The Photo-a-Day Challenge Continues on into Part Four!

Day Sixteen - Outside Christmas Lights -- One thing that I love about Christmastime is all the variety of decorations. Our family has a tradition of riding around to multiple neighborhoods, towns and cities and viewing everyone's decorations. Our first stop this year was over in the Historic Oakwood neighborhood in downtown Raleigh. These older, rustic homes are always lovely to view and a place that I always want to see every year. I never understood why I wanted to go there every year, but Mom made the comment while we were riding around that when I was just a month old, one of the first places they brought me to view Christmas lights was in Oakwood. I thought that was very neat and maybe why I like to go there so much! It is so amazing to see how the variety of outdoor decorations have evolved over the past few years. I cannot wait until we go out again this weekend and look at more areas and their light displays! (And yes, I realize I posted more than ONE photo for Day Sixteen!)

Day Seventeen -- Presents -- My motto has always been (as it should be for most) that is is better to give than to receive. Yet, of course, we all do love to receive presents, who doesn't? Under our tree already, even back in November, we already had a few presents piling up. As a kid, you used to get a ton of presents, but as we get older, we realize that either we can already buy what we want or just don't need as much as we used to think we did. But no matter what we receive this year, we should always be thankful. Even if you get something you may not 100% like, don't gripe and complain because someone put some time and thought into pondering your gift, be appreciative of them even thinking about you in the first place!

Day Eighteen -- Stockings -- Yes, so I cheated on the "stockings" picture. Sure I could've taken a picture of Mom's lovely nutcracker themed stockings that she has so wonderfully hanging on our mantle at home. But no, I decided I would just take a picture of some that were on sale in a store. I hope this Christmas that everyone finds some wonderful treasures hidding in their stockings!

Day Nineteen - Candy Cane -- A feature that we see on most any store shelf this time of year are Candy Canes. It is amazing to see how many different kinds and flavors of Candy Canes exist these days. But, personally, I still love the "original" candy canes or else the cherry-flavored ones. Here Mom had her Candy Canes displayed in a votive with the angel watching over them!

Day Twenty -- Tree Topper -- We may be one of the only families who does not have an actual topper on our Christmas tree. Most people have angels or stars or something; but we have some gold, glittery leaves sticking up at the top. But that does not compare to the awesome original tree topper that is already placed up in this tree that I pass each day on the way to work -- mistletoe! A holiday original just waiting for the right couple to pass underneath!

Foto al giorno, terza parte

Day Eleven - Green -- There are plenty of things "green" to associate with Christmas -- wreaths, holly, Christmas trees, etc. On the other hand, I associated an iradescent green glow from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's concert in "Green"sboro, North Carolina. If you haven't seen the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in concert before, you must definitely go see them. They are truly amazing! The first half of their performance is typically a Christmas narration accompanied with music; the second half is a musical performance. Be prepared for all sorts of lights, lasers, smoke, fire and just an overall unique experience that should be a holiday tradition!

Day Twelve -- A Beautiful Sight -- I really, really struggled with what I wanted to list as "A Beautiful Sight" for my entry. There are so many things I wanted to choose from and some that would have made absolutely no sense to anyone but me, and in reality, even this picture probably makes sense to no one but me! On Day Twelve (Wednesday the 12th), my friend Wanda & I went down to see the Meadow Lights display in Meadow, North Carolina. They have a wide variety of beautiful Christmas lights and displays, but the most beautiful sight to me is the Meadow Lights General Store. The General Store is filled with all sorts of candies, more than you can even imagine. My ultimate favorite is the Redbird flavored stick candies. These have been a favorite of mine since I was a child, yet sadly, they are becoming harder and harder to find. Meadow is one place we can always find them, and of course, we stock up during the holidays! So yes, while it is a random photo, the stick candy is a beautiful sight to see!

Day Thirteen - Family -- During the holidays, one thing that always stands out is the time that we spend with our family. Some people travel many miles to come home at Christmas to their families; luckily for me, I really just have to go "over the river and thru the woods" (sort of) to Grandpa's house I go! Family gatherings have always been a tradition in our family. On Christmas Day, we typically go to Grandpa's and have a big meal before coming back home to spend Christmas there. Recently, Mom decided to turn one of her entire walls into a "family" themed wall. I tried to take a picture of the whole wall, but it didn't work. I actually really like the idea and as the family grows, she will continue to add to the "family wall".

Day Fourteen - Christmas Tree -- Oh, Christmas Tree, where art thou? Mom is still mad at me for taking this picture without turning on the lights, but everytime I tried to take a picture with the lights turned on, it would blur and I could not get a clear snap of our Christmas tree. Our Christmas tree is a pencil tree with white lights and of course, Mom's "Nutcracker" theme is prevalent with ornaments and actual mini-nutcrackers aligning the Christmas tree. As a kid, I used to love laughing beneath the tree and just looking up into the lights and day-dreaming. I don't know what is so special about a Christmas tree, but it is comforting and relaxing to just sit and stare at them for hours. I haven't ever had a real tree (that I can recall), but I love the aroma that exudes from a real Frasier Fir; but for now, I will continue to enjoy the tree with have and may it continue to bring us great cheer throughout the many years to come.

Day Fifteen -- Favorite Holiday Song -- This day was sheer torture for me, ha! For those of you who know me well, know that I start listening to Christmas music around July. Maybe not all the time, but I do start to listen to it more. Quite honestly, I could listen to Christmas music all year long. I absolutely love Christmas music! It is insanely hard for me to narrow down my favorite tunes to just one in particular. So on this day, I decided that while I was out and about, as songs that I particularly enjoyed, came on the radio, I would take a snap of them. These are a few of my favorites that came on, but believe me, there are three that I can think of that would outrank all of these: Dolly Parton's "Hard Candy Christmas"; Andy Williams' "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"; and Johnny Mathis' "Sleigh Ride". If I had to pick my ultimate favorites, those three would be at the top of the list! So make sure to spread some extra cheer and listen to some wonderful tunes during this holiday season and maybe in July, when you get that slight buzz for Christmas, put on some tunes and enjoy!

Dicembre, Parte Seconda

This "Photo-A-Day" Challenge is proving to be quite fun to me; although I am still lacking in the super-creative entries. However,I am hoping to find a couple down the road that may be inspiring. But, who knows, maybe this will become a new challenge for me to do monthly or so! Now, where did we leave off for December -- oh yes, Day Six!

Day Six - Shopping -- In a way, this shopping entry proved a little bit difficult to do since most of the shopping I have done this year has all been online, courtesy of Kohls, Lifeway, Miche, eBay, Amazon, Yankee Candle, oh where else -- many others! But each year, I have to take an adventure to Target to buy Mom a "yearly" themed nutcracker. I saw this adorable Army nutcracker who was just begging to have his picture made. While, I did not buy Mom this nutcracker, as we already have a few military ones in our nutcracker arsenal, it did remind me that while we are here in America free to do our shopping, we often forget about those men & women who are overseas serving our country. God bless our troops at home and abroad. If it weren't for our military, past and present members, there is no telling what shape our nation would be in nor whether we would be able to celebrate Christmas at all. I am so very grateful for each of you who have sacrificed so much for our country. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. If I had the money, I would go shopping and buy each of you something, but hopefully my gratitude will suffice for now!

Day Seven - Bright -- It was quite humorous to look on Insta-gram and view the variety of postings for the word "bright". Many chose lights or ornaments or something of that sort; and then there was my post ... Krispy Kreme doughnuts!?!?!?! Don't you recall that line of the Christmas song that says "may your days be merry and bright"? Well how does one make my day both merry and bright? Bringing me Krispy Kreme doughnuts -- one of my ultimate weaknesses. When I was little, we only ate Krispy Kreme doughnuts at Christmas time. We would ride around looking at Christmas lights in various towns, but we always made a stop in downtown Raleigh at the "original" Krispy Kreme on Peace Street. We would buy our doughnuts and ride thru historic Oakwood and other locations in Raleigh all-the-while eating Krispy Kreme doughnuts, yummmmmy!! Now that I am older (and maybe wiser -- or maybe not!) I have realized that it really never was that far from my house to the Krispy Kreme, so off I'll trek to the "KK" quite often. Thankfully on Day Seven of the Photo-A-Day Challenge as I was sitting and pondering what to do for my "bright" entry (aside from taking a picture of a brightly colored post-it note), my co-worker & friend, Patti brought me not only my favorite kinds of doughnuts but also a KK calendar with coupons for 2013. Yes, my day was very merry and bright from then on! Thanks, Patti!

Day Eight - Ornaments -- It is absolutely amazing the variety of Christmas ornaments that exist in today's world. You can literally find an ornament for just about anything -- sports, hunting/fishing, TV/Movies, cities, people, cartoons, etc. It's almost hard to find "traditional" ornaments of just one kind. But I love color and recently I found the "wall of ornaments" full of shapes, sizes and of course lots of color! I just couldn't resist snapping a picture of the "wall of color" too bad I couldn't capture the entire wall!

Day Nine - Something You're Reading -- I am always in the process of reading something; whether it's something online, a book, the newspaper, a magazine -- you name it, I'm usually reading something. And sure enough, Sunday (Day 9) I took my Firebird out on a stroll and decided to take it to get a bath. So while I'm sitting in the car wash, what did I decide to do? Start reading my book! My newest read is "Hidden Threat" by A.J. Tata. It is the third book in the "Threat Series" which centers around the Garrett brothers and their service to America. The first two books were very capitvating and action-packed; this third book is a bit more subdued but still nonetheless it leaves you wondering what will happen next. I really recommend that everyone should read the entire "Threat Series" as it opens your mind to a lot of "what-ifs" and lets your mind explore. I had the opportunity to meet the author, and he is a top-notch person. He served our country in the U.S. Army before working in the public sector. I am grateful for his service to our country and my state, as well! Who ever would've thought he was such an amazing author, as well.

Day Ten - Wrapping Paper -- Similarly, as with the ornaments, it is so amazing to see the variety of wrapping paper that exists today. Gone are the days of using newspaper and brown sacks to wrap boxes (although sometimes we still will do that). But when I was out the other day, I just stopped and stared at the hundreds of wrapping paper options to choose from. It really makes it hard to choose just one when there are fifteen that you like. I ended up settling for black paper with colored lights (go figure, right?!?) But isn't it amazing that we take time to pick out the paper and carefully package the gifts and make the present look so decorative, but then in five seconds the box is tore all to pieces and the paper is thrown across the room. In some ways, it almost is like "what's the point" to even buy the paper, but at least it makes the gifts look nice while sitting under the glittering tree.

It's a Challenge!!

Those of you who know me, know that occasionally, I enjoy a challenge or two, except when it comes to losing weight 'cause I never can stick to a weight loss challenge very long before some type of food starts calling my name! Well, in the past few days I saw thru Insta-gram a new kind of challenge that I thought would be neat to try. It's called the 31 Day Photo Challenge. Each day, you are given a "topic" and each day you are to take a picture that coincides with that topic and post to Insta-gram. Well, while that is a really neat idea, I thought it would also be cool to share those pictures on my blog with a little bit of a more indepth explanation pertaining to each picture. Rather than doing all 31 at a time or one per day, I figured I would do them in segments of fives...so here goes!

Day One - Your View Today -- Saturday, December 1st, my Dad & I went on an adventure through our woods and ventured over into the neighbors' properties. One of our neighbors has started selling a lot of their timber, and beside them the neighbors just sold their land altogether so now there is a Walgreens and Sheetz popping up. But while we were venturing into the area where the timber was cut down, we found the remains of this old car. The engine and everything is still intact; it was quite a spectacle. I told Dad it would be a nice restoration, but buddy it would take the work and Lord knows that he & I are not "restoration material". So we let it be, but I thought it was a very nice "view" for the day; at least compared to all the chopped down trees that looked like the aftermath of a tornado!

Day Two - Favorite Holiday Movie -- Wow, I love all sorts of Christmas movies and TV shows. But overall, even though it may not specifically be a movie about Christmas per se, it always comes on Christmas Eve or even Christmas Day, and it has been a favorite of mine since I was a child -- The Sound of Music. There's just something about Julie Andrews singing "My Favorite Things" that keeps the spirit of Christmas flowing. When I was little, I did not ever realize the true love story that the movie told; I just was carried away with all the kids, how they could sing and the huge house they lived in. To this day, I still cry when Maria leaves and returns to the convent and cry again when she returns. It is such a shame that movies of this calibre aren't even produced anymore. The Sound of Music is one classic that I will always watch at Christmastime and many other times throughout the year.

Day Three - Red -- How appropriate that one of the topics of the challenge also coincides with one of my favorite colors, RED! All things red, right? Not necessarily, ha! Why do I like red so much? Hmm...I don't know. My Granny, Louise Foster, always said red was her favorite color; she always wore red polo-like shirts, I can remember them so vividly, and as a child, I decided if Granny liked red, then it must be a good color! Of course, NC State's color is also red and it never hurts to occasionally be team-spirited and wear your colors! Just like Vanilla & I are doing in this picture -- wearing our red! But overall, I just like red -- it symbolizes love but more importantly it symbolizes the blood that was shed for us on Calvary's cross. That in and of itself is the greatest love gift to us all.

Day Four - Joyous -- Hmm...we have plenty of things to be joyful about, and we all have joyous occasions that we celebrate in our lives. Initially I thought about finding a really cute decorative "joy" saying and then handwrite a note of "ous" to add to the end, but in the end, I elected to go with this picture. Sure it was taken back in October, but what a joyous memory that I like to replay. I have always dreamed of having a blue ribbon from the NC State Fair, and when I walked into the Hobbies & Crafts Building that day and saw that I had won one, I could not believe it. I had to leave the building and come back in as tears were welling up in my eyes. Later, the reality hit me and I not only realized that I won a blue ribbon, but I won it on a very special tribute piece for my Granddad, Bill Foster. He was one of the most humble and sincere men you would have ever met. I never recall him ever having an angry word or negative thing to say. He would greet you with that special small smile and you just felt that everything was going to be okay. I always wanted to help him "fix things"; I used to think of him as Mr. Fix-It-Man, so I was Fix-It-Jr. My Granny & Aunt were always applauded for their cooking and things they did in the community; whereas Granddad was always doing things under-the-radar. So I decided to do a scrapbook tribute page for his military career and enter it in the Fair. Little did I know I would win, muchless win First Place. Such an honor, he would be so excited, and what a joyous celebration!

Day Five - Today's Temperature -- What a rollercoaster range of temperatures we are having here in "Sweet Caroline". One week it's highs in the 40s, then the 50s, then maybe up to the 60s and drops immediately back. This week we have had some abnormal temperatures with highs well into the 70s -- that's my kind of weather! Yesterday, Wednesday, December 5th, we had temperatures in the mid 60s. I took this screencap on my phone during the early morning when we were already in the 60s before noon! I wanted to be creative and find one of those bank signs that broadcasts the current temperature, but sadly those seem to be vanishing from our landscapes. This weather is not helping those who are currently fighting bugs -- yesterday in the 60s, today in the 40s. The temperatures sure are flip-flopping, but it's not the day to wear flip-flops!