Thanksgiving was great! We had a really great time visiting and eating, and visiting again later so we could eat some more! Great times, no doubt. But much like Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are the "Gateway to the Smoky Mountains", Thanksgiving weekend serves as a sort of "Gateway to the REAL FUN!!" Pigeon Gorge and Gatlinburg are nice and fun places, but the real beauty is in the mountains. Dig? I do love Thanksgiving. I'm so very thankful for all that God has given me. I do not downplay the importance of this day. But, oh man do I love Christmas! I've shared this all before, I realize, but I simply must say that this is the greatest time of year for me.
So, I got on the roof today. Later we will post some pictures of me up there. I hung most of the outdoor lights on the house. There are more, and because they are not up, we have not had our official lighting ceremony. We've never called it that, actually, but at some point just after dark on the day I get them all hung, we all go out to look at them the first time the house is all lit up for the season.
I'm working on drumming up some money to get some of those blown plastic figures of Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus to put in the little stable I'm going to build. I've done it for several years now in the church yard when I was in Raceland. I actually build the thing out of four or five wooden pallets I find usually behind Wal-Mart or some other place. Add a little straw and the figures, and you have your outdoor nativity scene. I'll have to buy the shepherds, animals, etc in the future.
I also am thinking of buliding some big "gifts" to put out on the front porch, plus I need some more garland, maybe some candy canes, etc.
Inside, we got the tree up, and decorated. It is our old tree, because the newer, much bigger one doesn't fit anywhere in our current house. It looks really good. We still have several of the ornaments we bought for our first Christmas together. We got them at Big Lots. This is our tenth CHristmas to use them. Wow. Some of them bit the dust over the years. We also have a lot of "homemade" type of stuff we have either made or received as gifts, or that Haley has made in school or Sunday School over time. It's really a mixture of homemade stuff and some store bought ornaments. Plus two different kinds/colors of candy canes. And red and gold ribbon. And lots of red bows. But no topper. We have to get one. Our first or second Christmas married, I forget which, we bought a buch of ribbon and made this huge bow that was our topper for three or four years, but it, too, finally bit the dust. We kept it in a cake box.
Plus my wife has a pretty large collection of Snow Buddies, which I don't think are made anymore. They were really hot for a few years, but then they quit making them. She has tons...big ones small ones. They are snow men for any one who is not familiar with them. She loves snow men.
Listen to me...I'm almost giddy. Good grief. How embarrassing is that. I wish it would snow. I'm a sick man. When else would one long to hear Burl Ives sing? I don't know of any other time, but a rousing rendition of "Holly, Jolly Christmas" wouldn't hurt my feelings a bit right now!
I even caught my wife singing along with Elvis tonight on "Silent Night" or something. Plus she came home from the Dollar General store last evening with one of my favorite treats. My first box this year of Chocolate covered cherries.
I had so much fune with her and the girls today getting stuff decorated, and cranking out the Christmas music..man, I love Christmas. And we haven't even gotten to the real important stuff yet. But I will post about that soon. I hope to have time to share a lot of thoughts on Christmas time in the comign several weeks. Anyway, I gotta get to bed.
God bless...
Brother Donnie
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