Christmas Eve 2018

Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace


Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing 'Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born
Christ the Savior is born


Silent night, holy night!
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth


After a long day of last minute shopping, wrapping gifts, cooking and baking, visiting friends and family, and all the little things that keep us busy this time of year...just stop a moment. Be silent. Reflect on the real reason we have Christmas. Listen to what God is saying to us. He sent His Son for us. To die for us, so that we may live eternally with Him.

Tonight is a beautiful clear (and cold) night here in Northeast Tennessee, with a bright moon shining down. And as I stood out in that cold just enjoying the beauty of a winter night I just had to thank my Heavenly Father for a night like this 2000 years ago. 

Aspenglow - John Denver

John Denver was born on December 31, 1943. I share sun signs with him. Maybe that is why I loved his music so much. Maybe it's was because his music made me happy and long for a simple life in the Rocky Mountains in a cabin. Of all of his songs I love, I love Aspenglow the most. It's one of his lesser known songs, but it's a song of Winter that actually makes me like Winter.

I remember the day he died. It was on October 12, 1997. I cried all day upon hearing the news. I don't know. I felt as if a dream of crisp white snow under golden aspen trees and high mountain tops had died, too.

This year John Denver would of been 71 years old.

The cool video above was done by RockySunshine8

Christmas Memories-Part 2

This happened when I was about eight/nine and we were living in a dinky mobile home park in Florance, SC. I guess things were lean that year because there was not much under the tree that I can remember. But on Christmas eve we all got a great surprise. A knock came on our door that night with a merry ho, ho, ho. OMG, It was Santa! At our door! With a big bag of toys! He came in and gave out presents all around. I can't remember what they were, just that we had a personal visit from old St. Nick.
Years later and really to this day we have no idea who it really was, but I have a suspicion that it was a dentist that work with my dad's dental lab.

Any special memory you have of Santa?

Christmas Memories-Part 1

I thought that since Christmas is only a week away that would share some past Christmas memories of mine this week.
I think my earliest memory was when I was five or six years old and was in my hometown of North Wilkesboro, NC. We were in the parking lot of a grocery store (probably a Piggy Wiggly) in my grandmother's Chevrolet surrounded by all the shiny decorations that were so popular in the sixties.. I remember looking up and seeing a light going by in the sky. Being just three I just knew it was Santa and that he was going to my mammaw's house and that he would leave without delivering presents because we were not there. That upset me bad.
Of course, it was a plane, but my youthful, Innocent self did not know that. My grandma explained to me that Santa would come back because it was still early and he had to go to other kids houses, too.
What did I get that year. The only present I remember I got (though I'm sure there were more) was a red cowgirl outfit complete with hat and boots (my favorite song that year was These Boots Are Made For Walking by Nancy Sinatra) and a pony. Yes, I really did get a pony. I named him Silver after the Lone Ranger's horse even though he was brown.

How about you? What is your earliest Christmas memory?

Guerrilla Holiday

Randon acts of kindness. Click on the pic to find the blog I got it from. I've got a few ideas of what I want to do. This should be fun.

A repost from last Christmas

The Ten Steps Of Putting Up A Christmas Tree With A Cat "Helping"

Step 1-pull all branches out of box. Pull cat out of box.

Step 2-put tree together. Pull cat out of tree.

Step 3-Unravel lights. Pull lights out of reach of cat. Pull cat out of tree.

Step 4-begin stringing lights on tree. Step over cat several times before stepping on cat. Put down lights to go makeup to cat.

Step 5-Finish lights while cat is pouting.

Step 6-repeat step 4 with berry string and garland.

Step 7-Unpack ornaments. Pull cat out of box. Begin placing ornaments on tree.

Step 8-Search for bulbs. Find them under couch where cat is playing with them. Retrieve bulbs. Cat is miffed and bites your ankle.

Step 9-Put cat in Bathroom.

Step 10-Turn on LOUD Holiday music to drown out angry cat yowls and finish tree

Some New Works

Just some new work I have posted on my etsy shop. I seem to be in a holiday mood lately. I hope it keeps on. And I hope I sell something.

New Ornaments

Just added some ornaments for sale on my etsy store. They are all going to be posted on my website. Click onto the image to go there and see what I have been up to.

The Beginning of the Holidays

*sigh* Halloween is over and things quiet down. It is three weeks until Thanksgiving Day. This year with Mom gone I will NOT be cooking. I have informed my sister that I will be at her house for dinner this year and it had better be eariler than 7:oo. (She's bad to have dinner ready late.) Before then I'll just watch the Macy's Parade and rest. Paint some. Drink coffee and write. The weekend after that is the offical start of the holidays (for me at least). The Bristol International Speedway opens it's annul Speedway in Lights on Friday night. The whole track and around is decorated in thousands of lights. You can find out more here...

http://www.bristolmotorspeedway.com/events/autotrader_com_speedway_in_lights/

Of course Friday is also Black Friday which I am so glad I have to work. I went out on Black Friday once and saw way too much craziness. I'll never do it again. I don't need to save money that bad.


That Saturday is the Johnson City Holiday Parade and I always go even alone because I just enjoy it so much. Watching the faces of the little childern tickles me so. This puts me in the mood. After this I visit friends and we go out.

Sunday is decorating day. I drag all the outside lights out and start testing and stringing and chasing off the neighbors' dogs and doing more cursing than I should.

Oh, yeah, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is a very business time for me.

I LOVE it!

I been making these bulbs to sell for Christmas. It was my intentions to decorate the outsides as well, but after doing the painting part inside I hesitate to do so. I feel it will ruin the beauty of the ornaments, losing the unique patterns the paint made. What do you all think?

Christmas Comments | Online Mall

Well, finally got it up! I think I needed to add another string of lights though. (giggle) The bookcase makes a great background, uh? I think some of my ornaments are missing, too.

But I liked putting it up. A little holiday music, some hot tea, a scented candle lite. Oh, yeah!

I even had some help. For those of you out there with this special kind of help, read this

The Ten Steps Of Putting Up A Christmas Tree With A Cat "Helping"

Step 1-pull all branches out of box. Pull cat out of box.

Step 2-put tree together. Pull cat out of tree.

Step 3-Unravel lights. Pull lights out of reach of cat. Pull cat out of tree.

Step 4-begin stringing lights on tree. Step over cat several times before stepping on cat. Put down lights to go makeup to cat.

Step 5-Finish lights while cat is pouting.

Step 6-repeat step 4 with berry string and garland.

Step 7-Unpack ornaments. Pull cat out of box. Begin placing ornaments on tree.

Step 8-Search for bulbs. Find them under couch where cat is playing with them. Retrieve bulbs. Cat is miffed and bites your ankle.

Step 9-Put cat in Bathroom.

Step 10-Turn on LOUD Holiday music to drown out angry cat yowls and finish tree.