Stockings designed and handmade by my mother for Eddie and I. Too cute, right? With a recent move to a new apartment, and about a million other things happening simultaneously, our box of Christmas decorations got taken to the dark, creepy basement without our realizing it. After a few weeks of unpacking, and only days until Christmas, Eddie and I made an executive decision...no Christmas decorations this year. I knew that was the easy solution, but as Christmas grew closer, I wondered if I could squeeze in the time to search through the junky basement and bring it upstairs. Finally, I let the idea go. When I arrived home from work the other night, Eddie had retrieved the box and filled our apartment with our familiar decorations! He even concocted a Christmas tree from a large potted plant he picked up at Home Depot! It's (finally) beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! ~~~ Allow Eddie and I to serenade you...we recorde...

One of my favorite movies to watch around this time of year is Irvin Berlin's  Holiday Inn . One song in particular is great today because Thanksgiving music is so hard to come by! If you haven't seen the movie, I insist you watch it with a cup of hot chocolate immediately! Here is my take on the catchy tune, and below is Bing's version.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I've got plenty to be thankful for I haven't got a great big yacht To sail from shore to shore Still I've got plenty to be thankful for I've got plenty to be thankful for No private car, no caviar No carpet on my floor Still I've got plenty to be thankful for I've got eyes to see with Ears to hear with Arms to hug with Lips to kiss with Someone to adore How could anybody ask for more? My needs are small, I buy them all At the five and ten cent store Oh, I've got plenty to be thankful for

Don't mess with a Mamma's babies!  "The watchful mother tarries nigh, though sleep has closed her infant's eyes."   -John Keble Happy Mother's Day, all you Mammas out there!

They said it would be rainy all day today. But this morning, I watched a few rays of sunshine emerge from behind the white clouds. I saw it illuminate the new, budding green things around me, giving them strength and life for the spring. They said there wouldn't be sun today. But it rose anyway. And I thought about how so many years ago they said the Son wouldn't rise, but to give you and I new life, the Son rose anyway.

Recently, I discovered amongst a forgotten box of childhood knick knacks and clothes, a very precious book to me. I immediately squealed with joy when I saw the cover of this familiar, comforting book that I hadn't laid eyes on in...decades! I read each page, suddenly recalling the murky details of the colorful illustrations.  The story is about a bunny who discovers a duck egg. The bunny stays with the egg until it hatches, and when it does, the bunny and duck become best friends. I remember very specifically the final line of this book, "And no one was ever alone again." What sweet peace and security that brought to me as a child. Because this was an Easter gift to me at the age of 2, I thought it would be appropriate to share some of the pages on this Easter Eve.

Hello, little turkey. Thank you for giving your life in honor of our celebration. You are a beautiful and noble creature. Delicious too. A few years ago, back in the Army, I was in charge of running a firing range. We did our marksmanship training on outdoor shooting ranges in the wide-open spaces of Fort Bragg, NC. Part of this duty included arriving at the range before the other Soldiers, to prepare everything. I’ll never forget pulling up to that empty range, in the early, North Carolina haze. For there in the morning twilight, walking along the firing line, were 8 wild turkeys. My driver and I stayed aloof in our HMMWV for fear of scaring them off. They must have found something to eat, because they stayed for a long time. What a humorous and ironic picture that left in my mind. Eight hunted birds known for their tastiness, calmly walking across a live-fire range with brightly painted targets just over their heads. “X” marks the spot. But now that I think about it, it was proba...