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!