My Christmas list

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 1:09 pm

Cranberry wrote: -liposuction

Hee hee.

-dale wisely

For what purpose?

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 1:19 pm

JessieK wrote:
-dale wisely
For what purpose?

http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=15855

that^ purpose

edited because my smiley face was on something

sbruyette · Post by **sbruyette** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 1:50 pm

Cranberry, here is a link to the online version of O'Neill. I just read this over on the flute forum.

http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=15843

Dalberon · Post by **Dalberon** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:12 pm

Cranberry wrote:-14 children
-dale wisely

Dale has his work cut out.

That avatar looks familiar....what is that from?

Whistlin'Dixie · Post by **Whistlin'Dixie** » Sun Nov 30, 2003 9:14 am

JessieK wrote:I wouldn't mind garbage bags full of baby/child clothes!

Oh, don't worry, those will come!

In fact, they will seem to multiply while you're not looking.

Ditto, the maternity clothes ~ just start asking around. Most of us can't wait to get rid of them

Mary

Sunnywindo · Post by **Sunnywindo** » Mon Dec 01, 2003 3:20 pm

Christmas wish list, huh? This is normally something I would have fun thinking about, but this year I'm honestly drawing a blank. It's not that I have everything, or that I wouldn't love that new (fill in the blank) low whistle like so many others. It's just that for the sake of emotional stability through hard times, I haven't allowed myself to really want something of that sort for so long that it's like I've forgotten how to, well... want stuff like that. Not that I don't want anything, it's just that right now there are more important things to me than a new CD, camera, book, whistle, etc. Important things like keeping up on the bills and finding a job that will work around my hubbies work. I would much rather see that my son has something fun under the tree this year than have anything for myself. Why dwell on things I can't have right now? It will wait. Much rather count the blessings I do have and be happy. So this year I don't have a Christmas list. Anything else will be a bonus.

Hubby and I were talking about what Christmas means the other day. It started with the news talking about the busy holiday season and how it's forcast to be better this year with the economy up from last year. He said something that really made me think, "They tell us on the news all through to Christmas what a wonderful Christmas we are going to have, then afterwards they will tell us what a wonderful Christmas we just had, like they have something to convince us of."

In response to a lady on TV who said she was "terribly stressed" about shopping for Christmas this year because she wasn't sure she would be able to buy many presents for her kids and she so wanted a nice Christmas for them, my hubby asked "Can't someone still have a memorable Christmas without presents? Or is that what Christmas has become, all about the presents?"

He told me that it's not that he wouldn't spend hundreds of dollars on Christmas gifts if he could. What bothers him was how commercial the holiday has become. How some people go into debt just to buy all these presents, all these "things" that the world says they should have and then spend months paying it all off when maybe they could have been just as happy with a little less and the peace of mind that not having that burden of extra debt to pay off in the New Year would bring. How so many people he sees and those he talks to (even his active Christian friends and aquaintances) when they talk about Christmas and what they do for the holiday, put more emphasise on the presents and Santa Claus than on the baby born in a stable roughly two thousand years ago who would change the world, which holiday CHRISTmas bears His name. That if you couldn't find a way to have a pleasent happy Christmas without tons of gifts, then what are you really celebrating?

Not to say anything bad about presents at Christmas... they can be great fun, (and who couldn't use more whistles

) but he did give me something to think about. And over the past few years, I've come to agree with him.

Happy Holidays!

Sara

(PS: Okay, I do want something... I want snow.

)

fancypiper · Post by **fancypiper** » Mon Dec 01, 2003 3:55 pm

I only have one thing on my list

1. To enjoy the love and visiting with family and dear friends, and the continued safety of my youngest son now serving the USA in the USAF, due to go to S. Korea in March

Gifts I give:
Home made sourdough french/Italian style bread

Gifts I love to get:
Home made preserves
Exotic coffees in bean form
Home made bread
Invitations to home cooked meals

mamakash · Post by **mamakash** » Mon Dec 01, 2003 3:55 pm

Sunnywindo wrote: How so many people he sees and those he talks to (even his active Christian friends and aquaintances) when they talk about Christmas and what they do for the holiday, put more emphasise on the presents and Santa Claus than on the baby born in a stable roughly two thousand years ago who would change the world, which holiday CHRISTmas bears His name. That if you couldn't find a way to have a pleasent happy Christmas without tons of gifts, then what are you really celebrating?

You're actually celebrating the Roman's "Birthday of the Invincible Sun God", which was celebrated on December 25 with gifts. The tree and evergreens both came from the Romans and the nothern Europeans and because of their lasting "foliage" they became symbols of eternal life. Chrrist's birthday, unknown and uncelebrated by early Christians, took place most likely in the autumn . . . when weather was still seasonable and the sheperds would be out of doors and tending flocks of sheep. By December, they would be wintered in stables.

George Costanza hated the commercialism of the holidays, so he celebrated Festavus . . . for the rest of us!

spittin_in_the_wind · Post by **spittin_in_the_wind** » Mon Dec 01, 2003 8:44 pm

mamakash wrote:
Sunnywindo wrote: How so many people he sees and those he talks to (even his active Christian friends and aquaintances) when they talk about Christmas and what they do for the holiday, put more emphasise on the presents and Santa Claus than on the baby born in a stable roughly two thousand years ago who would change the world, which holiday CHRISTmas bears His name. That if you couldn't find a way to have a pleasent happy Christmas without tons of gifts, then what are you really celebrating?
You're actually celebrating the Roman's "Birthday of the Invincible Sun God", which was celebrated on December 25 with gifts. The tree and evergreens both came from the Romans and the nothern Europeans and because of their lasting "foliage" they became symbols of eternal life. Chrrist's birthday, unknown and uncelebrated by early Christians, took place most likely in the autumn . . . when weather was still seasonable and the sheperds would be out of doors and tending flocks of sheep. By December, they would be wintered in stables.

George Costanza hated the commercialism of the holidays, so he celebrated Festavus . . . for the rest of us!

Thank you for this interesting anecdote, mamakash! People like to forget, or perhaps they never knew, that Christmas was designated Dec. 25 in order to compete with pagan solstice festivals (as was Easter, I believe). http://www.ridgenet.org/Szaflik/history.htm

In our blended family, we will be lighting our Christmas lights on Dec. 7 this year, the date of the southern Indian festival of Thiru Karthikai http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2 ... 310300.htm
So, people have many "reasons for the season", only one of which is the birth of Jesus. In our family, it is really the only time of year when we all get nice quality new clothes (rather than consignment shop items) or buy gifts for the kids or any other members of our extended family. Pretty much, the things we buy at Christmas are either very needed or very special items. So, what is the harm in having fun with it? By the way, I save all year for Christmas, don't go into debt over it, or get sucked in by commercial TV which is rarely viewed in our house. Perhaps I should just go put up my Festivus tree now and burn the Yule log http://www.exposingsatanism.org/yulelog.htm and have some Wassail punch...

Robin

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Mon Dec 01, 2003 8:57 pm

I, being a non-religious Jew, love Christmas. Mostly I love it because people get the day off from work and spend it sharing "quality time" with loved ones. The tree is pretty, the sentiment all over the place is refreshing. The good moods and benevolence are uplifting. It's a nice time of year. The musak (<-not sure of the spelling of that word, but I mean the practically midi-sounding recordings of Christmas songs and tunes all over the place during this season) drives me crazy, but there are some beautiful songs to be sung well, too. Dan and I are VERY blessed this year, and we combined households, so we can afford a video camera and maternity clothes and the other things I mentioned, but if we couldn't, I'd still like Christmas. I'd make something for him. In fact, I'm sure I'll make something for him anyway. And he's making a silver pendant for me. He designed it and I am going to supervise his creation of it. It's beautiful. It has a pregnant profile and two hands holding it. I try to stay away from malls during this time of year.

Switchfoot · Post by **Switchfoot** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 12:32 am

I try to stay away from malls during this time of year.

This year I have managed to do all of my christmas shopping online, and hopefully early enough that all my packages wont get lost in the postal services loop snarl (crosses fingers).

I love christmas myself, the singing esp. (not that I can sing, but the tunes are pretty) I've always been big on giving, though very rarely anymore do give much thought to want I'd like. I'm one of those giving people (I hope

) plus theres the added bonuses of no school, sitting around the fire with a good book and hot chocolate, seeing the relitives and all the other significant things that revovle around this time of year.

serpent · Post by **serpent** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 10:29 am

JessieK wrote:I, being a non-religious Jew, love Christmas.

Oh, go ahead and spin the dredl, Jess! I think that's a Most Cool Tradition for us!

JessieK wrote: I try to stay away from malls during this time of year.

Little anecdote - I have a friend, "Jerry" in Alpharetta GA. Every time Jerry goes to a mall, he always gets a parking space within feet of the entrance - no matter what the season, or how crowded the mall. When I made mention of it, he said, "Oh, okay. Just as you drive into the parking lot, say "I want the parking space Jerry would get if he were here." " I tried it -- and know what? It works almost every time!!! And Jerry says anybody can use it. So that's my Chanukah gift to ya!

serp

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 11:48 am

Reading this thread today reminded me about my Wife Cindy & I's first Christmas together. It was in 1997 and it actually was her first Christmas ever. Cindy grew up in Mainland China during a time when such religious type celebrations / holidays were forbidden. She had only ever celebrated National day and stuff like that. Although she lived here in the States for almost 2 years before we met she had not celebrated Christmas because she was amongst other Mainland Chinese folks who also weren't familiar with the tradition.

Anyway, we bought a tree, lights, garland, ornaments and all the stuff. we put the it all together in the dining room of our apartment. It was one of those really perfect Christmas trees. One night we were driving home from somewhere and I noticed that she was crying quietly to herself in the passenger seat. I asked her why she was crying. "I was just thinking about our beautiful Christmas tree" she told me. I almost get teary-eyed thinking about it today.

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 12:00 pm

Paul wrote:I's first Christmas

Cute!