Meowy Christmas!

Ever try wrapping Christmas gifts with your kitty?



He probably thinks they're all for him!

Ever Hear Of This Tradition?

As long as I can remember, relatives on my mother's side of the family hung a Christmas card with a picture of the Three Wise Men above the front door. My Mom would usually send us one while she was alive, and sometimes my Dad still does. One year when I was feeling really ambitious, I cross-stitched Three Wise Men Christmas cards for my entire family. Boy, my fingertips and eyesight paid dearly for that! But everyone liked them, so it was worth it.

I spotted the above box of Three Wise Men cards while shopping at Barnes and Noble and thought I would send these this year instead of my usual kitty and puppy Christmas cards. I could almost hear Mom's voice telling me to buy them: "Don't you think it's time you sent a grown-up Christmas card instead of those cutesy ones? Aren't you like 51 now?"

Okay Mom, I heard you. I bought the cards.

But it also got me wondering-what is the meaning behind all this? Just why do people hang Three Wise Men Christmas cards above the front door? So I turned to that wealth of information, the internet, for answers.

First I read how in Europe, people write the initials of the Three Wise Men along with the year, in chalk blessed with holy water, on the main door to the house to bless their homes for the new year. Then I came across this interesting site, full of Irish folklore and traditions, which says it is done to bring health and harmony to one's home. But my mother was Italian, not Irish, so it still left me wondering. I guess I need to do a little more searching.

Has anyone else heard of this tradition? Perhaps there is a Three Wise Men Christmas card hanging above your front door, too.

Favorite Christmas Movies

I love to watch Christmas movies, but I do have a few favorites. One is A Christmas Carol, the REALLY old one made in 1938 with Reginald Owen. I remember the grammar school I attended would show this one every year right before Christmas. Usually the one shown on television is the the 1951 version with Alastair Sim, which I also like.

I also love It's A Wonderful Life, probably my all time favorite movie. My hubby doesn't share my love for these old movies (sniff), in fact he doesn't like to watch anything in black and white unless it features Moe, Larry, and Curly-nyuk nyuk!

And here's a newer one, made this century, that I absolutely love:



It's a sad but inspiring story about a young boy who wants to buy a special Christmas gift for his dying mother. And it's also the story of an attorney who's been focusing more on his job than his family. Fate brings these two together on Christmas Eve at a local department store and what happens next still makes me cry no matter how many times I watch this movie. Lifetime is showing The Christmas Shoes tomorrow (Dec 9) at 7pm est, if you're interested. And if you do plan on watching, keep a box of tissues nearby.

I also love A Charlie Brown Christmas. I guess that one's not really a movie, but it just doesn't feel like Christmas until I see it.

And I confess, I still try to catch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Maybe it's because I can really relate to that "Misfit" song.

What is your favorite Christmas movie or Christmas special?

I Need Some Christmas Spirit!

Santa with Angel

I'm really trying to get into the Christmas spirit, but it just doesn't seem to be happening yet. I've been listening to Christmas music, watching Christmas movies, doing a little decorating and shopping, but I'm just not feeling that joy inside. I did get some disturbing news from my doctor a few days ago that I'm going to need some minor surgery soon. Seems I've been playing host to this large gall stone for some time and it really should come out before there are serious complications. I've been doing a lot of research on this the past few days and it's not really bothering me that much yet and my blood work is okay, so I guess Mr. Gall Stone will be spending the holidays with me. My real concern is that both Carlos and I may be losing our jobs soon (we work together) and if that happens, then I also lose my health coverage.

So I'm paranoid that I will eat or do something that might set this little time bomb off. I know I'm being silly; it's such a minor thing that's completely treatable and the news could have been much worse. I guess I should feel blessed that it wasn't something more serious.

Christmas Lights

Here's how our Christmas lights look so far. These are colored icicle lights, it's hard to see the colors in the photo. We still have a little bit more to do, like put some lights on the arborvitae bush (tree!) that's in front. It was snowing a little when I took these pictures. Looks like our garbage can managed to sneak into the photo in the bottom center.



Carlos is kind of obsessed with these lights and is constantly checking to see if any have gone out. What is it with these men and their Christmas lights?



This is the Nativity scene in the front window. I still have to put the angels up when I find some more of those suction cup hook thingies. If you look through the blinds, you can see the inside of our messy house.



Thank you for looking at our Christmas light photos.

My Benefactor

Someone where I work has been posting these Morning Reflections on our bulletin board for the past several years. It was a mystery as to whom was doing this, for their email address had been deleted or cut off at the bottom. These reflections would appear almost daily and no one knew where they were coming from.

Well, this past Friday it was quite a different story. Not only was the Morning Reflection in its usual place on the bulletin board, there were extra copies placed on every table in the cafeteria. I brought one home because it really spoke to me. And I now know who my "benefactor" is, for this time he left his name and email address at the bottom. It was quite a surprise, for I would never suspect that it was this particular person. Anyway, here is part of the Morning Reflection for that day:

Lamentations 3:22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Thought for today: Regardless of what happened yesterday, there is hope for tomorrow.

Reflection for the day: God is a God of hope

The company I work for has been bought out buy another and the deal officially went through yesterday. There are going to be some big changes ahead and my future with this company is uncertain, but I've been strangely at peace with this. Maybe it's God's way of telling me that He's with me and every thing's going to be okay.

And if you haven't already done so, please check out the Morning Reflection site. I plan to visit daily, maybe I'll "see" you there!

A Snowy Sunday...

Woke up to our first snowfall today. It was the "cute" December kind of snow-you know the type that covers the ground, but doesn't stick to the roads. The really fluffy stuff that you can just sweep aside with a broom.

Here's a photo of our little "casa". Those are our Christmas lights hanging from the gutters, not icicles. And if you look closely, you can see that there is still a painted Halloween pumpkin sitting on the porch-maybe I should put a Santa hat on it! Or if we get a little more snow, I can build a snowman and use it for the head!



Raven loves the snow, our kitty, Jeter, not so much. She seems to be wondering "Where did the cherry tomato plants go?"



And here's my Jeep, sporting a frosty mustache. The darn thing appears to be smiling and saying "Got snow?"



I've been feeling pretty lousy since Thanksgiving with a nasty head cold-sinus infection kind of thing. I still dragged my sorry self to work all last week and really ran myself down, and that's why I haven't been around lately. I did manage to get out to the mall this weekend and here are a few things I learned about Christmas shopping:

1. Keep away from the stores you love or you will end up buying YOURSELF a lot of Christmas presents, instead of gifts for your family and friends.

2. Visit Bath and Body Works AFTER Yankee Candle and not vice-versa! You don't want your hands to be slippery from all those yummy hand lotions that you sampled if you are going to be opening and sniffing housewarmer candle jars.

3. If you are shopping with your hubby or boyfriend and lose him, most likely he can be found in a department store near the large screen HD televisions.

4. When you are exiting a store and the security alarm goes off, don't think "it's not me." Chances are, it is YOU, because the cashier forgot to remove a security tag from one of your purchases. Unfortunately, you will not discover this until you are home (don't ask me how I know this.)

Looks like I will be making another trip to the mall very soon!