A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....12-9,10,11-05...From East to West Freepers Decorate Best

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.

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

Good morning, FReeper FRiends! We're Christmas'ing all this month at the Finest, and this weekend you are invited to join us on a tour of the Finest Homes, where many of our regulars are going to share their decorations with you in their posts throughout the weekend. In addition, we would love to see your Christmas trees, your outdoor lights, favorite decorations, recipes, Christmas traditions in your home.

Because the thread may get really *graphics-heavy*, I ask that you keep your photos a reasonable size (both physical and in bytes), but do hope you will feel free to post as many as you like, and drop in often to see the offerings of others. I will start with a little bit of Christmas in my kitchen, which helps get me in the mood to bake cookies and other goodies we don't need but think we can't do without. :)

As we share our photos and traditions with others, I'd like to share a link to a wonderful Christmas album: "Merry Christmas With love" by Clay Aiken, who has one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard. My favorite song is #6: "Mary Did You Know". I've been listening to it over and over and over, but you should be able to listen to all of the songs on that CD.

Clay Aiken ~ "Merry Christmas With Love"

Mary Did You Know

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?

Mary did you know.. Ooo Ooo Ooo

The blind will see.
The deaf will hear.
The dead will live again.
The lame will leap.
The dumb will speak
The praises of The Lamb.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great, I Am.

From My House to Yours.....

Merry Christmas, Ya'll!

09-27-05 ~ Hall of Fame #13

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 12-05-05 Military Monday 12-06-05 Finest Christmas Tables, Part I 12-07-05 Christmas in New York 12-08-05 Bush Booming, Democrats Still Depressed

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

[luvie]

hee-hee!

[Billie]

[Aquamarine]

Trying out a new tagline.

[Billie]

Your daughter was very sweet to do your tree for you to surprise you. The Nativity scene has a very special meaning to you and such a wonderful heirloom to hand down from generation to generation.

[Billie]

Bless Santa's heart. A sweet poem, Hushpuppie.

[Dubya]

Thank you.

[Mrs.Nooseman]

She sure was sweet to do that for me/us.:)

I look forward to pass it on to one or the other kid once they have a family.:)

It'll be hard to decide to who will get the nativity.

[Billie]

I'm so glad you could listen to the song, and your Mary and child is just beautiful.

[tuliptree76]

Beautiful thread, Billie! I didn't decorate my apartment this year. I've just been too busy. I will see decorations when I visit my parents though. LOL!

[Billie]

I can't imagine what plugin you need from IrFanView Homepage to play that MP3. You have Windows Media Player, don't you? If you do, you can set it as your default for all kinds of media and it should open and play the mP3's.

[Billie]

Talk to GeeBee in FR mail - she said she is glad she can help with the music.

[snugs]

Mine opened in realplayer. I wonder if Dolly has been switching players for different links and they have not successfully moved certain instructions from program to program.

[Billie]

Wonderful decorations Billie mine look very ordinary compared to yours but the main thing is whether we have elaborate displays or just a bit of tinsel what is important is the pleasure we and others get from celebrating this time of the year.

Thank you, snugs, but I agree with you it doesn't matter how elaborate the decorations or ornaments are - it's the pleasure that *we* get from however we celebrate the season. I have homemade ornaments that mean a lot to me, and some from my mother's collection from when I was a little girl. They are precious to me.

Your angel tree topper is WONDERFUL!

Do you have chocolate tree decorations available in the US. We have loads in the UK it is real tradition to have chocolate treats on the tree.

I don't know that I've seen any such elaborate chocolate tree decorations! They're beautiful - by the time Christmas is over, I wouldn't have much to *un*decorate! :)

[Billie]

Great! Would love to see them, snugs!

[Billie]

I love those cards! Think I still have one from 4 or 5 years ago in some file somewhere! It is just amazing what can be done with computer software and a little imagination and talent!

[Billie]

Beautiful thread and great idea, Billie. I'll try to get something, maybe tomorrow. I'm still working on mine. I'm so sad that I can't get the song to play, even on the new link. Can't get the sound. Oh well, Merry Christmas!

Oh, Nan - hello! Don't know if you're still here, but thank you, and I'm so sorry you still can't hear that song so beautifully sung by Clay Aiken. He has the most amazing voice. Look forward to seeing your Christmas'ing!

[Billie]

Lovely song Billie I have downloaded it

I did, too - makes it easy and convenient to click on it and listen to it any time we want to. :)

[snugs]

The only decoration on my tree that is not chocolate is the fairy.

The fairy is part of the tradition in our family our trees always have one on top are fairies popular in America?

[Billie]

Beautiful thread, Billie! I didn't decorate my apartment this year. I've just been too busy. I will see decorations when I visit my parents though. LOL!

Thanks, tulip - glad you like it. One year I didn't put up a tree, and the BEST part about that year was that I didn't have to take *down* a tree!

[Billie]

The fairy is part of the tradition in our family our trees always have one on top are fairies popular in America?

Well, see I called yours an angel - I guess just naturally because of the wings and because our traditional tree toppers are either angels or stars. (or huge bows that cascade down the tree)