How Well Do You REALLY Know the Christmas Carols?

My friend, Niesje, recently emailed a link to a fun Christmas carol trivia quiz. The quiz is on the Chicago Tribune website, and proved to be a tad more difficult than I would have guessed.

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Make a Trailer Park Ginger Bread House

I received this photo of a trailer park ginger bread house in an email. It looks like it might be fairly easy to make, although I have not tried it myself. I am sure anyone who is creative and good with cake decorating and baking could do this.

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Kiva.org: Now I Can Lend Money to Help Start a Small Business

While watching Oprah a few weeks ago, I learned about a new organization called Kiva.org. Kiva allows regular folks, like you and me, to loan money to help those less fortunate start a small business. Whether it be a weaving business in Central America, or a bakery in Africa, I can now lend as little as $25 dollars to help make someone’s dream come to true. Kiva boasts a very high rate of loans that are paid back in full. Once my portion of the loan is paid back, the money stays in an “account” where I can use that money to help someone else. In a way it is a loan, and in a way it is a donation. It is my New Year’s resolution to become active with Kiva and help someone across the world start a business that can help raise them out of poverty. Check out this wonderful organization and see if you, too, can help someone start their own small business.

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23 Ways I Celebrate Christmas: A Meme

WOW! Up until earlier this week, I had never been tagged. Now, I have been tagged again! This time jazzyjo did the tagging, and the subject is 23 ways I celebrate Christmas. Here goes:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bag? Gift bag. I am a lousy gift-wrapper. If I do actually wrap a gift, it usually looks like a 5-year old did the job.
2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial. I only had my own real tree once, and it proved to be a huge mess. However, I am not putting up a tree this year at all. I tried last year after getting a cat. Fiona literally destroyed my tree less than one-half hour after I had decorated it. Check out the photo to see the damages!
3. When do you put up your tree? Usually Thanksgiving weekend.
4. When do you take down your tree? Usually a couple of days after New Year’s day.
5. Do you like eggnog? I have never actually had real eggnog. I have had eggnog-flavored Ghirardelli Chocolate, and I loved it! I am thinking that I might like eggnog.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Any of the dolls that I received, since I collected them.
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Not a full nativity scene, but I have a “small” one that consists of baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
8. Hardest person to buy for? If he were still living, it would be my grandpa. He lived a life of simplicity and never needed or wanted gifts. That made Christmas shopping for him a little difficult.
9. Easiest person to buy for? My three nephews. I have two 5-year old nephews and one 7-year old nephew. It is always easy to come up with a ton of ideas for kids!
10. Worst Christmas gift you’ve ever received? In a game of Dirty Santa (aka a White Elephant gift exchange) I received three big jars of “mystery” preserves. A friend, whose workplace had a food drive, brought them as a gag gift since they couldn’t actualy use them at the food bank. They looked really gross!
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? I would love to say that I mail Christmas cards, but honestly, I never get them out. I have good intentions every year, even going so far as buying a box of cards and making a list. However, I haven’t actually followed through for several years. I have about 5 boxes of unused Christmas cards stashed somewhere in my closet. Email is much easier, but I know it is not the best choice.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? The original Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It’s a classic.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Thanksgiving weekend.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes, but I am not going to say which gift I actually re-gifted. You never know who could read my blog. I wouldn’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Peanut butter or butterscotch fudge. Also, this little cafe/tea room in Nixa, Missouri has the most wonderful dessert during the holiday season. The restaurant is called Chez Robert, and the dessert is called the Barker House pie. I think it is an old family recipe. It is divine!
16. White or colored lights. Colored, as long as they are small lights. Nothing really tacky! I don’t want to go Griswold or anything. (Anyone who has seen National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation will understand.)
17. Favorite Christmas song? I could only narrow it down to three: O Holy Night by Josh Groban, Winter Wonderland by Andy Williams, and White Christmas by Bing Crosby.
18. Traveling for Christmas or stay home? Staying home. I will probably spend the day with my parents who live nearby.
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeers? I can name a few of them on my own.
20. Angel or Star on top of tree? If I had a tree, I would probably have a star as the tree-topper.
21. Open presents Christmas Eve or Morning? Both. Ever since I was a child, my family always opened one or two small gifts on Christmas Eve. Then we would open the rest on Christmas morning. Our family still carries on that tradition.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Long lines, crowded stores, and scrooges.
23. What I love most about Christmas? Giving. And of course, celebrating the birth of Jesus by going to a candle-light Christmas Eve service.

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A Second Devastating Ice-Storm in Less Than a Year May Be on the Way

Lookout Springfield, Missouri! It looks like another major ice-storm is on it’s way. Less than a year after the January 2007 ice-storm devastated the area, another one of equal strength appears to loom on the horizon. This weekend, particularly Saturday night through Monday morning is going to be critical. We could be in for another rough turn.

I was one of the lucky ones during January’s storm, being out of power for only a few hours. I even had internet and cable tv. Living in an apartment, I didn’t have any outdoors cleanup either. Others were not so lucky. Some were without power for over three weeks. Downed trees and powerlines riddled the area causing a massive cleanup effort. Utilities workers from other cities and states rolled into the area to get power back up and running for our tattered city and surrounding area.

I found this video on youtube that says it all;

Also be sure to check out the local ABC-affiliate’s weather blog. KSPR/Springfield33 maintains a blog focusing on the weather which is available on their website.

I pray that I am as lucky this time around too!

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