??How many days until Christmas??

[Minnymouth]

Both my brothers have kids, now lots of grandkids. Each Thanksgiving both brothers made their kids clean out toy boxes, etc and donate the good stuff to a toy drive. AND NOW, all the new grandchildren and great grand children do the same thing. It turned into a family tradition that we all hope keeps going on year after year.

Kids get SOOOOO MUCH STUFF now that last years things are throwed aside in a closet, out in the garage, etc. By donating each year, children who would not normally have access to such expensive toy items now do.

Each of the grandchildren are expected to "support" a childs name on the Christmas Tree each year and buy clothes for them.... either a coat or a complete outfit. The GRANPA'S pay for this in exchange for all the "giving up of the old toys". I'm aware in many families they may not be able to afford to do this...... but fortunately in my family - they are!! This all started when one of the grandkids ask why Grandpa could go to Vegas, but he couldn't buy a coat for a little girl on the Christmas Tree. Needless to say, now everyyear they support the local Christmas Tree of names of children.

There's many things you can do during the Holidays, that don't cost anything.... visit a nursing home, help at a shelter for a day, visit an orphange (can't spell), visit folks in the hospital, help a neighbor (elderly) enjoy the holidays....

The best feeling of all is in what you SHARE, not what you GET!!!

[Bandit]

You are incorrigible!

Thanks Minnie!

Mwahahahahah

[Bandit]

visit a nursing home, help at a shelter for a day

I have done both of those things during Christmas. Very rewarding.

[Bandit]

Just so no one forgets,
at midnight there will only be 43 days left until Christmas...eeeekk

BAH HUMBUG

http://www.gunung.com/arod/xmas/xmas9.html

...and have a cup of Cheer!

[BROKENN]

Just so no one forgets,
at midnight there will only be 43 days left until Christmas...eeeekk

AAAhhhhh! I hate you

BAH HUMBUG
http://www.gunung.com/arod/xmas/xmas9.html

This must be for ME and my compadres on this post

...and have a cup of Cheer!

That I will do.... And I will enjoy mine and those when it is here..... but until then, I am BUSY!!

[Bandit]

AAAhhhhh! I hate you



This must be for ME and my compadres on this post




That I will do.... And I will enjoy mine and those when it is here..... but until then, I am BUSY!!

Well you know, you can always help me remind the people how many more days...ROFL!
I figure by New Years Eve we will be so tired of Christmas yet should have covered everything from angels & charity to scrooge, and the nativity to rudolph and mommy kissing santa clause...and oh yah- rum & eggnog...mmmm


It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas;
Soon the bells will start,
And the thing that will make them ring is the carol that you sing
Right within your heart.

http://www.the-north-pole.com/carols/look.html

[Bandit]

38 Days

8 Hours

39 Minutes
until Christmas. Just a kind reminder so no one forgets.
and no matter how many problems, trials & tribulations, you may as well as enjoy it the best way you can and...

http://washingtonmo.com/christmas/lyric/1029.htm

and that means only twelve (12)days until Thanksgiving!
GoBbLE gObBLe

[Minnymouth]

I'm praying for a "white Christmas" this year....... would love to see another before I leave this ole world.

I'm getting some age on me now and I don't have many more years to be able to have my Christmas decor and hope for snow for Christmas. I'm just thankful that I have lived to see another (I can hope anyways)......

Somebody will have a BLAST when I'm gone and they auction off my Christmas decor...... I hope they enjoy it all as much as I have over the years......

[Bandit]

I'm praying for a "white Christmas" this year....... would love to see another before I leave this ole world.

I'm getting some age on me now and I don't have many more years to be able to have my Christmas decor and hope for snow for Christmas. I'm just thankful that I have lived to see another (I can hope anyways)......

Somebody will have a BLAST when I'm gone and they auction off my Christmas decor...... I hope they enjoy it all as much as I have over the years......

oh Minnymouth, that is so precious and sweet of you. I will pray for a White Christmas for you & you pray for a Green Christmas for me. I have already seen snow flurries twice this year & that is enough. I bet you miss that lake effect snow with the huge fluffy snowflakes.

I look at some of that christmas stuff I have from the years and I have such fond memories of the people & places in my life. I got my old klochky cookies recipe out for thanksgiving to do a trial run this year.

I had this same angel that flapped her wings on the tree for 15 years & last year she konked out. Replacing her was kind of tough because they dont make them as sturdy as the old motion angel tree tops.

It is a neat Holiday and has special way of bringing people & families together.

[bk4sky]

this will be me and BF's 4th xmas together, in the past we only put up a real tiny tree, id really like to get a big artificial one this year, but dont think ill have the money, my mom has a nice 4ft one she said she will give to me, so maybe ill just take that! and getting the balls and decs for the tree is so easy, the dollar stores have losta cool stuff for trees.

[Minnymouth]

I remember my first Christmas tree after I left home........ a little 4 footer that I paid $5.00 for. (I was really poor back then - tough times - working, going to school - money was REALLY TIGHT.)
My decorations were one strand of lights, favorite pics of family and friends sitting in the branches, some left over ribbon made into bows, pine cones, and candy canes. And I even managed to afford a bag of M&M's in case someone stopped by.
As time went by I graduated to a 6ft tree that I used for years and years.
I added Christmas stuff each year and started accumulating a lot of Christmas decor over the years. Now I have a very, very,wide assortment.
About 10 years ago I bought the "tree of my dreams", a huge 7 1/2 footer with a 5ft base on it. HUGE TREE...... and FINALLY after 40 years was financial able to decorate my Christmas tree the way I really wanted too....... (that was my Christmas present to ME, that year)......
Now 10 years later, I still really enjoy my huge tree and get many compliments on how its decorated.
AND I still have my 4 ft tree, and my 6 ft tree of many years ago. My 4 ft I decorate with miniatures, and my 6 ft I sit on the front deck and decorate with "beanie babies", candy canes, and silk flowers......
A friend of mine passed away about 8 years ago and left me all her Christmas decorations (she was always amazed at how much I loved to decorate during
the holidays. Now her 7 ft tree is decorate in the front yard along side of her fantastic nativity scene that she passed on to me.
A couple of years ago my home looked like the North Pole during the holidays....... yard, house, and all inside (every room) was decorated.
We held our annual Christmas office party at my house for several years and many New Years Eve parties.
So now as a past time I make crafts out of all the extra Christmas decor that I have or items from Christmas past. I make wreaths, centerpeices etc. Nothing goes to waste, its all recycled into "something new"...... I give them away as gifts during the holidays, etc and also sell them outright to the public and in yard sales.
So NOW that I have been down "memory lane" regarding my Christmas trees over the years I still never FORGET the reason for the season.
I count my blessings each and every year, am totally thankfull for all the good things in my life, and accept the bad things as they come down the pipeline. You have to have the good and the bad to keep your life in balance!!
Love the holidays, have a blast decorating, but ALWAYS remember WHY we celebrate this season.... and you will be truly blessed.
My thoughts today............

[Bandit]

I remember my first Christmas tree after I left home........ a little 4 footer that I paid $5.00 for. (I was really poor back then - tough times - working, going to school - money was REALLY TIGHT.)
My decorations were one strand of lights, favorite pics of family and friends sitting in the branches, some left over ribbon made into bows, pine cones, and candy canes. And I even managed to afford a bag of M&M's in case someone stopped by.



Love the holidays, have a blast decorating, but ALWAYS remember WHY we celebrate this season.... and you will be truly blessed.
My thoughts today............

This reminds me of one year in florida. We were so poor that year & could not afford a single thing. We walked down the street to the woods & found this little charlie brown tree with about 5 branches...dug it up...came home with it & put it into a big bowl of water & leaned it up against the wall & from there whatever we could find to put on it. I think there was only one string of lights, maybe no lights at all (cant recall). It was really pathetic looking but it still made us smile, laugh & have some cheer.

[Bandit]

Only 29 days until Christmas.
That means only 28 days until Christmas Eve

[Bandit]

Just a kind reminder

Only 9 days until Christmas.



















































I mean 20 days

[Bandit]

this will be me and BF's 4th xmas together, in the past we only put up a real tiny tree, id really like to get a big artificial one this year, but dont think ill have the money, my mom has a nice 4ft one she said she will give to me, so maybe ill just take that! and getting the balls and decs for the tree is so easy, the dollar stores have losta cool stuff for trees.

Just think on your silver anniversary you will have more ornaments than you know what to do with...and will cherish them all.