FLASHBACK sometime after 1965

"hark the herald angels sing...."
i can't really tell you how old i was the very first time i watched "a charlie brown christmas", i can just tell you i have watched it every single year since. it just cannot be christmas without it. you can watch all the rudolph and frosty and grinch and shrek you want...if you haven't watched charlie brown, you don't really know what christmas is all about. 47 years after it originally aired, i still get teary~eyed when linus takes that stage and says "and there were, in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. and lo, the angel of the lord came upon them, and the glory of the lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. and the angel said unto them, 'fear not: for behold, i bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. for unto you is born this day in the city of david a savior, which is christ the lord. and this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising god, and saying, 'glory to god in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.' that's what christmas is all about, charlie brown." 
*a few things to note next time you watch "charlie brown christmas", and the bk knows because i point them out every year: linus never ever lets go of his security blanket, EXCEPT at the very moment he says "fear not: for behold, i bring you good tidings of great joy"; lucy always calls charlie brown by his full name, EXCEPT right before her rant about christmas being a commercial racket...she just calls him charlie then; pay attention when they are singing "hark the herald angels sing"...#1~all the characters take deep breaths while singing and #2~dirt flies every time pig pen takes a deep breath.

FLASH FORWARD today
i still watch "charlie brown christmas"...and still point out everything i notice even if the bk heard it last year...and the year before that...and the year before that...and the year before that, but i have added a slew of must~watches. so, what other specials and movies make my holiday perfect, you ask? here's my top 10 (in no particular order):

1. a christmas carol (1938): you can catch it on turner classic movies and it will always be my very favorite. it's, obviously, black and white, and a little cheesy. but i dare you not to get choked up when black and white tiny tim says "god bless us, everyone".
2. it's a wonderful life (1946): i know...i know...it makes everybody's list at christmas, but, did you know that it was a flop when it was originally released?
3. a christmas story (1983): everybody loves this movie. EVERYBODY. LOVES. this movie. fun fact? ralphie says he wants a red ryder bb gun 28 times.
4. elf (2003): "the best way to spread christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear". and that's all i have to say about that.
5. scrooged (1988): because nothing says "christmas" like bill murray acting like an a$$ and being terrorized by buster poindexter, carol kane, and bobcat goldthwait.
6. home alone  and home alone 2 (1990 and 1992): because macauley culkin is super cute and joe pesci is hilarious.
7. the santa clause movies (1994, 2002, 2006): don't judge me...
8. miracle on 34th street (1947): watch the original...the santa is better. trust me. 
9. christmas vacation (1989): clark griswold reminds me of my dad...he tries to make everything, from vacations to christmas, perfect. and my dad takes great pride in his holiday decorations. 
10. nightmare before christmas (1993): tim burton. that is all. 

of course, i will be watching all of the specials. rudolph the red~nosed reindeer. frosty the snowman. and anything that comes on abc family's 25 days of christmas...bring some popcorn (i'll provide the hot chocolate) and join me?

                         

FLASHBACK thanksgiving 2011

"turkey lurkey dee and turkey lurkey doo...i eat turkey in a big brown shoe"
the bk and i decide we can't go home for thanksgiving. it's all good...we'll cook our own thanksgiving dinner and have plenty of leftovers! turkey...dressing...sweet potatoes...green bean casserole...pumpkin pie. more food than any two people could ever eat in a month. EVER. by monday, we swear we never want to see another turkey. ever. again.
FLASH FORWARD today
today is throw out your leftovers day. even though thanksgiving was EXACTLY one week ago, many of you, probably, have leftover turkey and dressing lurking in the back of your fridge. you probably nibbled on it the entire weekend and craved pizza on monday. you had turkey sandwiches...turkey pot pies...turkey soup. you ate entire birthday pumpkin pies. or maybe that was just me? *note: i don't get birthday cake...i always get birthday pumpkin pie, and this year i didn't even have to share with anyone. except the bk did get two pieces* anyhow, 7 days is FAR too long to be enjoying that turkey salad. the mayo clinic recommends tossing leftovers after 4 days to avoid food borne illness. according to the cdc,  1 in 6 people (that's 48 million!!) get sick and 3000 people die from food borne illnesses each year. so how do you protect yourself? follow these tips:

• toss leftovers after 4 days
• immediately freeze any leftovers you KNOW you won't eat right away
• don't let perishable foods (meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs) sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours
• eat or refrigerate uncooked foods promptly
• heat leftovers on stove, in oven, or in microwave until internal temp reaches 165 degrees
• remember: when in doubt throw it out

           

                                      

FLASHBACK 1986

"making christmas...making christmas...la la laaaa...."
my first christmas as a grown~up. finally!! i get to decorate the way I want. we can't afford a big, beautiful tree...so a 4 foot artificial tree it is. i get all new decorations. no traditional christmas colors for this gal. peach and gray balls. peach and gray ribbons. peach flowers everywhere. that tree looked as if it threw up peaches. bleck!!
FLASH FORWARD christmas 1987~2008
my parent's have been getting me a hallmark ornament, each year, for simply ever. i have a great little collection. now they are getting them for my boys. they put lots of thought into their choice for each person. and the boys are excited to see what they will get (they still are...they were extremely upset the one year the grandparents thought they should stop!). it was getting out of control...enough ornaments to fill two trees...but, fortunately, most hallmark ornaments are self~standing and can be set around the house (i stick them in odd little nooks you would never expect to see a touch of christmas).
FLASH FORWARD 2009
during the divorce, i went thru all the christmas decorations. i gave each boy a bag full of the ornaments they had been given over their 19~22 christmases. then, i equally divided the rest between me and the ex. in a matter of an hour, i went from two trees full of ornaments to barely enough for one! ack! the bk and i don't need the hallmark ornaments this year...we have a vintage aluminum tree passed down from his grandmother (it is carefully wrapped in newspaper from 1963).
FLASH FORWARD today
the bk and i are busy bees...getting our new place ready for the holiday. a new, pre~lit, slimmer tree sits in our front window. why not the aluminum tree? it's huge! and would require us to move all the furniture out of our front room...where would we sit? why not live? too much trouble to get it up...and then back down...the stairs to our upstairs nest. plus, it's better for the environment to leave the trees in the ground...right? right. 8 stockings line our mantle. yes. i said 8 stockings. even though the 6 kids we have, between us, are grown...and a traditional christmas morning is just us (and the dog. and the cat)...we hang their stockings, from oldest to youngest, and fill them with silly stocking stuffers (slinkies and mt dew flavored chapstick, anyone?). the skeletons have their santa hats on...yep. you heard right. and the hallmark ornaments? they are adorning our new tree...and the fireplace...and any other spot i can find for them...

     

^2010...we went for the live version^

         

^everyone gets in the spirit^