A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....11-29 & 30-05...Let the Holidays Begin

Billie

[Billie]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Dutchess, DollyCali, Mama_Bear, GodBlessUSA ~

Ready or not, the holiday season is upon us again! This past weekend began the busiest time of the year for most of us - from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day. About this time three years ago - our first Christmas at the Finest - we asked for help from our readers in guest-writing a holiday thread, and your response warmed our hearts; you were such a big help to us, and got us through a very busy time with fun, interesting, and unique holiday threads. We appreciate you and couldn't do it without your support!

As I did last year, I'm posting the links to all our previous Holiday Threads - from 2002 , 2003, and 2004. Hope you enjoy them - you may even see yourself there!

Twenty-seven days til' Christmas.

Below are links to all of our Holiday Threads. Thanks to some of our Finest Regulars pitching in we've already scheduled the next few weeks with fun, pretty, interesting, and new Christmas posts.....and no reruns!

December 2002
Gingerbread House Contest
(FreeTheHostages/Billie)

Holiday Top Ten List Contest
(FreeTheHostages/Billie)

What Christmas Means to Me
(WVNan, JustAmy, Pippin, Diver Dave, Aquamarine, ST.LOUIE1 /Billie)

Places in the Heart
(Molly Pitcher/Daisyscarlett)

Christmas Pets
(Billie)

Profile of IssaquahKing
(Libertina/Dansangel)

Christmas Music
(Aquamarine and Daisyscarlett)

'Twas the Night Before Christmas
(Daisyscarlett)

Merry Christmas
(Daisyscarlett)


December 2003
Holiday Contest Rumsfeld Doll
(FreeTheHostages)

Name that Freeper Santa!
(Billie)

Oh Christmas Tree
(Billie)

A Bracebridge Christmas
(Mama_Bear)

Shop 'til you drop!
(Billie)

A Christmas Contest (Play Santa)
(FreeTheHostages)

Finest's Christmas Music
(Aquamarine)

Let Us Rejoice
(Billie)


December 2004
Aloha Mele Kalikimaka
(Billie)

A Bracebridge Christmas Revisited
(Mama_Bear)

Let it Snow!
(Billie)

Sights and Sounds of Christmas
(Aquamarine)

Welcome Home, Allegra
(Billie)

Deck the Finest Halls
(Mama_Bear)

12-23 thru 26-04 Let Us Rejoice (Christmas)
(Billie)

09-27-05 ~ Hall of Fame #13

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 11-28-05 Military Monday

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' Every Thursday at the Finest The guy's good, folks!

[Beth528]

I want to thank ever one of you for your prayers..I have not hear any more but that Hank is putting up a heck of a fight for his life..Only family members are allowed in ICU and I have not heard anything from them today..I think about all of our prayers for our service men and women that are fighting for our country..we all need to keep the police officers in our prayers as well..they are fighting for our lives also..My son is a police officer here and I worry every day and night about him..

This is a beautiful thread with very beautiful Americans posting here.Thank you all again,I will keep you posted on Hanks condition..

[DollyCali]

Hi dear.. post 95 was to be for you also.. thank you for sharing your thoughts here. Any closer to home computer internet???

[Stars&StripesNE]

Thank you my friends. You are special people.

[snugs]

A couple of questions from your friend in England.

1) Holiday season. I think holiday means something slightly different in America than it does in Britain. In Britain it is time your have off work. For example you are allowed X number of hours or days holiday per year. When we go away for a few days we say we are going on holiday if it is only a couple of days we may say a few days break away from home.

2) I keep hearing that there is an attack on Christmas in America. Does this mean that you do not get piped carols, carol singers in town centres and Happy/Merry Christmas signs and banners everywhere. Do stores not have Christmas catalogs and advertise Christmas goodies for sale. I have tended to take things said in the media with a large pinch of salt because last night on the Fox Report 80 second round the world similar things were said about Britain but that does not represent the part of Britain I come from. For example last Saturday I went into ASDA (Walmart) there were Merry Christmas messages everywhere, the designer outlet centre had piped Christmas music and Christmas greetings plus the Salvation Army were playing carols in the town centre.

[snugs]

So sorry to hear about your friend prayers for him and his family at this time.

[snugs]

Will drag my little fiber optic one out tomorrow and put the chocolate decorations on it. Do you put chocolate Christmas treats on yours?

[Texas Termite]

We echo Trussell's prayer for your friend and his family.

"TT", Beth & Nana

[Billie]

Afternoon, Miss Kitty. I knew you would be here to offer a prayer for this Police Officer.

[Billie]

As usual you say it very well Pippin. Gorgeous formatting Billie.

Thank you, Aqua. :)

Have the foyer decorated and the tree up, just need to decorate it.

I'm jealous! Plan to get a lot of that done tomorrow though. I'm working on it. Made a new wreath for our front door, and it's hanging. Bought some *new* decorations for inside and outside yesterday. I want to start on it NOW! :)

[Billie]

Thank you, Dolly - I actually added the lake effect in that Wise Men graphic, and it's *heavy*, but I did manage to get it reduced from over 400 KB to 130's! With that many frames to animate, it's nearly impossible to make it very small, bytewise.

[Billie]

Thanks, Diva, and Pippin - appreciate the nice comments regarding our threads. To quote Aqua, we seem to do our best work at Christmas time. :) Could be because there are so many beautiful ways to decorate for Christmas, and there are also cute ways to do it. :)

[Billie]

I have not hear any more but that Hank is putting up a heck of a fight for his life...

I pray that he can continue the fight and he and his family can feel all the prayers.

[Aquamarine]

Will drag my little fiber optic one out tomorrow and put the chocolate decorations on it.

I love those fiber optic tress. Our new tree has the lights attached and we only have to put the two pieces (top and bottom) together, it's so simple.

Do you put chocolate Christmas treats on yours?

Never have but that sounds like a neat idea, just worry that when I have one of my chocolate cravings and need a fix that they would be way too convenient. Don't have alot of self discipline when chocolate is around. :)

[Billie]

Hugs, Mom of Jennifer. :)

[Aquamarine]

Made a new wreath for our front door, and it's hanging.

I'm going to an Open House at my favorite home decorating store tomorrow. There is a wreath there that I want so bad but it's a little expensive even with the 20 percent off. It has hundreds of small pine cones with a little red glitter on them and some miniature pomegranates (fake), it's very unusual.

Bought some *new* decorations for inside and outside yesterday. I want to start on it NOW! :)

Sounds great, you should go ahead and jump in and do a little bit now. :)

[Billie]

2) I keep hearing that there is an attack on Christmas in America. Does this mean that you do not get piped carols, carol singers in town centres and Happy/Merry Christmas signs and banners everywhere. Do stores not have Christmas catalogs and advertise Christmas goodies for sale. I have tended to take things said in the media with a large pinch of salt because last night on the Fox Report 80 second round the world similar things were said about Britain but that does not represent the part of Britain I come from. For example last Saturday I went into ASDA (Walmart) there were Merry Christmas messages everywhere, the designer outlet centre had piped Christmas music and Christmas greetings plus the Salvation Army were playing carols in the town centre.

Thank God we still have Christmas music and decorations and greetings in every store (actually it begins about Halloween time!) and beautiful Christmas music played on our radio stations. There are always those who would like to destroy everything we've known all our lives and all the lives of our ancestors - the ones who want to take *God* out of the pledge, who took prayer out of the schools, who want to pull our troops out of Iraq and GW out of office....*they* are the minority, but the media likes to give them a big voice.

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

Actually that was not a picture of my kitty, but getting all the way under the covers when he is cold is something he does in the winter.

[Billie]

I'm going to an Open House at my favorite home decorating store tomorrow. There is a wreath there that I want so bad but it's a little expensive even with the 20 percent off. It has hundreds of small pine cones with a little red glitter on them and some miniature pomegranates (fake), it's very unusual.

I love seeing the new decorations that the florists and decorators and Christmas stores have. Not crazy about upside down trees - who wants to put a hook thingie in your ceiling for one thing. But about 5 or 10 years ago, one of the big Christmas decorating stores had the first one I'd ever seen, and it was decorated (lavishly and beautifully, I might add!) with a lot of crystal and silver and gold - very ornate hanging-down ornaments and lots of tassels. Interesting, to say the least, but I don't think they ever caught on - did see one on one of the morning shows this week though. :) I've been getting boxes of ornaments and stuff out and "thinking & planning" - that's a good start! LOL.

[dutchess]

Hi sistah. Just getting here and saw your email. I'm totally confused! Will freepmail you. (if I survive next weeks meetings....the christmas tree and festivities will begin at our household!)

[Pistov Elf]

Harrumph!! I might have known...another thread that totally overlooks us elves!! It's bad enough the the Fat Old Man in the Red Suit (S-A-N-T-A) gets all the recognition....grrrr!!

And to top it off, old Fatboy has me on Stable Duty again!!

No wonder I am continually...

Pistov