I Want Christmas Back

Author: Anna  //  Category: Holidays

I WANT CHRISTMAS BACK

*Twas the month before Christmas*

*When all through our land,*

*Not a Christian was praying*

*Nor taking a stand.*

*See the PC Police had taken away,*

*The reason for Christmas – no one could say.*

*The children were told by their schools not to sing,*

*About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.*

*It might hurt people’s feelings, the teachers would say*

* December 25th is just a ‘Holiday’.*

*Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit*

*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*

*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*

*Something was changing, something quite odd! *

*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*

*In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.*

*As Targets were hanging their trees upside down*

* At Lowe’s the word Christmas – was no where to be found.*

*At K-Mart and Staples and Penny’s and Sears*

*You won’t hear the word Christmas; it won’t touch your ears.*

*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-is-ty*

*Are words that were used to intimidate me.*

*Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*

*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!*

*At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter*

*To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.*

*And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith*

* Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*

*The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded*

*The reason for the season, stopped before it started.*

*So as you celebrate ‘Winter Break’ under your ‘Dream Tree’*

*Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.*

*Choose your words carefully, choose what you say*

*Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ,

Not Happy Holiday!*

Please, all Christians join together and

Wish everyone you meet during the

Holidays a

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christ is ‘The Reason’ for the Christ-mas Season!

Remember the Reason for the Season

Author: Anna  //  Category: Family, Holidays

When celebrating Christmas, it is important to take time to remember the reason for the celebration.  When all of the stores and business are taking the Christmas out of the celebrations, something is very wrong.  When we take Christ out of Christmas, we have totally denied the very reason for Christmas.

I think that with the economic stresses we currently have, it is a great time to cut back on our Christmas spending and actually reflect on what Christmas is all about.  Traditions are a good way to make sure that the true meaning is not forgotten. 

We love to have a birthday party for Jesus on Christmas morning with a birthday cake and everything.  Reading the Bible for the Christmas story on Christmas eve is another wonderful tradition that we enjoy.

Unfortunately, I am usually working on Christmas eve, Christmas day, or both since I work at a hospital.  This is something I really dislike.  We try to work our celebration around my schedule which is often difficult at best.

But, we need to remember to be thankful.  As Americans, we need to remember to be thankful for our freedom that we often take for granted.  Our military works round the clock to ensure that we are able to worship and celebrate as we choose.  Remember to pray for our military who are not able to be home with their families during this time of year. <><

Nikon’s All Terrain Binoculars Promotion

Author: Anna  //  Category: Gift Ideas, Holidays, Shopping

For the serious hunter, bright, clear images from a quality pair of Nikon All Terrain Binoculars is a crucial piece of equipment for every hunt.  These binoculars are simply amazing.  They are precision aligned optics for extended viewing.

Nikon’s name and reputation are known far and wide for the superior products they make.  Some of the amazing features of Nikon’s All Terrain Binoculars include:  being 100% waterproof, fog-proof, and shockproof.  These binoculars are also ultra-rugged.  The Nikon All Terrain Binoculars are also very lightweight compared to other binoculars which makes them unique. 

These would make wonderful Christmas gifts for the hunters or outdoors-men you know.  Something to make your gift-giving even better, you will receive a FREE Nikon Pro Gear Promotional Gift Card ($25 or $50) when you purchase an eligible Nikon ATB Binocular from an authorized dealer from now until December 31, 2008. 

Click here to learn more about the Nikon Free ATB Pro Gear just in time for the Christmas shopping season.  You cannot go wrong with these great All Terrain Binoculars Promotion from Nikon. 

Savings Start at Shop.com!

Author: Anna  //  Category: Gift Ideas, Holidays, Shopping

Shop.com is a great way to comparison shop for just about anything you might need.  It is a one stop shopping experience.  Shop.com has tons of my favorite stores with the convenience of one shopping cart, one checkout, and one payment.  This site is able to offer customers the best collections of stores and products at the very best prices.  Shop.com offers coupons for even more savings.  They even have free shipping offers.

The main shopping categories on Shop.com include:  Clothing & Accessories, Cameras & Optics, Shoes, Homes & Houswares, Jewelery & Watches, and Electronics & Computers.  It is easy to virtually shop for millions of different products all from one site and one shopping cart which makes your shopping experience fast and convenient.  With the high gas prices, Shop.com will save you tons on driving from store to store.

One of my favorite shopping categories is Shop.com’s $ave Green Live Green section.   In this section you can make all your Christmas gift giving GREEN! I think this is great.  What better way to help the environment than to make sure all of your gifts are green? They have tons of items to choose from too.  Check out Shop.com for all of your gift giving needs this season!

Labor Day Weekend Symbolic End of Summer

Author: Anna  //  Category: Holidays

The Labor Day holiday originated in 1882.  The Central Labor Union in New York City wanted to create a day off for working citizens.  It was made into a federal holiday in 1894 by Congress and is celebrated in all fifty states. 

Most Americans view Labor Day weekend as the last weekend of summer.  Up until several years ago, schools and colleges did not start the academic year until the day after Labor Day which made knowing when school started up each year much simpler than today.  It used to be viewed as the last chance for a summer getaway prior to the start of school.

Labor Day is celebrated with picnics, cookouts, barbecues, water sports, and fireworks.  It is a time to get together with family and friends to relax.  School aged children enjoy the day off from school. 

However, Labor Day does mark some important sporting events each year.  It is the beginning of football season for the NFL and NCAA.  The NCAA plays their first games during Labor Day weekend, and the NFL usually the Thursday following Labor Day.

I find that Labor Day is a great way to show off favorite recipes and spend times with friends and family.  We usually have a cookout and make home made ice cream. 

This year we are going to try some new recipes to see how everyone likes them…these are what we decided on.

  • Appetizer:

Grilled Shrimp Marinated

1 pound large shrimp (16 – 20)

1/2 cup citrus olive oil 

2 tbs minced red onion

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tbs finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 tbs lemon juice 

metal skewers

salt and freshly ground black pepper

De-vein shrimp.  Put shrimp in a shallow, non-aluminum baking dish.

In a small bowl, whisk together citrus oil, onion, garlic, cilantro, and lemon juice.  Pour over shrimp, cover, and let marinate, refrigerated, 1-4 hours.

Preheat grill.

Thread shrimp on skewers when ready to grill and discard marinade.  Salt and pepper to taste, grill, turning once, until just done, 2-3 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Homemade Salsa & Chips 

Salad:

Marinated Tomatoes (fresh from my garden!!) 

3 tbs chopped fresh parsley

1 tbs sugar

1 1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/1/2 tsp seasoned salt 

1/2 tsp ground pepper

3/4 tsp dried thyme

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2-3 green onions, chopped

4-6 large tomatoes, each cut into 6 wedges

Combine all ingredients but tomatoes in a large measuring cup or mixing bowl.  Whisk well.  Place tomatoes in a resealable plastic bag and pour marinade over.  Marinate at room temperature for up to 2 hours, turning the bag occasionally. 

  • Main Dish:

Basil Grilled Chicken

3/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

4 skinned chicken breast halves

1/4 cup  freshly chopped basil leaves and

2 tbs freshly minced basil leaves

 1/3 cup butter, melted, plus 1 stick butter at room temp

1 tbs grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper
 

Heat grill.

Press coarsely ground pepper into the meaty side of chicken breast halves.  Stir chopped basil into the melted butter.  Brush the chicken lightly with this mixture.  In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, minced basil, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Beat at low speed with electric mixer until smoothly blended.  Transfer to a small serving bowl; set aside.

Grill the chicken over medium heat for 8-10 minutes on each side, basting frequently with the remaining melted butter mixture.

Serve the grilled chicken with the basil-butter mixture. 

Recipes courtesy of http://www.foodnetwork.com

Enjoy your Labor Day activities!