The twelve days of Christmas on the Faith Sisters web site

The story goes that some time ago a mother punished her 5 year old daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and she became even more upset when the child used the gold
paper to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.
Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift box to her mother the
next morning and said, 'This is for you, Momma.' The mother was embarrassed by her earlier over reaction, but her
anger flared again when she opened the box and found it was empty. She
spoke to her daughter in a harsh manner. 'Don't you know, young lady,
when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something
inside the package?'
She had tears in her eyes and said, 'Oh, Momma, it's not empty! I blew
kisses into it until it was full.'

The mother was crushed. She fell on her knees and put her arms around
her little girl, and she begged her ;forgiveness for her thoughtless anger.

An accident took the life of the child only a short time later, and
it is told that the mother kept that gold box by her bed for all the
years of her life. Whenever she was discouraged or faced difficult problems
she would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember
the love of the child who had put it there.
In a very real sense, each of us, as human beings, have been given a golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our
children, family, friends and GOD. There is no more precious possession anyone
could hold.

I am haveing a ball with my Digatal scrap book artist!

From an email

I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her. On the way, my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!"

My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous" cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.

Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" she snorted .... "Ridiculous! Don't believe it! That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go.""Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun.

"Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.

I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church.

I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.

"Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby."

The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.

That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it. Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers.

Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going." I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma.

Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.

Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team. I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95. May you always have LOVE to share, HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS that care...And may you always believe in the magic of Santa Claus!

Here is a very small part of my back yard; this is where I will be having my Halloween Party. there are more pictures on my hobbie blog. listed in the side column under "More of my stuff"

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
'SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY! COUNTRY, MY CORPS.'
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, 'CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.'
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,!
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.'
  This poem was written by a Marine. 
  The following is his request. I think it is reasonable.....
PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending
this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon
and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and women for our being
able to celebrate these festivities.  Let's try in this small way to
pay a
tiny  bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes,
living
and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your small part
to
plant  this  small seed. Have them matter as much to you as you and
your
safety matter to them.
  Bless all our service men and women overseas

My Santa Collection

 

This one also came from an email

'The Tale of Three Trees'
.
Three little trees stood high upon a mountain discussing their dreams for the future. The first little tree looked up at the dazzling night sky and said, "I want to carry the treasure of kings and queens. I want to be beautiful. I want to be filled with all the riches in the world."
The nearby stream caught the second little tree's eye. "I want to be a mighty sailing vessel," he said. "I want to sail in the roaring oceans, roam the high seas, and deliver kings and queens safely to their destinations. "
The third little tree loved the mountaintop. "I want to stay right here and grow and grow and grow," she said. "I want the people that pass by to look at me touching heaven and think of God."
One day, many years later, three lumberjacks came to help the three trees with the next season of their lives.
The first tree, now beautiful, was cut down. "I will become the most beautiful treasure chest," he thought. "I will get to hold all of the world's riches."
The mighty second tree was cut down. "I will now sail the roaring oceans," thought the second tree. "I will be the mightiest of all sailing vessels."
The third tree, with her branches stretched toward heaven, was also cut down. Together with the other two trees, she was taken down the lovely hillside.
The first tree arrived at a carpenter's shop. The beautiful tree was aglow with excitement. But he wasn't made into a treasure chest. The skillful carpenter made the beautiful tree into an ordinary feeding trough.
The second tree was brought to a shipyard. The mighty second tree thought, "Now I will be the most vigorous of vessels." But the strong second tree was made into a simple little fishing boat.
The third tree was brought to a lumberyard. There she was made into beams and put aside. "Why did this happen?" thought the third tree. "All I ever wanted was to touch heaven."
As the weeks passed, their dreams began to fade from memory. However, one magical night brought the first tree's dream to life. A young mother put her newborn into the trough. "This manger is perfect," said the mother to her husband. And the first tree knew he was cradling the most important treasure ever.
One night the fishing boat was used by a tired traveler and his friends. They quickly fell asleep, and the small boat floated out to sea. The sea became rough, and a thunderstorm was brewing. This frightened the second tree. If only he were a mighty vessel and could withstand the force of the storm! The traveler was awakened by the storm, and he stretched out his arms and said, "Peace." The sea became calm and the thunderstorm vanished. It was then that the second tree realized he was carrying the Almighty King.
On a Friday morning, the third tree was taken by soldiers and carried through a hostile mob. She trembled with fear and distaste as a man's hands were nailed to her. But the following Sunday the sun rose. The earth was full of joy. She realized that everything had changed because of God's love.
The first tree was made beautiful.
The second tree was made mighty.
The third tree made people think of God

I recived this in an email; sorry I don't know who the author was

YOU CAN'T STEAL MY CHRISTMAS
I don't know who they are
Saying I can't greet the crowd
The way that I want to
Can't say CHRISTMAS out loud.
I walk into a business place
See things that I’d rather not see
But dare I not say CHRISTMAS
And ask for a 'holiday' tree.
What happened to freedom of speech
And living in the land of the free
They can take my CHRISTMAS money
But can't say MERRY CHRISTMAS to me.
Men and women have given their lives
So we could still go free
I wonder how they would feel
At saying ' HOLIDAY ' TREE.
Come on  AMERICA let's wake up
Don't let our freedom escape
If they get by with doing this
What else will they take.
This is starting to get out of hand,
And I've begun to keep track
Well I've just about had enough
I'M TAKING CHRISTMAS BACK.
So MERRY CHRISTMAS  AMERICA
I hope this gets all over the net
If we all stand united and take freedom back
'Twill be our best CHRISTMAS YET!
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY 
and a Happy Bah Humbug to All the Rest 

Christmas wishes do come true! 2008

I have a very disorganized mind and have really hard time getting anything together; That being said I decided to make myself a Christmas wish list this year of things that would make my Christmas special.
And turned it over to the lord to decide what I needed.

* first on all my Christmas list is I wished it would Snow {I live in Texas and it does not snow here}

* I wanted a white Christmas tree {which I did not have the money for}

* I wanted to hear from the Social Security office that they would set a date for my hearing. {my disability has been turned down 3 times and I had to get a lawyer we have been waiting for a date for 4 months}
so I made my list and totally forgot about it {I left it in my day runner} The week before Christmas this year it snowed! there wasn't much of it in town; But at my house there was a ton of it I got some Fabulous pictures [see my blog}
I took my pictures to the shop no one could believe that was my house it seems to have snowed more where I live than any where else in the county.
The tree I got about 3 weeks before Christmas I got a little extra money and found a 6 1/2 foot pre lighted tree at Wally world for 35.00
2 weeks before Christmas I got a letter from social security that said I they reviewed my case again and that it would not be necessary for me to go to court. That they agreed that I am fully disabled.

Then I found the list in my Planner

Yes Virginia there is a Santa Clause
And there is a Heavenly Father that remembers you and all your wishes

Debbie Gallagher

May Roudolf Day 2009

I'm really excited My son is putting all new wood laminate floors down for me this week and they look great! he also put in new metal entry doors front and side and they are beautiful. I think he's going to do some other stuff also. Like a nice big privacy fence between me and my nosy neighbor LOL! So I've bought a new bench swing and some nice lawn furniture, and a new bird bath. I'll take some pictures this week and post them. I'm also making 6 Handmade Christmas cards every Ruddy day until Christmas so I'll have them all done by Christmas.
I am also working on some afghans for my sons for Christmas gifts this year.

Ramocki

This is the best appetizer I've had in years; a friend made them at Easter.
1 can water chestnuts
soy sauce
brown sugar
bacon strips
toothpicks
dip chestnuts in soy sauce then roll in brown sugar, then wrap with a piece of beacon and secure with tooth pick. bake in oven for 45 minutes to an hour.

Well what will you be doing for Rudolf day this month?
I will be finishing 5 more Christmas cards; and working on a felt toilet seat cover.
i have wanted one for a while now and haven't been able to find one; I saw the felt on sale at Joannes and the light bulb when on over my head. So i think I'll go with green with poinsettias on it.

My mom always loved to do ceramics; every year she would make gifts for all of our teachers when we were in elementary school she would make the Mr. and Mrs. Santa salt and pepper shakers for them. My older sister remembers one teacher at the beginning of the year when she saw who was in her class telling her; oh goodie I'll get the salt and pepper shakers for Christmas this year.This is the only set left. and I have it. I'm sorry I couldnt get a better picture of it.

 

This is my advent wreath that I put on my kitchen table; I have had it for many years, I may redo it this year any ideals?

 

I am posting these pictures in memory of Mr. Cooper who passed away not long ago. He was a resident at the nursing home where I do hair. Every year he would put his Christmas collection on display for every one to enjoy outside the door to the beauty shop. He took great pleasure in pidding around with it; and making sure evry thing was perfect. He and it will be missed

 

 

This is the tree skirt I crocheted for my white tree. I wanted to use some silver sparkly thread with it but I could not find any . If I find some later i will probably make another one.

 

This is the other reason the fiberfill didn't work out. this is Jose My Christmas gift from a friend of mine and that is as big as he will get. He also helped Chu Chu unwrap all off the grand kids presents before they got them.

 

I used to put fiberfill under the tree at the shop, and it looked like it was sitting on a cloud. It was very pretty. But due to my new birthday gift ChuChu the fiber fill is no longer practical. So I just made a new tree skirt from a wonderful ripple pattern I found at crochetville. I will post a picture as soon as I find it.

 

After looking at my Practical white walls for 50 + years I decided that I needed some more color in my life. So I decided to paint my living room Lime green. After doing one wall I could see that this was not a good ideal. So I started looking through my paper scraps (yes that is where I get my best paint colors) and I found green galore from Stamping Up and had a quart mixed up. When I first applied it I did not like it at all but after looking at it for a few days I realized that it went with every thing I had in there; so I went ahead and painted it all. I had purchased some wall paper border several years ago that I never got around to putting up, and ran across it while cleaning and held it up to the wall and liked it; so up it went. I just loved it. Now it may not be your taste but since I'm the only one who's ever here it doesn't matter that much now does it?
Any way it was screaming out for a white Christmas Tree so I bought one and this is it.

 

I don't really like the pink ornaments so they are coming off it looks pretty bare right now but the stuff was all from a tree I had in my beauty shop; and it was a much smaller tree. I have a huge green tree but I think this one goes better in the Living room. This year I plan on putting the green one in my dinning room if I get it done by Christmas (no green walls there it has maple paneling) but the floors need to be redone I am hoping to get some wood laminate floors down soon. But since I have to do this myself and I have a bad back I have to do it very slowly.

First post

OK I'll break down and do a Christmas blog; but I refuse to call it a holiday blog it is a CHRISTMAS as in CHRIST JESUS! Blog so if you don't like it well bless you!
Love Debbie