful for Tracie, who has been a wonderful friend and supporter of our rescue.

In October, my friend John and I spent the day together to see Martha at a book signing in Birmingham. It was a complete "Martha day" that began in the early hours of the morning as we stood outside in the cold to get our wristbands to secure our place in line. We met many wonderful people that day, who shared in our enjoyment of all things Martha. The highlight of course was getting a couple minutes with Martha as she chatted with us as she signed our copies of "Martha Stewart's Cooking School." Above all, it was great to spend time with John.. we just don't do that enough.

What will 2009 bring? Who knows... but one of my New Year's Intentions is to make sure I take sufficient time to experience the good things. Work/life balance is much more important to me than it used to be. It's time to find that balance.

To each of you I wish you the very best for the new year ahead. Don't forget to stop in and visit. The coffee is always fresh, and you're always welcome to sit at the kitchen table and talk about living. Happy New Year!

Valentine's Day Crafts

So... you thought you were safe from the holidays for a while, eh? Not so fast!

While visiting family in Florida, my friend Elaine found this small selection of Martha Stewart Crafts Valentine's Day items at an area Wal-Mart store. Blank cards, stickers, confetti, and ribbons seem to be part of the holiday fun for Valentine's Day.

I'll have to scope out local stores to see if anything is popping up here locally. If you recall last year, the crafts line had very little in the way of Valentine's Day merchandise. It looks like this year will be a bit more interesting!

Start purchasing your Valentine's Day items soon! Nothing says, "I love you" like a homemade card! Well.. maybe some bling and chocolate will do the trick.. but the homemade card is nice too!

Martha Kicked it Up a Notch in 2008

While most of us will remember 2008 as the year of the economic downturn, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia kicked the year up a notch and continued to position itself for long term growth.

January2008: “Everyday Baking,” the new PBS series premieres. “Everyday Baking” is the companion show to the very popular “Everyday Food,” MSLO’s fastest growing franchise. The show, starring John Barricelli features multiple baking segments centered on a central theme.

January 2008: Martha Stewart 'On Demand' became available to digital subscribers to Comcast and Cox Cable. A variety of segments from Martha Stewart Living television and the Martha Stewart Show are made available to viewers on a variety of topics. Video clips change each month.

February 2008: MSLO announced the expansion of its Weddings franchise with an investment in WeddingWire, the online wedding planning company. The acquisition of approximately 40 percent of the equity in WeddingWire and a commercial agreement related to software and content licensing and media sales helps MSLO position itself as the ultimate resource for brides to be who are planning their special day.

February 2008: MSLO announced in what was probably the biggest news of the year, the acquisition of the media and merchandising properties of famed chef, Food Network personality and restaurant owner Emeril Lagasse. The contract was signed in April 2008. The deal brings together one of the biggest brands in food-related content with MSLO's well-established expertise in the lifestyle arena. Under the terms of the deal, MSLO acquired the rights to the Emeril Lagasse franchise, including television programming, cookbooks, emerils.com website, and the licensed kitchen and food products.

April 2008: MSLO and 1-800 Flowers, the nation’s largest on line flower retailer announced their partnership and the new Martha Stewart for 1-800 Flowers collection. The 1-800 relationship replaces the long running marthastewartflowers.com which shuttered its operations in January . Martha Stewart for 1-800 Flowers collection opened with a wide array of floral arrangements and live plants all presented in beautiful vessels inspired by Martha’s own antique collection.

June 2008: For the first time since the magazines inception, Everyday Food featured Martha and Emeril on the cover and premiered his new column in the magazine. Emeril and Everyday Food was a perfect match for the newly acquired MSLO franchise.

June 2008: Martha Stewart Podcasts became available to iTunes users. Similar content to the 'On Demand' library, but with the ease of having them on your home computer.

June 2008: SVP Worldwide, owner of Singer®, Husqvarna®, Viking®, and Pfaff® sewing machine brands announced the new Martha Stewart Embroidery Line. Classic Embroidery Patterns, the first in a series of embroidery designs produced by MSLO and SVP Worldwide, provide designs for monogramming and frame, border, and corner artwork that allow for further enhancement and personalization of sewing and embroidery projects. These patterns include Scallop, Laurel, and Twist, three simple, graceful embellishments inspired by timeless embroidery patterns, as well as an elegant font--custom-designed to Martha's specifications--for creating clean, beautiful monograms.

July 2008: The Martha Stewart Crafts line expanded with Martha Stewart Create and Martha Stewart Celebrate collections available exclusively at Wal-Mart stores throughout the United States and Canada.
Martha Stewart Create features crafting essentials and memory-keeping products such as paper, cutting mats, tools, pens, markers, glitter, and ribbons. The assortment also contains craft and activity kits including jewelry-making kits, pipe-cleaner-animal kits, memory-keeping kits, party decor kits, and card-making kits.
Martha Stewart Celebrate showcases ready-made, paper-based weddings essentials such as stationery, guest books, embellishments, favor boxes, cake toppers, and customizable centerpieces, as well as flower baskets and ring pillows.
The expansion of the craft line which debut in 2007 fulfilled a need in the mass market distribution channel. Immediately upon the announcement, analysts and consumers speculated whether or not Wal-Mart would become the new distributor of Martha Stewart Everyday once the contract with Kmart expires in January of 2010. While no new announcement has been made to date, one could easily be expected by third quarter of this year.

September 2008: Martha Stewart Television went in two different directions in the Fall of this year. First, Martha opened her Bedford Farm for the season opener of the syndicated “Martha Stewart Show.” Filmed entirely on the property of the gorgeous New York farm, the show featured a number of guest chefs and glimpses into her stables and gardens.

“Whatever, Martha” also made its debut on the Fine Living Network. The show concept was created by Martha Stewart and inspired by the cult classic “Mystery Science Theater.” “Whatever” radio show personalities, Alexis Stewart and Jennifer Koppelman-Hutt host the new show. The unscripted TV format provides a provocative platform for the radio duo to reveal their very colorful, witty and sometimes shocking opinions about Martha Stewart, Martha's performance, appearance and approach to projects in memorable segments selected from the Emmy-winning program "Martha Stewart Living", which premiered 15 years ago.

September 2008: MSLO’s portfolio of home decorating products expanded with the introduction of the Martha Stewart Good Bed line of luxury mattresses. Designed by Martha Stewart and the MSLO design team and manufactured by The Good Bed LLC, an entity formed by MSLO and Columbus, Ohio-based Schottenstein Stores Corporation, the line is comprised of twelve mattresses, each covered in woven or knit tickings of 100% cotton and starting at $1,000. The mattresses are available in twin, full, queen, king, and California king sizes, and in comfort levels of firm, medium-firm, and plush. Each includes proprietary dual-directional coil innerspring support, a supportive soy foam comfort edge that makes it more comfortable to get into and out of bed, and continental tailoring for easier placement of fitted sheets. Select mattresses feature tight, Euro, box, and pillow tops, as well as layers of soy and visco foam.

October 2008: MSLO announced an agreement to invest in, and enter a commercial agreement with, Pingg Corp. (www.pingg.com), an online event management site that offers stylish invitations and easy-to-use event planning tools. The move reflects MSLO's strategy to broaden its digital footprint.

December 2008: MSLO and NBC Universal, the syndication distributor for the Martha Stewart Show announced that the Emmy-Winning Syndicated Series Sold for 5th Season on Stations From NBC Local Media, Fox, Hearst, Scripps, LIN & More, Representing More Than 60% of U.S.

And you thought your year was busy?

In other MSLO news this year, in a move that shocked the business world, CEO Susan Lyne stepped down to pursue other opportunities. Susan is credited with taking control of MSLO during the massive company downturn following Martha’s personal legal problems and turning the company around to a profitable status. A number of restructuring moves at MSLO also made headlines in 2008 with the most recent announcement of CFO Howard Hochhauser stepping down.

Looking toward 2009

Speculation has been brewing about what could be next for MSLO. Additional licensing agreement announcements are expected in 2009. MSLO has hinted at an international expansion of the brand as well as domestic expansion (there are already international editions of Martha Stewart Living and Martha Stewart Weddings magazines). The buzz is a new garden line to be available at one of the big box home improvement stores and home improvement tools for the DIY’er at the same location. With the Martha Stewart Paint line available at Lowe’s, it would seem to be an obvious choice for further expansion of the brand in the home improvement arena.

I have a number of things I’d like to see this year:

• Martha Stewart Organizing Tools: Online or paper calendar, reminder, and daily organizing tools. (ala Franklin/Covey)
• An expansion of the food line to move beyond Costco. While Costco offers great value, it’s rather limited in consumer scope.
• Martha Stewart Baking: A line of cake and baking supplies. It makes sense since MSLO owns a portion of Wilton Industries.
• Martha Stewart Homekeeping: A line of cleaning supplies and laundry supplies available through mass market. While some items are currently available at Macy’s as part of the Martha Stewart Collection, I’d like to see a larger scale distribution of such products.
• Martha Stewart Pets: A line of all natural foods, supplies, and care items for pets.
  Martha Stewart Garden: A full line of gardening items including tools, pots, planters, shoes (bring back garden clogs!), and work clothing.
• Martha Stewart Home Office: A line of tools available to keep organized and keep the home office running at optimal efficiency.
• An expansion of the craft/create line to include software tools to create your own cards, stationary, announcements, etc without having to use online services.
• Martha Stewart Digital: Digital availability of their publishing library by subscription. Make all current and past issues available through a digital medium.
• Martha Stewart Living – The Seasons: While the first run at DVD’s didn’t fare well for the company, I’d love to see all the seasons of Martha Stewart Living made available in a DVD collection. Don’t separate it out by ‘topic’ – rather, the entire season.

Hey, a Martha admirer can dream, can’t he?

A New Year is Coming

I have finished picking the last bit of scotch tape off the floor, put the rolls of wrapping paper back into the storage container, and noticed that my project table looked like a bomb went off on it... Christmas is over.

Soon, it will be time to get organized again, clean every room from top to bottom, and pull out the 'winter white' bedding. I'm so organized when it comes to decorating FOR the holidays... but it seems to take me forever to remove and pack everything away for another year. It's a task I don't enjoy as much as I do putting it all up!

This week, we'll wind down 2008 and I can't say I'm sorry to see it go! While there were many good things that happened this year, there were also a good many challenges that tested my 'will' and tapped danced on my very last nerve. Having faced those challenges with determination and a strong will (some say I'm bull-headed), I'm ready to celebrate the incoming year and all the promise it brings.

I'm not one to make new year's resolutions. Why set myself up like that?! Instead, I make new year's 'intentions' which seem like less of a failure if I'm not totally successful. I am not a big party boy on New Year's Eve. We usually go out for a nice dinner (all gussied up in our finest), and return home before all the drunk people are on the roads. For years and years I've spent the Eve with Dick Clark and in recent years with Ryan Seacrest (no complaints). My New Year's' Eve party days ended nearly 20 years ago.

One of the things I do recognize about myself is that I get rather 'reflective' during these last few days of the year. Did I accomplish all I set out to do? Can I say I was successful this year? Did I fulfill my personal mission? It's my time to take my personal inventory and evaluate my life. That's a good thing, as it sets the direction for the coming year.

All the reflection does make me want to celebrate, however. Perhaps I'll throw on a rhinestone tiara and dance about the family room with wild abandon. Ahhh... the good 'ol days.

On this Christmas Eve, I wanted to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas. Thank you for taking a moment or two out of your day to share time with me through this blog. It's been a pleasure to create a place you enjoy visiting.

I wish you all peace and great blessings. --Kenn

And Then it Snowed...

When the alarm went off at 4:30 this morning, the news was all about the winter storm that was heading our way with an expected 6-10 inches of snow. By the time I was ready to leave for work at 5:45, the snow had already accumulated 2" and it was near white out conditions. Short of the blizzard in the mid 70's, I don't recall the snow ever falling so fast and furious as it did this morning.

Conditions continued to worsen throughout the day until about noon, when the storm was pulling off to the east, leaving behind a 9" coating of snow in most of our immediate area. As beautiful as it is, I hated driving in it! I'm glad to be home and now enjoy seeing it from the comforts of the great indoors! I did tiptoe outside to take one quick photo. We have to go out in a little bit to do some holiday party shopping. I may take my camera along to catch a few more snow moments.

David is clearing paths to the barn and clearing out the driveway while I give encouragement from the front door. :-) More snow is expected on Sunday and again on Christmas Eve. I do hope Rudolph has his nose at maximum wattage!

A Package of Cookies Arrive!

I received a package today... from Martha Stewart for 1-800 Flowers. It was a tin of cookies!

The tin is wonderful! In all the pictures you would think that the brown ribbon and label were 'attached' to the tin.. but alas, they are printed on. A nice sized tin!

When you open the tin, you have a little 'gift' note from Martha and recipe cards for all the various cookies inside.

The cookie varieties are individually wrapped to retain freshness. It will be interesting to see how they compare to homemade!

It's Raining (Snow) Men...

My Thursday night project: completing the decorated sugar cookies for friends and family. To coordinate with my Christmas cards this year, I decided to deck the snowmen out in teal blue hats and scarves. Two dozen snowmen later, it's time to let them dry and then start packaging.

Brent and Josh, Bing Crosby and Martha Stewart... Sirius-ly.

If you're huddled around your Sirius radio on Wednesday night (December 17) at 8pm Eastern, catch two of my favorite people, Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Dr. Brent Ridge on Sirius Out Q radio, channel 109. Josh and Brent will be guests on the Dereck and Romaine show, discussing life on their farm (Beekman) and their concept of 'rural chic.' Sounds fun and fabulous to me! Brent and Josh will be taking calls from listeners, so feel free to call in and say, 'hello!'

In other Sirius news.. for those who love nostalgia for the holidays, check out channel 113 for "Bing Crosby Christmas Radio." Join special guest host Regis Philbin for this non-stop broadcast of more than twenty years of vintage Bing Crosby holiday radio specials, featuring a wide variety of Crosby’s beloved music — including his most popular recording ever, "White Christmas" — and special guests like Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and Bob Hope among others. Bing Crosby Christmas Radio airs through Christmas Day, December 25.

And right in between these two channels, you'll always find Martha Stewart Living Radio on channel 112. (XM subscribers can also find MSLR on channel 157) Great holiday tips, recipes and inspiration is available 24 hours a day. Oh.. and let's not forget Alexis and Jennifer, the hosts of "Whatever."

Martha Stewart Show Renewed for Season Five!

The Martha Stewart Show has been renewed in over 60% of the country for 2009, according to distributor NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution.

That signals that the syndicated series, produced by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, will be returning for a fifth season.

The daily strip has been cleared by NBC, Fox, Hearst, Scripps, and LIN stations, among others. Top-market renewals include WNBC New York, KNBC Los Angeles, WMAQ Chicago, WJBK Detroit, WTVT Tampa, WBAL Baltimore, and WISN Milwaukee.

The series averaged a .7 in the November sweep, down from the previous November, but showing year-to-growth in most of the top 30 markets and on par with previous-week performances.

"Martha and the team behind her show continue to produce an entertaining daily program that resonates with our viewers," says John Wallace, President, NBC Local Media, which oversees NBC's TV stations.

The Baking Has Started

Yesterday, I was making cookie dough for my over-sized sugar cookies. The disc's are in the fridge chilling away, ready to be rolled at any time.

Today, I did get the Chocolate/Dried Cherry Biscotti baked, cut, baked again, and packaged:

It is DELICIOUS. You can find the recipe from Emeril here.

I also started some Marshmallow Snowflakes. The marshmallow mixture was easy to make and it's amazing what some hot sugar water and corn syrup can turn into after about 10 minutes on the Kitchen-Aid!

This pan (a standard rimmed baking sheet) will be cut into snowflakes tomorrow. The recipe to make these easy treats can be found on marthastewart.com

So much more to do... but so pleased with the achievements so far! Happy Sunday, everyone!

Ready for Some Fresh Thinking?

While in the middle of making cookie dough this afternoon, there came a knock at the door. It was our mail-person, Michelle, who presented me with the haul of mail for the day. Within the stack of mail, I found the January issue of Martha Stewart Living.

After a hectic holiday season full of projects, decorations, lights and bits of scotch tape on the floor (which you will find until St. Patrick's Day), it's always refreshing to put a focus on getting organized once again. Despite my best efforts every year from Halloween - New Year's, I can't quite keep the house in quite the 'order' I'm used to. (to see my project room right now would make any professional organizer shudder!)

The January issue of Living is all about 'fresh thinking.' Despite it's small size this month (only 144 pages), it's full of great articles and photography.

Looking to maximize your closet space? there is a range of clever and easy organizing ideas to make the most of the storage you have. Ever wonder how Martha 'does it all' and maintains her great appearance and vigor? You'll find all her health secrets in her monthly column, "From My Home to Yours." Get a glimpse behind the scenes at some of MSLO staffers offices in an interesting articled titled, "Creativity at Work."

There's much more in this issue of Living. Go beyond the expected uses of citrus when cooking breakfast, lunch or dinner. Take a look at a year of flowers - a calendar of a dozen seasonal bouquets. Anticipate being 'full' from all the holiday goodies? Try a dessert of meringues in the coming new year.

A new year, and another resolution to get fit. Dr. Brent Ridge shares his insight on how exercising actually affects your body in his monthly column Doctor/Patient. It's an article you don't want to miss.

Cooking, entertaining, gardening, homekeeping and more all in the January issue. Watch for it!

Help in the Kitchen From Martha and Costco

With holiday preparations in full swing we could all use some help in the kitchen. Martha Stewart has you covered with great selection of food products available at Costco.

Wanting ham for the holidays? Look no further than your local Costco for Kirkland Signature/Martha Stewart Ham. First introduced last year to rave reviews, this ham can’t be beat. These bone-in hams are slow cured and then lightly smoked over applewood chips. Each artisanal ham comes with simple reheating, glazing, and carving instructions. If you traditionally serve ham at holiday time, this ham is the perfect choice.

When the wrapping paper and scotch tape frenzy leave you with little time for a simple supper, try these great Martha Stewart alternatives:

Beef Chili with Beans ……This beef chili brings together black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, and hearty chunks of beef. Tomatoes, smoky ancho chilies, and a touch of lager round out the chili’s deep flavors and give it plenty of personality. Make it a southwest supper that is quick, easy, and tastes like you had it simmering for hours.

Chicken Slab Pie ……All-natural chicken, carrots, leeks, mushrooms, peas, and pearl onions
simmered in a creamy sauce—are brought together in these rustic, double-crust pies. This chicken slab pie takes the traditional pot pie and kicks it up a few notches.

Turkey Soup …… Brimming with hearty chunks of turkey, tender noodles, mushrooms, carrots, and onions, this turkey soup is delicious served piping hot on its own or with some crusty bread.

After dinner, who doesn’t love a good dessert? Try Martha’s Apple Raspberry Slab Pie …… A rich, buttery crust encases a filling of apples, raspberries, and a hint of spice to create this apple-raspberry slab pie. Serve it warm or at room temperature with your favorite ice cream.

Planning a holiday party? Martha makes it easy with these quick appetizers:

Olive Bruschetta …… This olive bruschetta blends the tangy, slightly salty flavors of olives with the sweetness of roasted red peppers and cipollini onions. It makes a wonderful alternative to traditional pasta
sauce.

Pork Meatballs …… These tender pork meatballs feature floral lemongrass and spicy habanero chiles. Serve them on bibb lettuce leaves with a chili-lime dipping sauce or on a mini baguette with shredded carrots, sliced cucumbers and pickles, nd cilantro sprigs to create a Vietnamese-style sandwich.

Mushroom Dip …… Classic flavor of rich, savory bacon mingles with earthy mushrooms in this creamy dip. When entertaining, serve a bowl of Mushroom Dip with an array of fresh vegetables.

Whether your entertaining, hosting the holiday, or just looking for something quick to prepare during a busy week, Kirkland/Martha Stewart products make meal time taste just like you made it yourself… and all you had to do is heat it up!

For more information on these and other Kirkland/Martha Stewart food products, visit the shop page at marthastewart.com.

Tis the Season to be Decorated

A fairly decent picture of the Christmas tree in the family room

The kitchen garland with the overhead lights off and all a-glow. I love the LED lights. They cast a wonderful shade of blue light.

The garland with a bit of extra lighting.. it's adorned with blue and silver ornaments.

Not A Creature Was Stirring... Not Even Sirius

I had to share this picture of our youngest, Sirius. One of his favorite things is burrowing into a pile of laundry fresh from the dryer. Here, he found a nice warm fitted sheet to tunnel into and fall asleep. How could you not love this cat?

Cookie Week

Just in time for holiday baking to begin, tune into the Martha Stewart Show during the week of December 8th for numerous recipes of everyones favorite holiday treat: Cookies!

Tune in to catch recipes for: Walnut cookies; Orange pinched macaroons; Spiced cardamon cookies; Ski cookies; Chocolate thumbprint cookies; Classic sugar cookies; and lemon-raspberry sandwiches.

After you bake batch after batch you'll also want some clever packaging ideas! Martha has you covered this week!

Also, handmade gift ideas continue with affordable and charming gift ideas for the loved ones on your gift list this year. It's a "can't miss" week of shows!

Which Should It Be?

About two months ago or so, MSLO sent a survey to readers of Martha Stewart Living asking for opinions on which cover should be used for the January 2009 issue. With the January issue soon to arrive in mailboxes, I'm curious to know what you think... which cover would you select and why?

Martha Stewart Collection Packaging Receives Recognition

Doyle Partners, a New York based design firm has won recognition in the highly prestigious competition for creativity in graphic design from Communication Arts Magazine. Communication Arts recently published the winners in the 2008 Design Annual.

Stephen Doyle, Creative Director and Brian Chojnowski, Designer secured their place in the Annual publication for their design work in the packaging for the Martha Stewart Collection, available at Macy's. Stephen Doyle, married to MSLO Chief Creative Officer, Gael Towey, is also credited with the design of the Martha Stewart circle logo which has unified the Martha Stewart brand across multiple media platforms.

According to the designers, "The idea was simple: Why not turn the stacked cardboard boxes holding Martha Stewart Collection kitchenware into wallpaper? Creating artwork from the actual product drawings allowed us to forego expensive, elaborate product photography and print the boxes while the products were being manufactured."

Congratulations to Doyle Partners for the recognition of their outstanding design talent.

A Message of Hope

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. "Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. "Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.' "Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?"
VIRGINIA O'HANLON

VIRGINIA,

Your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.