The Christmas Season

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Very pretty, Willie. I'm sure your Mom is looking down on you with a big !!!

[Brooke]

Yes, Willie, it's beautiful! I've never seen purple lights! They're very pretty! Sometimes we just have to do what we feel. I'm sure your Mom would be very happy that you are in the Christmas spirit this year and she helped.

[sodascouts]

Lovely! And yes, it sounds like you did just what your mother would have wanted.

[Koala]

TBF, your tree looks beautiful!

[WalshFan88]

Very nice tree TBF!

[EaglesKiwi]

The tree looks lovely, Willie, and it's so nice that you've combined your favourite things with your Mom's favourites. Somehow that seems to be so much what Christmas is about.

The day after Christmas is Boxing Day down here, it is a public holiday. Many businesses close down between Christmas and New Year, as schools are all on holiday (my son started 8 weeks holiday today).

We will be eating ham, salads, lots of fresh fruit, and pavlova. And lots of other stuff too... I make fruit mince pies, a beautiful fruit cake (not a heavy dark one which is traditional, this is my mother in law's recipe and now my favourite), and cookies. I have been making gingerbread cookies in Christmas shapes for a few years and am going to try icing them this year.

[tbs fanatic]

You're making me hungry. That all sounds so good. I LOVE mince pies. January 1 - DIET, DIET, DIET!

[jdubfan]

My favorite memories about Christmas revolve around when my grandparents were alive. I regret losing them both by the age of 6, but I cherish their memories.

I love christmas music, it makes me very emotional and nostalgic. I got to see this performance live last month and cried thru the whole song because I was so touched to hear it....always been one of my favs by one of my favs....

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofRu1wNBRqI&feature=related[/ame]

But what has touched me more than anything in a long time is....
I GOT A JOB!!!

After almost 2 years of unemployment, underemployment and trying to keep my new consulting business afloat, I have been asked to join a local firm with a good connection to the community, good stewards to the environment, and a great reputation for being good people. I can't be more excited !!

I worked as the competition when I was at my previous employer and when they heard I was leaving the area, they contacted me under a pretense of expanding my sub-contract work with them. The president of the company finally said, "Well, I don't want to insult you and say shut down your business and come work here, but that's what I want you to do..." He'll never know how much restaint it took on my part to not jump across the table and give him a big ol' kiss!@!

Many prayers have been issued and answered!! I've had many interviews, but most ~3 hrs away from my home, and my final benefits were to run out at the end of the year if congress doesn't act. But now, I will be able to keep and stay in my own home and I won't have to relocate my elderly mother away from her home, friends, church, drs, etc.!!! I'm so blessed and fortunate for this oppurtunity, I can hardly believe it....
Now I wish I'd gone to see more Joe shows!! But now I might be able to go to some 40th and JG shows, hopefully!!!

[sodascouts]

WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas, sweetie! You deserve it!!!

[TimothyBFan]

So happy for you Deb!!!! Congrats! Now you get to stay in Northern Indiana and can commiserate with me this winter over the nasty weather.