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.

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

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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!

[Billie]

Oh, I see you arrived yesterday evening after I left - didn't get back to say hello to you. :(

You know I love to *do* the pictures! :)

[Billie]

Noosie, your Christmas Village is BEAUTIFUL! I'm sorry I missed you last night. Thank you so much for posting this - you have probably had it in your family for a long time, too?

Hope the two of you will save some of your Christmas *stuff* to share on Tuesday with your beautiful Christmas tables.

[Billie]

I LOVE the Teddy Bear display! See this, Lori?

[Billie]

I'm realizing from all your pictures, Billie, that you live in a mansion.

Not at all, but if we love our homes, we all live in a mansion, and nobody's is any bigger, or any prettier, or any better.... just different. :)

[Billie]

Thank you!!! I bet they are really fun to see at night when they are all lit up with Christmas lights and decorations!

[Billie]

At the same time I made Snoopy on top of his doghouse and Woodstock, plus several other characters. They have all fallen apart over the years, but Santa keeps on singing.

You did a fantastic job with Santa and the Snowwoman, Nan. They've really stayed in great shape for that many years - you haven't had to retouch them or anything?

[Pistov Elf]

[Billie]

I always want to ask "How long did you know that Christmas is coming?"LOL.

I better hurry up and get finished with mine, hadn't I? :)

[Billie]

First of all, I turned off the flash. Then I place a floor lamp off to the right side with 3 60 watt bulbs glowing and snapped the picture. I tried my camera (Kodak digital) on 'auto' and 'landscape' settings and chose the best pic out of 4 pictures taken.

Thank you for the tip on how to photograph Christmas lights, etc. without having all the trappings of a professional photographer! Louie was trying to tell me how to set the shutter speed on my digital, but I don't think I have that option. Maybe the extra 60 watt bulbs would work - I *can* turn the flash off mine. :)

[Billie]

What Christmas would be complete without a Christmas program Hark - The Herald Angel?

Wouldn't be complete without it! Thanks for the sweet pic of Christian in the Christmas play. :)

[Billie]

Thank you for the Christmas Story, and the beautiful little girl - she matches my snowy background perfectly!!!

[VOA]

bump

[Billie]

I think this should be a *required* post every Sunday. ;)

[Billie]

LOL! Love your new "logo"!

[Diver Dave]

Everyone's home looks so special all decorated - wolfie caught the bug. : )

And you did a terrific job with the decorating.

Howdy, Louie.

Gonna spend the afternoon watching some football - Go Seahawks!!!

[.30Carbine]

I positively LOVE that song, "Mary, did you know?"

Thank you. Thank you all (all you hostesses!), always, because even though I hardly ever post to the thread, I read every ping that I receive!

[luvie]

It would give me great pleasure to post this every Sunday. It is a beautiful song.

[Billie]

This is from dutchess - sent to me in email last week. I thought she would be here to post it on the thread, but since she hasn't yet, I'll do it for her because it's kind of special. :) (Her remarks are below)

This is from last year. The only significance...this tree is made up of ornaments gathered through the years. The paw print near the top from our "dutchess". I made these the first year Jerry and I were married... He was in college, we were dirt poor and dutchess was a trooper. That was each families "big gift" lol! That was in 1975. We also had one for us which ended up molding and falling apart many years ago but my one cousin still had this and our best present ever was when he gave it back to use a few years ago. The wood cross was given to us from a special godchild as she was going through a "religious conversion. Most the others are from trips.

Also, my godmother bought us an ornament every Christmas from the year we were married (the Hallmark type with the year) It makes putting the tree up each year very special and sentimental.

[Pistov Elf]

Billie to Wolfie: LOL! Love your new "logo"!

=====

Harrumph!! Oh sure! Love the Logo, but not the Big Bad! Besides he has artistic talent for drawing like you do... Me...I'm only good at the shovel! Huh!! Dagnabit! COMET! VIXEN!!...I just finished cleaning that stall!

As ever,

Pistov

[Billie]

Thank you, Carbine. I'm so glad you posted. I'm still playing the song today. I posted it with the thread and no one could open the link. GodBlessUSA was generous enough to upload it for us so that everyone could enjoy it.