Talent children, dog, and a daddy

God hands out talent. Is there a standard issue? Does every preschool child perform with such enthusiasm? Have you ever listened to a child's performance and smiled so big?

 

 

 

 

cats

 

 Preschool/Kindergarten children

daddy with his girls

 

 

Emilio Piano with 3 yr. old Angelica

Children speak their minds, good or bad. Children have an honest talent and often have no idea if they are on key, whatever.. They enjoy themselves. They perform for those who are watching.

 

Oh to be so young again!

Dan Vasc---one to watch.

 

 

Listen to him.  He is young, he is dedicated to excellence.  Looking forward to hearing more. 

 

 Just need to follow his career.   

Hope you can find him as wonderful as I do.

He forgot.

 

When the alarm buzzed, James realized that he was an idiot. He had forgotten a big day.  Even after Annie got that diamond on her finger, there are still certain actions a guy must take:  Buy gift, buy large obnoxious card, search for flowers, find… Oh, he is so dead

Throwing on clothes and grabbing his wallet, James flew out to the nearest store, a CVS pharmacy.  List in hand, James checked off each gift. 

Anything wrapped sticky, chocolate covered? Check. Obnoxious glittery card? Check. Flowers? A little shy on that supply. What else? What else?  James’ chest constricted.

This gift had to be something she wouldn’t expect. 

Frustrated James looked around him and giggled. Grabbing a basket, he walked along each aisle, tossing whatever he found into the basket.  Animated teddy bear? Oh yeah.

 Hello kitty plush in a mug?  Yup.

James lost control.  Aisles rolled by a supply of miraculous items he threw into the basket. Water pistols? Heck, yeah. Six pack of Diet Coke? Hello Kitty bath toy? Better believe it.

James was exhausted. At home, he wrapped up the haul with Christmas paper, and finished just in time.  Annie walked in, giggling with delight.  When she got to the Hello Kitty, James sensed the moment passing.  Desperately, James handed her a gift bag.

Annie pulled out a red and pink wood chip wreath (good price, $25). Life was good again. Until next time. 

 

Here’s what Elephant’s Child writes to explain the Wednesday Word meme: “Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write.  Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music, or an image.  What we do with those prompts is up to us:  a short story, prose, a song, or a poem… We can use some or all of the prompts, and mixing and matching is encouraged.” Writers may post at the word site, and/or at their own blog site. Be sure to tell the world that you wrote something really good."

I didn't underline that week's words, back in 2017, for some reason.

Elephant's child for this week.

rivioli, serenity, marble, bridge, soccer  and/or  foliage, nepotism, lectern, gorgonzola

Going to Bethlehem to have a baby

 

Now, during all these shows--Scrooged, White Christmas, Christmas Story (Red Rider BBgun with a compass in the stock), Rudolph, etc.--it is time for the real story of Christmas to be heard and seen.

And, who better to do this is are children at Southland Christian Church.

Rejoice! For unto us has been born a Saviour...

Now you know what really happened.

This is a re-post from 2017 Christmas. From the mouths of children....

"She was just doing laundry and then the angel just appeared and she was really scared," 

 

 

Snow in Chicago

 Snow holds no mystery for us as we have experienced it for our entire lives until we got married and fled. But then my husband was a TA at Iowa State University. Snow swept across the prairie and locked us in at any given time.

Victorville, California

And then...

We dwelled in Victorville, California, in the Mojave Desert, a hellish wasteland. Surrounded by flat fields of sand, sagebrush, scrubs, and tumbleweeds, our family grew there for seven years. When the temperature plummeted to 94 deg. F/37 C., it felt like we needed jackets.

And then....

We moved to Ireland then where there was rain every day.  It was joyous, for the world was green and lush. Sadly, we lived there for only a few years.

And now...

Now we are enjoying a fairly even climate and enjoying the beauty of our area.  But, we miss some of the spring, all of the fall, and maybe a nibble of winter from Illinois. Summer in the Midwest is not missed at all.

And then...

My son John married Arlette in Chicago at December 4, 2016, with both families all around. What we also experienced was an unexpected taste of winter.

Just a taste, a beautiful taste was all we needed.

A cemetery was across the street from our really cool hotel. When
we arrived , I promised our gr-daughters we would explore
it tomorrow.

And then...

The next day we woke up to see snow, it was glorious.

The table on the balcony was pure and smooth.

Our gr-daughters were thrilled when the snowflakes began
to fall. 

And then the next day, we left the snow behind and flew

to LAX. The diamonds of light lay down below, making Los Angeles 

truly resemble where angels might actually have been.

God created snow, rain, desert, etc. He has a plan for us, for what awaits us. 

Snow? It is all part of the plan, just like barren wilderness or swamps, it is all part of His plan.

So, I guess we have to go with "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow."

This is a post from long ago.  Our son John got married back in 2016, and it was a great day.

Fire in the Snow 2024

 

 

When cold blows in from Canada, pushed up by warm wind from Texas, snow happens suddenly and furiously.  Only older siblings, big enough to sink only to the knee and then leap into the snow face first, could rejoice.

For two small children, enjoyment was peering out through icy panes and wishing.  Mom…Mom…Mom…Can we go outside, too?  Mom? Mom?  Mom relented only when Mom became unbearable.

Two and four years old, Mary and Bill were wrapped, bundled, booted, and mittened, then given instructions:  Stay on the porch.  Both nodded solemnly.

Mom stood at the kitchen door, staring through the lacy ice crystals at five children enjoying the snow.  Then Bill launched off the porch into deep white sea. Bill, she sighed. 

Stomping out the door, Mom grabbed him by scruff of his coat and pulled him up.  Then Mary whispered, “Mommy!  Mommy!  Look!  Fire in trees!  Fire in snow!”

Fire in the trees?  In the snow?  She beheld glorious cardinals perched in bare trees.  Fiery cardinals with black masks.  Brave cardinals in frigid air.

 

Mom hollered, “You kids get in here.  Been out long enough!”  But she continued to watch until fire became scarlet birds winging over snowy horizons.  

For those bloggers in the beginning of a long winter, this story is about the snow of 1958, which has been called the mini-ice age.  Keep warm, enjoy the beauty as much as you are able, and Merry Christmas.This is a repost of 2014 and 2021.

 

 

Those December Birthdays

December is an amazing month for so many reasons. For my family, my birthday, our son's birthday, our anniversary, our daughter's anniversary, and our youngest daughter's birthday. It is a busy month with lots of memories. Here are some thoughts that are from someecards.

II

       

Battle of the Bulge Christmas Eve

 

Kinkeade village under threat of danger

 We put up our tree end of November because we wanted to put it up. Our Thomas Kinkade Christmas village is nestled under the tree. 

With our peculiar sense of humor, we placed a polar bear statue from Alaska in the middle of this idyllic world. The townspeople are unaware of what lies in wait for them.

We can afford to be silly like this. We are in our house, safe and warm. Nothing lies in wait for us or threatens us.

With all the Christmas celebrating we will do or decorations that blink around us, the calendar and history reveal to us more about our time on earth.

December 16, 1944 marked the start of the Battle of the Bulge and its month long battle in the Ardennes region of Belgium.  This battle resulted in the deaths of 75,000 soldiers. Nearly 19,000 were from the 101st. They were surrounded by Germans, helpless. Being vital, being pivotal, 101st Airborne Division held onto their precarious part of history.

Brutally cold, with temperatures dropping to just below zero, 101st were alone, cut off from help, rations, and warm clothing. Dug in the snow, troops struggled to stay alive. They were down to the last few rounds of ammunition.

Christmas eve, December 24, 1944, was the day when Allied troops and air support broke through crippling weather front that had isolated troop 101st Airborne. That day made a difference. The 101st made a difference.

Christmas morning in 1944, seventy-five years ago, shows just how brave men grasped, clutched, and carried history all the way to us.

 

 

 YouTube

While we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ's birth, also celebrate and honor the courage and sacrifice given by the 101st Airborne Army Division. God provided for their needs, kept them alive.

An excellent movie, Battleground, is praised by the military that fought there.