"A Positive Christmas!"

 

Mike and Betty's Farm at Christmas

This is a short, but (hopefully) sweet (Think candy canes and red velvet cake!) positive Christmas blog post.

Here are some ideas that might help make your Christmas even more enjoyable- (You can do these alone or with others.)

~Make Christmas crafts, like these that were made by a relative.

Pretty Christmas Balls

These handmade crafts can be given as gifts, used for decorating your home, or even sold in shops, etc. to make extra money.

Besides giving homemade gifts, we can shop for gifts at places that offer nice, unique things at reasonable prices, like-

The Antique Barn in Abingdon, Virginia

~Homemade goodies make nice gifts, or you could even host a Christmas party or a dinner. 

~Donate to local animal shelters, food banks, or local charities.

~As we're working on Christmas cards, wrapping gifts, or decorating, it can be fun to listen to Christmas music, our own, or from the radio. One of our local radio stations plays Christmas music every year from Thanksgiving until Christmas. Listening to Christmas music can put us in the Christmas spirit.

~Sing Christmas carols. Sing in a Christmas cantata, or go to one. Go to a Christmas church service.

~Watch a wonderful Christmas movie on TV, on a DVD, or online, such as "Home Alone" or "It's a Wonderful Life."

~Decorate your vehicle-

~See a Christmas parade, or even be in one.

We enjoy just driving around the different neighborhoods and looking at the Christmas decorations.

Here is one of my childhood Christmas memories-

"As a child, I still remember coming down the stairs on Christmas morning. I felt the excitement of Christmas in the air, especially if snow were falling outside and accumulating on the trees and ground. I felt breathless as I saw the toys and other gifts under the Christmas tree that Santa had left for my brother and me: a pretty doll, a decorative rocking horse, and oranges and nuts in our Christmas stockings. It was really exciting when I noticed that the cookies and milk that we had left for Santa were gone. I imagined that he had really enjoyed those!" ~An excerpt from my book, "Down Memory Lane"  which is on Amazon. For more information, please see the widget above.

~"May you never be too grown up to search the skies on Christmas Eve."- Author Unknown

 ~Positive thought: "Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts."-Janice Maeditere

 Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, January 3, 2026!, Becky

"The Spirit of Christmas"

 

It's that time of year again, and for many people, "It's the most wonderful time of the year." (From a song by Andy Williams) What makes it so wonderful?

It could be because of the spirit of Christmas! What is the spirit of Christmas?

Is it the decorations?

We often enjoy reading Pal's thought of the day.

There are several colorful decorated trees outside the welcome center in historic Abingdon, Virginia.

Is the spirit of Christmas fellowship?

Going with others to the world-famous Barter Theatre in Abingdon...

to see a Christmas play is a great way to get into the spirit of Christmas.

Also, many people enjoy having a Christmas meal or refreshments with loved ones- 

Most people like to give gifts at Christmas-

These gifts don't need to be expensive. The Antique Barn in Abingdon, for example, has really nice gifts for really great prices! You could give gifts that you make yourself. You could give people something that you already have that you don't need. I have received gifts that are family heirlooms, which I really cherish. You could give someone a gift of your time, like organizing a closet for them.

When it comes to giving to charities, we're always careful since they are not always honest. We mostly give locally. We give food and other pet supplies to our local animal shelter which is run by the sheriff's department.

The decorations, fellowship, sharing and giving are a large part of Christmas, but, of course, without Jesus, the Christ Child, there would be no spirit of Christmas.

And, because of  Jesus, we can conclude that, the true spirit of Christmas is love.

"Infinite Love Is the Only Truth: Everything Else Is Illusion" -David Icke

"May the true spirit of Christmas shine in your heart and light your path." -Holy Hope

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas-From Our Home to Yours

Positive thought: "For it is in giving that we receive" -Saint Francis of Assisi

Thanks for visiting! Until Saturday, January 6, 2024, Becky

A Special Time of Year

Welcome!

The Christmas season is such a special time of year, and we all get busy with our Christmas-related activities.

This year was really busy for me since I got a large order for my genuine Appalachian Mountain coal jewelry and magnets just a few weeks ago. I was trying to quickly get it done so that the store that ordered it would have plenty of time to display it for their customers to buy for Christmas gifts.

Working with coal is pretty challenging, but I'm up to the challenge. I'm used to it.  A person said to me one time that art was easy, but obviously that person was not an artist!

Coal Magnet of the Inn at Wise

I love doing my art (coal, portraits, photography, writing, etc.).

In fact, I love all of the arts, including the theater.

A few days ago I was lucky to be invited by friends to "Chaffin's Barn Theatre" in Nashville.

Photo Taken by a Chaffin's Barn Staff Member

During Thursday matinees, you can bring your own food, so we were treated to Carole's wonderful gourmet dishes which even included apple cake!

We got to see a production that is very timely for this time of year, "Elf," which is a musical. It was really well-done-excellent acting, singing, and dancing. It was a very high-energy show, never a dull moment. (Before we went in, I was concerned that I might fall asleep since I'd been up late the night before working on my coal order, but there was no danger of that during this production!)

I'd never been before to Chaffin's, and I'm so thankful to have been invited.

The bottom line: Go, at least once! (However, bet you can't go just once!)

Photo Courtesy of Lynn Ashley

FYI:
chaffinsbarntheatre.com

I'm looking forward to more Christmas celebrating during the next few weeks, and I wish you happy celebrations ahead.

In fact,

(Outside Chaffin's Barn)

Positive thought: "For unto you is born this day in the city of  David a Savior which is Christ the Lord."-Luke 2:11

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, January 6, 2019, Becky

Christmas in Tennessee

Welcome!

The Christmas season is busy for almost all of us. Sometimes working around everyone's schedule for family get-togethers is somewhat of a challenge, however, like it was for us this year, but with some planning, it can be done.

This year, we started our celebration early.

First of all, we went to Nick and Lisa's on my side of the family. We had a delicious meal, and then took keepsake family photos.

Since this was sort of a progressive-meal type of thing, we then went on to Betty's, next door, where we enjoyed dessert...

Greg, at the Dessert Table

and we opened Christmas gifts.

A few days later, we met several members of Greg's side of the family at the elegant Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee where we took more keepsake photos and had a gourmet dinner. Finally, we all went to the Nashville Ballet where we enjoyed "Nashville's Nutcracker" in which our talented little niece performed.

And, we have a couple of other Christmas events planned since there is so much to see and do this time of year.

"Christmas is a day of meaning and traditions, a special day spent in the warm circle of family and friends."
-Margaret Thatcher

From our home to yours-

Positive thought: "May you have the spirit of Christmas which is peace, the gladness of Christmas which is hope, and the heart of Christmas which is love."-Ada V.Hendricks
Thanks for visiting! Until next time, Becky