Tuesday 4~Holiday Express

 

Holiday Express


Welcome Friends.. to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.
The holidays are coming fast! They are loaded onto the Christmas Express train and there is no stopping them now.
Are you ready for them this year?

As ready as I can be. I've had a slow start due to being sick earlier this month, but I am feeling better now and playing catch-up.


1. Is your tree up? Yes  How tall is it? 7 feet.
what color lights?  White. Here's a picture:

 
Are there lights in the window? Not really in the window. On the door? On the front porch and yard.

This is our grapevine tree that we actually made from our own grapevines at our last house in the forest. It has held up very well, even if today the wind was so hard that it blew it over and I had to go pick it back up! Thankfully nothing was broken and the lights still work.

This little tiny Nativity scene is on the very top:

Our front yard  tonight:

2. Got a menu for Christmas Eve and Day?

I haven't thought about Christmas Eve yet. We do have a church service to go to, so we will probably have a simple supper before church.   On Christmas day (after discussing it with my sweet DIL Rose)  it sounds like we will be baking a ham and scalloped potatoes this year.  That's just simpler and we haven't had ham in a while, so that will be fine with me. I'm all for keeping things simple when I can. LOL.

3. Who is coming for Christmas or who will you visit?

It will just be our kids here with us on Christmas Day.   Our extended family lives too far away to come on Christmas Day, so we always try to meet them on another day usually after Christmas. So far I know that we will meet up with hubby's brother and family on Saturday, Dec. 27th, at a restaurant about 1/2 way between our homes, which is an hour's drive for each of us to get there.  I haven't  talked to my sister yet to see when we might meet them. We may end up meeting  at the same time as with the rest of the family. We've done that before and it saves us from having to make two separate trips.


4. What is your favorite Christmas memory.?

I will have to sit here and think about that for a while. There's so many. Do I go back to my childhood, or to my own children's childhood? They were all so wonderful.  

Here's a Link to a post I did a few years ago entitled "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas".  I've shared it before, but I don't think most of you have seen it. It has memories from when our own little family was young and we were away from "home" for Christmas and feeling kind of blue...but it has a happy ending.

And THIS link goes back to my own childhood Christmas memories.  Rather than write them all over again, it's probaby easier to just click on those links and see what those special memories were.  I enjoyed re-reading them and re-living the sweet memories.

I know you've probably seen all of these things before, but there's really nothing else new to report right now.  This week will be busy with finishing up Christmas shopping and then onThursday evening our church choir goes to sing at a church in a neighboring community and join them for a candlelight service. We do that every year and it is always very special. I'll share more about that afterwards.

Lately we've been listening to excerpts from Handel's Messiah, in which the words for each song come straight from the Bible.  Here's a couple of passages that are included.  Next time you listen to Handel's Messiah be sure to listen for these verses.   An interesting study is to look up each of the different passages that are included in the music throughout the whole musical. You will be amazed!

Isaiah 60:1-3  King James Version

 1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

Isaiah 40:9-11 King James Version

9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

10 Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Matthew 11:28-29 King James Version

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Okay, that's my post for this Tuesday 4 and more. I hope you enjoyed it.  You can join in HERE if you wish.  Thanks, Annie, for another good post!