Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas in Any Language

Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! or Zalig Kerstfeast

Eskimo: (inupik) Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!

Estonian: Rõõmsaid Jõulupühi

French: Joyeux Noel

Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr!

German: Fröhliche Weihnachten

Greek: Kala Christouyenna

Irish: Nollaig Shona Dhuit, or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat

Italian: Buone Feste Natalizie

Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom

Polish: Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie

Spanish: Feliz Navidad

A Little Salt PLEASE

I am a real "WUS" when it comes to Winter Driving!

Believe me, you don't want me behind the wheel on the road when the roads are slippery,(like, say this morning!) cause I'm the one who drives real slow so she only has to put the brakes on a very minimal amount of time (you know, the one who makes you put your brakes on cause they're going too slow for you)! I start to whimper when I see a stop sign coming up......

 If the weather man (Lady)had told me last night that the roads would be snow covered and slippery, then I would have made hubby take me to work, it's too late to tell  me once I am half way there!

And what's with the no salt or sand policy until hours AFTER the roads get slippery? Come on people if you see it's flurrying out there, get in the damn truck and throw out that stuff you get paid to do!

A woman should be running that department, cause then you would be working the night shift buddy, you'd be out there while I was fast asleep, ensuring that once I get out on the road, its been sanded and salted and then when I put my foot on the brake, my cars gonna stop, not slide into whatever might be in front of or beside me!

I never used to be such a WUS, it only started after I had my first driving accident( having that second one certainly didn't help either)!

 It's amazing how suddenly you can change from a carefree, impowered, confident driver, into a quivering mass of jelly with the grip of death on the steering wheel at all times, until finally reaching  your intended destination (and then you give out that huge sigh of relief (and your whole body goes limp, and you need to sit for a few minutes before you can actually get your butt out of the car, cause you know your legs won't hold you up yet).

 I think I need to move to a no snow zone, or find an at home job.

CHRISTMAS THINGS I DIDN'T KNOW (OR FORGOT!)

Translation of the word “mistletoe” itself isn’t very romantic. A few centuries back, some people apparently observed that mistletoe tended to take root where birds had left their droppings. “Mistal” is an Anglo-Saxon word that means “dung” and “tan” means “twig,” so mistletoe actually means “dung on a twig.”





Thunder and Lightning

Christmas is a source of many legends. If you ask the average American to name Santa's reindeer (eight in all?), the first name to pop up will probably be Rudolph (the Red-Nosed Reindeer). The next two would no doubt be Donner and Blitzen.

But is this correct? Where did these names come from?

The original poem refers to “eight tiny reindeer” (Rudolph actually makes it nine tiny reindeer) and gives them each a name: “Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!/On, Comet! on, Cupid! on Dunder and Blixem!”

The Candy Cane

Candy canes have been around for centuries, but it wasn't until around 1900 that they were decorated with red stripes and bent into the shape of a cane. They were sometimes handed out during church services to keep the children quiet!
(Now imagine that, even back then they used candy as a bribe!)

Holly.


Evergreens were cherished at this time of year as a natural symbol of rebirth and life amid winter whiteness. But holly was particularly prized to decorate doors, windows and fireplaces because of its prickliness -- to either ward off or snag and capture evil spirits before they could enter and harm a household.


Are All of Santa's Reindeer Female?

Subject: Reindeer Facts

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year (the only members of the deer family, Cervidae, to have females do so), male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid December. Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring.


Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, every single one of them, from Rudolf to Blitzen ... had to be a female.
AHEM! ......We should've known this when they were able to find their way.

Also we should have known this because.... Only women would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night, and not get lost.

Elvis,Martina & Christmas

For those of you who like me, still have hearts that melt when you hear Elvis sing, and love "Country" as well, this is for you!

You Gotta Watch This!This is Modern-Tech at its finest. Very approiate for this coming "Christmas"

Check it out! .. Click on link below.

Song in My Head

 Have you ever heard a song and then have it stuck in your brain for days, weeks?

 I recently started seeing an advert on tv from Telus using the original version of "All I Want for Christmas is a Hippopotomous" sung by Gayla Peevy.

 I've been singing it in my head (cause no one wants to hear me sing it out load I am sure) for weeks now!

And everytime I see & hear that commercial I can't help but smile!

CHRISTMAS ELF

 I Love my pets! Not so sure the love is reciprocated at all times!

Now isn't this just the saddest looking Elf?

He's like "Seriously, do I look like an Elf?"

Zues, is just glad he didn't have to wear it!

Done

Ok, now I'm all ready, tree is up,(that's a long process, amid straightening every branch to look just right, place the lights just right, and make sure alike ornaments aren't too close to each other (doesn't everyone do that?)) cookies are baked, and the party mix (tradition) is made! Now I get to sit back and relax (sip on some wine) and wait for the big day to come (and go, a lot quicker than it came!).

(PARTY MIX)

Plans have been made for what time to do Christmas dinner (to make sure everyone gets to be here for turkey). Nothing left but to stuff those stockings on Christmas eve and wait for dear old Nick to arrive. (And after all that work, he better arrive (for me that is!)just kidding! NOT!).

Snow Angel- RIP James Delorey

This was Bruce MacKinnons' cartoon he placed in the Chronicle Herald, it says it all, and everyone who saw it had a tear in their eye (as they have since first hearing this story).

by Bruce MacKinnon ,Copyright (c)2009 The Halifax Herald Limited 12/09/2009



From the very first mention of the lost little boy with Autism there was that lump in the throat, gigantic heart palpitation so hard it hurts.
    


Everyone followed this story with heavy hearts, praying diligently for a positive outcome, and everyone shed a tear when it wasn't to be.       
                                                                                    
 This little boy touched the hearts of people who never knew him, brought a community closer together, and made some of us realize how fragile life can be.

                                                                                                     

It's Slowly Coming Together

Okay, inside decorations are now all out and scattered about (my feet hurt from all that work!) now just the tree to put out next week ( I know, most people already have theirs up). The cat has new toys now to play with until he tires of them, and I have more lights to turn on and off each night before bed. But yep, it feels more like Christmas now.

Every second car has a christmas tree tied on top, the neighbours were outside (arguing) putting up their outside lights last night, in the dark (tradition).  The traffic heading to malls is horrific! I am so glad I have finished my shopping, and even have them all wrapped up! Yah me! Traditionally not me! So thumbs up for me this year.

Next week, Christmas baking begins! Guess I better start skipping on the second helpintgs, and laying off the deserts for the next two weeks so I can indulge over Christmas.

It Starts Earlier Every Year, or So It Seems

Christmas season seems to start earlier and earlier every year!

When my boys were little(as in age, not height (I say that cause they're 6'2 and 6'5), we used to decorate the outside mid December (all bundled up and out in the cold, braving the wind and snow) and then the boys and I would put up the tree the week before Christmas.

Then as we get older(my husband and me) and begin to dread being out there in the cold, wind and snow, we started putting up the decorations the first full weekend in December, but still only turned on the light show mid December. Tree started going up 2 weeks before Christmas.

And there we were Nov 29th, putting up the outside decorations, on a really nice, warm (albeit windy) day. However, no way are the lights being turned on yet! No way, nadda, not going to happen! Even if everyone down the street has theirs turned on already! Some of them since the middle of November! OMG people, (or did they just not take them down from last year, and I didn't notice?) That's possible, I'm not know to be the most observant person, tunnel vision you know.

Zues admiring our work!

This is my sister's house, notice the tree is up, one of two, the decorations placed (and Emma lovin up Santa). Uhuh, no way , I am not going there til at least 3 weeks before Christmas (notice the increasing weekly theme?).

Best Buds

I came across these photos today and thought I would share them. As you can see Moses just loves being with his Dad, even if it's just watching the tube.