Merry Christmas

We had our Christmas celebration with my family yesterday, and tomorrow we leave to spend Christmas in a "little cabin in the woods" with my DH family. I so hope it will snow:)

I am not sure when I will be back in bloggityville, we will be working off a dial-up connection and free service provider~which has a long proven history of freezing up and crashing....so I will probably be quite scarce the next few days.

I hope each of you are able to spend time with family and loved ones, and I pray that you experience joy and peace celebrating Mankind's greatest gift.

Merry Christmas, my friends.

Love,
Rhonda

For unto you is born this day in the

city of David, a savior...Luke 2:11

Christmas Trivia

Michelle at Back Through Time has tagged me to play the Christmas Trivia game. This one is fun and easy to do, since you can copy and paste the questions and add your own answers.

Scrooge or Elf??
1.Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper.

2. Tree--Real or Artificial? Definitely real.

3. When do you put Christmas tree up? AFTER Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? Before January 1st. It is bad luck to have the tree up after New Years.

5. Like eggnog? YUCKY!!

6. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes.

7. Favorite gift received as a child? A tape recorder and Dancerina Ballerina~I wish I still had her.

8. Hardest person to buy for? My Husband.

9. Easiest person to buy for? My Son, he wants everything.

10. Worst Christmas gift? I can't think of any. I guess I've blotted them out of my memory. LOL.

11. Mail or email a Christmas card? Mail cards.

12. Favorite Christmas movie? It's a Wonderful Life:)

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Around the first of December.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No, but I have returned some.

15. Favorite food to eat on Christmas? Brown sugar glazed ham with pineapple and maraschino cherries.

16. Clear or colored tree lights? Clear.

17. Favorite Christmas Song? Oh, Holy Night.

18. Travel during Christmas or Stay home? We are traveling this year.

19. Can you name Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder, Blixem, Rudolph, ~and there have been eyewitness accounts that at least 3 of them are moonlighting up in Seattle at the Lusty Lady;)

20. Angel or Star on Tree top? Star for now.

21. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? 1 on Christmas Eve, the rest Christmas Morning...or whatever time the crowd at the cabin decide to get up:)

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The feeling of being rushed.

I tag~ Christine at Bella Colle, Amanda at Cottage Contessa, Diane at Petticoat Junction, Dena at Swaddle Cottage, and BJ at Sweet Nothings.

Spirit of Christmas

It happens to me every year. A moment... a point in time when the true Spirit of Christmas enters my heart just as surely as if it is a physical occurrence. It may spring forth from something I see, or something I hear. I never know when or why it will happen, but every year for as far back as I can remember it simply does.

Last night as I sat in the bleachers of the local Middle School Gym, a young French Horn player came to the front to play her part as the guest Soloist of the evening. She played a Trio of traditional Christmas Carols each of which I know and love. The last, was Silent Night. As I sat and listened to the beautiful melody fill the room and resound all around me....it happened.

My heart and mind were still and quiet and I heard it, the message. Delivered as the notes spoke in a crystal clear voice...A gift to be given. A gift in the form of the most precious of all creations...a baby. An innocent gift of life and peace to anyone who would willingly accept it. An immeasurably sacrificial gift that goes beyond my power of comprehension: For God so loved the world, he gave his ONLY begotten son... John 3:16.

I cried...because I know I am not worthy to accept such a priceless gift, and yet I am so grateful to be a recipient.

Company's Comin'

My husband's family is coming in from Florida today...Nana, PopPop, Sister-In-Law, Brother-In-Law and New Baby Nephew:)

Yesterday as I scurried around the house trying to make it look presentable, my son decided to get in on the act. I came through the living room in time to hear him say, "Tomorrow's a big day, got to tidy up the tree." After which he removed the foam Nerf ball from the Christmas tree....hmmmm, wonder how that got there!?

We are all going to see DH's Middle School Band perform their Christmas concert tonight. It should be a fun time, if I can only keep my sweet son out of Mr. Robbie's sound system. He has his Daddy's love of all things "high-techish."

Hope you all have a great day:)

Christmas Hoopla

Brenda and Kathy have tagged me to play the Christmas "hoopla" game.

Here is how to play:

1. List 12 random things about yourself that have to do with Christmas.

2. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm'-word. I suppose that refers to the 'M'eme list.

3. You have to specifically tag people when you're done. None of this "if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed...then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people you tag is really up to you -- but the more, the merrier to get this 'hoopla' circulating through the blogosphere.

4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible.

So here we go:

1) My favorite Christmas show is Charlie Brown's Christmas....hmmm or maybe Rudolph, oh, and I can't forget about How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Frosty, I love Frosty.....OK, well, I really like them all:)

2) I have seen It's a Wonderful Life dozens of times and I still cry when George finds Zuzu's petals in his pocket. It is such a beautiful movie....I highly recommend it Penny;)

3) I absolutely despise the song Christmas Shoes~ I know that you must think that I have a heart the size of the Grinch, but after I cried over the lyrics a hundred times, I am through!!! I won't even listen to it now...I have donated enough tears!

4) My favorite Christmas Hymn is "O Holy Night," A man in my hometown church, Roy Miller, would sing it every Christmas. He would literally make the windows vibrate with his beautifully, deep, rich voice. I would love to be able to sing it, but I can't. Every time I try, I get choked up and can't finish.

5) When I see a Christmas tree all lit-up and glowing, I still feel like a child and I am in complete awe. I hope to create the same kind of wonder for my son.

6)I am a live tree girl. I love how they make the whole house smell fresh and woodsy...and who knows, you might just get the thrill of finding a bird's nest hidden inside:)

7)One of my favorite Christmas presents was a tape recorder. When I got it, my younger sister was a baby , I recorded everything she said....today those tapes are some of my Mama's most treasured possessions.

8)The first year my husband and I were married, his Mimi gave us a box of gorgeous handmade ornaments. I was completely overwhelmed with the beauty and detail of each little piece. The fact that she took so much time to create them just for us makes them a priceless treasure.

9)Our church singles group used to load up and go Caroling each year. We would go around to the houses of our homebound members and sing....it was always the highlight of the season for me and I miss it now.

10)Living in Georgia, I have not seen very many White Christmases. The few I have had were pure magic.

11)I consider cinnamon the official smell of Christmas.

12)I love to attend Christmas Eve services. My favorite is the silent services I have attended with only music and candle light. There is such an air of expectation...as if I am right there in Bethlehem, awaiting the birth of our Savior.

And now I would like to invite Hope at Second Time Around , Queen Meg at Meggie's Stuff, Jan at The Life and Times of Li'l Ole Me and BJ at Sweet Nothings to play.

Welcome Christmas

Welcome Christmas bring your cheer...

Cheer to all both far and near.

Christmas Day is in our grasp

as long as we have hands to clasp.

Christmas Day will always be

just as long as we have we.

Welcome Christmas while we stand

heart to heart and hand to hand.

Theodor Seuss Geisel~Dr. Seuss

Cath Kidston's

Look what I found while out shopping the other day....It is filled to the brim with wonderful ideas on how to incorporate vintage linens in your home....I love it!!
I have quite a collection of vintage linens...most of which are just being stored. After the holidays, I am going to dive in head first and see what I can create. That should be a lovely way to spend some cold winter days:)

It's Beginnning to Look Like....

...a wild and rowdy night at the local Cage Match!! So, I went shopping yesterday, boy there are people out there sporting some serious attitudes....YIKES! Word to the wise, do not enter Toys R Us without full body armor! OK, so I'm just kidding~kind of:)

The good thing is...it is done!

Now all that is left is baking some goodies for my family and finishing up some sewing projects.....

....can't post pictures of anything until after Christmas....I never know who may be tuning in...hehehe!

So, how are you gals doing with your shopping? Almost through....everything is wrapped and under the tree....or don't even ask? Do tell.....

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

I'm off doing my Santa shopping today:)

I know that several people are participating in Karla's Christmas open house....and although I did not sign-up officially, I thought I would show a couple of the decorations around my house.

My sister gave me this bell wreath several years ago....I love the sound it makes.

This was a simple idea~ I found this little carved box at a thrift shop.

My son wanted a Christmas tree in his room. I found this little boot tree at KOHL'S for 55% off and the Peanuts and Rudolph ornaments are just the right size:)

I wove the runner on this table. When I was in college I took a weaving class. I fell in love with weaving and one day I hope to own my own loom.


Oh, sweet Sadie, I envy you all cuddled up and cozy under the tree as I go out to swim against the crowds. Take a little nap for me:)

I'll be back this afternoon and,I look forward to going around to everyone and seeing your decorations.

Magical Nights of Lights

Last night we went with family (My Mom and Dad, My Sister and her two boys) to the Magical Nights of Lights~ a six mile stretch of beautiful Christmas Lights displays. Sorry some of the pictures are a little blurry...I think my Dad was ready to wring my neck after the 10th time I yelled..."Stop the car Papaw!" LOL...we had a great time:) Nativity Scene

Poinsettia Wreath

There were different sections dedicated to different Themes~like Christmas Town

Santa's Workshop

Gingerbread HouseThe Candy Cane company

One section was set-up in children's movie themes...
The Wizard of OZ

Dorothy and Toto

The 12 Days of Christmas~this is the only photo I took of this section~We were trying to sing the song as we came to each display and we got terribly jumbled and confused so we wound up laughing so hard at ourselves that we couldn't sing the rest and the camera was forgotten about:)

This is Nephew #1's favorite picture, he liked how all of the colors of the peacock ran together~I think it is pretty neat as well.

There was a carnival attraction with lots of rides. I am NOT a big fan of carnival rides, I used to love to be spun around and turned upside down, now I just get nauseous...I have turned into an old fuddy-duddy. But my son....LOVES the rides....he is such a Dare Devil ( I can only imagine what the teenage years will hold....)

The smile on my face is not really joy...it's more like hysterical laughter. Nephew #2 got quite a kick out of rocking the seat and listening to me scream ....especially when his mother, my sweet loving sister, was on the ground egging him on.... Thanks Robin!!!

On the other hand, Bumper Cars are great fun!!! My son insisted on driving...I laughed so much my face hurt.

We had a wonderful time... of course when we get together it is always a good time:)

Charlie Brown Christmas

This is my favorite Christmas program. Linus sets the record straight:)

Join In

OK, all in unison now....Y-M-C-A, it's fun to be at the Y-M-C-A

That's right gals, Miss Julie guested it, we are the newest members of our local Y.

My son is so excited, they gave him his own badge....all day, he told everyone he met that he was "a member"..... Laugh Out Loud!!

Honestly, it is an incredible facility. It opened this summer and we considered joining then but didn't. This is a family Christmas present, but I am most likely the one who will get the most benefit since I am the only one in the family that is over-weight and out of shape...not whining, just stating the facts.

My intention is to loose weight and re-gain the fitness level of my youth...ah, well, I'll settle for being able to run around the yard and play with my 5 year old with out going into cardiac arrest.

I'll try not to bore you to death talking about it all the time, but no promises, I'm pretty excited about it myself:)

Guess What!

Why, you might ask, does Rhonda have a YMCA sign and music on her blog today?

1) Having a love of all things vintage, she found a picture of this lovely old sign and had to show it to us.....

2) She is off touring the country side and wants to show us the sights...

3)The holiday strain has finally gotten to her and she is off her rocker....

Stay tuned to find out;)

Something's Sizzlin

Have you ever eaten at Chili's and ordered their Fajitas? Don't you just love how they are served...sizzlin' and steaming...can't you hear them now....can't you just smell them....can't you just taste them right now???

Well, I had myself a fajita craving last night, luckily I had everything I needed to make them myself~Chop up some chicken breast, red peppers and onion, sprinkle with Fajita Seasoning and Cumin~Cook all together with some EVOO~Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Top with whatever Fajita Fixins you desire~

And Voila'...dinner is served~ In less time than it would have taken me to drive in to town:)

And for desert.....these delicious tangerines I picked up at the Whole Food's Market the other day~

Although hideously ugly, they are seedless, practically peel themselves and taste as sweet as Candy!!!!

So, even though they did not arrive at the table with as much fan fare as a Chili's Fajita platter.....they were might tasty and allowed me to wrap up dinner in no time.

Perspective is Everything

Despite my Grinchy, Bah Humbug moment yesterday, I decided to take sweet Robin's advice and have fun shopping ~ Before I left home, I put on my comfy shoes and a smile and decided that it is what I make it....so I grabbed my camera and was set for adventure:)

We went to the second largest Mall in the Southeast. The Christmas decor is quite impressive.The first order of business was a stop to see Santa~my Dear Son had to check on the progress at the workshop:)

"See Mom, Christmas shopping is COOL!"

OK, well maybe I over did it on the photo opps.....

The main thing is we had fun and got most of it done. I even found a treat for me....a large, soft, black leather bag that is big enough to carry the kitchen sink and my camera....it was on sale for 50% off and another 15% taken off at the register.....when it was all said and done, I got a $75 bag for right at 30 bucks....sweet:)

After our shopping merriment there was only one thing left to do.....no not a brownie sundae.....a nice snugly nap with Tigger.

Today's the Day

Well it is time to get it done. Time to brave the boisterous, demanding crowds and shop, shop, shop....actually I am hoping that by going out on a Tuesday morning, I can avoid much of said crowd.

I have armed myself with 3 cups of coffee, so the energy is flowing and the purpose is focused! I'm on a mission people!

Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love to shop~as my dear husband can testify:) But I am a wander aimlessly, drifter type shopper, I like to browse and discover little wonders and treasures....which is why I enjoy thrifting so much. Having a list of things I have to locate and purchase makes me CRAZY!!! Throw in bright blinking lights, loud music, throngs of people and jolly ole elves at every corner ringing bells and asking for donations and I transform into a Raving Lunatic!!!

Hummm....the Grinch theme song just started to play in my head...."Your a mean one, Mr. Grinch...." Seriously, I adore Christmas, but Christmas shopping is a whole other animal.

OK, enough of that, on to a completely different subject.....

I have just recently met Wyanne Thompson, a very talented artist. She and her family live on Amelia Island, a beautiful place where my family and I go every June.

She is celebrating the Grand Opening of her gallery with a "Reserve Art Event" on December 7th. You can stop by and congratulate and encourage her by clicking here.

Please pop in and have a look around. Tell her you came by way of the FarmHouse.

Enjoy your day!

Deck the Tree

The Tree is up. Yes, I know it is blurry:) I think it shows the colors better. My husband and I both prefer the look of white lights, but when you have a young child, it is all about color!

Remember the bird nest....this little lady moved right in:)

I thought I would show you some of my favorite ornaments~

My son's First Christmas ornament~it has pages inside where I recorded first Christmas events. This ornament is so dainty and delicate. It makes the most gentle tinkling sound. The first Christmas my husband and I were married, his Mimi gave us a box of ornaments she had made for us....some felt, some crocheted....each and everyone a priceless treasure.

After all the tree decking, we needed sustenance!!! Brownie Sundae to the rescue!

My little helper gives it the BIG thumbs up:)