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Friday's Fave Five

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts Friday Fave Five in which we share our five favorite things from the past week. If you would like to play along just post your 5, link back to Susanne and visit her to see who else is playin'! And THANK YOU Susan for doing this!!!




1. The four year olds from my church's pre-school put on their Christmas Pageant this week! It was tooooo adorable! I didn't get pictures of Mary & Joseph coming in, but he was pulling her by a string on a Little Tykes riding horse! It. Was. Hysterical! And then the lambs and the cow and the donkey came crawling in on their hands and knees! I thought I was gonna die laughing! I have never seen such a precious pageant in all my life! OH! And Mary - bless little Mary - she "delivered" Jesus right into the trough! She had him in a wrap around her tummy, and walked straight into the manger, lifted the wrap and PLOPPED that Baby Jesus right in there!!! Ya hadda BE there!


2. This blog post over at A Lady's Life. What caught my eye was the picture at the top of the post - it disturbed me. Seriously! But I read the post and it was very good - not just at Christmas, but all year through.


3. I think I've finished my Christmas shopping! Unless I get things all wrapped and realize I forgot something! I'm almost done wrapping too. I have a week left to bake and I'm feeling good about things. I'm not stressing about this Christmas and that makes me VERY happy! Oh! AND I have almost ALL of my lines memorized -- for all three parts I've been given now!!! LOL! (the last part only has ONE line... I can handle that!) Someone asked if there was any chance of getting it taped so I could share. I don't know... I'm trying to think who I could ask to use my camera. The Cantata is taped - but with a video camera - and I have NO IDEA how to get that changed over to digital and blah blah blah...
So, the answer is ... we'll see. (it would be easy IF any of my family members attended...)

4. A couple of weeks ago Karen (Kcinnova) had a little contest to guess what was SPECIAL about Dec. 6th! I won 2nd prize for guessing it was the day she brought her son Nicholas home from the hospital ... and it arrived yesterday! The REAL answer was that it was St. Nicholas Day! I love these two little note pads... but I absolutely HEART that pen! I've always wanted one like that - but never bought one for myself. Happy DAY! Thank you Karen!!!


5. My super duper very good friend, and "occasional anymore" blog buddy, Lazy Daisy gifted me with a VERY sweet gift this week. The teacup up above! Ya gotta hear... It came with a note that said she got the cup for 50 cents at Good Will! (I soooooo love this!) But that the minute she saw it she thought of ME! LOL! This would be because Daisy and I took a road trip together down to Savannah a couple of years ago to meet up with a bunch of other blog friends -- and one of the things we enjoyed SO much was a Tea Party! Of course, I whined through the whole thing because the ladies wouldn't wear DRESSES and GLOVES ... but at least we did ALL wear HATS! It is a very sweet memory for all of us! And I'll even include the photo below...

posted by Melli at 1:58 AM | 10 comment(s)

Random Dozen #16

1. Gingerbread: For or against? Discuss.
REAL gingerbread? I am for for FOR! Gingerbread cookies? I can take them or leave them - but Luz loves them, therefore they ARE! I have a my grandmother's recipe for Gingersnaps - which don't snap at all -- if baked properly they are just a patty full of chewy goodness! So I guess, over all, I am FOR gingerbread!

2. Is it important to you to always stay (live) close to family? It is important to me to "be there" when my children need me -- whether I am 2 miles, 20 miles, or 2000 miles away. Of course, the closer, the better. (as long as they don't live IN my house!) LOL! I have always said that "my dream" is to own a cul-de-sac with 5 houses. Mine in the middle and 2 kids on each side of me. Then we would all be as close as we need to be but still have our own space! And Luz could just wander in and amongst us all! (as would future grands!) That would just be the BEST!

3. Which holiday pretend character do you wish really existed?
I can't really think of ANY pretend character that I REALLY wish existed -- but I do really LIKE Frosty the Snowman! I would LOVE to see him swirl up in the first winter snow and say "Happy BIRTHDAY!" -- right on my front lawn!

4. Which holiday movie best represents how you feel about Christmas or life? Well... either Miracle on 34th Street -- because I do SO believe in the Spirit of Santa Claus. I believe GOD is Santa Claus... I always have. I mean Jesus WAS BORN and thus Christmas happened! (He's not a fairy tale... read the history books...) And God has taken care of sooooooooo many Christmases for me and my family when no one else could, that I can't NOT believe! And when the movie ends and that little girl gets her HOUSE, I just KNOW God was the mastermind there! (But of course, that IS just a story - and Santa is credited.) But It's a Wonderful Life touches me deeply too. I've had times when I felt worthless and like my loved ones would be better off without me... but then there's God! He reaches down and pulls me up out of my depths, and shows me that I AM important. To Him if not to anyone else... But He also shows me I'm important to others too. (and THAT is REAL... I can feel it!)

5. Is there a particular Christmas song that you're enjoying now? Any that you're tired of? If I never had to hear those stupid Chipmunks sing again I would be EVER so happy! My favorite Christmas songs have been my favorites for as long as I can remember. Away in a Manger, Angels We Have Heard on High, O Come O Come Emmanuel, I'll Be Home For Christmas, Frosty the Snowman (which is really just a winter song), Oh! The Little Drummer Boy! I LOVE it! And one I heard the other night but that we don't hear too often - Children Go Where I Send Thee - I don't really know how that one got to be associated with Christmas either - but when I do hear it I stop everything and listen. And Do You Hear What I Hear? And Silver Bells -- and A Christmas Song! Tooooooooooo many! I love them all!

6. What is your favorite way to remember those less fortunate at Christmastime?
ANY way is my favorite way. Last year we gave up Christmas to help another family and I really really DID enjoy that! But even THAT family has sO much more than the starving little children in developing countries .... and they tear at my heartstrings sO much! I wish I had the funds to send them ALL clean water and a goat and a dozen chickens and a cow and warm clothes and shoes and whatever they need! I just wish people in America would understand that even when they THINK they have NOTHING they have sO much to share with those people! I read not long ago, that if EVERY person (every single solitary one) that calls themselves a Christian (I'm not getting into the variations of whether they ARE or not) ... If every person who calls themselves a Christian would donate ONE DOLLAR ... just one ... (for a family of six Christians that's $6 ... it would SOLVE world hunger! Sooooo... NOW imagine if EVERYONE - not just we who call ourselves Christians -- EVERYONE - The Buddhists and the Muslims and the Jews and alllllllllllll the wee little religions that most of us have never heard of - AND the Athiests and Agnostics too - If EVERY person gave just ONE dollar. WHY can't we get that done??? I don't understand....

7. Does it upset you to see "Xmas" instead of Christmas? How about "Happy Holidays" etc., instead of "Merry Christmas?"
I just told a friend this week that I actually used to SAY Happy Holidays, or Season's Greetings -- but that I was using that term to encompass Christmas and New Years! I always said Happy Chanukkah to my Jewish friends -- and I still DO! I had never heard of Kwaanza or Ramaden up until 10 or at most 15 years ago... But if I had friends who celebrated those holidays as opposed to Christmas I would greet them with their greeting of choice! What AGGRAVATES me is that it has become POLLITICALLY INCORRECT to give proper credit to the REASON we HAVE Christmas! Jesus CHRIST gave us Christmas and without His birth none of those other celebrations would even have a DAY OFF! Our entire WORLD calendar revolves around the birth of Jesus Christ, and yet we are not supposed to say Merry Christmas!!!! I do not deny the others THEIR thoughts, ideas, or beliefs... do NOT deny me MINE!

8. How many Christmas programs are you attending this month?
MANY! Next week is REALLY busy!

9. Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? Any chance of that dream becoming a reality?
I am NOT dreaming of a white Christmas... but I jusssssst heard this afternoon that the weathermen are "playing" with the idea that snow MAY happen late next week... BUT we all know how the MEDIA is... I'm not buyin' it until I see it!

10. Tell me about a Christmas present you received as a child. Pics are always nice. Yea... a pic of my childhood would be nice! I think I have two. The only one I can think of -- I was a fairly OLD child - in my teens I think... but my mother found this GIMONGOUS Stuffed Winnie the Pooh -- I'm sure it was at Sears. It was probably not for sale -- it was probably a promotional display! But somehow she ended up with it and thought it would be a LOVELY Christmas present for ME! Now, my next older sister was the Winnie the Pooh FANATIC -- I simply collected Teddy Bears. But Pooh came to me... and when I moved to Minnesota I took him as carry on luggage - and they made me buy him a seat! YES - he WAS that big! He wouldn't fit in the overhead compartment, that's for sure! (Dr. John is gonna kill me for all these long answers. Sorry Pastor!)

11. How many Christmas parties are you attending this month?
Parties? Just one. And it's not really a Christmas party... it's an Epiphany Party!

12. How do you keep yourself centered on the significance of Christmas?
I keep myself centered in the significance of Christ in my life. If He's here, with me, everyday... then He is naturally with me throughout this season.

posted by Melli at 12:45 AM | 10 comment(s)

A New Life...

There are many many moments in our children's lives when we are proud of them. Some of them are times when we are SO proud there are hardly words to explain it. This morning was one of those times. MY baby girl - Krysti - assisted a new mom in delivering her baby BOY safely into the world today! (on the bathroom floor!) Baby Boy delivered straight into Krysti's hands - at 5:28 a.m. - very blue, which they corrected. Baby Boy and his mom are now at the hospital and both are doing well. God has blessed them abundantly ... and He blessed my Krysti too! I wonder if she knows that? I TOLD her! But I wonder if she "saw God today".

Well... I was trying to upload George Straight's song "I Saw God Today" -- but YouTube and Blogger aren't playing well today. If you've never heard it, it's THE most appropriate song for today... Here's the link if you'd like a listen... I Saw God Today.

posted by Melli at 7:09 AM | 18 comment(s)

Ruby Tuesday...

posted by Melli at 12:01 AM | 14 comment(s)

Gettin' Busy!

posted by Melli at 11:01 AM | 11 comment(s)

Fun Times and Answered Prayer! (Weekend Reflection included)

Mom & I got to spend the better part of yesterday with Amanda & Luz -- trying to do some fun Christmas things! We sorta botched the first one... we arrived too late for pretty much anything - but that was okay because we ended up down by the docks in Annapolis for the lighting of the BOATS! And it was fun! But it was PACKED! It was coooooold outside and we didn't realize what a BIG DEAL the lighting of the boats IS... and we arrived later than we should have. Parking was at a premium NON-EXISTANT and after driving up and down and all around and every lot was FULL and we had MOM so we couldn't park far far and walk... and we started talking about just heading home and Luz said "no Nana! What are we gonna DO?" And I said, "well, I'll tell ya what... I'm just gonna say a little prayer and if it is God's desire that we SEE these lights tonight, he will provide me with a parking space" -- and I did! So we drove back toward the city docks and I saw a lot that hadn't closed it's chain yet and I pulled in and asked if they had a spot. "No ma'am... I'm sorry. We have NOTHING." I told the kid I would give him 20 bucks if he could find a hole to fit me in! He hemmed and he hawwed and he consulted with his partner and they decided that the place was going to close soon enough that they could MAYBE let me park in this "not a space"... but just then someone came out and got in their truck and LEFT! Tell me it wasn't God! I had a legitimate parking space - and I still gave the kid $20 anyway! (well - they were charging $15 --- but I didn't know that!) LOL! Sooooo... Little Luz is in the back and she pipes up "Thank You God!"... and I said "That is RIGHT Baby Girl! Thank You God!!!" And Amanda said "YOU BRIBED HIM!" I said - it doesn't matter. The spot came open -- it was GOD! I was LOVIN' it!!!

So we walked down to the pier and we had to WAIT in the COLD for about 45 minutes before the boat lighting -- which it turns out is a PARADE of boats! It was very cool! I've uploaded a few VERY short video clips just so you can see a little bit. Anyway... after we had seen enough boat parade we went to get some dinner and get WARM! But on the way we passed some street musicians! I knooooow they were freezing! But bless their souls they were playin' away just the same! You knOw I had to give them some financial love!



It really was a GREAT day!

posted by Melli at 12:03 AM | 13 comment(s)