A Christmas Story, our family's favorite movie

Oh my, this is a funny and touching movie, with many scenes in it that are seared into my memory. Some years it is on tv constantly, and we bought a copy for backup. The setting is a town in Indiana in the 1940s, during the Christmas season. This is a story from the point of view of Ralphie, a nine year boy.

You may have your favorite movie moments from A Christmas Story. The scene of the boy whose tongue freezes to the flagpole, and Ralphie with the bar of soap in his mouth are not possible to forget. For funny scenes the younger brother was so swaddled in his snowsuit that when he falls down he can not get up on his own. To keep him warm his mom put so many layers of clothes on him that he cannot put his arms down at his side.

Amazing scenes, and add to this Ralphie's desperate craving, nay need, to own a Red Ryder carbine action BB gun, and Ralphie hearing "you'll shoot your eye out" so often from every responsible adult. He poured out his heart in an essay he wrote for school about how he should have the rifle, hoping his teacher will concur.

The dad is called The Old Man and he has a whacky pride in the bizarre lamp that he won. I have seen replicas of the lamp for sale in catalogs.

Sit back and enjoy.

See you in July

Hi,
This season's posts from us are winding up, until we start again in July. Christmas in July, as Cathy noted.
Please leave topic ideas in your comments if you are so inspired.
This Christmas of 2008 was a joyful one for my family, and I hope for yours, also.
To add to my own fun was our book's debut and the enthusiastic reception it is getting.
I made the toffee recipe, from our book's postcard, for a Christmas party at work, and got many requests for the recipe.
I have two post-holiday Christmas activities lined up at my house.
I gathered pine cones and will make a wreath from them, and bought a DVD copy of "A Christmas Memory", starring Patty Duke and Piper Laurie. It arrived in January and so I will watch it soon, and report back to you on how I like it.
Meanwhile come visit me at my own blog, where I post lots of garden tips and have book giveaways at

http://terragarden.blogspot.com
Terra

The Story Never Ends - Trish Berg

I have the most beautiful manger set you could imagine. But the beauty isn’t wrapped up in how it looks on the outside. My crèche has a beauty that comes from the hands that made it, the love that went into creating this place of hope and faith for me.

The walls are made up of old barn siding that was found here and there. The nails that hold it together are bent and crooked, and there are so many gaps in the corners, you are sure to feel a breeze blow through.

But it came from my husband. And it came with love.
It was our first Christmas as husband and wife, and we were poor as dirt, trying to find a way to celebrate Christmas without spending any money. So we made handmade ornaments for our families, and decided not to exchange gifts with each other.

But on Christmas morning, Mike surprised me with this handmade crèche. And every year since, he has blessed me with one figurine to fill our crèche with the story of
Christmas.

After sixteen years of marriage, our wooden crèche has become quite full. There are several angels that sit on top, watching from above. There are shepherds, maidens carrying water jugs, goats, oxen, sheep, camels and even three kings. And of course, there is Joseph, Mary, and Baby Jesus, wrapped in clothes, lying in a bed of straw at the center of it all.

When our first child was born, I decided our precious crèche was too precious to let little hands touch. So we put it up high on a shelf. But as our family grew, and the kids grew, I finally gave in and let them play with each and every piece.

Our growing crèche has become a treasured family heirloom of sorts. Not because of its beauty. Because old barn siding with cracks and dings isn’t that hard to find.

Not because of the many figurines. Because each piece is replaceable at any gift shop most places you travel.

Our crèche has become a family heirloom because of the love that went into making it, and the love that goes into playing with it every Christmas.

Year after year, my children arrange and rearrange the pieces, sometimes moving the angels closer to Jesus, sometimes the shepherds. They spend hours acting out the Christmas story with these precious figurines in this broken down, handmade crèche, and every year I marvel at their creativity and love for Christmas.

The story began in a stable, with Mary and Joseph, some cattle and sheep.

The story began with a star in the sky shining brightly, leading the way.

The story began with shepherd, abiding in the field with their flock, seeing angels singing praises.

The story began in Bethlehem, in a drafty manger since there was no room at the inn.

The story began when Jesus was born, when God Himself came down to earth to show us how much He loves us.

And the beauty of the Christmas story isn’t wrapped up in how it looks on the outside. How pretty your tree is or how much you spend on the gifts you exchange.

The story of Christmas has a beauty that comes from the hands that made the world, the love that went into creating this place and the gift of love that gives us hope and faith.

The story of Christmas is beautiful because it is Heaven sent.
And if you hold onto that - then the story never ends.

Jean Shepherd's A Christmas Story

Oh my, this is a funny and touching movie, with many scenes in it that are seared into my memory.

Some are quite horrible, in fact. The boy whose tongue freezes to the flagpole, Ralphie with the bar of soap in his mouth, the younger brother so swaddled in his snowsuit that when he falls down he can not get up on his own.

Amazing scenes, and then Ralphie's desperate craving, nay need, to own a Red Ryder carbine action BB gun, and Ralphie hearing "you'll shoot your eye out" so often from every responsible adult.

The dad is called The Old Man and he has a whacky pride in the bizarre lamp that he won.

This is only the tip of the iceberg of the zaniness herein.
Sit back and enjoy.