LOOKING BACK ON 2011....

How was your year? Was it all you expected?  How many surprises did you have? Did it look like this?  I call it a Crazy!!!....







The first of this year for me was absolutely crazy.  By February I got my footing, but up until then, it felt like I couldn’t get up. If I did, I got slapped back down and until I could stand up straight I thought I was not going to make it.  Ended up in the hospital but that turned out right, giving me a warning to behave and live my life without an ounce of worry....”I Can’t Afford That Luxury”!   That was a lesson I will remember for a long time.

Tonight as we approach the midnight hour I will be glued to the TV watching the ball drop at Time Square.

I will kiss my sweetheart of 50 years, 20 days and some minutes. I love that guy!  Years past we would be at some party somewhere with lots of noise and laughter but now the quietness at this waited hour each year is what we enjoy most.


Today is the planning of the food for tomorrow...New Years Day.  Got to have those black eyed peas....

.......and collard greens in the South. 

Saying is, “eat lots of each and you will gets lots of pennies and dollars.”  Well not so here, that has been tried and proven wrong.  I came to the conclusion if you hold to that saying, you will limit what you can have so “don’t buy into it”!!!




Lots of cheers will be going on even right now in some parts of the world as this day ends....... 

When the clock strikes twelve tonight December 31st....

.....people all over the world cheer and wish each other a very Happy New Year.







 

For some, this event is no more than a change of a calendar. For others, the New Year symbolizes the beginning of a better tomorrow....











Here's some New Year Wishes from one country......and some people from the past....

  
An Irish toast goes like this (hope this is right Kevin Daly!!!)....

"In the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, never in want."



 T. S. Eliot
"For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning."

Martin Luther
"Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given;
While angels sing with tender mirth,
A glad new year to all the earth"

Walter Scott
"Each age has deemed the new born year
The fittest time for festal cheer"

Benjamin Franklin
"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man."

Edgar A. Guest
"A happy New Year! Grant that I
May bring no tear to any eye
When this New Year in time shall end
Let it be said I've played the friend,
Have lived and loved and labored here,
And made of it a happy year."
 

....and my favorite ...This says it all from a line from my favorite Movie: "When Harry Met Sally", Harry Burns
"And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."





So today where ever you are on the soil of the United States of America or some other country here’s my wish for you... “Best Wishes and God Bless you in this next year! Start it right by taking a minute to reflect on this past year and enjoy the best, put the worst behind you, take the lessons from it and cut your ties.  Move on to bigger and better things, they are out there, I see them on your horizon.”

WHAT HAPPENED IN YOUR WORLD THIS YEAR 2011?...

...and what is on the Horizon or over the hill for 2012?

You are saying that is a good question....... 

This year you might have had disappointment in the form of someone close to you leaving by death or just walking away.  I know one family who lost everything in a house fire, things they had treasured over the years.  Sickness might be trying to take your quality of life away.  There are so many things that come our way, bringing detour.

Helpless is what you feel when you come to the end of your own strength.  It is at that point we call on the One who can direct our way in the darkest hour....

This is a reminder for someone out there who might need encouragement.  Heard a song on the radio this morning, making my husband and me shed tears as it spoke to us. In my mind I am reminded of the way we had to call on Him this last year when we had some dark days and you know what? ....He was there...always there!!!

Wonder what this next year holds for us all?

I know one thing..... we will make it..... and we will be amazed!

Listen to the words of this song, read  the lyrics as you trust in your heart that this will be the year of great things to come....

......because you will DO IT ANYWAY....

ANYWAY  

------Martina McBride

You can spend your whole life buildin'
Somethin' from nothin'
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway

You can chase a dream
That seems so out of reach
And you know it might not ever come your way
Dream it anyway

[chorus:]
God is great, but sometimes life ain't good
When I pray it doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway

This world's gone crazy and it's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway
You can love someone with all your heart
For all the right reasons
And in a moment they can choose to walk away
love 'em anyway

[chorus]

You can pour your soul out singing
A song you believe in
That tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway
Yeah, sing it anyway
I sing, I dream, I love
Anyway
yeah

CHRISTMAS TREE 2011 WINNER...

Yeah I know you're saying, "it was over yesterday and today I am taking our tree down and packing it away until next year!"   But wait a minute, I have to announce the best one and winner of 2011.

And the winner is.... our friend Becky Payne, she is a neat gal who knows how to put on a display so what do you think?

Already looking forward to our next year collection for 2012.  Don't forget, come back next year and check it out.......

THE STRESS OF THE MESS...

OK! we’re in the “short row” now lets see...shopped...check.... wrapped presents...check...sent cards...check...made list for baking supplies...check...bought baking supplies...check...baked...not check...make guest list for party...check....put tree up....checked weeks ago....watered dying tree because put up too early ...check....get nails done....not checked might have to do them myself....take a nap ...not checked want have time...ready for the day to Celebrate Christmas...NO!!!

So where do you fit in that picture?  I am trying to do what I say every year I am not going to get STRESSED and fail at it each year.  I hate it when that happens....

What is the reason we do all of the above?  I don’t have the answer and if I did it I don't think we would change.  Our whole society is in to it.  It’s like we all get in a big crowd and start running bumping into each other and acting crazy just to have the most and the best and Heaven Help us we’ve GOT TO STAY IN TRADITION doing the same things every year the same way we always did "IT" and if anybody “breaks rank” and does not want to or has another plan YOU BETTER WATCH OUT!!!

I just want to say with a big shout....JUST STOP IT!!!

What is the Real Reason for the Season?  Let’s get back to the basics, it's real simple.   Jesus is the real reason we celebrate Christmas each year.  Christmas Eve have a time of reflection by stopping and pondering in your heart like His mother Mary did, think about who Jesus really is and what He has done for us by coming to this earth in human form to conquer the sin of man....Think about it!!!

From the Manger to the Cross

John Lynch posted via Facebook spoke to me. It caused me to step back getting me back on track with the REASON FOR THE SEASON.  I began to think it's not the STRESS OF THE MESS it is THE MESSAGE THAT RELIEVES THE STRESS. He lay in a manger with quite all around, do you hear it? I don't want to be too busy to stop and listen.....

“Christ’s last night in heaven: “I’m ready Father.” “Son, the next thought you’ll have will be that of a baby’s. All memories of this home, this glory, this beauty-will be gone. They will be replaced with filth, cold and pa...in. The first breath you take will pull you on a course to your death. Son, it will take years before you’ll remember this conversation, this arrangement. Then it will dawn on you, who you are and who I am. That moment will be the loneliest of all. The morning you wake up and realize how far away you are from home.”

Enjoy your Christmas 2011......

MY COLLECTION OF CHRISTMAS TREES 2011...

 

Click on the music and scroll down viewing my collection this year of CHRISTMAS TREES....

Ah!... the enjoyment of the finished work of a decorated Christmas Tree, it gives you a good feeling as you sit with a cup of hot chocolate...

.....love my warm UGG slippers....

 ............Especially by the fire, as you gaze at your finished work.  The room is dark the lights from the tree illuminate the room... feel it with me!!!

 
I have enjoyed taking pictures this year of Christmas trees as I go around either shopping or visiting family and friends.  Here are a few to enjoy with me..

Our little tree makes our living room cozy with lights inside and outside and a warm fire....how nice!

Phillip, Amy and Ceaden enjoy their tree every year and Amy is the "tree decorator queen" the lights are placed perfect too!

When I was a little girl I would wait until the tree was all finished and everyone going about their business.  Then I would lay down under the tree as close in as I could and look up into the limbs and lights with all the colorful ornaments.  I would make a wish and feel all good inside.  Now there still seems to be a little girl inside that likes very much to get under the tree and look up making a wish.....

This is a gigantic tree at a Mall in Atlanta I like to stand below and take my annual picture....

One night during the season we like to ride around neighborhoods to see the lights and see trees shining in the windows...

One year I enjoyed decorating Rob's tree at 805 Peachtree Street on the eighth floor you could hardly see the tree and its lights but was pretty anyway.....

This was a neat tree made from Lobster Baskets and Buoys, we took this picture at my favorite Lighthouse at York, Maine.....

Kittery Trading Post in Kittery, Maine had a sporty tree, this tree was decked out with hats and gloves to purchase for the cold winter...












If you visit Perimeter Mall in Atlanta you will see this tree standing tall....

 



.....and Lenox Mall...WOW! they have lots of trees decked out as always!!!

We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Alpharetta, GA last weekend for our 50th Anniversary.  Each time we left and returned from having fun in the big city we passed by this beautiful tree in the lobby with an angel on top,









seemed she was welcoming us each time!....

Our grandson was in the Christmas program last Sunday morning at their church.  We were very proud grandparents sitting in that audience as he said the closing prayer.




We all enjoyed the decorated stage with their gorgeous tree....








A few years back we took a trip to DC for our Anniversary and amazed at how pretty it was at Christmas!!!....

Trees were all around decorated by each State of our wonderful country... here is ours from Georgia!......

The White House was so pretty that VERY COLD morning we dropped by....

Below you will find my TOP TEN most unusual Christmas Trees....

A Wooden Tree holding candles...

A Book Shelf Tree....

Tall Gold Trees with Stars on top.....

.....Cut Glass Trees

Even an Upside Down Tree....

......a "don't have to water Tree!!!

You guess it!  A Junk Yard Tree.....

....a "what you can do with your old computer screens?.... TREE!!!...

A Empty Bottle Tree.......

....a Whatever Tree???

 This year as always on the night of Thanksgiving it was the 64th annual lighting of the Macy's tree at Lenox Square in Atlanta Georgia.  I remember as a child going downtown Atlanta to see the tree lighting at Macy's before it closed and they moved it to Lenox.  It is with excitement you wait for the countdown and the lights to turn on. At that point the fireworks blast all around it seems to say it is officially time for Christmas.

....and along the same time in New York the tree at Rockefeller Center is lit for the Season as the crowds look on with cheers, can't you hear them?......

.....ate at Zaxby's today with some friends as I ordered I look to the left and saw their tree with gifts already gathering ....

Can you guess where this tree is in Blairsville? Bet you can't,  go look around see if you can find it.....

Just a few months back in Sept, we were riding the Skyline Parkway.  We came up to a sign that said "detour ahead".  Disappointment came over us until the rode took us on back roads close to Boone, NC.  All over the mountains sides were rows and rows of beautiful Frazier Furs growing. Here is a picture I took, you can see how they were growing getting ready for someone's enjoyment.......

My friend Denice has this interesting tree on her Facebook page, makes me have a cozy feeling how about you?...

Here is Bonnie's it seems to sparkle....

...Jennifer Cook's does have a tree.......

Take a look at how it looked back in 1951 check out the TV!......











                                                                                                                                                                                                       .....check back later I might have some more TREES...thanks for coming back I now have the Winner of the 2011 Best Tree of the Year posted check it out at:
http://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4769700793113878648#editor/target=post;postID=3980658866770791112 ....

***IF YOU LIKE THIS YEARS BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THIS ONE TO GET YOU IN THE CHRISTMAS MOOD FOR 2013 GO TO :
http://marydsplace.blogspot.it/2013_12_01_archive.html