[Billie]

[Billie]

Good morning! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!

[Mudboy Slim]

"Why are you giving me a bath? I don't need no d**m bath."

A man of my own heart...I like yer Uncle John, my FRiend...MUD

[FreeTheHostages]

I *love* Ave Maria.

[Fiddlstix]

Be sure and
Click the Pics
J

Click Here for Christmas Graphics J

[dansangel]

Billie and my finest sistahs! Good morning and good Monday cheer.

WVNana; Pippin; JustAmy; Diver Dave; Aquamarine; St.Louie1: Thank-you so much for sharing your memories with us. (PS...Louie, I just LOVE a wolf in a santa hat!) :-)

Billie: excellent job on the graphics and layout. So pretty to look at and so much fun to read!

I'm afraid I'll be pretty scarce today. Am dealing with a wonker of a head-cold I woke up to on Saturday. I need to be all recuperated by 2 a.m. sharp THIS Saturday!

Bio-hazard {{{{{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} to all!

[Billie]

Some belated Happy FReeper Anniversary Wishes to you three! I missed the anniversaries on 'your days. : (

Happy Anniversary, RonDog, December 6th!

Happy Anniversary, Texaggie79, December 12th!

Happy Anniversary, Aeronaut, December 13th!

[The Thin Man]

Excellent presentations, all! For a second it appeared it might end on a down note but fortunately Louie's cat was ok. :-)

[Diver Dave]

Mornin' Billie. Great job with the presentation this morning. The stories, the graphics and the time you spent putting it all together is appreciated. Thanks.

Here's to you, Billie...

Atta Girl, Billie!

[SpookBrat]

What a sweet thread. I enjoyed reading the memories of everyone.

Gosh, now it's making me remember so many things about Christmas. I miss my grandmother and my great grandmother now. We had so much fun when I was young. I miss my grandmother's cheesy Christmas gifts. They were so goofy. We would all get a big laugh every Christmas. Now I miss them more than anything.

I remember being a little kid and my dad told me to stick my head out the door to hear Santa coming. I heard bells outside, looked around the living room and both my parents where there, so I knew it couldn't be one of them. I shot off to bed and from that time on, I always believed in Santa Claus. He had to be real. Who else could have been jingling bells outside? LOL

My favorite Christmas memory is eating Christmas dinner at McDonalds in Istanbul, Turkey in 1986. We were so homesick for a good hamburger. It was the best Christmas dinner I ever ate.

Aqua, you are beautiful. This is the first time I've seen you. :)

This song is from Meek, my beloved friend. Enjoy your Jim Reeves. :) Much love to Ming from me.

<------click on the picture

[ru4liberty]

Billie, terrific thread and you did a fabulous job of putting it together! Applause!!! Applause!!!

[EternalVigilance]

Lots of smiles provided here this morning! Thank you!

[Mo1]

Thanks for those wonderful stories .. Things around my house can become very hectic and it's nice to be reminded of how wonderful Christmas can be

{{{HUGS}}}

[FreeTheHostages]

Somewhere, floating around in one of the Tin Cans of the Seventh Fleet is a section of steel pipe with candy cane stripes.

Perhaps a ship that is going to bring a little Christmas to Iraq!

[knighthawk]

Hey, how is it going!

[Diver Dave]

Afternoon. Babysitting is over for today so now's a good time to jump back into the conversations before working on my other 'stuff.'

This is a great mix of stories today in the opener, but the added stories from everyone else make it really special - Just like the Christmas season.

Nan and Amy brought to us the importance of shared family experiences and continuing traditions.

Pippin's testimony of her deep commitment to her faith and church is itself worthy of praise.

Aqua's recipes have started my stomach growling for something to eat beyond a bologna sandwich.

Louie's cat tales are worthy of publication in Reader's Digest.

That Christmas I was overseas, my mother-in-law enclosed in an envelope, a small pine cone from their Christmas tree. It even had the aroma and sticky pitch from that fir tree.

One of my aunts sent a "care package" loaded with home-made cookies and candies. Somewhere along the line of transit, some ants had invaded the package. Didn't bother me - I just carefully brushed them off and ate the goodies. Those that were missed just added a little protein to my diet.

I'll be away for a while. I'm making a video tape to send to Mom for Christmas loaded with pictures of her grand-daughters and great-grandsons.

I hope you all enjoy reading through this thread as much as I am. May God Bless each and every one.

[ladyinred]

After several weeks of computer problems, the AT&T serviceman just left our house. I had nagged Chadsworth over and over about calling them, but he kept thinking he could deal with it himself! :>) We just got a new modem installed by AT&T, so hopefully the problems are finally gone!

I decided to jump on FR and see if I could actually stay online and the first think I see is this wonderful thread! What a wonderful idea, and how I enjoyed reading the Christmas memories of each of you!
Louie, louie, louie, of course you would tell some outrageous story about your antics! LOL! What a character you are, and I see have always been!

Merry Christmas to all of the finest here!

[Salvation]

i love all your Christmas stories.

Here is another one about wartime at Christmas that I got in an email today.

Salvation


WHAT WE REALLY WANT

What do you really want for the holidays?

USA Today printed these letters from children written to Santa Claus
and directed to the US Post Office:

Dear Santa: The only wish I want is to have a nice Christmas for my
little brothers. We don't have the money to put nothing under the tree
because of welfare. Please help. There are five kids and it's hard for
Mom. - Lisa

Dear Santa: I want to help the kids that don't get anything for
Christmas. It is real important to me. I don't want just to help in
the United States but all over the world. - Austin

Dear Santa: We will give you lots of goodies. One present is to find
my dog Boom Boom. - Joni

Dear Santa: This Christmas I would like four things. Understanding for
the children. Respect for the parents. Love for the elders and peace
for everyone. - Rebecca

What these children really want runs deeper than the latest toy fad or
a new outfit. I believe they want what we all want, when we get down
to it.

I'm reminded of a story that comes out of World War I. It was December
25, 1917. Only a short distance of mud separated two enemy trenches -
German and American. They had been shooting at each other for days,
but today their thoughts turned to hearth and home.

Suddenly, a German soldier laid down his rifle, pulled a block of
chocolate from his pocket, and tossed it into the American trench. In
response an American tossed over a can of milk. Soon gifts were being
passed back and forth, and the men were both laughing and weeping.

Peace was what they really wanted at that sacred time of the year.
They wanted the war to be over and to be home. They wanted to quit the
fighting and violence and live in harmony. What they really wanted was
what we all want.

I'll never stop believing that it can be so.

[Dubya]

Veterans, Atheists Rally For and Against Ten Commandments Display

Veterans and atheists are converging on Montgomery, Ala., Monday, hoping to rally their respective supporters over the display of the Ten Commandments at the state courthouse.

The group American Veterans In Domestic Defense (AVIDD) and the Alabama chapter of the American Atheists are planning competing rallies in support of and in opposition to a federal court ruling that ordered Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore to remove the Ten Commandments monument from a government building within 30 days.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"This is from me to those that have not written yet, please write, use it,
tell about your family, your hobbies, how the weather is, what are you planning for the holidays.
Tell a funny thing that happened, send a joke anything. Tell about your pets and kids.
We miss home and it means a lot to hear from everyone."

From a US Marine's e-mail

The USO Canteen Post Office

E-Mail Our Military Links To enter, Click on the Post Office Please stop in the USO Canteen Post Office Daily to E-Mail our Troops.