2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 25

"It came without ribbons!  It came without tags!  It came without packages, boxes or bags!"... Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!  "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.  Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!"  --Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Merry Christmas

&

Happy New Year!!

Thank you for traveling through the year with me!

2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 24

"...A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, 
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread; 
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, 
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose, 
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose; 
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, 
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle, 
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."
by Clement Clark Moore

2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 23

"A sprig of holly lay by each plate, and nothing would do but each little Ruggles must leave his seat and have it pinned on by Carol, and as each course was served, one of them pleaded to take something to her.
There was hurrying to and fro, I can assure you, for it is quite a difficult matter to serve a Christmas dinner on the third floor of a great city house; but if it had been necessary to carry every dish up a rope ladder the servants would gladly have done so.
There were turkey and chicken, with delicious gravy and stuffing, and there were half a dozen vegetables, with cranberry jelly, and celery, and pickles; and as for the way these delicacies were served, the Ruggleses never forgot it as long as they lived."

--The Birds' Christmas Carol, by Kate Douglas Wiggin (1887)

2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 22

From Home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another. The warmth and joy of Christmas, brings us closer to each other - Emily Matthews.

2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 21

Assuming that we're all still here and y'all haven't gone floating off into outer space, I present, for your viewing pleasure, Christmas Ornaments!

These are a few of my favorites...

We like to pick up unusual ornaments from places that we travel to, so a few years ago when we were on Grand Cayman I had to pick up this little guy.

This pic is a two-fer!  The little mouse eating cheese is a new ornament from a trip to the coast earlier this year.  Next to it is a Disney Cruise ornament from one of our trips.  It's a little plain, but brings back good memories!

This one is hard to see, but it's a lighthouse, from another of our trips to the Oregon Coast.

 

 And last but not least - Alaskan Lumberjack Mickey!!

Do you collect ornaments from your travels, or keep hand-made ones from previous years?  What are your favorites?  Share your thoughts below!

2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 20

It's almost time to hang our stockings!  Are you ready yet?

2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 19

Christmas Decorations - Part 3

Yet another Christmas decoration that has been in the family longer than I have.  What can I say, I like old things, and traditions!  The figurines are old and faded, and most of the angels have lost one or more wings each, but this Nativity set is one of my most precious Christmas decorations!

2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 18

So pretty!  Anyone fancy a trip to London for Christmas?

2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 17

"At this festive season of the year, Mr Scrooge," said the gentleman, taking up a pen, "it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. ... We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices."
- A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 16

This year was the 80th Annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.  The tree is very pretty.

On a side note - I really don't think it is right for anyone to travel with Muppets, while wearing Muppet skin:

Somehow it just doesn't seem fair to the Muppets.

2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 15

10 more days!

2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 14

It's almost here! 11 more days!

2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 13

Christmas Decorations - Part 2

You know...for your viewing pleasure...

Here's two little guys that have been part of the family collection forever.  I have no idea where Mr. & Mrs. Santa Mouse came from, but again, I suspect that they are older than I am. And so cute!

This is one of my FAVORITES!!  He's The Christmas Dragon, and is a relatively new addition - a friend made him for me out of clay about 15 years ago.  He's actually a pin that could be worn, but I've always been afraid to wear him as he tend to be a bit fragile.  

I usually put him near my Nativity Scene so he can watch over the baby Jesus to make sure the Wise Men don't get out of control.  Plus that's where the best sheep are, in case he gets hungry.

2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 12

Christmas Decorations, Part 1

We have a lot of Christmas decorations.  A lot.  Most are store bought, some are hand made, many are new-ish, and a few are older than me.  I'm sure everyone has a similar mix of beloved ornaments or decorations that make the holiday seem to be missing something if they aren't in place.  So I thought I'd share some with you guys.

So, for the moment, just ignore the Taco Bell Christmas Chihuahua and Frosty the Snowman.  These little Santas sliding down the candle to the chimney have been around longer than I have.  The one on the left get his leg broken one year, so now he's an amputee and slides further down the candle than his buddy, but he's still in it to win it!

I love these little guys and insist that they spend the holidays prominently displayed in the living or dining room somewhere every year.

What are your favorite Christmas decorations?

2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 11

Today, for your viewing pleasure, a Christmas Tabletop Decoration!

Other than the cords hanging down the wall I'm quite proud of this.  Bob helped with the decorating a lot this year, which was super fun.

We spent most of the day Saturday and Sunday decorating the house and the Christmas Tree while listening to Christmas music, and watching the movie White Christmas - a classic favorite in our house!

 

The final result...

King of the Lab?  Maybe?

2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 10

For your viewing pleasure, I present, A Christmas Tree!!

 

It's a little smaller (width-wise) than what we usually get, but I think it's quite perfect.

Have a great day!!

2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 9

Yesterday was the day of the great #ChristmasTreeHunt. 

Usually, this event takes several hours.  One cannot rush when hunting for the PERFECT tree.  But somehow, we found the perfect tree within five minutes, had it cut and loaded and were back home within 30 minutes. 

It was a CHRISTMAS MIRACLE, y'all!

"It followed me home - Can I keep it?

This year we are going with a red, white, and silver theme.  Here's the tree with just the lights on it, which was as far as we got today.

2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 8

Today we are off to find the perfect Christmas Tree - wish us luck!!

2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 7

The White House National Christmas Tree was lit last night, and it marks the 90th year of the annual lighting ceremony.  The tree is covered with white LED lights and stars, and surrounded by 57 smaller trees representing each State and U.S. Territory.

The first National Christmas Tree was lit in 1923 by President Calvin Coolidge.

2012 Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 6

So every year the same topic seems to come up and be discussed endlessly online and around the water cooler.

Many people prefer to say Merry Christmas as a greeting or upon leaving another person's presence.  Some prefer to say something slightly more generic, such as Happy Holidays, or perhaps Season's Greetings.  The arguments for and against any choice are many and varied.  Those who prefer Merry Christmas claim that anything else leaves Christ out of the season, while some feel that a more generic greeting like Happy Holidays is better because it covers all the holidays - Christmas, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and New Year's, etc - which is certainly faster than listing each individually, or covers all bases if one is speaking to a stranger.

A few years ago while working for a government agency, I had a boss who was very paranoid about saying Merry Christmas and accidentally offending someone, and I quickly learned to avoid saying Merry Christmas at work, so as not to risk a lecture, even though that is my preference.  Where I currently work isn't as customers service oriented, and the paranoid boss is long gone, but old habits die hard, and I still tend to not say Merry Christmas unless someone else says it first, instead opting for Happy Holidays.

So which do you prefer, or find yourself using most often?

Merry Christmas!!