Being enchanted is quite an experience. As parents, Patrick and I created some kick-ass enchantments for our kids. Picture this. One year we lived in a little log cabin deep in the woods in Temple, New Hampshire. You had to cross over a pond on a little stone bridge to get to the cabin. It had been built in the hillside around two living trees which grew through the Great Room ceiling. Hereshoff, the master boat builder had designed this as a summer retreat for Fritz Day, the New York play writer.

On Christmas Eve afternoon, Patrick and the kids wandered through the woods until they found a perfect Christmas tree. It had long wispy needles and rippled gently in the wind. They carried it home where we had a gigantic fire in the huge stone fireplace. The kids had dinner and went into the bath. While they were playing in the bath, we put real candles on the tree, lit them and hung stockings by the fire. When they came from the tub and walked into the room, it was absolutely magical.

Then friends came by on a sledge pulled by horses and we bundled up and went Christmas caroling.

But, that didn't hold a candle (pun) to the time in another cabin in the woods of New Hampshire when St. Nicholas Day came around. The tradition is that on December 6, kids leave their shoes outside the door. St. Nicloas and his friend Rupurt (a chimney sweep all covered in black dust), come and if the kids have been good, they find a golden nut in their shoe. If they have misbehaved, they find a piece of charcoal.

This particular St. Nicolas Day, Alice's friend Noah was visiting. There were about six feet of new snow outside the cabin. The otters were showing off their sledding ability in the stream that ran by the deck. The kids heard a mighty pounding on the door and ran to see if they could catch sight of Saint Nicolas. They threw open the door and there were the shoes filled with golden nuts. (walnuts with gold paint for the unbelieving) and there were no tracks in the new snow. 

The kids were so excited, but they couldn't stop saying "He must be magic! He didn't leave any footprints!" They put on their winter outerwear and went all over the property hunting for footprints which they never found. Ariel was almost twelve and she came back a true believer.

All the time the scouting party was afoot, Patrick and Wyn, Noah's dad were lying in the snow on the roof enjoying the morning sun. They has come through the trees and onto the roof to drop the golden nuts on the doorstep and then hidden. I think my 40 year old kids might still believe in St. Nicolas. 

Last night in Granada Nicaragua, I was enchanted. Thousands of people of all ages were gathered in the streets in front of the Cathedral to hear poets from all over the world read their poems of love and love of their countries and of more love and the human spirit. Then Carlos Mejia Godoy played fabulous music under the stars with everyone swaying to the music with dreamy expressions. I was enchanted.