GLASS SWORD. BIG CASINO. GOODIES FOR THE RICH? TRAIN UP A CHILD IN THE WAY, THEY SHOULD GO, AND THEY WILL NOT DEPART FROM IT! SEATTLE GIRL, DISTRIBUTED, 1500 GOODIE BAGS TO THE HOMELESS AND THOSE IN NEED. KISSES. "LOVE ISN'T A STATE OF PERFECT CARING. IT IS AN ACTIVE NOUN LIKE STRUGGLE. TO LOVE SOMEONE IS TO STRUGGLE TO ACCEPT THAT PERSON EXACTLY THE WAY HE OR SHE IS, RIGHT HERE AND NOW. --FRED ROGERS. NFL PLAYERS, NOT SURE THE TEAM, GETTING INTO THE SEASON AND FASHION . . . MOVE OVER, STYLIN' NBA PLAYERS, WEARING SUITS, MADE OF CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, SANTA'S, AND CANDY CANES! FUN, FUN, FUN! THANK YOU FOR ALL THE ELVES, WHO, ARE KEEPING THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS ALIVE, WITH A GIFT WE ALL CAN ENJOY, CHRISTMAS LIGHTS! OUR DELIGHTS! THE PRESENTS ARE COOL, BUT THE TIME WITH FAMILY BETTER! TAKE THE KIDS, ON A RIDE AROUND THE CITY, TO LOOK AT ALL THE FUN LIGHTS. THERE IS AN APARTMENT COMPLEX, SMALL ONE, THAT, HAS ALMOST EVERY WINDOW DECORATED IN CHRITMAS CHEER! I WAS TALKING TO THE LADIES, THAT SERVE, US FOOD AT SOPHIA'S PLACE, TO SEE IF THEY WERE READY FOR CHRISTMAS . . . ONE SAID, BAH, HUMBUG, BUT I DO LOVE THE MUSIC AND THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS! WHO REMEMBERS, WHAT THEY GOT FOR CHRISTMAS, 20 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD? NO ONE, UNLESS IT WAS A PARTICULAR, SPECIAL GIFT, BUT THEY HAVE A LIFE TIME OF MEMORIES, OF GOING TO GET THE TREE, DECORATING, CAROLING, AND WATCHING A CHRISTMAS PAGEANT AT CHURCH! FOR SOME REASON, I KEEP, THINKING OF A CHRISTMAS, LONG AGO, WHEN, WE GAVE A GREAT GIFT TO MY PARENTS, THAT ENDED UP CHANGING OUR CHRISTMASES TO THIS DAY. WITH 10 IN OUR FAMILY, 8 KIDS, MOM WAS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A DEAL, AND HER TRADITION, WAS TO GO AND HIT THE "RED LIGHT" SPECIALS, ON CHRISTMAS EVE. MY FATHER, ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE WORKING LATE, SO, WE KIDS, JUST SAT AROUND, WAITING FOR OUR PARENTS TO GET HOME. SO, THAT PARTICULAR YEAR, WHEN, NONE OF US, WERE THAT OLD, WE DECIDED, TO MAKE A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS DINNER, WITH CANDLELIGHT, AND SURPRISE OUR PARENTS, WHEN, THEY GOT HOME. WE SET THE PICNIC TABLE IN THE BASEMENT FOR THE WINTER, PUT SOME CHRISTMAS CLOTH ON IT, AND SET IT WITH THE NICEST CHINA, AND DECORATED IT WITH CHRISTMAS SALT AND PEPPER SHAKERS, MADE HAM, POTATOES, CORN, AND SOME BISQUITS. MY PARENTS, WERE SO SHOCKED WHEN, THEY CAME HOME TO FIND, THE CHRISTMAS MUSIC PLAYING, PEACE IN THE HOUSE, AND THE JOY OF FAMILY, AND TIME TOGETHER, THAT FROM THAT EARLY CHRISTMAS EVE, WE HAVE HAD CHRISTMAS DINNER, EVERY YEAR FOR, THE LAST, WHAT, 50 OR 60 YEARS! IT BECAME A CHERISHED, CHRISTMAS TRADITION! REMEMBER THE CRASH COURSE ON HAPPINESS, THAT APPLIES TO CHRISTMAS TOO: (1) TIME TOGEHTER AS A FAMILY; (2) ENOUGH MONEY TO GET THE JOB DONE, BUT NOT OVER DONE . . . I DON'T RECALL, EVER GETTING MY KIDS, MORE THAN, TWO THINGS, AND PAJAMAS, THAT SEEMED TO DO IT, AND WE STARTED HAVING OUR OWN, CHRISTMAS DINNERS, SEPARATE FROM THE EXTENDED FAMILY, SO WE COULD ENJOY THE NIGHT, RATHER THAN BE ON THE ROAD, COLD, AND SCARED, BECAUSE OF WINTER CONDITIONS! THE KIDS WERE ALWAYS, HAPPY, AND SEEMED SATISFIED WITH THE PRESENTS, NEVER DEPRIVED, AND GRATEFUL FOR WHAT THEY GOT! NEVER GO INTO DEBT, FOR CHRISTMAS, THEN, YOU ARE IN A BAD MOOD, THE REST OF THE YEAR! SOMETIMES, JUST BEING HONEST WITH KIDS, IS THE BEST POLICY. THERE ARE PLENTY OF SUB FOR SANTA, AND CHRISTMAS GIVER, THAT WILL MAKE SURE, YOUR FAMILY GETS SOMETHING FOR CHRISTMAS! (3) TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH, AND WHAT CAN BE A STRESSED TIME OF THE YEAR! THERE IS NOTHING WORSE THAN, BEING SICK AND TIRED FOR CHRISTMAS, TAKING THE SPIRIT AND FUN OUT OF THE SEASON! BASICALLY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY. AS PARENSTS, WE EVEN STARTED TO PARE, DOWN, OUR CHRISTMAS PARTIES, SO THAT, WE COULD SPEND MORE TIME WITH OUR KIDS, BECAUSE, WITH ALL THE CHURCH, OFFICE, AND WHATEVER PARTIES, WE COULD HAVE BEEN BUSY, EVERY NIGHT OF THE MONTH! NO WAY. HAVE THE GUTS TO DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU AND YOUR KIDS, DON'T LET, SOMEONE, PRESSURE, OR GUILT, YOU INTO, MAKING, THEM, HAPPY AT THE EXPENSE OF YOURSELF AND YOUR KIDS!

YOU HAVE ABOUT ONE WEEK, TO RESCUE THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON, IF YOU HAVE, MADE THE WRONG CHOICES, FOR THE LAST MONTH!

CUDDLE UP WITH A GOOD, CHRISTMAS STORY FOR THE KIDS, LIGHT A FIRE IN THE FIREPLACE IF YOU HAVE ONE, CANDLES WILL WORK, IF YOU DON'T, AND SPEND, SOME SNUGGLING TIME, COZY TIME, AND WARM FUZZY FEELINGS TIME, RATHER THAT, ALL THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF THE SEASON.

MAKE A GINGERBREAD HOUSE WITH CANDY DECORATIONS . . . STARBUCKS, HAS A CUTE ONE, IF YOU NEED A PREMADE, HOUSE, NOT SURE WHAT IS INSIDE, BUT FUN TIMES . . . ONE YEAR, I MADE A GINGERBREAD CHURCH, WITH LIFESAVERS, ALL OVER THE ROOF, AS SHINGLES, AND, SURE BY CHRISTMAS, ALL THE CANDY WAS GONE, BUT THAT IS A FOND MEMORY, THAT, I HOPE MY KIDS, WILL REMEMBER!

I WANTED TO SEND MY KIDS, ONE OF THE STARBUCKS, GINGERBREAD HOUSES, BUT, ALL THE MESS UP WITH AN EATEN, BANK CARD, AND HOLD UP, ON SOCIAL SECURITY, CHANGED ALL THAT, BUT, AT LEAST, THEY HAVE THAT MEMORY, THAT I WAS HOPING TO GIVE TO MY GRANDKIDS!  THEY WILL SURVIVE.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

RECREATE SOME OF THE FOND MEMORIES YOU HAD A CHILD, DURING A MUCH SIMPLER TIME, RETRO CHRISTMAS!

KISSES, LOVES, AND HUGS WORK TOO!