"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
John 3:16 -
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." CHRISTMAS EVE PRAYER: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men". Luke 2:14 (KJV)
Mango Hill -
Mango Hill is the name of a farm in a series of 10 children's books by Diana Hansen-Young. The books are about the fictional adventures of the animals that lived at Mango Hill. Diana Hansen-Young is an American artist and playwright. Shown in the photo above is a plaque featuring one of her many unique paintings and drawings. Inspired by the color and warmth of the islands, she made her home in Hawaii for many years. Her family lived on a farm in Kahalu'u on the island of Oahu. They had many pets (horses, dogs, cats, chickens and peacocks), and the farm became known as a home for stray or unwanted animals. Roosters who had lost fights were left at the farm, and an orphaned mongoose was once lowered over the fence in a cat carrier. These special animals inevitably became inspiration for Diana's lovable Mango Hill characters. One of these characters, a lady bunny rabbit, is shown above enjoying a golf outing day in Hawaii! Merry Christmas Brady Bunch Style! Design your own Brady-Bunch Christmas Card here. Just replace with your own photos on the block grid. (You can also change the name & greeting message.) Enjoy! allisonswonders at zazzle.com Magical & Mesmerizing In the 1970's, it was all about the colors and the lights! This golden star tree-topper flickered red, gold, and green from a revolving light behind a pebbled-glass lens. As the light inside the faceted globe turned around, it made colorful shapes and patterns on the wall. It was like a 'disco-ball' for your Christmas Tree! And, of course, it topped the everlasting fake tree: After all, it was the era of plastic and polyester... Merry 70's Christmas!! These trees are so pretty, and can be decorated in many different colors and finishes Ceramic Christmas Trees became very popular in the 1970's, as did many other ceramic crafts. It's fun to paint and decorate your own (we did!), but they're also available finished. A lighted ceramic Christmas Tree adds a warm glow to your holiday table, and makes a nice nightlight, too! We had two of these in our home, and we always knew it was the holidays when Mom brought these out. HAPPY CHRISTMAS MEMORIES! Roasting Chestnuts "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire"... This classic Christmas song recalls that sentimental and nostalgic feeling of the holiday season. You'll always know the holidays have arrived when the Roasted Chestnuts come out - so tasty & good! Introduce your loved ones this holiday season to roasting savory chestnuts over a fireplace or campfire. Recapture the magic of years gone by with this fun - and tasty - holiday family tradition recipe: HOW TO ROAST CHESTNUT OVER OPEN FIRE:
ROASTING CHESTNUTS IS A GREAT NOVELTY TRADITION FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON - Papaw's Tin Cup My Papaw used to have a Tin Cup that he would use at a water spigot that stuck up out of the ground on the hill above his house in the countryside of West Virginia. This spigot was fed by an underground spring just a little further up the hill. The tin cup would hang on the faucet, ready for any who were thirsty. This was the most refreshing water ever! Relive the experience with a 'Classic Tin Cup' available at Jacob Bromwell, the nation's oldest housewares manufacturer. Their tin cup is available blank, or stamped with 'U.S.', like those used by soldiers in the Civil War. All items on their site are 'Made in the U.S.A'. "If these cups could talk, what a tale they would tell. Back in 1819, Jacob Bromwell was handcrafting tin cups without welding, soldering, or rivets, and we're still producing them the same way today with a little help from the original machinery and equipment. FUN 70's FONDUE GET-TOGETHERS - A get-together with friends and family in the 1970's often meant gathering around the Fondue Pot! Dipping large cubes of bread into something warm and 'melty' - whether cheese or chocolate - was a nice, cozy way to spend a winter evening meal. This tradition lives on, with many styles and colors of Fondue Pots available, as well as Recipe Books, and Ready-Made Cheese and Chocolate Fondues! Environmentalism: Set the Record Straight This post is excerpted from an open letter in response to a news segment that aired on our local television station. The segment was a story about a High School that was going to start an organic garden on their grounds: "While the school is to be commended for attempting to teach the children about organic gardening, please give your students a proper perspective of history..." One of the students was seen stating on television in answer to the reporter's question as to whether students are taking a deeper interest in the environment that, "Yeah, I always had interest in it but, like, when I came to this class it really got me to save energy and pick up litter and yeah, it made me more interested, once I took this class." She continues by saying that she feels her generation is much more environmentally aware than previous generations: "Yeah, definitely I think we are because a lot of people are doing, like, environmental science clubs and re-cycling clubs and everyone's getting more into it than back in the day, I think." In my opinion, this statement is very disrespectful to past generations and very prideful for anyone, but especially someone only in their teens, to think that they know more than those that have come before them. I am not necessarily singling out this student per se, but her attitude seems to be one that is becoming more and more prevalent among many of our youth. I would really like to ask, however, which 'back in the day' she believes was not so 'environmentally aware'. Our family, for instance, has been living in a way that I believe is respectful of our 'resources'. My two sons are in their late teens, and they have grown up with organic and whole foods, as well as other natural products which their parents have chosen and provided for them. My husband owns and runs a remodeling and design company that is also what might be called 'environmentally friendly' in its daily business practices: They are very careful about how and where leftover construction materials are disposed of, as well as offering re-usable 'extra' items to the general public when possible rather than placing them in a landfill. None of these practices are really all that out of the ordinary, but rather just good common sense, whether ethically, or nutritionally in the case of our food choices. After all, it's not the 'teen' generation that is holding up the organic food market as it is not they, but their parents who are doing the bulk of the grocery shopping. So, since it's not the generation just above them, maybe it was their grandparents' generation that is to blame. Well, let's see about that one, too. My husband's parents had 7 children and they were able to send many of them, including my husband, to parochial school through economic self-sacrifice. They truly re-used all they could (especially shoes and clothing!), and made do with what they had. His mother also still 're-uses' and recycles all of her plastic and aluminum. Or perhaps it was their parents above them. However, I recall that my grandfather had a large organic garden. He recycled and composted way before it was a 'fad'. My grandmother hung clothes to dry on the line outside. In fact, they even remember the days of outhouses, and washing clothes by hand (once per week on 'laundry day' - truly water conservation!). The children of today have not grown up with any of these sacrifices or lack of convenience. They have electronic gadgets and many plastic toys and off-the-rack clothing. Conversely, my husband's grandmother, who was a very talented seamstress, made most of the clothing for her five children, as well as many of her own grandchildren. Well then, maybe it was the generations even before their time that weren't very 'environmentally aware' and that were living in a way that didn't respect the land or its resources. However, the truth is that many modern practices that we take for granted, such as factory farming, clothing mills, or even grocery stores didn't even exist back then, for the most part. For most of history, people either subsisted off their own family farm, and/or gathered and hunted only what they needed to survive. If people didn't live on family farms, then they might have lived in a small village or town where they would by locally produced goods. All farming for the centuries, and even millenia before that, were of choice and necessity organic in nature. The chemical pesticides and fertilizers now used in farming were not even around until the 1950's. So, it wasn't that generation either. Let the children of today be aware of the hardship and sacrifice of the generations that have come before them. Let us honor our elders and our ancestors with the credit and respect that they deserve. They are the ones who got us here and who have done so much for us to even be alive in the first place. To have students believe that organic gardening and recycling is something 'new' is just outright erroneous and only amounts to environmentalist propaganda. Let's see how far these students would actually get trying to grow the organic garden on their own, without the help of their teachers. Teachers who are from a generation, by the way, that is supposed to be 'less aware'. (Let's have the students also install the new solar panels being installed for the school's roof since they have no need of older, more knowledgeable persons such as contractors or electricians either.) In times past, an organic garden was much more than just a 'school project': your very survival - and that of your family - depended on the success or failure of that garden. Of necessity, they had to be very 'environmentally aware' as to the weather, soil conditions, the seasons of the year, the quality of the air, and the viability of the seeds planted. Let's stop lying to our students and teach them true history. Teach honor and respect for our elders. Teach them to humbly be good stewards of the earth that God has created for our use. And, most of all, not to 'worship' the earth, but rather the God who created it. Remember, again, that these are not the 'new' ways, but the 'old' ways that have sustained you: "Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls." (Jeremiah 6:16) Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord. Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:32) Used by Permission |
Author: FAVOSITY
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