Christmas Countdown - 2008

[clarebear]

I have had a lazy day today, because I have a head cold. I've been cuddled up on the couch most of the day watching dvds, and drinking hot chocolate and hot tea not at the same time of course lol!! Hope I feel better tomoz!

 

[RadioJonD]

Wow, Radio!
You won't believe it, but (inspired by your post) I checked out the web archive site. After just a few clicks, I found the original post (Jan 2, 2004) I made proposing the idea of a season count!
Two posts later, Binger seconded it, and the idea just slowly caught on from there.

http://web.archive.org/web/20040811....jsp?forum=16&thread=1105&start=15&msRange=15

Careful Crown! Archive digging is addictive! I'd hate for you to loose sleep over it!

 

[Crown 84]

Oh, Lord!

 

[mac55]

Just off the island to the west. But I drive most days downtown near the old Port for work.

ML

Are you in Montreal itself??? I lived for 7 years in St Eustache and we go over every 2nd year for Christmas - which techincally should have been this year but with house repairs and the car repairs, we'll be staying here eating toast on Christmas day!!!

 

[AuntieMistletoeDear]

Careful Crown! Archive digging is addictive! I'd hate for you to loose sleep over it!

Digging in my free time provides an uplifting stroll down Christmas.com lane.

Note to self: you haven't dug for a few months. And yes, it is addictive.

***

I went shopping yesterday. I found something that takes longer than picking out special occasion cards - it's called looking for books.

I found myself in the book store at the mall looking for a few Christmas gifts for the younger grandchildren and a special book or two to add to a baby shower gift for a co-worker. What a pleasure it was to come across a little girl of about 2 1/2 years of age filled with the same wonderment for books I had as a child. She and her daddy were beautiful together.

I saw and heard beautiful conversations and interactions with other parent/child relationships. It gladdens my heart to see the love and gentleness. Has anyone else noticed a shift in the way parents and children are interacting these days? I don't see conflicts and negativity as much as I used to when I ventured out to look for Christmas gifts. I take it as a good sign that adults get it. Children are important and they are a gift.

I just had to share my "yes!" moment with you.

laying: Oh yeah, one more thing ... it's snowing outside.

 

[Sparkling Star]

Hi everyone. Hope you are enjoying your weekend, they are
passing all too quickly now as we get closer too Christmas aren't they?

RadioJonD, loved the trip down memory lane and I almost got teary
eyed with nostalgia when you mentioned all the different times we almost
got broken up without a place to call our own. I registered shortly before
Cedar did and hard to believe that much time as passed and I know many
have been around much longer. Just glad we all found a way of connecting back up each time. (Hint....We were Determined!!!).

Auntie, loved the account of your trip to the book store. It is
good to see positive interaction between parents and children these
days. Whenever someone apologizes for bragging about their child I
reassure them that I am VERY happy to hear that rather than to see
someone put down or yell at their child. I too have always had a love
of books and that is one of the most wonderful gifts we can give our
children. My daughter laughed when she got older cause she thought
every child had their own "library" at home like she did.
Sorry I've been missing in action here lately but I went through a
week of pain with a tooth and just got help with the start of a root
canal earlier this week. I pray someday we will all have better dental
coverage included with regular health care. Right now it pays peanuts!

 

[BooksNChristmas]

It's basically a Christmas Bazaar that is held annually at the fairgrounds here. It's a ton of merchants with all sorts of stuff. Handmade items, ALOT of Christmas related items, etc. It has been several years since I last went to it and I just decided this year, "Darn it! I'm going!"

I went to this yesterday and it was great! I was able to find a great ornament for my exchange partner (I know, I know--I'm late!). I'm sending it out on Monday.

I also bought a cute Christmas collar for Alice (my cat). It's red and white plush (it sort of looks like a hair scrunchy) and it has four jingle bells on it. I'm going to officially put it on her when I get the house decorated. I'll be sure to post a pic!

Finally, I bought this wonderful packet of gourmet mulling spices. I love to mix it with hot apple juice or cider--yum!

So all in all, it was a great time. A little crowded, but it really felt like Christmas--especially smells--every good smell of Christmas was there!

:merry:

 

[JOHNOR]

well hello everyone!

hope you all have a nice sunday.

i'm having a lazy one, going to make some real comfort food tonight for dinner - steak pie, mashed potatoes and green beans, yum!

 

[SparkleNana]

There are such beautiful, thoughtful, encouraging post written here.

Good morning friends.

 

[AuntieMistletoeDear]

:hello: That sounds like heaps of fun, Miller4+. Nice to see you again, Sparkling Star.

Last year I added four new gift receivers to my list (they come with the oldest son) and this year I'm adding another one (oldest grandson's girlfriend).
It's a bit of a challenge to pick out things for people I hardly know, but I'm a good shopper. I know I'll pull it off.

I bought a few Christmas books and for my co-worker whose baby shower is coming up next Sunday, I found a beautiful large hard cover lullaby book with a CD and although the baby won't be born until early January, I am sure I'm the first person to give the baby a Christmas book. 'Twas the Night Before Christmas should be a must in every child's home. Hey, I still have my copy.

We have an inch and a half of snow. Not much, but it's clinging to the trees and covering the ground like someone dumped sugar from above.

: Festive Cheers,
A.M.D.

 

[Ms_Speedy_Elf]

Auntie Mistletoe Dear ,in regards to having a hard time knowing what to buy for those that you hardly know ,maybe you could ask the person what kind of thing's they like to do(hobbies/interest's) type of book's they like to read(fiction/non fiction/romance..etc)movies they like .

Not actually ask what they want ,but just ask what they like so you get a general idea .

 

[Holiday]

Well, we hit another milestone so soon after entering the Season! This one is largely overlooked.

On November 15, 2001 a forum came along where a few of us would meet for the first time! Christmas.com was certainly the first Christmas forum for me! Now, I have found evidence suggesting that the C.com forums were around as far back as December 1998. However, the archive links are all dead. These forums or discussion newsgroups looked to be seasonal only. One could subscribe to updates http://tinyurl.com/5fq8q3 From the web site in 1998:

Christmas Interactive
Christmas.com has created a place for you to share your thoughts about Christmas with others from around the world. In participating, please be respectful while keeping in mind the family nature of this site. We reserve the right to cancel any posting in our groups for any reason. Everything is logged. There will be children who will read this as well as adults, so please be mindful of your comments. Enjoy!!

In 2000 there were places to post Christmas messages as articles without the benefit of a reply. http://tinyurl.com/68y6wu

Beginning in 2001 the forums again were brought back in the format of which we would become familiar. Since November 15, 2001 is the earliest date shown with zero posts, I would say that that was the starting point from which some of us began to join. - http://tinyurl.com/5cqbxt

There was a countdown started for the 2002 Season by a member named wishman35. Our own sgrover started a countdown for 2003 - http://tinyurl.com/5zsur7 and our own savingstar (more active at ChristmasTalk) started the 2004 countdown - http://tinyurl.com/64j7on

In 2005 savingstar started another countdown as did Crown 84 shortly thereafter - http://tinyurl.com/6xr7gr Of the two Crown’s survived to the end of the year. This is the format we follow today!

Our last look at Christmas.com before the rug was yanked out from under us is from August 14, 2006 with Crown again taking the helm of the 2006 Countdown Thread – http://tinyurl.com/5brdsv

So, Happy Anniversary you Christmas.comers! Here’s the jumping off point to comb the archives for yourselves! - http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.christmas.com Don’t forget to share what you find!

Of those of us still around, snowberry holds the distinction of being the longest continuous poster! – http://tinyurl.com/3akkha She was there almost from the start!

Some of the others (in no particular order):

snowberry Registered Since Nov 17, 2001 8:01 AM - http://tinyurl.com/67s5lg

Binger Registered Since Dec 15, 2002 7:47 PM - http://tinyurl.com/68ddet

Crown 84 Registered Since Dec 18, 2003 8:07 PM – http://tinyurl.com/6qrjfm

savingstar Registered Since Sep 2, 2002 8:12 AM - http://tinyurl.com/5m4sox

sgrover Registered Since Aug 6, 2002 1:55 PM - http://tinyurl.com/58k2ks

cedarfarm Registered Since Aug, 2005 7:36 AM - http://tinyurl.com/6foy9s

susie_johnnylee Registered Since Aug 1, 2004 11:51 AM - http://tinyurl.com/6qjrne

chillywilly Registered Since Jul 15, 2004 10:54 PM - http://tinyurl.com/6rnaa7

gustavobastos Registered Since Dec 14, 2004 5:52 PM - http://tinyurl.com/69fgu7

gracie Registered Since Feb 11, 2002 7:33 PM - http://tinyurl.com/6zhje9

cherie Registered Since Jan 10, 2004 3:50 PM - http://tinyurl.com/6znyw3

Holiday Registered Since Jul 17, 2002 11:21 AM - http://tinyurl.com/5tqtn3

JayIsh Registered Since Feb 26, 2004 5:28 PM - http://tinyurl.com/5o27wd

lightitup Registered Since Sep 11, 2004 8:09 AM - http://tinyurl.com/5qk48k

Auntie Mistletoe Registered Since Nov 21, 2004 11:44 AM - http://tinyurl.com/6q3e2w

RadioJonD Registered Since Apr 19, 2004 9:05 PM - http://tinyurl.com/297aph

I know I have left some out! I apologize! I didn’t think there was that many of us still here, but there is. To add your Christmas.com profile, find a thread/post with your name on it and click on your name. Add yours to the list!

Some of you I have known four and a half years now! Others I have met there, in between, and here. Thanks for being a great group to hang out with in our corner of the internet World! Ya’ll are the best!

OMG! Thanks RadioJon for taking the time to look all this up! Very interesting! I wish I would have read this yesterday so I would have known to celebrate our anniversary! :smile: Fun stuff!!! Thanks!

 

[Holiday]

It snowed like crazy here yesterday :dance: but it's all gone now! :-( Good thing our friends kids built a snowman in our yard, b/c it's still there ~ Evidence it really did snow yesterday! They are calling for snow all week this week! YAY!!! Bring it on!! :-D

 

[RadioJonD]

OMG! Thanks RadioJon for taking the time to look all this up! Very interesting! I wish I would have read this yesterday so I would have known to celebrate our anniversary! :smile: Fun stuff!!! Thanks!

The anniversary date is subject to change when we locate the "missing" forums! Looks like the forums were completely revamped and put on a dedicated server beginning in 2001; hence the November 21 date.

I've noticed that the deeper I go into the forum archives before 2001, I end up on the current Christmas.com web page.

 

[SparkleNana]

Holiday and RadioJonD -- thanks for the sweet history notes. It helps us newer members appreciate some of what has gone into building this wonderful Christmas place!

 

[RadioJonD]

Holiday and RadioJonD -- thanks for the sweet history notes. It helps us newer members appreciate some of what has gone into building this wonderful Christmas place!

To be sure, the basis for all the Merry Network Christmas forums has been around a long time as well! Jeff's history with Christmas communiqués, first by fax, goes back to the mid to late Nineties! It was kinda like Mr. Westover was just waiting in the wings, tweaking his sites and getting ready for us to land!

Most assuredly Jeff has welcomed us with open arms and made our home(s) the best place to be for the year round Christmas Spirit! He has graciously given space for four other Christmas webmasters to open forums that are part of the Merry Network. Each site has its own unique feel and contains Christmas.com members.

Some of us here travel around to some or all the forums and some of us just stay here. That’s okay! Like Jeff says, the Christmas Spirit is not limited to MMC! I like to keep up with all the sites because of the Christmas.com-ers that landed elsewhere and seldom, if ever, come in here. Even though I wasn’t an early member there, I will always have a special feeling for the first Christmas forum I joined. The members there that welcomed me and the ones I helped welcome before the forums folded are special as well!

Jeff, we are grateful for your insight and foresight in creating/managing our current digs!

 

[niktsak]

almost a month till christmas and here in greece there is no snow at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i just read the post about snowing all day yesterday and i am really jealous of you guys!!!!nevermind i am planning to decorate my christmas tree next week!!!what about you?have you already decorated your tree or your house?

 

[Ms_Speedy_Elf]

Hello Niktsak,by this time next weekend my tree will be up .

 

[niktsak]

hello friend!!!

hello!!nice to meet you!!!!i am happy that you will have a cold winter !!!!i would love if you could sent me some pictures when the snow arrives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!i guess this year here in greece we wont enjoy snow !!!never mind my wishes!!!MERRY CHRISTMAS TO TENNESSEEcheesy:treeguy:!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Crown 84]

Hi, Folks!
Sleepy Crown dragging in late this morning.
(I guess I need Binger and their coffee odor wafting down from Virginia to wake me up!)

Anyhoo, Welcome to Season Day 4.
And it's a bright, sunny one here in Raleigh, now that the rain has passed.

We had tornados to the SE of us yesterday and unfortunately there were 2 fatalities with lots of lost homes.
I recall tornados that struck Raleigh about 25 years ago just a few miles north of my condo which destroyed an entire K-Mart buiding and tore through a neighborhood just to the north of it.
It's just all about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. There's really nothing you can do about it but try to get to a safe area - no way to protect your home and possessions.

Our count continues!:
Days to Christmas Day: 39
Days to Thanksgiving Day: 11 (Wow! So close to single digits!)

Have a Super Sunday, everyone!
Tomorrow starts the last week before Thanksgiving, when we will really move into the heart of the Season.