I'm with you THEOX. A friend of mine always brought eggnog around Christmas time, since we were teen-agers. My dad always had a glass but for me just a taste each year. He doesn't live in my state anymore but I talked to him this week-end, asked if he already had his eggnog....he did! :D

Last night a lady came up to my door just as I was heading to bed. She spent about 15 minutes at my door, just thanking me for putting up the decorations I do each year. She said she lived around the corner 10 years ago and just moved back...she said she came by just to see if I still did what I do. Very sweet :) I shared a little Gospel with her and she just might be visiting my church, with me, instead of the one she attends now.

I will see if I can get the pictures loaded here a little later of our house decorations.

The celebrations at my house include both church attending Christians, those that don't and non-believers. For me and most of my immediate family Christmas time is more religious in the celebration of Christ's birth with a little Santa Claus over-lap. With some of my family and friends Christmas is mostly a Santa Claus Christmas. We have a great time together. While some of us are at church, the others are here at my house visiting on Christmas Eve. Been doing that for 20+ years of Christmas Eve's :xcheer:

Below is the link to the pictures of our decorations this year, some from Thanksgiving are there too. The first picture is of our church service last Christmas Eve. We added 2 new nativity scenes this year :)

It is on a slideshow....


http://s1235.photobucket.com/albums/...view=slideshow

That's a nice lights display, Gary. You've got some neat Christmas figurines, too. How long have you been collecting nativity sets?

Gary, thanks for sharing your pictures, the decorations are beautiful. You know the reason for the season .

Likes- Family all coming together, celebrating the birth of my savior
Dislikes- people forgetting what Christmas really means

I like Silk soy nog, that's only about 90 calories a glass. Also this year, I got some powdered egg nog from Vermont Country Store, what I think I'll try is whipping it up in a blender with vanilla kefir or vanilla Stonyfield Super Smoothie (which I love on their own, I love the combination of yogurt bite with vanilla sweet)

I generally don't like xmas. That's right, I'm a mean one, Mr. Grinch! :rofl:

I used to LOVE xmas. Used to love it for all it was worth. Everything about it... decorating, wrapping presents, watching xmas shows/movies, listening to xmas music. I even wore xmas sweaters!!! :o Heh.

Candy canes!
Chocolate covered cherries!
Little Debbie Xmas Tree Cakes!!!! OH MY!!!!
Eggnog... yummmm....
Xmas cards, xmas parties, all good!!!!


Then back in 1997 I got "radically saved" - became a die-hard xtian. At that point, xmas became even MORE special to me. I loved it for the CHRIST part of it as well, not just the other "side stuff".

THEN IT ALL WENT TO ...HADES!!!! I became an ex-xtian (for many reasons of which I will not go into here) and that part of loving xmas went as quickly as it came.

And... after years & years & YEARS of what I term "Xmas Abuse" - I have learned to dislike xmas altogether. The greed. The commercialism. Black Friday. Xmas decorations in stores before Halloween candy went stale. The endless POINTLESS xmas movies that come out year after year after year (that lack the "true love" meaning behind xmas) - ETC ETC ETC!~
It broke my heart. It took xmas away from me! :(

Now I am a pantheist. I do still sometimes decorate. But that's more for winter solstice, & has little to do with xmas at all. Mostly I like the pretty lights. Which, yes, I'm one of those who like to leave them up year round, whereas I used to hate when people did that! :D

But one thing I DO STILL ENJOY is the xmas cartoons (Grinch, Charlie Brown, Rudolph, etc.) and the movies of yesteryear (Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street (the original, not that over-done modern day crap) and a few modern (tho not new!) ones such as Christmas Vacation, Scrooged, and my most recent fav, BAD SANTA. :devil:

AND I do still listen to SOME xmas music - specifically Trans-Siberian Orchestra. In fact, I was just listening to them this morning - it's just truly WONDERFUL music! and I'll always love "Linus & Lucy" - better known as the Charlie Brown theme!!!! - which is not REALLY "xmas" music, but I always liken it to xmas, so ... in the spirit... here ya go!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQyba...eature=related

Not that long THEOX. The one in pic 6 I have had for many years, in pic 7 the one on the right and left we bought this year. Angie and I have been adding one a year, the one on the right we bought first then the one on the left came by way of a group selling them at our church. The wood is olive tree from Jerusalem and hand carved. Profits going to help spread Christianity there.

Yes "WE" do! :hug:

STELLARWBZ, I used to feel that way too. As I get older I realize not everyone will take the free gift but at this time of year people helping people, sharing, spreading love and joy are things that Jesus wants us to do. Sometimes we just need to "stay" in His love and not worry about the other "stuff"...:hug:

Now this might be something my dear wife would like! :)

BEACH PATROL I am sorry you had a bad experience with your walk :hug:

If at any time you want to "talk" by way of PM feel free...

on a happier note...

Angie and I love TSO :carrot:

We have been to several of their concerts, are thinking about seeing them in LA this spring...not here this Christmas :( I actually received a preferred seating note today for them...I will probably pass and wait and hope they return here next winter....but....

here is my favorite song by them....

I usually watch the one with the 2 hot blonde's ;) but this is BEAUTIFUL!!

Enjoy....

(PS...worth waiting through the 30 sec. commercial)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cP26ndrmtg

Angie and I attended her annual teacher's Christmas party last night. Sometimes they are held at a restaurant and sometimes at someones home. Last night was at the home of one of the teachers.

Her teacher friend and her husband are Jewish.

A good time was had by all...

for some a little too good of a time I suppose ;)

Gonna be some :headache: headaches this morning!

clementines & cranberries...

The "birth" of Jesus is the purpose of the Christmas holiday. It is not the reason for the season (winter). I used quotes because some people believe the birth of Jesus happened while some people think its a myth. I'm not debating whether its fact or not. But the "reason for the season" has always reminded me of something a group of malicious 4 years olds would think up to taunt a child that isn't like them. Much like "na-na-poo-poo".

Dislike: The self-righteousness that just oozes from some Christians this time of year.

(I know not all Christians are like this, but this time of year its seems the morally smug are the loudest. I'm pretty sure that's frowned upon by Jesus, who's birthday your celebrating...)

I forgot another love/hate thing of mine:

The Christmas songs. I love Christmas songs and I love singing them. When I was in my church choir I had the best time when we went around caroling! In high school I also got a solo during the Christmas concert one year so that was a lot of fun! ;)

I also dislike Christmas songs on the radio sometimes because I think they usually start playing them too early :( sometimes by Christmas I'm tired of hearing them.

I will be celebrating Christ's Birth on December 25, with billions of other Christians.
I find it interesting that it is not only a religious holiday but a legal holiday as well. Those who don't believe it is the Birth of Christ will be happy to have the day off. I respect your decision to believe as you wish, whatever it may be and don't criticize you for it as some have done here to Christian believers.

Hanukkah is a "religious holiday" and also a "legal" holiday as well. It's an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the re-dedication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE.

St. Patrick's Day is also a religious AND legal holiday. It commemorates Saint Patrick (c. AD 387–461), the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.

Of course, not everyone has xmas day "off" work. Many many people work on xmas day. I would think that most people are very happy to have a day off regardless of the day. I know I am.

I respect your beliefs regarding xtianity, seeing as how I used to be a believer myself. I realize some people disrespect believers, as well as some believers disrespect non-believers, or believers of other faiths/dieties/ideologies.

The fact is, we live in a great big wide-open world. Not everyone is lucky enough to live in a country where you're free to believe & worship as you please. I find that sad.

What I find annoying is how people in the U.S. tend to get bent out of shape over the separation of church/state. I myself have witnessed first hand some xtians who get insanely angry over something as simple as the "merry xmas" vs the "happy holidays" greeting. Why would it matter whether or not the xmas manger scene is displayed on a gov't property? Why would it matter that the 10 commandments are taken out of a courthouse, or that an atheist doesn't want to "swear on a bible" when taking oath at a trial? The whole idea of separation of church & state means this shouldn't even be an issue.

No one has ever said that a person cannot celebrate xmas in their own home, in their private lives. There is no law stating that xtians cannot celebrate xmas. And of course there shouldn't be. This is America. Separation of church & state is supposed to go both ways - to protect the state from religion, and to protect the religious rights of its people. But more & more the right wing people are starting to shove their religion onto others. Xtians are the only religious people that try to "save" the heathens. You'll never see a Jewish person or an atheist going door to door trying to gain more "believers". Jewish people don't go around inviting people of other faiths to their synagogue. I think it's great that anyone has a deity they worship and adore and believe in no matter what life throws their way. But not everyone does. Unfortunately, xtians are the only ones who cannot seem to accept that.

And while we've had president after president after president of xtian faith -albeit different denominations - in office, I bet this country would flip out if a Jewish or atheist were ever voted into office. Just look at how many xtians freaked over Obama's election, because they believe he's muslim. A person's religion should not be considered when voting on our highest elected leader, but there are many people who would vote for a xtian they didn't agree with rather than an atheist they agreed with in theory.

I wish you peace during your "religious/legal" holiday season. :smug: