No, I did not "re-disappear"

(I did a pallet knife painting of a sunflower and butterfly for Cheryl but this is as close as I have in my files).

These last few days have been very eventful, with two major occurrences:

1st...my very dear friend Cheryl died and her wake was today, Wednesday, at 4:00 p.m., but I was unable to attend because of the number two occurrence.  However, I feel VERY blessed that God allowed me to enjoy special time with Cheryl just a few weeks ago when I co-hosted a tea party for her at my friend Carolyn's home (easier for Cheryl since I live over 100 miles away).  Cheryl fought a valiant battle with breast cancer that went into remission then she was diagnosed with liver, stomach and brain cancer and yet she stayed the same sweet (but VERY thin) and unselfish person she always had been.  Heaven must be ever so happy to have her while those of us here shed tears for what we no longer have the privilege of being around.

(This little guy is a pain killer...hee hee)


2nd...Michael will undergo surgery tomorrow for a complete replacement of his defibrillator/pacemaker.  With God's blessing it will be a short surgery and he will go home afterward.  If the leads are messed up going into his heart then it may mean a stay at the hospital.  Please raise up a prayer for him my friends.






Something e-mailed to me that will (or should bring a smile to your face):

Role Model






FIND OUT WHO TRULY IS YOUR ROLE MODEL.



(DON'T SCROLL DOWN YET !!!!.)



DO THE SIMPLE MATH BELOW, THEN SCROLL DOWN TO FIND YOUR HERO.









It's AMAZINGLY CRAZY how accurate this is!!!



No peeking!!!





1) Pick your favorite number between 1-9



2) Multiply by 3



3) Add 3



4) Multiply by 3, again



5) You should now have a 2 or 3 digit number....



6) Add the digits together





With that number, see who your ROLE MODEL is from the list below:





Now, scroll down.



;



;



;



;



;



;



;





;



;



;



;



;



1. Albert Einstein



2. Oprah Winfrey



3. President Lincoln



4. Thomas Edison



5. Bill Gates



6. Ghandi



7. Brad Pitt



8. Babe Ruth



9. Marcy that crazy redhead


10. John Kennedy





I know, I know.....I just have that effect on people. One day, maybe you too can be like me.





Why are you laughing???







P.S. Stop picking different numbers!!!





I AM YOUR ROLE MODEL... JUST DEAL WITH IT!!!



~~~Thank You heavenly Father, Son and Holy Spirit for the blessings of loving and happy memories and for Your healing Hand in our lives.

What's Been Happening and Where is Marcy???

Today is the day for a rhyme

And I've learned that I must take the time

To make this world a little brighter

And hopefully our burdens a little lighter.

The praying for others does not cease

Even when on my forehead worries crease

For I wish you all sweet peace

And from problems a prompt release.

If we our troubles all up to Him

Then we can sing nothing but a happy hymn

For even our most troublesome day

Will turn out so much better if we PRAY.

Now this post all all a messy jumble

And made me do a little mumble

As pictures went a tumble.

For those of you who have failed to be overwhelmed with snow pictures, I render a few from our backyard on snow day here in Georgia.  Just like us, Tinkabelle was amazed at those big flakes...

Here is the view from the other side of our back patio.  You can see our snow covered water barrel on the ground where the workmen took it and left it, along with the concrete blocks they removed and left in the front yard (all without even asking, sad to say) for whatever purpose when they were repairing our water main pipe...

Sadie Mae and Tinkabelle right before their trip out into the snow with shiny eyes (guess I should have removed the red eye here)....

Another view of the first picture....

Lovely falling flakes and the shed and our garden to the right of it, all decorated with snow....

Sadie Mae plowed out into the snow, more adventurous than Tinkabelle who had to see what would happen to Sadie Mae first....

Now here comes part of the goofiness, the jokes are in the middle and it took me a   l  o  n  g , long time to fix this up because it copied and pasted with about 17 blank spaces between every third or fourth word!!!  As I was finishing, I discovered that it ended up in the middle of my post and then I had to just "let it go" as there is no way to drag all those other pictures to the top.  If you like your laughs at the end then skip to the bottom then come back here...

"A 1st grade school teacher had twenty-six students in her class. She presented each child with the first half of a well-known proverb and asked them to come up with the second half. It's hard to believe that these were actually done by 1st graders. Their insight may surprise you. While reading, keep in mind that these are 6-year-olds, because the last one is a classic! (don't peek till you get there!!!)

1.  Don't change horses.......until they stop running.

2.  Strike while the.............bug is close.

3.  It's always darkest before......Daylight Saving Time.

4.  Never underestimate the power of.....termites.

5.  You can lead a horse to water but.....How?

6.  Don't bite the hand that......looks dirty.

7.  No news is.....impossible.

8.  A miss is as good as a....Mr.

9.  You can't teach an old dog new.......math.

10.  If you lie down with dogs, you'll.......stink in the morning.

11.  Love all, trust.......me.

12.  The pen is mightier than the.......pigs.

13.  An idle mind is.....the best way to relax.

14.  Where there's smoke there's.......pollution.

15.  Happy the bride who.....gets all the presents.

16.  A penny saved is......not much.

17.  Two's company, three's......the Musketeers.

18.  Don't put off till tomorrow what......you put on to go to bed.

19.  Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and.......you have to blow your nose.

20.  There are none so blind as.......Stevie Wonder.

21.  Children should be seen and not.....spanked or grounded.

22.  If at first you don't succeed.....get new batteries.

23.  You get out of something only what you.......see in the picture on the box.

24.  When the blind lead the blind.....get out of the way.

25.  A bird in the hand....... is going to poop on you.

And the WINNER



is . . . (now you can wait if you want because this also is goofy and the answer is after the end of these pictures)!!

Here comes some of the news around here....

This looks like what may have happened to Tinka (this dog even looks a little like her), but our cats' front claws are gone, so it could have been a wild animal in the backyard or her sticking her nose under the fence and it wouldn't fit.  We don 't know but the poor baby had three bloody scrapes on top of her nose.  We cleaned them and put some neosporin on them (which she promptly licked off).  So far it is slowly healing and looks fine and so is she (no swelling, no appetite loss and still playful)...

Except for not being three marks and not being vertical, this looks like her nose (also except more healed now)...

Now, for more excitement.  Here's where we had to take Michael a week ago and beside it (that anughty coffee) is the reason.  Not only did his defibrillator go off and shock him but the next day he was wracked with cramps down his back and his legs.  His muscles were cramped from dehydration (lots of coffee takes out water, causes his heart to race and the defribrillator to eventually go off)  ...

If he had been drinking lots of water and eating bananas, it certainly would have lessened any of these things, but his beloved and deadly coffee would still have caused his heart to race...

Now my Michael is being very cautious and not drinking coffee at all and also finally drinking plain water along with volumes of Propel.  Sad to say, though, the doctor once again upped his medications, not allowing him to see if these changes would adjust anything or everything....

This is what I found when I typed in "BAD COFFEE"....

Our Sadie Mae loves to roll around in the dirt outside, so she is our little 'pig' and it recently (the same time as Tinka's problem) got her a case of dirty ears and lots of head shaking which was 'cured' with hydrogen peroxide followed by neosporin.  Amazingly these dogs only go out for 10-15 minute spurts, yet look at all the trouble they can get into...

Here's another out of sync picture, but this does look like the ER where we waited for over four hours as they did tests and X-rays on Michael and had him all hooked up to monitors..

Last, but certainly not least among our "adventures", we discovered we had a leak in the main pipe from our front yard to the house!!  PLEASE learn from me and get at least three estimates before letting someone do the job.  Being stressed with a still problematic septic system and then some major leaks in the main pipe made me jump in and say yes instead of waiting.  I feel we were ripped off deeply on this, but it is fixed at least...

26.  Better late than......... pregnant."


Meanwhile I/we got lured into a thing called Farmville on Facebook which has kept our minds off the financial woes and medical issues, so it takes up alot of time but has kept us happy.

~~~Dear Lord, thank You for the blessings of friends and things that can ease our minds when we are stressed.

Want to know 4 Secrets?

Today's Internet entertainment/education is brought to you by four restaurant secrets.  I have been fortunate enough to have been in many restaurants in many places, so as you look at these restaurants, please let me know which one you would chose to go to for a night out if money was no object.

I can't believe that I almost forgot

For to rhyme words I must take a shot

As you take a gaze upon each spot

Below and rate it hot or not.

This is good for my brain I can feel it work

So try it yourself and try not to smirk

Or worry that maybe you'll twitch and you'll jerk

For I'm still doing it still and haven't gone beserk.

This one looks pretty elegant, doesn't it?....

A guy would never have to worry about his date walking out on him at this restaurant, unless she was a really great swimmer (bet their 'catch of the day' is REALLY fresh)....

This nice little quaint French restaurant reminded me of the ones we saw in Catalan, Spain which is a tourist spot and has signs transalted into hysterical English, like "If you like dogs that are hot to eat, please to come here to eat..."

This is somewhere not in the U.S. but it looked interesting and fancy schmancy...

Even though this restaurant is somewhere in the Arab Republic, it really reminds me of a restaurant that Mario and I went to in Poland, only there were booths all along both sides...

This is a restaurant overlooking the water but it looks as if it could be on a ship...

This one would be fun (and we both like oriental food)but Michael is afraid of heights so I would have to go alone!...

The neat thing about this restaurant is that you wouldn't have to dress up, you could probably even come in your pajamas, but if the food's good, I'm in....

Now here's some elegance (think this is in China) and it looks like there would be plenty of seating...

This one is sooooo romantic...it looks like a great place for romance or to take a good book and have a great reading time...

Michael will get the heebie jeebies just looking at this one in Germany but I'll bet it's wonderful...wish I could have gone to it when we (Mario and I and the children) lived in Germany.  Even though I don't have a special fear of heights (just a respect) I would never lean out the windows here whereas my son and late husband probably would have ....

Now here are the secrests you have all been waiting for....


"4 Must-Know Restaurants Secrets!
By David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding

Eat This, Not That

by David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding a Yahoo! Health Expert for Nutrition
.

If being an anonymous blip on a giant corporation’s assembly line makes you feel like a character in some bleak sci-fi movie, we’ve got good news. There are plenty of ways to fight back—to enjoy all the convenience of modern restaurants and all the foods you still like to eat without paying extra money every 6 months for a new pair of pants.



You see, all major restaurant chains—from the fast-food purveyors to the sandwich shops and coffee bars to the sit-down dinner joints with their vaguely Italian/Mexican/Chinese/whatever themes—operate with the same set of secrets, secrets they don’t want their customers to know. And if you know these secrets, well, guess what? The power to eat what you want and still stay slim is in your hands. Lucky you!



This list of sneaky secrets, straight from the book Eat This, Not That! Restaurant Survival Guide will help you start taking back control! And, even better, we’ve created an Eat This, Not That! iPhone app—it’s like having your own personal nutritionist at your fingertips!



Secret #1: Don’t get “supersized”

Sure, it feels like you’re getting a bargain because you’re getting proportionately more food for proportionately less money. But a “value meal” is only a value for two sets of people: the corporations that make the food and the corporations that make liposuction machines and heart stents. Because food is so inexpensive for manufacturers to produce on a large scale, your average fast-food emporium makes a hefty profit whenever you supersize your meal—even though you’re getting an average of 73 percent more calories for only 17 percent more money. But you’re not actually buying more food. You’re buying more calories. And that’s not something you want more of.



Secret #2: Remember, the waiter is a salesperson

A 2005 study published in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services found that you’re more likely to order a side dish when the server verbally prompts you. (“Do you want fries with that?”) Restaurants know this, and now you know it, too. When the waiter makes a suggestion, remember his job is not to make you happy. His job is to extract money from your wallet and insert fat in its place.



Secret #3: Don’t get too excited

You eat out all the time. A 2008 study in the International Food Research Journal found that people are less likely to make healthy restaurant choices when they feel that they’re dining out for a “special occasion.” And as we said, dining out used to be special. But before you head out to your next meal, really take stock of how many times you’ve eaten out this week. If you’re eating every meal at home and dining out truly is a once-a-week splurge, then don’t worry about it so much. But if you’re like most of us, eating out is probably more like a once-a-day splurge. And if that’s the case, remember, there’s nothing special here. Eat smart today because you’ll have to do it again tomorrow.



Bonus tip: Download our free Eat This, Not That! guide to shopping once and eating for a week—and save calories, time, and money!



Secret #4: Start small

Here’s the good news: No one is going to stop you from ordering seconds. So be like any good businessperson, and start small. Here’s exactly how expensive it really is whenever you go for the “bargain”:



7-Eleven: Gulp to Double Gulp Coca-Cola Classic: 37 cents extra buys 450 more calories.

Cinnabon: Minibon to Classic Cinnabon: 48 more cents buys 370 more calories.

Movie theater: Small to medium unbuttered popcorn: 71 additional cents buys you 500 more calories.

Convenience store: Regular to “The Big One” Snickers: 33 more cents packs on 230 more calories.

McDonald’s: Quarter Pounder with Cheese to Medium Quarter Pounder with Cheese Extra Value Meal: An additional $1.41 gets you 660 more calories.

Subway: 6-inch to 12-inch Tuna Sub: $1.53 more buys 420 more calories.

Wendy’s: Classic Double with Cheese to Classic Double with Cheese Old Fashioned Combo Meal: $1.57 extra buys you 600 more calories.

Baskin Robbins: Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Kids’ Scoop, to Double Scoop: For another $1.62, you’ve added 390 calories.

The bottom line on all this? For just a hair more than 8 bucks, you’ve bought yourself an additional 3,620 calories. If you ate each of these once a week, and you were to switch to the smaller size each time—again, still all your favorite foods, just in a more reasonable size—you’d save about $417 a year. It’s not going to buy you a new car, but it could put you on a plane to the Bahamas. But far more important than that is what it will mean to your waistline, because in saving that $417, you’ll also save 188,240 calories in a year—enough to shave a whopping 54 pounds of flab off your body! (Hey, take the 400 bucks and buy some new pants!)"

I even found some restaurant jokes for you....

SIGNS YOU’RE AT A BAD RESTAURANT:

The parking lot has a space marked “RESERVED—HEALTH INSPECTOR”


Their top breakfast special is Honey-Nut Oakios cereal with prune bran and a Geritol power shake on the side.


The main fare at noon is whale-meat sandwiches, and the name of the place is “Thar-She-Blows Lunchmart”


You complain about your dinner, and the waiter asks if you’d like to speak to the house lawyer.

*********

"I should have known better when I saw a sign in the window of the diner that said 'New! — Breakfast Burrito — Now with real Burro!'..."

~~~Lord, thank You for the blessings of restaurants where we can be delighted with new tastes that we would otherwise never know.

The Monday post that had to wait until Wednesday

We had rain for too many days

And now my poor brain is in a haze

And muscles are sore too

From having too much to do.

Yes siree, I did have a post started for Monday and I was all gung ho about getting back on blogging track, but life decided to de-rail me!!

In case you haven't read the news, we have had buckets full of rain and more rain here in Georgia.  I know the Indians did rain dances, so I was trying to figure out if a rain "walk" might stop some of these drops.

The rain is not so bad or sad, but what happens to our already stressed septic tank can cause a tear or two....

Our back yard had many spots like this, only this looks pretty and ours looked muddy or murky, sort of, kind of jerky...

So, on with this tale of woe that is still kind of funny too.  Since we could not use our water in the house, except for a rare flush or two or for brushing teeth (you haven't LIVED till you've had to go to the nearest store to go to the bathroom), I came up with a (potentially) nifty or (ultimately)dumb idea for the backloads of laundry that were piling up once the rain started.  Creative thinking for getting out of jams or repairing things or saving money has been my forte, so I thought about this and came up with a solution/catastrophic idea. 

Fortunately Michael decided to take Monday as a vacation day, so I said, let's do laundry and he said "What?"  For some reason doing laundry not only doesn't thrill him but the ramifications of how to do it also stunned him.  I said, "Let's just take the hose from the back of the washer, empty the kitchen garbage can and put the hose in there for the water where we can then take it outside."  Sounds  like a plan?  Of course the water comes out with lots and lots of force so one would have to be there to hold the hose when the washer started spinning.

So, let's play some cards and wait for this to happen is what I said to sweet and unsuspecting, but still unsure Michael.  AT the first pause, I go into the laundry room and hold the hose as it amazingly fills up the whole huge garbage can to the point where I have to stop the washer and have Michael help me bail out some water.  Michael disappoints me by failing to say "Wow this is fun and I am thrilled to use my day off this way."  We were both amazed at how much water came out of that tub, but we got rid of it in the back yard and away from the septic tank area, then we sat down to await the rinse cycle.  Sad to say, neither one of us has the ability to retain any short term memory so we heard the machine stop after the rinse cycle and went on playing cards.

What we heard next was the hose at it flew off of the top of the garbage can and started spewing water everywhere.   Michael's reflexes were amazing as he jumped up, knocking his chair to the ground to go grab the monster hose, with me sprinting behind him (he was closest to the laundry room).  He soaked the left side of his trousers as he wrestled the hose into the garbage can yelling "We are NOT doing any more laundry like this EVER!!"  Meanwhile I was spreading the flannel sheets that were next to be washed, all over the floor as I splashed my way around.

This is a little bit of what our laundry room looked like but you have to add LOTS more water, all the kitty litter that the cats toss out every day from their litter box along with the dust balls and toys they shove under the washer AND DRYER...

We are thinking that when we get our income tax refund we may have to face something like this...

Well, I need to get ready for my art class (which I have missed for over a month now), but there is more to this delightful tale, so maybe tomorrow will bring the rest of the story.

No need for jokes today as the laundry room provided that!!

~~~Thank You dear Lord for the blessings of a sense of humor to laugh and not cry about many things, please help me to laugh more and cry less.

In The "Heart" of Christmas

Lots of people think that Christmas is now over

Forgetting there are twelve days

To sing the Baby's praise

So let us pause to spiritually "graze"

And make the most of these remaining days.

For more information, please click on the title below...

The Twelve Days of Christmas

"The twelve days of Christmas are not the twelve days before Christmas, but are instead the twelve days from Christmas until the beginning of Epiphany (January 6th; the 12 days count from December 25 until January 5), which is when the three Wise Men or Magi arrived on the scene.



In some families, it was and still is traditional to give Christmas gifts for each of those twelve days, much as gifts are given to children on each of the days of Hanukkah. Some have suggested that the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is actually a song of instruction with hidden meanings to the basic teachings of the Faith. The "true love" mentioned in the song is not an earthly suitor, but refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person who is part of the Christian Faith."

This lighted nativity is taped to our window over the front door...

To give you a proper perspective of where I had to put it...it's waaay up there...

The white Peace nativity was found tucked away last year in a religious goods store in Columbus and marked down drastically since it was from the year before that...it has a very nice little blue light shining down on it...

This is an old set that used to light up in three places and play music as well...now it only lights up in the middle (which is the most important spot by the Baby Jesus) and plays music.  This may have been a gift from my daughter Ria...

The two tiny sets on the far left are from Costa Rica when Mario and I visited there and the wooden one on the far right is from Germany when we lived there.  The others are just ones that I have found and are different from ones I already had (please note that I even found a nativity gift box)...

And from our faithful Internet, we learn...

'The first Christmas card is said to have been designed way back in 1843, by a certain JR Horsley.

There are massive demands for Christmas trees around the globe, in fact there are a massive 3 - 6 million trees produced each year purely for the demand for Christmas trees.
Christmas crackers, invented by Thomas Smith, can be rather large. In fact the largest ever was over 45 metres long and still worked! "

This set I treasure because it was my dear step father's for many years and the last one my mother and he enjoyed together....

Today I will be making another trip to meet halfway (whew for that) and pickup Laura who has been visiting her sister...this will be my third trip in 8 days!!  It's been very busy around here as I am sure it has been for all of you, so kudos and my hat is off to all those who managed to post anyway...I hope to comment when I get back from today's trip (which means no painting class but then I/we have also missed prayer groups and a study group we signed up for among other things.)

IN case you were wondering...we DO keep Christmas till the Epiphany, in spite of funny looks from neighbors when we put our lights on for the last time on January 6th!!  On this day we like to give gifts that you cannot buy....so we write on a piece of paper something nice we will do for one another like wash or vacuum a car or help with some project etc. etc.

Ever wonder where some of our Christmas quotes came from??...

"Christmas Quotes:

'Merry Christmas, Nearly Everybody!' Ogden Nash

'Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveller back to his own fireside and quiet home!' Charles Dickens

'Love came down at Christmas; Love all lovely, love divine; Love was born at Christmas, Stars and angels gave the sign.' Christina Rossetti

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas,

Just like the ones I used to know,

Where the tree tops glisten

And children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow.

Irving Berlin

'I heard the bells on Christmas Day. Their old familiar carols play. And wild and sweet the words repeat. Of peace on earth goodwill to men.' Henry Wadsworth Longfellow "

And here's a Christmas kitten, getting into eveything he can that is Christmas, especially garland and the artificial tree which looks very real due to the many needles being pulled off!!...

And here's little Sadie Mae looking pitiful and hoping for treats (which she always gets)....

One year I found a nativity that had hay attached to it (on the far left), then a picture with the story of Christmas on the other side and finally a nativity bell...

This pretty gold globe nativity that plays music came from some friends last year...

Some more different nativities with the one in the center being a Hallmark special after Christmas sale...

An old nativity that had a light in the star that used to work....

Some Christmas chuckles...

Reindeer's Story at Christmas

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December.

Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring. Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, EVERY single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a girl.

We should have known... ONLY women would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost.



From Great Britain...

Father Christmas Calls

Alex was five; all his Christmas presents were always signed, 'from Father Christmas.'

A little while after Alex had opened all his presents on Christmas morning, we became aware that he was looking quite down in the mouth for no obvious reason.

'What's the matter, Al?' I asked.

'Ummmm, 'replied Alex slowly, 'I really hoped that you and Mummy would give me something for Christmas.'

Christmas Spirit

♪It was just before Christmas and the magistrate was in a happy mood. He asked the prisoner who was in the dock, 'What are you charged with?'

The prisoner replied, 'Doing my Christmas shopping too early.'

'That's no crime', said the magistrate. 'Just how early were you doing this shopping?'


'Before the shop opened', answered the prisoner.

Try Before You Buy

Myra was going to the Christmas office party but needed a new party dress.

In the clothing store she asked, 'May I try on that dress in the window, please?'

'Certainly not, madam,' responded the salesgirl, 'You'll have to use the fitting room like everyone else.'


~~~Heavenly Father, thank You for the blessings of many days to revere the birth of Your Son.

Christmas cookies and some nativities

Let me take a little break

From the cookies that I bake

And share a thing or two

With good friends like all of you.

It is ever so true

that "Jesus is the reason for the season"

So to bring Him closer to you

A nativity or two have been chosen just for you.

The "artists" from my painting class/group just left and I downloaded these pictures yesterday, so you could see some of what I/we have been doing.  The ladies today were very sweet and ooohed and aaahed nicely over both the cookies and the nativities and I was just happy to hear one lady say over and over that our home was so peaceful and blessed (the two dogs were locked up in Kelly's room and the cats were in the garage....hmmm, is that why?).

Kelly was a great hostess and helped in the preparations as well as talking to some people while I was in the other room talking to others.

The first cookie you see here is called a Piernik and it is a Polish cookie that is also called a honey cookie....

Next we have Chocolate Highlander bars, alot like brownies but with a sweet crust on the bottom and powered sugar on the top...

These plain looking cookies are anything but...they are ginger molasses cookies and very flavorful...

Hard to choose favorites, but these are near the top of my list...they are Almond cookies with colored sugar sprinkles...

Yet another top of the list favorite are these flaky almond crescents...

Not easy to find an old fashioned homemade recipe for gingerbread, but I have my sweet mother's old cookbook and now other people, like some today, can taste home made gingerbread fro the first time...

Even though the original little Christmas recipe cookbook seems to be lost, I thank the Internet for helping me re-create these bird nest's cookies...

Last, but definitely not least (because there are several more batches of cookies not pictured here)...these yummy cookies are very thin and oh so good...they are called Aggression Oatmeal cookies...

Remember that black and white photo in the post before this that I said I have a nativity just like it?  Well, here it is in glorious color...

The little wooden nativity in the middle is from Germany, the uncovered church nativity to the right is from Costa Rica, the box that says hope held candy and was nativity themed, the globe to the left front is out of focus but has a lovely gold nativity and finally there is just a nice white nativity to the back....

Hopefully

 we all can appreciate or even use some of these suggestions I found on the Internet to help keep Christmas inexpensive and meaningful at the same time...

"Christmas comes with all the joys of a wintry holiday and well-loved Christmastime activities. Consider these suggestions for fun and fairly inexpensive ways to enjoy the holiday.

Christmas Baking

Christmas, like any holiday, loves food and is a great time for home baked goodies. Shortbread cookies and pumpkin pie are just a few Christmas baking favourites. Some people may bake better than others, but it can be an interesting activity either way and is a enjoyable time to share with others.



Christmas Carolling

Carolling is a great activity for family and friends to do together. It can be done outside, during Christmas festivities in the community and it can be just as enjoyable at home. Try holding a carolling and cider evening at home. With a carolling night at home, Christmas baking can be shared as well.



Homemade Christmas Tree Ornaments

Decorating can be even more enjoyable when the decorations are homemade. Making Christmas tree ornaments can be a simple activity and is a great craft for kids to enjoy. Materials for making Christmas tree ornaments can be found at craft stores, in scrap materials that may otherwise be thrown away and even in nature.



Homemade Nativity Scene

Making a homemade nativity scene may take some creativity and supplies, but it can be an interesting and gratifying activity. Use a lightweight plank of wood for the floor of the stable and two others to create a peaked roof. The sides can be constructed of sturdy sticks that will hold up the roof. Nativity figurines can be found in novelty stores, craft stores, or almost anywhere that has a seasonal section. They can also be made from popsicle sticks, fabric, a little paint, and a little imagination."

One last nativity picture for today...sorry the lighting is so poor but the set to the right is an old nativity with a new background/nativity archway found on a 75% off sale at Hobby Lobby last year, then the middle is a pastel nativity with a light in the back and then to the left is a nativity within a tree...

Now for two jokes....

"Athiest Holiday

An atheist complained to a Christian friend, "You Christians have your special holidays, such as Christmas and Easter. Jews celebrate their national holidays, such as Passover and Yom Kippur. But we atheists have no recognized national holidays. It's unfair discrimination."



His friend replied, "Why don't you celebrate April first?"

Desparate Measures

Little Johnny went to his mother demanding a new bicycle. His mother decided that he should take a look at himself and the way he acts. She said, "Well Johnny, it isn't Christmas and we don't have the money to just go out and buy you anything you want. So why don't you write a letter to Jesus and pray for one instead." After his temper tantrum his mother sent him to his room. He finally sat down to write a letter to Jesus.

Dear Jesus,

I've been a good boy this year and would appreciate a new bicycle.

Your Friend,

Little Johnny

Now Little Johnny knew that Jesus really knew what kind of boy he was (brat).

So, he ripped up the letter and decided to give it another try.

Dear Jesus,

I've been an OK boy this year and I want a new bicycle.

Yours Truly,

Little Johnny

Well, Little Johnny knew this wasn't totally honest so he tore it up and tried again.

Dear Jesus,

I've thought about being a good boy this year and can I have a new bicycle?

Signed,

Little Johnny

Well, Little Johnny looked deep down in his heart, which by the way was what his mother was really wanting. He crumpled up the letter and threw it in the trash can and went running outside.

He aimlessly wandered about; depressed because of the way he treated his parents and really considering his actions. He finally found himself in front of a Catholic Church.

Little Johnny went inside and knelt down, looking around not knowing what he should really do. Little Johnny finally got up and began to walk out the door and was looking at all the statues. All of a sudden he grabbed a small one and ran out the door. He went home hid it under his bed and wrote this letter.

Jesus,

I've broken most of the Ten Commandments; shot spit wads in school, tore up my sister's Barbie doll and lots more. I'm desperate. I've got your mama. If you ever want to see her again, give me a bike.

Signed,

You know who

~~~Dear Lord and Saviour, thank You for the blessings of sharing You with others and growing into better people.