tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61157764142449530222024-03-14T02:09:04.539-04:00Secrets for Enjoying Your Best ChristmasBrenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-21079145794867169922023-12-28T00:14:00.001-05:002023-12-28T00:14:09.077-05:00Publishing News!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="402" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/84XT7W60MLo" width="357" youtube-src-id="84XT7W60MLo"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The blog readers are the last to know! I apologize for not posting this video sooner. I've had technical difficulties. But better late than never, right? Here's my big news!</div><br /><p></p>Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-92019712119696948622023-11-07T01:21:00.005-05:002023-12-05T01:51:54.102-05:00Good News Is Coming! <p><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: medium; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I was about to make a premature announcement! Luckily a friend of mine stopped me from getting ahead of myself. So stay tuned! Pre-Christmas news coming later this week! Yay!</span><br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="384" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/is0cJc1HacM" width="462" youtube-src-id="is0cJc1HacM"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-81814284559971682912020-12-12T00:05:00.003-05:002020-12-13T20:50:23.954-05:00Meet Jasmine Jingletoes, an Elf for Hire!<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-17kb_cmDY8g/X9RJhTWXJcI/AAAAAAAACds/KgvKkIE71DQXHLJksnf0txQYOTIaTWYiwCLcBGAsYHQ/s3450/IMG_6804.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3450" data-original-width="3450" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-17kb_cmDY8g/X9RJhTWXJcI/AAAAAAAACds/KgvKkIE71DQXHLJksnf0txQYOTIaTWYiwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/IMG_6804.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jasmine Jingletoes, at your service!</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Meet Jasmine Jingletoes, a spunky, lovable elf who lives to spread Christmas cheer! On Thursday she sang in a Christmas recital. Before her performance, a little boy saw her. He pointed and with great excitement said, "</span><span><span style="font-size: large;">It's an elf! It's an elf!" He asked to see her color-changing hat. He touched her jingle boots and hugged her leg. He asked if she would go to the North Pole and bring back a giant candy cane for him. She was tickled to pieces at his response to her! His big sister said he loves elves more than Santa. (Shhhh! Don't tell the big man!)</span></span><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jasmine Jingletoes Is So Excited: Christmas is coming!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kBX91tdXEGk" width="320" youtube-src-id="kBX91tdXEGk"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;">Last year Jasmine sang and read stories for school children's Christmas parties. She joined one class for snack time and visited with them. All admired her elf suit and especially those curly-toed jingle boots! </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">This year Miss Jingletoes is going virtual! She spreads Christmas cheer with songs, games, stories, and/or conversation. She has both pre-recorded and live options available. Think of the fun your child or a group of children can have interacting with one of Santa's elves!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ne0KqtbYxXw/X9RODgpaXdI/AAAAAAAACeI/BA7XpyRW0P4ii8XSWttj3vX7XGQ6saokQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/Jasmine%2BJingletoes%2Bflyer%2Bpage%2B1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1545" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ne0KqtbYxXw/X9RODgpaXdI/AAAAAAAACeI/BA7XpyRW0P4ii8XSWttj3vX7XGQ6saokQCLcBGAsYHQ/w494-h640/Jasmine%2BJingletoes%2Bflyer%2Bpage%2B1.png" width="494" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Btw, Jasmine is my daughter. (I'm the lucky mom of an elf!) You can email her or contact me for more information.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Merry Christmas!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <p></p></div>Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-41727862473254631172020-11-18T22:28:00.001-05:002022-07-05T22:48:24.765-04:00Christmas Is Coming! How Do You Feel?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GC2KH1vb-iA/X7XkX_FyzEI/AAAAAAAACaE/LqaYCUqEU9UbjG1DaT2_wh9_Us1FmmdAACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Christmas%2Bis%2Bcoming%2521.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GC2KH1vb-iA/X7XkX_FyzEI/AAAAAAAACaE/LqaYCUqEU9UbjG1DaT2_wh9_Us1FmmdAACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/Christmas%2Bis%2Bcoming%2521.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">For many years as a single parent, my answer was B. I was crazy for Christmas, loved every bit of it, but I wore myself out trying to do and see it all and make it magical for my kids. It took a lot of research and experimentation before I figured out how to have the best Christmas every year. Now I live by my <i>Covert Christmas method of advance planning</i>! Be looking for more info on that coming soon! </span><p></p>Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-40626592823638864352019-12-31T16:18:00.001-05:002019-12-31T17:51:13.556-05:00A Surprise for General Gingerbread... and Me!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm pleased to report that I entered one of my short, children's Christmas stories in a contest and won an honorable mention blog badge and a $5 Amazon e-gift card, plus a personal message. The judges enjoyed my story very much, and it would have been a finalist, I'm told, if I'd followed the guidelines more closely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The story was to be about a treat. My story features a main character who IS a treat, but there were no edible treats within my storyline. It was my way of distinguishing my story from scores of others that were entered in the contest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes thinking outside the box pays off, but this time it kept me from a bigger payoff. However, I'm happy with what I received, especially the feedback. Feedback is not often given these days, as some writers tend to react negatively to even constructive criticism, but it's so valuable! Accept or reject it, but appreciate the offer, that's my advice to you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I hope you've enjoyed the Christmas season and are ready to embrace the New Year. 2020, here we come!</span><br />
<br />Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-15628142155068791532019-09-19T00:20:00.001-04:002019-09-19T00:20:34.056-04:00Christmas with BabiesSome people say Christmas is for kids. I would argue that it's for all ages. After all, Jesus came to be the Savior of the world, and that's not a story just for children! <br />
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At the same time, kids add an extra sparkle, and I know this from experience since last Christmas was my first as a grandma!<br />
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Have you ever seen such a big smile on a baby?<br />
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Of course, once there is a baby in the family, everyone wants their turn with the child to enjoy holiday festivities. So, you have to make plans in advance. Last year I got the whole family for Thanksgiving dinner, so Christmas Day went to the other side of the family. We celebrated Christmas 2 days early and then drove together to enjoy a holiday lights display on Christmas Eve.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9gqhtFZPgz0/XYL93vTTnmI/AAAAAAAACGw/Vf9FjP6kIYcO-G-ZuphAwhxP13RbgpeaQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Santa%2Band%2BElf.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="760" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9gqhtFZPgz0/XYL93vTTnmI/AAAAAAAACGw/Vf9FjP6kIYcO-G-ZuphAwhxP13RbgpeaQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Santa%2Band%2BElf.gif" width="190" /></a>This year I won't have just one grandchild, I'll have two! My son's wife is expecting their 2nd daughter on my son's December birthday. Won't that be exciting?<br />
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Juggle our usual holiday fun and volunteer work, such as helping at Breakfast with Santa (here she is as an elf with Santa), with family visits with the babies and hopefully teaching my elder granddaughter how to make a Christmas craft, my daughter and I are sure to declare this the best Christmas yet.<br />
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So much fun is in my future! Making plans in advance (all year round) always helps make the occasion merry and bright.<br />
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Will you be doing any advance planning this year? Have you started (or finished) your gift shopping yet? Remember, planning is what prevents Christmas chaos. You want to relax and enjoy the season. So if you haven't yet, get started now. You'll be glad you did!<br />
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Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-84139840188752583202018-12-26T14:24:00.002-05:002018-12-26T14:25:55.312-05:00True Story, Christmas Eve 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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TRUE CHRISTMAS STORY: On Christmas Eve as I drove my family (my son, his wife, their baby girl, and also my daughter—who had been in a head-on collision that morning) to see a big holiday lights display, we passed a soup kitchen. My focus was on the road, so I didn't glance at the parking lot, but my son and daughter-in-love did, and they thought they saw a baby's carseat. I could hear them discussing it in the backseat but pretended I didn't. It had been a long, stressful day, and we had places to be and things to do before I could fall onto the couch to sleep (to be closer to my daughter, should she need me). My normally Pollyanna optimistic self said there was no baby in that carseat, and if there was (which I felt sure there wasn't), God would send someone else along to find it. He wouldn't put that on me. Not now.</div>
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Finally, my daughter-in-law Hope spoke louder. "Can you hear what we're talking about?"</div>
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Sigh. "Yes." Pause. "Were there any cars in the parking lot?"</div>
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The pair took turns speaking. "No. Can we go back?" "I'd really feel better if we go look." "What if there is a baby? It could get hypothermia before anyone finds it." "Why would there be a carseat there?" "We need to check it out." "I'm going to worry until we know for sure."</div>
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SIGH. Okay, so I turned the car around and drove back to the soup kitchen. Hope leapt out of the car and ran to the carseat...which was empty. A donation, maybe?</div>
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I love that my son and his wife both have big, compassionate hearts. That even as tired new parents, they won't turn a blind eye to a possible need. That there is room in their inn for an unexpected baby, should one arrive on Christmas Eve. Maybe when I grow up, I will be more like them. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My granddaughter, awestruck by all the lights</td></tr>
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Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-79125715093643060472017-05-06T16:17:00.000-04:002017-05-06T16:17:27.865-04:00Confession: I'm a Past Member of the Christmas Peekers ClubYears ago as I browsed the racks at a thrift store, I found a red sweatshirt that proclaimed the wearer as a member of the Christmas Peekers Club. I laughed out loud...and bought it. (I still have it!) You see, as a child I could find hidden gifts without even trying. As a young adult, I could accurately guess what was in a wrapped gift by the size, shape, and weight of the box. And as a mom, I stumbled over gifts that I didn’t mean to see before young hands eagerly held them out to me. <i>Peeking</i>, whether intentional or not, seems to be my superpower.<br />
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So, the burning question is <i>How do you thwart a present peeker?</i> As an expert peeker, I can tell you not to leave your list lying around...in a drawer, jewelry chest, or purse, where a snoop might find it. (I found Mom’s list in her jewelry box one day when my only plan was to admire her brooches and rings. See? Superpower!)<br />
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<li>Disguise gifts by putting them inside different containers. For example, once during my teen years, Mom put all my gifts inside puzzle boxes and gift-wrapped them. I knew they were puzzles by the shape of the boxes and the sound of puzzle pieces rattling around when I shook those boxes. Let me tell you, I was not a happy camper, and when I started opening them on Christmas Eve (as was my family’s tradition) and found <i>used </i>puzzles, I was doubly upset and confused. That’s when Mom told me to take the lids off to see what was inside, and that’s when I found my <i>real </i>presents! Mom got me good that year! You might pack gifts into tins and include a jingle bell or marble to rattle around and confuse the recipient.</li>
<li>Wrapped gifts are harder to peek into than gifts tucked into gift bags. Wrapped gifts that are tagged with a number instead of a name prevent the snooper from figuring out which gifts are his or hers.</li>
<li>Keep gifts in a secure area. That may be a locked file cabinet, the trunk of your car (if your kids are too young to snoop there), or inside a box labeled as something boring—think “90s Tax Papers” kind of boring. Gifts hidden in a closet, a dresser drawer, or under a quilt in the shower may be found (those are places I found Christmas gifts)! My secure area is a metal filing cabinet in my home office, a room where I spend much of my day. The best secure areas are those that you can easily monitor. Attics and basements aren’t the best choices if you are rarely in those locations yourself. Peekers love having privacy while they are snooping. My favorite time to hunt for hidden presents was while my mom was cooking, because I could search the master bedroom without fear of getting caught! </li>
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A long time ago I learned that peeking at presents presented problems. First, I lost the thrill of surprise. Knowing in advance what my gifts were, made opening them less fun. Then, I gained the stress of needing to act the right level of surprised so that no one realized I had peeked. There was also the stress of not letting my discoveries slip before Christmas. I forgot myself one year as I helped Mom wrap my brother’s presents and said something about another of his gifts <i>that she had not yet brought to the table</i>. How did I know about that other gift? My red-faced, stammered lie, that I was just guessing, didn’t fool Mom.</div>
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So, while it’s fun to pretend to be a detective and hunt for hidden presents, it’s not fun to get caught—or to worry about getting caught after the fact—and it’s not fun to face the holiday with no surprises. It’s also not fun to disappoint loved ones who wanted their gifts to be a surprise. Do your best to thwart the peekers in your house. If you’re the peeker, withdraw your membership to the Christmas Peekers Club. Join me on the Surprise Side and enjoy the holidays!<br />
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<br />Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-1991775237704190192016-02-03T23:33:00.000-05:002016-02-06T23:32:42.880-05:00Joining the Hodgepodge<div style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, utopia, 'palatino linotype', palatino, serif; line-height: 18.48px;">
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Hodgepodge Questions volume 254</span></b></h2>
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A group of bloggers does “hodgepodge questions” every Wednesday, </div>
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and I decided to join the fun for a change of pace! </div>
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1. <u>Describe <i>love </i>using all five senses</u>. </div>
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<b>Love</b> looks like a gift, shiny and exciting and new. You open it, and the aroma of home-cooked meals wafts out, and when you lift it from the tissue paper, it wraps a child’s warm, soft arms around your neck, and you hear laughter, tears, and soft sighs all at once. You press your lips to it and taste ... chocolate dipped strawberries. Okay, that last one may be a cliché, but love makes life rich and sweet like that Valentine treat!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">2. <u>February is Canned Food Month. What’s your favorite food that comes straight from a can?</u></span><br />
<b>Cherry Pie Filling! </b>The perfect topping for cheesecake, and you can’t have cherry delight without it.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">3. <u>A principal in a UK school recently sent home a letter to parents requesting they </u></span><u><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 18.48px;">(the parents!</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">) dress appropriately when escorting their children to/from school (basically saying please don’t wear your pajamas) You can read the letter </span><a href="http://www.today.com/parents/british-principal-parents-stop-wearing-pajamas-school-t69496" style="background-color: white; color: #310e6a; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 18.48px;">here. </a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">It’s gotten a lot of publicity, both positive and negative. Your thoughts? And do/did you ever make the school run (or hit Starbucks, Walmart, etc) in your pjs?</span></u><br />
<b>Noooooooooo!</b> But I will admit to driving my daughter to work in my pajamas, before sunrise, because I was going right back to bed when I returned home. I did worry about what would happen if I had car trouble and had to look under the hood of my car in my flannel Coca-Cola pj’s on the side of the road.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">4. <u>Crew neck, V-neck, turtleneck, scoop neck...which is most prevalent in your wardrobe?</u></span><br />
<b>V-neck</b>. It may be the most flattering neckline there is and makes a nice frame for a pretty necklace.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">5. <u>I read</u> </span><a href="http://zanita.com/contributors/blog/4-things-to-avoid-in-order-to-wake-up-happier/" style="background-color: white; color: #310e6a; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 18.48px;">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;"> <u>recently a list of four things to avoid so you wake up happier. They were </u></span><u><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 18.48px;">late night snacks, hitting the snooze button, social media just before bed/upon waking, checking emails. </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">Are you guilty of any of these behaviors? Which on that list do you need to work harder at avoiding?</span></u><br />
<b>Oops</b><i>. </i>But not going to work at avoiding any of that. I don't generally wake up unhappy unless I had a bad dream.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zb3A4V3VXUQ/VrLoZJ2MRjI/AAAAAAAABRQ/cjbVvFuccx0/s1600/Vintage%2BSibling%2BSunday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zb3A4V3VXUQ/VrLoZJ2MRjI/AAAAAAAABRQ/cjbVvFuccx0/s200/Vintage%2BSibling%2BSunday.jpg" width="196" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Me and my brother in my favorite house</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">6. <u>Share something you remember about a house you lived in as a child? Of all the homes you lived in as a child, which did you love best?</u> </span><br />
<b>I remember</b> five houses. The white 2-story house with a big front porch was my favorite. I was ages 4-6 when my family lived there. After hearing the story of Mary Poppins, I took a little umbrella out onto the porch and jumped off. I did not fly. What a disappointment. A few years later, I took an umbrella outside during a strong wind. I didn’t fly then, either. And that was the end of that poor mangled umbrella and my dream of flying like Mary Poppins.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">7. <u>Your favorite movie based on a true story?</u> </span><br />
<b>Hmmm. </b>Not a big fan of true story movies. I’m more of a <i>Princess Bride/Willy Wonka</i> kinda gal. But I did see and enjoy <i>The Blind Side</i>.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">8. <u>Insert your own random thought here</u>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18.48px;"><b>You know what’s completely unfair?</b> It’s how you lose an entire segment of your life when you<b> </b>end up divorced. Everyone else can reminisce and share any part of their life to their heart’s content, but the divorced individual is told to “move on,” and there seems to be an unspoken rule that to share or even just occasionally think about any experience you had during the time when you were married is unacceptable. How can it be right that 20 years’ worth of experiences have to be buried and forgotten for me to</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18.48px;"> be healthy?</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> I don’t think denying that those 20 years existed is healthy at all. They’re a part of what made me the woman I am today</span>. What do you think of that?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And that’s the not-Christmasy hodgepodge for today! Gotta post it while it’s still Wednesday! Thanks for your comments!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span>Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-27292535366328582702016-01-04T12:25:00.001-05:002020-11-27T22:46:46.365-05:00New Life for Old Cards<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dlRiPoxVUdI/X8HHnUsUjTI/AAAAAAAACbk/XJoMXVcphiwqkLTgc8XZEdidWk2Fsf4cACLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/Christmas%2BCards.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dlRiPoxVUdI/X8HHnUsUjTI/AAAAAAAACbk/XJoMXVcphiwqkLTgc8XZEdidWk2Fsf4cACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Christmas%2BCards.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ideas for Christmas Crafters</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Continuing the topic of Christmas cards from Jan. 2, 2016, I’d like to share this link to a blog post by Southern Savers full of recycling ideas for Christmas cards. <a href="http://www.southernsavers.com/repurposing-chistmas-greeting-cards/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Repurposing Christmas & Greeting Cards</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One idea that was not included is an ornament craft my mother used to make when I was a child. I found the directions and template for that project here at ChristmasCards4Less: <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.christmascards4less.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/card_ball_ornament_template.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Card Ball Ornament</span></a> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is a craft project you can do during these snowy winter months (if you live in the northern hemisphere), and children can help cut, fold, and glue. Each ornament is made of 60 (sixty) circles cut from cards.<br /><br />If you can’t bear to cut up greeting cards you received from family and friends but still want to tackle this project, visit thrift stores looking for already low-priced cards now at reduced clearance prices. Those won’t have sentimental ties, and you can cut and create to your heart’s content for very little expense!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Save your finished project(s) in a cardboard or plastic bin, labeled clearly, so you find them in perfect condition next December, ready to display!</span>Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-90055131493334966972016-01-02T12:52:00.000-05:002016-01-02T12:52:08.477-05:00Counting the Cost of Christmas Cards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">On a 3-dimensional, metal, card tree with a star on top, I display Christmas cards as I receive them. I’ve done so since my children, now adults, were small.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This year when my son arrived for Christmas Eve dinner, he glanced at my card tree and then did a double-take. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“What’s with your card tree?” he asked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“What do you mean?”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“There are hardly any cards on it,” he pointed out. “I remember when it used to be filled on all three sides.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“People don’t seem to be sending cards this year,” I told him, “or else they’re waiting to receive a card before they send a card.” I went on to tell him that I sent mine out the week before Christmas, and two of the cards on the tree were from my mom, who forgot she had sent the first one and so sent the second one. Those two cards were the first of the season to arrive in my mailbox.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I’ve seen Facebook posts where folks have confessed that the near-fifty-cent price of stamps has forced them to forego mailing Christmas cards. Not knowing what kind of mailing list these friends have, I can’t say how much they would have spent had they sent cards. I bought 40 stamps in November and sent 32 cards a month later. So, it only cost me $15.68 to put some holiday cheer in the mailboxes of 32 friends and relatives. ... What’s that? ... You say I forgot to add the cost of the cards themselves? No, I didn’t. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You see, I never shop for Christmas cards in November or December. I think ahead. I buy them after Christmas when stores are selling them at a 75% discount. I seek them out in thrift stores, which incidentally also have 50-75% off already low prices after Christmas. I can get an unused pack of cards for as little as 25-50 cents then! I bought cards off ebay one year when I wanted to have a vintage theme. If you or someone in your immediate family is artsy, you might craft your own cards and envelopes. One summer I painted tree cards and made envelopes out of the previous year's leftover gift wrap. No matter where the cards come from, I prepare in advance and then keep the cards where they are easy to find when the time comes to continue my Christmas card tradition.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Buy/make your cards soon, and come next Christmas, your only expense will be the stamp. Is 49¢ too high a price to pay to deliver holiday cheer to a loved one? If so, you might consider sending Christmas postcards for 35¢ a stamp.<br /><br />And remember, to receive cards, you need to send cards. Not everyone will reciprocate (I send cards to a few people who never send me a card in return but who I’m sure appreciate being remembered). Hopefully enough will so that you can display festive cards on your mantel, a shelf, desk, card tree, or card wreath. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">When counting the cost of Christmas cards, remember to consider what is lost if you cut them out of your traditions. Plan ahead, and you (and your loved ones) won’t have to miss out!</span><br />
<br />Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-41296928735786583722015-11-27T01:08:00.000-05:002015-11-27T01:10:55.009-05:00Extending the thankfulness of Thanksgiving through the Holiday Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NpwazB_yNOY/VlfzIFDJmGI/AAAAAAAABOQ/BP8fJUMm0q0/s1600/Tom%2BTurkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NpwazB_yNOY/VlfzIFDJmGI/AAAAAAAABOQ/BP8fJUMm0q0/s320/Tom%2BTurkey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As we share what we’re thankful for on this Thanksgiving, let’s extend that thankfulness through the Christmas season. If you have children, discuss what each of you is thankful for each day. Bring up the idea of thank you notes. If you haven’t taught them yet to send thank you notes for their gifts, make this the year you do!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As an adult, I still write thank you notes for Christmas gifts given from long distance, although I’ll confess to the rare occasion of putting it off so long that I’ve forgotten who gave me what. The lesson there is this: Don’t procrastinate! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Anyway, Mom always thanks me for writing a thank you letter. I write them because I was taught and trained to write them as a child. I taught my children as well. I know my adult daughter still writes them each Christmas and birthday.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Giving thanks for what you’ve received is common (or maybe uncommon) courtesy. And in these modern times, an e-mail or private message can stand in for a handwritten (or typed) note sent by snail mail. But one way you could make saying thanks fun is to create thank you postcards! Walgreens is just one company you can create and order photo postcards from. You could also print out 4x6 photos and create the postcard effect on the back and mail them that way. Kids like postcards (especially the teeny-tiny writing space)! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thanksgiving doesn’t have to end at the close of Thanksgiving Day. By being intentional, you can carry the spirit of Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day and beyond.</span>Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-34466384752855127982015-02-07T02:20:00.000-05:002015-02-07T02:20:07.838-05:00OH MY WORD!<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I forgot to post my one word for 2015! Tragic, isn’t it? There are just 11 months of the year left in which to be mindful of my word.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It was a struggle to choose a word for the year. In 2013, I chose <i>Joy</i>, and then life proceeded to wring the joy out of me. I chose <i>Intentional </i>for 2014, and so many unintentional things happened that I began to wonder whose life I was living, as it couldn’t possibly be my own!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This year, I’ve made a choice that I don’t think can jinx me. My one word for 2015 is <i>Reflect</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Reflect is a word with more than one meaning. It can mean to consider, ponder, or daydream, and it can mean to shine or mirror. As a writer, I’m quite fond of daydreams, and thinking seems to come naturally to me (most of the time). As a Christian, I hope I reflect the light of Jesus in a dark world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This year I will deliberately reflect on my life, my choices, and my relationships. I will also, to the best of my ability, reflect God’s love and grace. A year of reflection — it should be a great year! What’s your one word for 2015?</span><br />
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<br />Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-78672840974857085362015-01-03T16:13:00.001-05:002015-01-04T22:35:24.466-05:00The Fruits of Advance Planning: My Christmas in Pictures<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O5lOmoxJ3SY/VKeTqT9z4aI/AAAAAAAAA4s/uHC5IjtBjRo/s1600/100_8320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O5lOmoxJ3SY/VKeTqT9z4aI/AAAAAAAAA4s/uHC5IjtBjRo/s1600/100_8320.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at me! I’m a big kid at Christmas! (Dollywood)</td></tr>
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Happy New Year! Did you have a good Christmas or, like many people on Facebook, did you insist on not beginning your Christmas preparations until after Thanksgiving, then spent the month of December moaning about the stress of cleaning, cooking, shopping, decorating, and how you didn’t have time to do everything that you wanted to do? The purpose of this blog is to encourage you to plan ahead so you can enjoy Christmas and all the season has to offer! I hope you see the value in planning a little each month. It’s worth it! (And really, how much time preparing for Thanksgiving does one need? Certainly not an entire month! You can give thanks and finalize plans for Christmas at the same time!)<br />
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I enjoyed Thanksgiving with my Illinois family, and I had a great December, even if I was late typing up my newsletter and getting the cards in the mail. Extenuating circumstances aside, suffice it to say that the month came close to meeting my expectations. I had made time to cook, decorate, volunteer for several charitable activities, attend parties, watch Christmas movies, see light displays, and even visited Dollywood for extra holiday cheer! (And in case you are wondering, I managed to do my paywork throughout the month as well!)<br />
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To demonstrate how advance planning frees up time for fun, I’m going to list my holiday activities in the order they occurred. Honestly, this was the best December yet!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XCvX0YTzSQQ/VKeWBLTkxCI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/xerFTXHTNQw/s1600/100_7778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XCvX0YTzSQQ/VKeWBLTkxCI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/xerFTXHTNQw/s1600/100_7778.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1. Christmas Gift Plate Painting Party</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h6AU_LAadks/VKeV9aqbyfI/AAAAAAAAA6I/7lbGPFUqgvs/s1600/100_7788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h6AU_LAadks/VKeV9aqbyfI/AAAAAAAAA6I/7lbGPFUqgvs/s1600/100_7788.JPG" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2. Dickens of a Christmas street event<br />
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3. Angel Tree group activity: dinner and shopping (no photo)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L_f4zUzhKl8/VKeVr6tzkWI/AAAAAAAAA6A/PvkeBku9Rps/s1600/100_7833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L_f4zUzhKl8/VKeVr6tzkWI/AAAAAAAAA6A/PvkeBku9Rps/s1600/100_7833.JPG" height="320" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 16.3636360168457px;">4. Gingerbread House Decorating Party <br />
(in my case, it was a Rice Krispie house)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KwmjbY6EIoA/VKeVjYhNijI/AAAAAAAAA54/twGlG1DKSuA/s1600/IMG_1141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KwmjbY6EIoA/VKeVjYhNijI/AAAAAAAAA54/twGlG1DKSuA/s1600/IMG_1141.JPG" height="286" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5. Christmas Craft Volunteers at Children’s Event</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-372mNKS9zNM/VKg9n1AescI/AAAAAAAAA6g/k_uwxrSnYgo/s1600/100_7918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-372mNKS9zNM/VKg9n1AescI/AAAAAAAAA6g/k_uwxrSnYgo/s1600/100_7918.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6. Watched a Christmas parade from a chilly street corner on an otherwise sunny Sunday</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YttK5iG6Cxw/VKg-V8UjmdI/AAAAAAAAA6o/khyPafrd15E/s1600/100_7958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YttK5iG6Cxw/VKg-V8UjmdI/AAAAAAAAA6o/khyPafrd15E/s1600/100_7958.JPG" height="320" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7. Dressed in red for a writers group Christmas party</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FEA3IWwspM8/VKhOc77-51I/AAAAAAAAA64/lXLjSk_nV-c/s1600/100_7974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FEA3IWwspM8/VKhOc77-51I/AAAAAAAAA64/lXLjSk_nV-c/s1600/100_7974.JPG" height="400" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8. Enjoyed a Christmas Dinner Show by these performers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4gk20RuXANI/VKhPjbOi4kI/AAAAAAAAA7E/dLGKHfzle6M/s1600/100_8042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4gk20RuXANI/VKhPjbOi4kI/AAAAAAAAA7E/dLGKHfzle6M/s1600/100_8042.JPG" height="326" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">9. Christmas Party with Fun Photos</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RcMENDJyQB8/VKeUtsc_qkI/AAAAAAAAA5g/cISHb97l-JY/s1600/100_8069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RcMENDJyQB8/VKeUtsc_qkI/AAAAAAAAA5g/cISHb97l-JY/s1600/100_8069.JPG" height="286" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10. Christmas Drop-in followed by fun photos in the nearby decorated park</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">11. Participated in a retirement center’s Christmas program (no photo)</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BRxe9dnVA5E/VKeUYbNu6LI/AAAAAAAAA5U/UMyA-_kiJPo/s1600/100_8135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BRxe9dnVA5E/VKeUYbNu6LI/AAAAAAAAA5U/UMyA-_kiJPo/s1600/100_8135.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">12. Enjoyed Christmas lights display with friends</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">13. Enjoyed Bethlehem Revisited (a walk-through nativity, no photo)</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d4FKPRinzog/VKeUJnyWV5I/AAAAAAAAA5M/Vfm8ml_8lNY/s1600/MrsClaus.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d4FKPRinzog/VKeUJnyWV5I/AAAAAAAAA5M/Vfm8ml_8lNY/s1600/MrsClaus.jpeg" height="400" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">14. Cookie Exchange Party</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ho0mq1gaqP0/VKeTqpF8x8I/AAAAAAAAA4w/XGZZ2SObrn0/s1600/100_8245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ho0mq1gaqP0/VKeTqpF8x8I/AAAAAAAAA4w/XGZZ2SObrn0/s1600/100_8245.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">15. Christmas in Dollywood! (shown in the 50s section of the park)</td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OeQuKnFKIdc/VKeT9rXApqI/AAAAAAAAA5E/0MLRl_rEL0A/s1600/100_8360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OeQuKnFKIdc/VKeT9rXApqI/AAAAAAAAA5E/0MLRl_rEL0A/s1600/100_8360.JPG" height="320" width="212" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r_FTjE8t-Eg/VKeT9AucAPI/AAAAAAAAA48/J3lSnlIVcn4/s1600/100_8332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r_FTjE8t-Eg/VKeT9AucAPI/AAAAAAAAA48/J3lSnlIVcn4/s1600/100_8332.JPG" height="228" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">16. Strolled through a Festival of Trees display</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">17. Christmas Eve service at church with my daughter and son</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">18. Christmas Morning, fun photo time!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3M9eLt6gEhw/VKeTU0ls_KI/AAAAAAAAA4k/pX5YM7e4644/s1600/100_8450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3M9eLt6gEhw/VKeTU0ls_KI/AAAAAAAAA4k/pX5YM7e4644/s1600/100_8450.JPG" height="640" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It’s me as the Elf on the Shelf!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family Christmas Day Chili Dinner<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">A note about Christmas meals: in the past, I have made monkeybread for breakfast and a feast for dinner. I have spent more time in the kitchen than I liked. If you miss out on Christmas fun and relaxation with your family because you are cooking for an army, find ways to reduce your workload. You might ask everyone who is coming to dinner to bring a dish. You might switch to slow cooker meals. You might choose to start a new traditional breakfast or dinner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">For me, I discovered frozen monkeybread at the grocery store a few years ago. Two minutes in the microwave, and it’s ready to eat! I no longer make my own monkeybread. Now I have time to open stockings and watch the Disney Christmas program with the kids.</span></div>
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I used to try to replicate the feasts of my childhood: turkey, ham, green bean casserole, potatoes, cranberry salad, rolls, and desserts. Sometimes other things like deviled eggs or mac 'n cheese made it to the table as well. After all that work (combined with a late night gift-wrapping session), I was ready to sleep the rest of the day away! Now I wrap gifts earlier, often as soon as I have them, to avoid staying up late on Christmas Eve. And to make sure I spend as much time with my young adult kids as possible on Christmas, I gave up the feast. This year I made slow cooker Christmas chili served with shredded cheese on top. It’s a family favorite, and it’s easy. For dessert, we had cookies from the cookie exchange, plus the fudge and holly leaf candy I had made earlier. Maybe everything wasn’t <i>perfect </i>this season (sorry if your card arrived after Christmas!), but perfection is overrated anyway. </div>
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So how was your Christmas? What did you enjoy, and what would you like to change for Christmas 2015? Have you shopped the clearance racks? I already have my cards for 2015 and a two-tier Christmas tray for the coming holiday’s candies!</div>
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Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-2957787544453936452014-11-24T19:13:00.001-05:002014-11-24T19:13:47.201-05:00It's a Little Late to Be "Early"My <a href="http://christmaswithbrenda.blogspot.com/2013/10/newsletters-try-template.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Christmas newsletter template blog post</b></span></a> is getting lots of hits, and yes, now is the right time to put the finishing touches on your newsletter so that you can start sending them with your Christmas cards early in December (thus giving the recipient time to put a card in the mail for you)!<br />
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Otherwise, this week of Thanksgiving is not the ideal time to prepare “in advance” for Christmas because you are probably preparing for guests for a Thanksgiving feast or for travel to a feast. Or you may be planning your Black Friday shopping strategies!<br /><br />I have no new tips for preparing early for Christmas. I hope you’re ready to enjoy all the festivities in the coming month! Whether you have already begun to decorate or you are saving the work till December (or till after Thanksgiving dinner), you might want to check out this past post on creating a <a href="http://christmaswithbrenda.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-memory-tree.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Christmas Memory Tree</b></span></a>. A video is included! <br /><br />Happy holidays! <i>(Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve and Day)</i>Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-10512662764360416042014-10-11T07:30:00.000-04:002014-10-11T13:24:26.074-04:00Christmas Is the Perfect Time for ... a Mystery Party!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I’m a lifelong lover of mysteries, having fallen in love with them as a child when I discovered the Trixie Belden mystery series. I read Nancy Drew as well, but I preferred Trixie’s family, friends, and frequent horseback riding. My grownup tastes lean heavily toward humorous murder mysteries and cozies.<br />
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Once I grew up and moved to the South, I discovered Agatha’s A Taste of Mystery, a comedy murder mystery dinner theater in Atlanta. I enjoyed three different interactive murder mystery dinners there. One was hippy-themed, and my then-husband (whose birthday we were celebrating) was given a part and turned out to be one of a pair of killers called Gemini! Now, that was some tie-dyed fun!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ucj-7Cbah2U/VDTbB9uTKkI/AAAAAAAAA0g/RmmpELDTRRo/s1600/Party2012Mystery%2BParty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ucj-7Cbah2U/VDTbB9uTKkI/AAAAAAAAA0g/RmmpELDTRRo/s1600/Party2012Mystery%2BParty.jpg" height="275" width="400" /></a>I went on to host several murder-mystery dinner parties in our home, and then two Christmases ago I hosted a <span style="color: #38761d;">Christmas</span>-themed mystery dinner where the mystery was not a whodunit murder but rather a who-stole-it mystery. The eight of us had a rollicking good time (although that particular mystery was an unsolvable letdown; I didn’t know this in advance of purchase, but this particular mystery package required the hostess to leave the room, pretend to receive a phone call, and then return to the party to explain away the mystery; the game offered no clues to lead up to the surprise ending.)<br />
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Your mystery dinner party or tea party guests may surprise you by diving into their parts with gusto. Even quiet people get caught up in the fun and play their parts with fun and determination!<br />
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Back in the old days (the 1980s–90s), mystery parties came in a box kit that included a character booklet for each guest with clues to share and clues to hide unless asked directly, invitations, dinner-theme plans, and more. Now you can go online and download most mysteries after payment. Everything you need for your party will be included—including recipe ideas. Some mysteries offer a script for the characters to read, while others just provide clues doled out to each guest/character, allowing guests to converse as they would like. Most parties are for mixed groups, but you can find some written especially for women’s groups. And while many call for 6-8 characters, some party kits include more characters. Decide what kind of party and how many people you want, and go from there! <br />
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The theme of many of the Christmas dinner party mysteries is “Who Killed Santa Claus?” HO-hum. You have to look carefully to find something different! And soon there may be one more non-Santa mystery option, as I am creating my own Christmas mystery party. In fact, I plan to test it on several groups this December! I’m so excited!!! So enjoy what’s available but check back here for news of a new Christmas-themed mystery party coming soon!<br />
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One website that sells a variety of mystery party kits and includes ideas for decorations, food, and games is <a href="http://www.merrimysteries.com/tmm/partytips/xmasparties.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Merri Mysteries</span>.</a> Check them out if you’re still not sure a mystery is the best Christmas party you could plan this year.Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-86183066591462986852014-07-08T07:03:00.000-04:002014-07-08T10:18:58.956-04:00To-Do List for July<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hN3tt4HixxU/U7uIsGujJ5I/AAAAAAAAAzM/WUsSGfcXUKQ/s1600/Independence+Day2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hN3tt4HixxU/U7uIsGujJ5I/AAAAAAAAAzM/WUsSGfcXUKQ/s1600/Independence+Day2.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; line-height: 115%;">q</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span>Shop the Independence Day clearance sales for items suitable for Christmas use: red plates (paper or plastic), napkins, tablecloths, star-shaped ornaments, star garland, candles, patriotic items that can decorate a Christmas tree, and stocking stuffers such as flag or star pencils, etc.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; line-height: 115%;">q</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> </span>Experiment with a new recipe that you may want to serve during the holiday season or to give as a gift. I found a recipe for microwaveable divinity candy a few years ago. I plan to test it to see if it is as good as my mother used to make.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; line-height: 115%;">q</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> </span>Plan your Christmas newsletter. We’ve passed the halfway mark of the year. Make note of memorable happenings so that you’re ready when it’s time to type up your newsletter to add to Christmas cards.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; line-height: 115%;">q</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> </span>Plan your Christmas photo, if you plan to include a family photo in your Christmas cards or as a gift for family members—or even as part of a calendar.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fe2haumNwBw/U7uJZ-lBSCI/AAAAAAAAAzU/xGkjTMjz3Is/s1600/Covert+Christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fe2haumNwBw/U7uJZ-lBSCI/AAAAAAAAAzU/xGkjTMjz3Is/s1600/Covert+Christmas.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Photo Gift Tip: My daughter makes personalized calendars for her grandma, father, and me each year. She carries her camera in her purse and snaps pictures throughout the year so that she has some good shots to represent each month on the calendar; most are family shots, but some are nature scenes with quotes or verses added. The calendars become keepsake items. Plus, you can add birthdays to help scatterbrained people remember them! You can use computer software to design a calendar, but you can also upload photos to a site that has calendar templates to help you create a calendar. Any store that prints photos probably offers templates online. We’ve used Walgreens and Walmart, as well as a local printer.<br />
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This list offers you one activity per week, if you intend to do all four. All are doable, as none require a lot of time. If you choose to do less, that’s fine too. Just do something! Don’t let our favorite holiday catch you unprepared!Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-69952970913921613172014-03-04T01:10:00.000-05:002014-03-04T01:10:38.126-05:00Okay, Okay, I'm Doing It ... And I Made a Fascinating Discovery!It’s the beginning of March, and I—I’m taking down my Christmas decorations. Oh yes, I know it’s late for that. You don’t have to remind me that Christmas was 70 days ago and is only 295 days away!<br />
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Taking decorations down is not nearly as fun as putting them up. While unpacking them, you are getting reacquainted with forgotten friends. Setting them out, you’re anticipating the hopefully happy holiday ahead. After Christmas, when most people take down and pack away their decorations, there is nothing to look forward to but a few months of winter weather and bare trees. Blah.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Injured thumb,<br />mostly healed</td></tr>
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I like to declare that I’m going to leave my decorations up till it snows! Some years, we don’t get snow at all, so I make the claim mostly in jest. But if it does snow while my trees are still up, I turn the tree lights on and enjoy a little extra Christmas magic. This year, we got a little snow late in January, and then we got a really good snow the second week in February. I had fully intended to undecorate during that second snow, but an awful thing happened as the first of the snowfall appeared: my daughter tripped while carrying glassware, which hit the ground and shattered only seconds before she herself hit the ground and cut her hand. Tears streaming down <i>my </i>face, we raced to the ER, where my brave young adult daughter received a tetanus shot, stitches, and packing and bandaging of the hole where her thumbprint used to be.<br />
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That was the end of my plans. I spent the rest of the week fetching and carrying, doing all the cooking, and pampering my poor pitiful princess with facials, pedicures, and back rubs. I also had to spend time working in my home office, and housework piled up. I’m happy to report that her thumb has healed nicely, and her physical therapist is pleased with her progress. So now maybe things will get back to normal around here. She helped me take down the living room trees (three of them, none very large at all) over the weekend.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the stable—look, a camel left a “present.”<br />Just kidding! I don’t know what that is.</td></tr>
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As I was packing up my beloved nativity, passed down to me from my mother, I noticed something startling. On the back wall of the nativity stable is a postcard-sized picture of the traveling wisemen, which I had seen many times before. However, I recently came into possession of that same artwork, in larger, framed form, that used to hang on my paternal grandmother’s wall! It’s been hanging in the living room for three months now. I had no idea that they were the same! What a fun discovery!<br />
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Anyway, by waiting till March (accidentally, I assure you), I’m able to replace the Christmas decor with spring decor. It’s time for the floral arrangements to make their appearance. Now we are anticipating spring and noticing the early blooms around town. We haven’t quite bid the cold weather adieu, but it won’t be long now. Warm sunny weather has already given us a taste of the season to come. So really, March seems quite the right time to pack away Christmas and unpack spring, don’t you agree?Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-43858642098305200002014-02-25T10:29:00.000-05:002014-02-25T10:29:46.998-05:00Quick Tip for Christmas Gifts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Never seem to have enough money for gifts when the holidays roll around? Wish you could buy gifts all year long but have nowhere to stash them? Like the idea of gift cards but feel they are too impersonal to give to your loved ones? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You know I’m all about preparing in advance. I have a gift cabinet where I stash the gifts I find throughout the year. That helps me avoid a Christmas that’s a blur of stressful shopping. I know not everyone has storage space available, and some may have curious children who invariably find gifts while snooping through drawers and closets! (And some kids find gifts while helping a parent, like a friend who, as a boy, was sent to retrieve something from the trunk of the family car, where his mother had hidden one of his gifts.) I want you to be able to avoid stressful shopping too, whether the stress comes from lack of cash or deciding where to shop!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Try this: set aside Christmas cash each month by buying a gift card or two. Choose something general like a Visa gift card, or choose cards for stores that appeal to the various people on your gift list. Keep them in a lock box or other safe place. Then, you may give them as gifts if you like (making sure they don’t expire soon), or instead of giving the intended recipients a gift card at Christmastime, use the cards to buy each recipient a gift closer to the holiday. It’s like a Christmas club bank account, except by choosing the gift cards in advance, you’ve chosen <i>where </i>to shop for the gifts, saving yourself some time when you’re ready to do your Christmas shopping! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By the way, you can stack cards to shop with, meaning you might buy a $25 gift card for the same store each month, and then use them all together for your gift shopping spree in November ... because you want to avoid the December shopping crowds, right? *wink*</span>Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-9696595799947707472014-01-28T14:49:00.000-05:002014-01-28T14:49:10.911-05:00Vintage Christmas<br />
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I’ve been organizing my photos. For close to ten years, they have been taken with a digital camera, but I’ve come into possession of some vintage prints that I’ve been scanning and organizing as well.<br />
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TIP: Keep your photos scanned, sorted, saved, etc. Friends have lost years’ worth of family photos to computer crashes and errors. That’s heartrending! Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do in today’s snowstorm.<br />
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I thought I’d share a couple of vintage Christmas shots. I love to look at the details and see what decorations (and people) used to look like.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4IoHy1BT1N8/Uuf-m9AH-FI/AAAAAAAAAoc/z569YokK7Yg/s1600/BabyMeFirstChristmas+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4IoHy1BT1N8/Uuf-m9AH-FI/AAAAAAAAAoc/z569YokK7Yg/s1600/BabyMeFirstChristmas+%25281%2529.jpg" height="314" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My First Christmas - back in the 1960s</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Real Fire, Real Tree - Christmas 1981</td></tr>
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My mom has always had a star like that one as a tree topper. I've had stars, angels, bows, and a Santa hat. I love to change things up now and then! But my mom is content with her star. The one she has now was bought for her by my brother, she says. She might still have the tree I gave her more than 20 years ago!<br />
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The lone stocking in the picture is one I bought for my brother. We didn’t “do” stockings in my childhood. I tried to start a new tradition. I had bought one as part of my gift to my brother (filling it with candy and goofy toys), and I made myself one out of an old sheet that I decorated with magic marker drawings. I completely understand why <i>that </i>one is not hanging by the fire.<br />
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I’m watching it snow from the corner of my eye. Snow is an exciting occurrence in this part of the USA. I hope it blankets everything in white. I left my outside Christmas lights up, hoping for a chance to get a photo of my house with snow and lights as if it was a snowy Christmas. (Just a little eccentricity of mine)<br />
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The snow is so light it almost looks like rain. I’m going to make some hot cocoa and watch the snow before time passes and it’s too late.<br />
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What do you do when you see snow?<br />
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Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-16803712379460431452014-01-26T22:20:00.003-05:002014-01-26T22:22:39.952-05:00Word for 2014 ... Intentional<span style="font-size: large;">Last year I chose <i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Joy </span></i>as my word for the year, and 2013 did its best to squash the joy out of me! So after giving more careful thought for 2014, I’ve chosen <i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Intentional </span></i>as my word for the year. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iD8_neS8744/UuXQSvbSoAI/AAAAAAAAAno/mr3CnGzE0t4/s1600/fortune+cookie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iD8_neS8744/UuXQSvbSoAI/AAAAAAAAAno/mr3CnGzE0t4/s1600/fortune+cookie.jpg" height="289" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">I’ve always had good intentions, so I hope nothing catastrophic happens this year! But I don’t want to live each day merely with good intentions. I want to make intentional use of my time. Why wait for good things to happen when you can make good things happen? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A Christmas-related business project that I started last year, but then set aside, has been tackled again. I’m tickled with how much I’ve completed in a short amount of intentionally-used time. I hope to tell you more about it in the coming months. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For now, I’ll just wish you all a happy New Year and ask what you are doing intentionally with your time?</span>Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-12031219836426486332013-12-24T02:32:00.000-05:002013-12-24T02:32:05.032-05:00Christmas Confession: I'm Having a Blue Christmas<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another Blue Christmas</td></tr>
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I have a short list of things to accomplish in the next 24 hours: polish my nails, <i>finish </i>decorating the two trees downstairs (the main floor trees were done weeks ago, lest you wonder why I waited till the last minute), make a gingerbread train from a kit (won’t take long), experiment with microwave divinity, go to the Christmas Eve service at my church, and visit a Christmas tree display in a nearby town. It’s a doable list, so I am not hyperventilating tonight. If I don’t get to the divinity, I won’t be upset. My mom sends divinity every year, and I’ve been enjoying this year’s batch since last week! Even so, I am having a blue Christmas.<br />
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Confession time: while I love Christmas, it’s the whole season and not the day that puts joy in my heart. The day itself is kind of depressing because the anticipated feast is consumed and gifts are revealed, bringing the celebration to a sudden end—especially if the people in your family turn their attention to their electronic gadgets and cease to participate in your festivities. On the next day, no holiday music will be played in stores or on the radio. Christmas lights lose their magic. There’s nothing left to anticipate ... unless you have more family to visit. Around December 22, I start to dread the looming end of the Christmas season!<br />
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When the children were young, I could make Christmas Day last all day long. When the children were young, we also traveled long distances to be part of big, happy family gatherings. Nowadays, it’s just me and my two grown children. Traveling is too costly and risky considering the ice and snow in the mountains that separate us from our Midwestern relatives. These days, no one is interested in singing Christmas songs or reading the story of Christ’s birth. Only one is interested in watching the Christmas parade on TV. Watching anything else on TV together won’t likely occur. Neither will group participation in games. Blah. Who are these people and why are they raining on my Christmas parade?<br />
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Why can’t Christmas last all year long? Or at least all winter long. January is so cold and lifeless without the colorful lights and decorations and music. Christmas should last until Easter in the Northern Hemisphere. Once the flowers start blooming, I’d be willing to pack away all my Christmas things and replace them with bouquets and pink and purple ribbons.<br />
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Part of the blue mood is because I was unable to host a party this season. I wanted to, desperately. My party friend and I tested all kinds of appetizers for our second annual Christmas mystery dinner party, but then summer arrived and circumstances changed for both of us. This has been a difficult year in so many ways! I joined a social group to have more Christmas party opportunities, and would you believe I was prevented from attending the two I signed up for? And an annual party by my former writers’ group didn’t happen this year after the hostess moved to another state and a popular member of the group passed away. My church didn’t have its usual Jingle Jazz event either. A lot of good folks are struggling physically and/or financially.<br />
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(I’m considering a January party if I can enlist some help rearranging my dining room and office. Throwing a mystery party on short notice can be done with the help of downloadable mystery kits and online sites that allow guests to RSVP and sign up for food to bring. I’ll share what I have found in a later blog.)<br />
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When everything seems to be going wrong, it can be difficult to focus on what’s right. Tonight I went to a church’s community event called “Bethlehem Revisited.” It was a good reminder of God’s love for us. Christmas decorations and gifts and sweets are fun, but it’s a good idea to think about the humble town of Bethlehem and the people who were going about their daily business, struggling to make ends meet and pay harsh taxes, living in simple homes without the benefit of central heat and air, whose feet were the surest form of transportation. Wants were simpler back then, but the needs were the same. We’re all in need of a Savior. We all need hope. According to the Bible, “hope deferred makes the heart sick.” That night long ago, Hope came down from heaven, bringing love and light to a dark world.<br />
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May you focus on what’s right in your life and enjoy the best that this season has to offer. Merry Christmas!Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-47153187528720473042013-12-10T15:39:00.004-05:002013-12-10T15:39:45.789-05:00Check out My Guest Blog at Action Plan Ministries!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">local tree lighting ceremony 2013<br /></td></tr>
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Sorry I’ve been absent; I’ve been juggling jobs, battling sickness, and seeing my mom (500 miles away – I wish we lived closer). Of course, I’ve also been decorating for Christmas! Remember the bags of decorations I posted about last summer? I’ve been having fun finding places for all the new-to-me items that a friend gave me.<br />
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I’ll be blogging for real, soon. I’ve been blogging in my head for several weeks now. LOL In the meantime, click this link to my guest blog for Action Plan Ministries: <a href="http://actionplanministries.com/dump-christmas-clutter-no-trash-bags-needed" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Dump Christmas Clutter — No Trash Bags Needed</span></a><span style="color: red;">.</span><br />
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How far along in holiday preparations are you? Are you having fun yet?Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-87118269316841848702013-10-27T21:35:00.000-04:002013-10-27T21:51:13.971-04:00Why are Christmas Items Displayed for Sale so Early?<br />
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For some reason, the sight of Christmas decorations lining store shelves in August brings out the Scrooge in some people. While those of us with OCD (Obsessive Christmas Disorder) skip down the aisles, squealing with delight at the sparkly holiday displays, others show signs of annoyance, saying, “Let me enjoy summer! Let me enjoy autumn! Let me enjoy Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day! I don’t want to see Christmas stuff till after the stuffed turkey is served!” These complaints run through the month of October, as if December 1 is much farther than just five-six weeks away!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mPZ3LQGssGY/Um3BbQh23vI/AAAAAAAAAh0/FZYRtO3Gwic/s1600/HOLXM030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mPZ3LQGssGY/Um3BbQh23vI/AAAAAAAAAh0/FZYRtO3Gwic/s320/HOLXM030.JPG" width="320" /></a>Let’s imagine for a moment that no sign of the coming holiday was evident until December 1. (It couldn’t happen much sooner due to Thanksgiving and preparations for Black Friday weekend.) Now the normal chaos of the season is ratcheted to a higher level as businesses and charitable organizations must scramble to get out and buy decorations and supplies for their various Christmas events, most of which occur in the first two weeks of December. Budgets are strained because of the inability to check prices early. Lines are even longer, and tempers are shorter because of the increased number of shoppers and the disappearance of desired items from shelves. Crafters are in tears because they were unable to purchase holiday-themed supplies early for the decorations and gifts they planned to make and don’t have the time necessary to make everything! Oh the humanity!<br />
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Here’s the bottom line: if you aren’t in the mood for Christmas shopping, then assume the displays aren’t meant for you. They exist for others: those who need to browse early, plan early, and purchase early. Don’t begrudge those Christmas-minded others their early shopping opportunities. Life’s too short to be a Scrooge who, as you know, changed his attitude by the end of his story and lived a much happier life because of it. As Charles Dickens wrote in <i>A Christmas Carol</i>, “There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour.”Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115776414244953022.post-13258195723420711742013-10-22T16:18:00.000-04:002013-10-22T16:18:13.432-04:005 Steps to Declutter Christmas!<a href="http://actionplanministries.com/5-steps-to-declutter-christmas-2#sthash.LqQac3vX.cmfs"><b><span style="color: red;">5 Steps to Declutter Christmas!</span></b></a> is an excellent blog post from Action Plan Ministries and authors of the book <i>Declutter Now! </i>You know I’m all about advance planning, and these good folks have the right idea. Click the bold red link and get some great tips. Brenda Christmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03906831681041624280noreply@blogger.com1