Manger Scene

But we know that Christmas really doesn't have anything to do with Santa. Let's get to the real meaning of Christmas. Why did Christ leave his heavenly home to come to this earth? To save us from our sin! And we all need to come to repentence, and ask Jesus to be our personal Saviour and Lord. Just know he died on the cross for the sins of the whole world won't save us. This manger scene is somewhat more elaborate than the one in our home.

Santas

Of course, there were plenty of Santas...

Bears

We go from little to big!!

Miniatures

Next, we have these miniatures, including the Peanuts gang

Salem Creek at Christmas

I enjoy looking at these decorations at Salem Creek even if I never intend to buy any of them. And of course, I enjoy sharing them with all of you. If you know me, you will know that sometimes I feel like a nut, and many of you may think I am a nut, so I start out with these nutcrackers, (with some other figures as well.)

Can Anyone Stop Bob?

OK, now you know I am somewhat of a Survivor fan. I think Survivor Gabon is my favorite one. And by now, you must know I am pulling for Bob. He is a senior who seems to have a knack for winning challenges, both physical ones and mental. He is a very nice guy, a physics teacher by the way, and I like the way he is playing. Does anyone else like Bob? Of course, the winner will be chosen by the jury, and I can't imagine anyone having a problem with Bob.

Its a Wonderful Life

We generally watch "Its a Wonderful Life" every Christmas season, and Monday night we did so again while decorating the tree. This movie is on my list of "The Greatest Movies of All Time." It seems that I never tire of watching it. Kinda like the Andy Griffith shows that I never get weary of watching. Of course, when you watch one over and over, you notice things that didn't hit you so much on earlier viewings. Like the time when George Bailey was talking with Mr. Potter, and Mr. Potter offered him a job. George said he wanted 24 hours to think about it, and THEN he shook Mr. Potter's hand! And after he did, he looked at his hand, like it had been soiled somewhow. And then, he wipes it off on his coat, as if to remove some of the filth. And then there is the scene (see top photo) where George and Mary are both trying to talk on the same phone, and they get close to each other. So much passion! So much energy! Then George is just inches away from Mary (maybe only one inch) and he tells her he doesn't want any ground floors, or plastics, and he NEVER wants to get married--but he kisses Mary over and over. That's the kind of kiss George only talked about earlier when he was wearing the No. 3 jersey and looking at the moon with Mary. That's what I'm talking about.

Alaska's Glacier Bay

I enjoyed seeing clips of Alaska's Glacier Bay at the end of CBS Sunday Morning. (I TiVoed it so I didn't miss Sunday School and church.) Oh, and you may ask, what kind of bird is that? That is a kittiwake. I have never heard of such a bird. But then, there is so much that I don't know that it would fill several libraries.

O Christmas Tree

Here is our Christmas tree for 2008. The bottom pic shows just the lights on it, and the other two show it fully decorated. Which pic do like best of the top two? The one with the flash (very top) doesn't let you see the lights as well, but the one without flash is a bit dark.

The Church of Oprah

Here is the link to a youtube excerpt from Oprah that you may have already seen...
here
and then there is another one
here.

Oprah is correct when she says, "I can't argue religion." However, she gives the impression that she is an authority on the subject. What do you think about her saying she "took God out of the box.?"

Riley and Family

I failed to take my camera to the Thanksgiving get-together in Greensboro Saturday (after Thanksgiving Day.) I must have had a senior moment. (You know you can have senior moments without actually being one.) My sister-in-law was kind enough to send me these shots of her granddaughter Riley, and her loving parents, Chris and Liz. We had a great time of fellowship and of course, things are always lively when there is a cute baby girl to entertain us.

Andy

Anyone who has ever seen this episode (even once) will remember it I'm sure. I have just one question in this trivia quiz, so this will be pass/fail.

What is the name of the city where Jim bought that pick he is showing Andy?

My sister gave me some VHS tapes of Andy, and this is one of the shows.

I would kindly ask that Wild Wild West give others a chance to answer first, as he might be at a slight advantage.

A Rare Night in the Sky

Tonight was supposedly very unusual in that you could see Venus and Jupiter in close proximity with the crescent moon. Too bad my camera can't reach out there like the one WFMY has. But this is what it looked like tonight.

Thanksgiving

I was privileged to eat more "Thanksgiving" meals this year than I can remember.I am not so sure that is an advantage considering my waistline. This is the meal we ate on Thursday with my sister-in-law's mother-in-law, Mrs. Ervin. The food was delicious and the the company was very enjoyable.