And ....OH!

Mannheim Steamroller - Stille Nacht (Silent Night)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwlFOx12Nzs

I remember the first time I heard it... I was driving on a winding country road, not another soul in sight, and there was a little bit of snow on the ground, and the night was deep & the stars were so bright... and this song came on, and I just pulled over & listened to it. Beautiful.

Out of all the xmas music on the planet, my most fav is Trans-Siberian Orchestra! - if you've never heard them, I highly recommend you do! Their xmas albums are awesome - they tell a story, and there's even a DVD of one of them (that I'm aware of) - and I would SOOOO love to see them in concert!!!

An Angel Came Down
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J-dK...eature=related

Christmas Canon Rock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQNirj6lbGY

Carol of the Bells
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCabI3MdV9g

I love Celine Dion's O' Holy Night BARGOO :hug:

BEACH PATROL the TSO Christmas Canon Rock and Manheimm Steamroller Silent Nacht are also 2 of my most favorites :carrot:

I have seen them both in concert several times! Awesome!

If you ever get the chance see TSO but take earplugs!! :D You don't need to sit close!! Every time we see them we sit farther back ;)

Mannheim is a lovely...tea and coffee, relaxing in the recliners....TSO is rockin'...rockin'...rockin!!!!

Both awesome but so different in concert.

I'm a Messianic Jew, and my family made a group decision when i was very young not to celebrate Christmas. This will be my second year of celebrating it with my in-laws, and I mainly do it for my husband's sake....I've yet to buy a Christmas tree or anything, and we don't really celebrate it in our house, but we do have a big family Christmas get together at the end of the month.

LIKES

Festive feel of it all

Family get togethers, for the most part

making candies and other baked goodies

Being a part of something, even if I don't fully understand it.

I have some fond memories of Christmas from my childhood, and look forward to my future kids having good memories too!

DISLIKES

It makes me feel like an outsider

All the Facebook posts, especially the ones my in-laws post...along the lines of "I urge you all to ban the term Happy Holidays, and celebrate the true reason for the season...Merry CHRISTmas!!!" I mean, I get why some religious people don't like X-mas, but the holidays are for everybody. When they word it like that it hurts my heart, because I feel like its partially directed at me since there has been quite a bit of conflict over my difference in religion.

It doesn't have the depth and meaning for me that Hanukkah does. I just don't feel a spiritual connection to Christmas.

Feeling pressured to buy presents for everybody

ArtyKay when I wish you Merry Christmas I simply mean that I hope that you have a happy holiday season and a wonderful future.

:hug:

I just wish more people were open minded. Its not easy being different in Texas.

I know I have visited Texas !

Tonight my son/dil/GRANDdaughter, my daughter/GRANDKID (identity unknown ;)) my nephew and my brother/sil will be coming over for dinner.

The kidnapper will be staying behind to paint my daughter and future GRANDchild's bedrooms.....

Rest of the family off to other Christmas goings on. We had planned to do a progressive dinner but decided to just have it here since all those that can't make it are bummed out and want us to wait and do another so all can attend. That's :cool:

Mexican food...I will make cheese enchiladas, Angie will make butternut squash enchiladas and I am pretty sure I am going to make spinach and bean enchiladas too....if I have time.

My guys at work are all ready getting excited about Christmas.....grown men getting a bit giddy....fun stuff :)

Being a Christian there is a couple of things I am positive of about this time of year...

I cannot out-gift the gift that was given to me....

and

When wishing someone a MERRY CHRISTmas it needs to be as an invitation with :val1: love and not a :mad: demand :mad: to choose your way or the highway....

Enjoy your family and friends this holiday season :hug:

Best and Worst
 

Best things about Christmas:
Jesus, of course!
Family and Tradition
Catching up with people and renewing relationships
Singing familiar Carrolls
Christmas Lights and the smell of pine in the air
Nostalgia and watching children build their memories
Reliving part of our family's Italian heritage

Worst thing about Christmas:
That people forget the "Best things about Christmas"

Does anyone else really enjoy giving gifts?

Yesterday I went around to some of the teachers I work with and gave them all little gifts. I couldn't afford much, but it's easy to work with what you have :)

I went to the dollar store, bought some beautiful mugs, got some toblerone chocolates and made a wonderful little assortment in each mug before wrapping it up in cellophane and tied it with a ribbon. Each one didn't cost me much, but I wanted to do something nice for all of the teachers that have had to put up with me pulling students from their class (LOL sorry everyone). They all loved it and some of them even said that it made their day :) I wanted to do more, but I'm still paying off my student loans and all that.

But still, it was great to see that they all loved the gifts and they were all surprised. I probably won't get anything in return, but that's ok. It was nice enough to see that a little gift brightened up their day.

sontaikle, you have the Christmas spirit. You have some great ideas....thanks for remindng me of Toblerone, I know someone who would enjoy that. Merry Christmas !

What the "season" is all about sontaikle.....

My niece makes really cool Christmas cups filled with the stuff to make a small cake in the mug...just add milk. She sells tons of them for $5 each at the craft shows. Anyone wants to know how PM me and I will send you her blog info...she has all kinds of crafty things one can make.

Speaking of giving gone bad....many years ago, about 20, right after my ex-wife had left, my kids and I were in my truck listening to the radio this time of year. There was a special on every day where people would ask for things they needed at Christmas and others would call in and play Santa, all off the air. DJ's would announce the requests. Anyway, my daughter heard one that touched her about a lady and a child that needed rent money. She asked me if I could help her. Well, I was broke at the time, in a recession and w/o wife's income and having a hard time paying our own mortgage.

Anyway, I called in to see what I could do to help her. The station gave me her number and I called her. Well the rent was way more than I could afford but I told her I could give her $100 towards the payment and pray that someone else could add to it. Well she got real nasty with me telling me that wouldn't do any good towards her rent, I told her then maybe she could use it for food or something else and she still was nasty towards my "small" gift...which I seriously really couldn't afford.

I sent her the money, she cashed the check...no thank-you... nothing.

I just told my then 7 year old daughter, when she asked, that we helped her pay her rent for the month.

All I know is my daughter was very happy with our giving....

and that was special for me!

We had a glorious Christmas Eve service at church last night :)

23 of my family and friends came over for our extended family gift exchange and dinner. Angie made split pea and posole while I made chili and a spinach, chicken, wild rice soup. Very yummy all of them.

Have a Merry Christmas Day everyone!

That sounds nice, Gary!

I spent most of the past week visiting my parents. That was nice and relaxing. We exchanged presents on Friday, which was nice and low-key.

To all of you who celebrate it - Merry Christmas!