Turn on the television this time of year, and you can instantly see how rampant commercialism threatens to steal the heart of Christmas. But instead of feeling disheartened, I've decided to "take back" Christmas by reinstituting some old-fashioned holiday traditions in my home this year. 

Here are a few ideas that I've come across in my quest to get back to the basics:

Have a taffy pull. How many kids today would actually know what this is? I have to admit that when a woman told me it was a favorite holiday tradition in her family, I had to google it. Apparently, you can use honey, or mollasses, or corn syrup in the recipe. Click here to learn how to stage your own taffy pull. 

Play old-fashioned games. Charades, checkers, chess. These traditional family games will slow down Father Time during the holidays and help you focus on what matters most - spending quality time with your family. One of the great "robbers" of Christmas joy is the busyness that overtakes us this time of year. Sitting down and playing a simple game of chess by the fire will make those precious minutes last longer.

Bake homemade bread dough ornaments. Remember these? What you'll need: 4 cups flour, 2 cups water, 2 cups salt. Mix ingredients into a ball; roll it out on parchment paper; cut with cookie cutters; make a hole at the top with a toothpick; and bake on parchment paper at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. After they cool, paint and varnish with clear fingernail polish. Tie a ribbon, and they're ready to hang!

Go caroling! Why not be the first person on your block in the past 30 or 40 years to organize a Christmas caroling outing? I remember going caroling with my high school choir, and this is still one of my favorite holiday memories. All it takes is a handful of willing partipants, a row of lit houses, and a few old-fashioned carols in your back pocket. What better way to share holiday joy? Nursing homes are also a great caroling destination.

String cranberry and popcorn garland. What you'll need: cranberries, popcorn (let sit overnight), strong string, and a needle (ask at a craft store about ones that are safe for children). I sprayed mine with hairspray to keep it from aging, and to keep the mice away while in storage (we've had ours for 6 years!).

Make homemade cookie and candy baskets. Pull out the cookbooks and select a few cookie and candy recipes; pick up all the ingredients at the store; and then designate a "cookie baking" day with family and friends. This is the perfect day to put on some Christmas music, make a pot of hot cocoa, and don the apron that hangs in your pantry the rest of the year. When all of the goodies are made, you might choose to place them in baskets or bags and deliver them to neighbors who are spending the holidays alone. Of course, don't forget to keep a handful for your own holiday nibbling!

Read the Christmas story and other holiday classics aloud. Remember sitting around the dining room table or in the living room listening to your mother or father read the Christmas story? If not, it's something that you could start with your own family. In our family, this has always been a Christmas Eve tradition. We light a few candles, snuggle together on the couch, and read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas followed by the story of Christ's birth. For me, it wouldn't feel like Christmas without this quiet, reflective time as a family to soak in the reason for the season.

  

There are history museums where pieces of history are displayed in modern, sheet-rocked buildings with A/C and automatic doors. And then there are house museums, where artifacts are shown in small, 19th-century rooms where they might have been found in the first place, in someone's home or business in the center of a quaint New England village.
I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to spend the better part of a week perusing the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. But for a quick afternoon trip into the past, you can't beat the house museum down the road.
And we're lucky in New England, cause there are lots of them. But most are only open through early- to mid-October, so you'd better hurry and put on your driving gloves. It's time to discover the golden nuggets of local history hidden on the Main Streets and side-streets throughout Vermont.
The "Historic House Museums in Vermont" website, put together by the Victorian Preservation Assocation, is an excellent tool for planning your tour: http://www.vpa.org/museumsvm.html.

A friend of mine took up flying when he was nearing 70. He is now an active volunteer for Angel Flights, flying critically ill men, women and children to far-away hospitals for treatment. 

A 98-year-old woman I know spends hours of otherwise idle time sketching pictures of flowers and landscapes with a ball-point pen on white type paper — and making collages from magazine cut-outs. She also picked up the accordian for the first time in her 70s — and now entertains "seniors" at local senior centers. Incidentally, she learned how to boogie-board around the same time.

I met a man the other day in his mid 80s who has been diligently writing his life story and piecing together his family geneology through online research.

Adopting new hobbies and seeking opportunities to learn something new is part of the magic formula for living a long, healthy life. It seems to be a key component, in fact. According to an online article "Hobbies Keep Centenarians Sharp," these pastimes help keep our minds sharp and agile. 

If you've always wanted to learn to play the piano or speak German, stop thinking of it as an indulgence for tomorrow. More likely, it's a health tonic for today.

Remember the Jetsons? I was certain that by the time I had kids of my own, we'd all own flying cars and have robot housekeepers. Rosie would be such a great addition to my household.

I wonder how accurately we imagine the world of tomorrow? 

At the end of most life-story interviews, I like to take some time to pass along thoughts, hopes, wishes to the future — distant and not-so-distant. What are your hopes for your grandchildren? What concerns do you have about the world that your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will inherit? 

Too bad most of us don't have our great-grandparents' answers to these questions. It would be interesting to hear what they envisioned about the world that awaited their great-great-grandchildren — the youth of today.

On her site, Brainpickings.com, Maria Popover has dug up six visions of the future, left to us from the past. They cover topics from travel, clothing, architecture, technology and communications — even snippets from Walt Disney's program "Tomorrowland." Fascinating stuff. Be sure to watch the "Clothing of the Future" video clip from the 1930s …. 

I think that we often struggle — during the  all-too-frantic holiday season — to find ways to show our love and appreciation to friends and family. We shop for meaningful gifts, host parties, bake pies and cookies.

But it's the "personalized attention" that somehow goes missing.

That's what Thanksgiving is for. It's time to slow down and reflect on the blessings in our lives.

This year, I'm vowing to use the spirit of Thanksgiving as inspiration to do some much-needed thank-you card writing — to show my gratitude for those friends and family members who enrich my life. 

Not for anything specific. Just a few notes to say, "Thank you for being who you are — and for all that you've brought to my life."

I'm thinking that a goal of five notes is realistic. Maybe ten. But truly, what better time of the year to send a thank-you note than on Thanksgiving?