Yeah, Cindy Lou Who?

On 18 December 2008 at 9:29 am Mama Zen said, 

Amazing pictures (typed in best accent I can muster)!

Mama Zen’s last blog post..Review: The Paper Bag Christmas

On 18 December 2008 at 12:15 pm Lynn said, 

My five – not necessarily in order!

1) The guys in my neighborhood who have a great Christmas light show. You can even tune your car radio to music that it is synchronized with.

2) Ringing the bell for the Salvation Army this coming Saturday night at the mall with a bunch of friends.

3) Holiday gift baskets from vendors. Woo hoo! My favorite from the courier service basket: Lily O’Brien’s “Created with Passion” Sticky Toffee. Yum.

4) Come to think of it, having a job this Christmas season (unlike this time last year.)

5) Listening to The Chieftains “Bells of Dublin” CD over and over.

On 18 December 2008 at 3:34 pm Jannie said, 

Caity: Our trail of lights is about a half mile long. Total decadence but a must-see. And you get to sit on Santa’s knee.

MamaZ: I picked up your accent lound and clear, thanks for the extra effort.

Thomma Lyn: Glad I could make ya smile. (I really don’t do it on purpose, it just pops out.)

Lynn: NO WAY on the synchronized music, how do they do that? Wow, you get to ring the bell?? Bells of Dublin, eh? You’be mentioned that before – I’m intrigued. Cookies? Today I am craving salt-n-vinegar chips. I do think I’ll pick some up later!

On 18 December 2008 at 4:26 pm Glenn Buttkus said, 

Yeah, Lenny Cohen doesn’t respond to my emails either; something about being a celebrity and we’re not. And so now thanks to Mama Zen, we get to scratch our heads, pick the lint our of our many orifices, and come up with (5) [count 'em] things we like about Christmas.
1) As a holiday it, like America itself, is a conglomerate of Nordic myth, Hassidic tradition, the old Testament, the new Testament, metaphysics, my childhood, the middle east, Lapland, Germany, and Madison Avenue.
2) Yes, the smell of a real Christmas tree. So this year when we put up our resplendit fake plastic tree up in the corner, we spent 5 bucks on christmas tree scent spray, which we spritz every hour. Less fire danger, less dry needles, and don’t have to dispose of the carcess after New Years.
3) Listening to the great traditional Christmas music, especially Cheech and Chongs hit, SANTA CLAUS IS A COOL DUDE.
4)Dropping twenty dollar bills in the Salvation Army Bucket, and handing the bell ringer a hot chocolate.
5) The contagious excitement of children and grandchildren on Christmas Eve, or Day, whenever the presents are opened. When I was 8 years old, my little brother was 2, and sister was 5, my stepfather, Art, dressed up like Santa. On Christmas morning my mother gathered we kids up by the window, and said in a loud voice, “I think I hear Santa Claus coming!”. She repeated it three times. We heard loud bangings outside as Art fell over potted plants trying to crawl in the window, while carrying a potato sack of presents. My mother had to help him get all the way in. My 5 year old sister said,”This is fake, Santa don’t come in the window”. “But we don’t have a fireplace, dear,” my mother said, red-faced. “It’s still fake.” My 2 year old brother crapped his diapers while reaching for the potato sack. I wept because I already knew there really wasn’t any Santa Claus, and the fact that my stepfather was trying so hard to please we children touched me deeply.

Glenn

Glenn Buttkus’s last blog post..Traveling

On 18 December 2008 at 5:24 pm Munchkins and Music said, 

I love shiny gold wrapping paper too!

Munchkins and Music’s last blog post..Christmas Songs for Children

On 18 December 2008 at 8:41 pm Momisodes said, 

WOW! Those lights look amazing! Festive lights are my favorite part of the holidays

Momisodes’s last blog post..C is for Cookie…or Crap

On 18 December 2008 at 9:02 pm robbi said, 

Christmas is….just that, Christmas.
Here in South Australia we have a Christmas pageant which was the brainchild of the owner of a large Department store here in the CBD of Adelaide. The gentleman’s name was Sir Edward Hayward and he thought of the idea in 1933 to kickstart the season and restore confidence after the Great Depression. This soon became an icon of the state and each November 18th or the saturday closest, the pageant winds its way around the streets of Adelaide watched by between 350k-500k people of all ages and many more on TV.The pageant stops in back of the store(now David Jones) and Father Christmas is ensconced in the Magic Cave.The staff of the participating businesses who now sponsor the pageant get to perform in it and ride on the floats or walk as clowns etc.Two children (girls)of staff get selected each year to ride on the two wooden horses ‘Nipper’ and ‘Nimble’ and are fairy helpers for Father Christmas.Theer is also a pageant queen and many elves who are on the some 60 plus floats. We took the grandaughters to the Magic Cave last Monday and even though we got there at opening(930am) there was a line and await of nearly two hours before they got in to see the old chap.Each year I take great delight in telling the kids that I rode on ‘Nipper’ when I was their age, and each year they patiently chorus” And was that fun for you Robbi?” AFter the Magic Cave we trot off to Cocolat for Gelato and I take a pic or three of them fanging into a large tub to send off to their Mother at the office, so she can show all the other Mums what a lovely pair of kids she has. That isn’t all of what my Christmas is about, it is a small but enjoyable sliver.ps I posted a pic or three to the Funster’ of the kids on Nipper, so she can tell you how cute they are.

On 18 December 2008 at 10:00 pm Talon said, 

Gorgeous shots of gorgeous lights and gorgeous girls!

Hmmmm…five things I love about Christmas…

1 – my daughter’s Christmas Eve birth…we were broke when we I had here and she was, bar none, the best gift I’ve ever received

2 – lights on houses and shrubs and especially on evergreen trees (covered in snow to add more glow)

3 – Christmas Eve, around midnight, when not a creature is stirring, except me…who loves the calm, the quiet, the air of expectancy, the hint of magic…

4 – leftover turkey sandwiches on thick cut fresh French bread with salt ‘n pepper and leftover stuffing

5 – family gathered, sharing old stories, playing board games, arguing, singing, laughing until we cry…perfection…

Talon’s last blog post..Size matters…

On 18 December 2008 at 11:52 pm karyn said, 

I love the pic where it looks like she’s holding a light-saber.

It’s ten mintues to 1 am, so I’ll do this tag tomorrow. Tags can be fun.

On 19 December 2008 at 12:10 pm nikkicrumpet said, 

The lights are so pretty…but I mostly love the looks on the little ones faces…It’s so cool to be that young and have everything feel magical this time of year!

nikkicrumpet’s last blog post..~FA LA LA LA WHATEVER…. and the winners….

On 19 December 2008 at 2:21 pm Jannie said, 

Momisodes: Our trail is really pretty amazing. Workers start putting up the lights right after Halloween and after the season, it generally takes a month for all the displays to be dissembled and taken back to wherever they come from each year.

Heather: Me and church, yes hard to believe. I did have 12 years perfect attendance at Sunday School as a kid – really!

Robbi: I got the pix. Sweet chips off the old gelato blocks, I can tell. And the little one, she looks just like you methinks. You’d never catch me in a crowd that big! You’re brave.

Weyrd1: If I hadn’t already gone I’d take ya, but one night of battling the parking and crowds and such is enough for me.

Talon: Wow, I didn’t know about her being born on Christmas Eve! What time? Oh yes, there is noting like snow on the trees with lights on them, the last time I had the joy to see that was about 15 years ago when we were in NS for Christmas. It sure is Pure Magic. And your other 3, are so… YOU, so wonderful.

Patricia: I will be ready and waiting on Dec 29th, as that is the day Kelly will start her 3-day gymnastics camp, a full-day camp!! Have computer, will participate.

Karyn: She waited 12 months to get that $5 light saber, as last year I hadn’t brough cash with me to the trail.

Sheila: Exactly on the bayberry candles!! They either smell too medicinal or too flowerey these days. The one Mom had was pure as the fresh falling snow with hints of first kiss and springtime dancing thrown in.

NikkiC: The girls had a blast! That’s Kelly’s little classmate with her.

EuroBlossom: I’ve not shaved my pins in years, just my needles!!

On 19 December 2008 at 8:05 pm Jannie said, 

Tess: A new baby boy! Hope all goes well for mother and child. So great to see you again. I am a big fan of your inspirational blog.

On 20 December 2008 at 12:29 am Talon said, 

Thanks, Jannie. Oh, and my daughter was born at 6:43 am on the 24th…

lol @ ella’s number 4 on her list!

Talon’s last blog post..That Magical Time of Year

On 25 December 2008 at 4:42 pm teahouseblossom said, 

Whoa, lights!! That must be some electric bill!