Thanks for the article from Robin Woodard
It was finally Christmas time and I was excited to put my knitting skills to work. My grandmother had been taking time for years to teach me and I had finally picked up the skill of knitting well enough to knit gifts for others. I had been taught how to make a number of things from scarfs to sweaters and had something special for everyone on my list. I cant wait to see how everyone enjoys the gifts that I made with my own hands for them. I am looking forward to seeing my own hard work finished as well.
My grandmother and I had been knitting together for years, and I loved sitting around with the DirectTV on with one of our favorite shows and knitting together in silence. It was a bonding experience for the both of us and one that I will remember every time I pick up my knitting needles in the future. I cant wait to see my own grandmothers face when I see her open up the finished sweater that I have been working on for her. Her teaching can finally be seen in a finished product of mine.
New Year once again was a successful family gathering at our house. The photo on the left side is 2 out of the 4 meals we prepared for our family. We only had 5 since we tend to overcook which leaves us with a lot of left overs. I made beef stew ( beef caldereta) , mixed veggies, sausage and meatballs, fresh ham and my BIL lasagna. I only cooked 3 out of the 5 meals. It was wonderful today, the weather was nice except for a little rain. Inside our house, the laughter and the story telling was not dampened by the rain outside. All of the Schifano men were in one house. Kaitlyn was all over her Uncle Larry that she hardly sees. She loved the presents (princes shoes,cellphone and a purse with jelweries) he got her. She was wearing them the moment she opened it. Ralph had to work today but he did not miss out on the festivities. My guest didn't start arriving until 2 p.m and by 4:15 Ralph was home from work. We ate to our hearts content. Surprisingly not one of the 24 pack of beers were consumed. They were still experiencing hang overs from welcoming year 2011. We still have left over but by tomorrow evening, it will be all gone. What were your festivities like?
Content by Mitch Osborne
The unforgettable A Charlie Brown Christmas special has been around for over three decades. The introduction music from the show is now a classic tune that is heard all over the world during Christmas. The lovable characters and story not only give us a great special, it also tells what the true meaning of Christmas is all about.
I eagerly wait for this favorite animated Christmas series of mine to come on my Direct TV Satellite Packages. I truly enjoy this special because the progression not only allows us to see the wonderful characters of the Peanuts comic strip in action, it also shows many of us what the true meaning of Christmas is. We can forget that Christmas isn't all about gifts and the perfect tree. It's not about commercialism and who has the most gifts. It's about the celebration of a great being and also the celebration of love and family.
Whenever me and my husband get stressed about present buying or the holidays we think back to the night we watched the show and remember that none of the materialistic things count. The time spent with our loved ones is the greatest gift that can be bestowed upon us.
A Charlie Brown Christmas special is fun for all ages. It provides great laughs for the children and also deeper meaning for us forgetful adults. That's why every year I sit with my hot chocolate and re-watch this favorite Christmas special of mine.
Happy New Year !
Posted by Jerold Austin
My grandmother lives in Malta, which is a small island off the coast of Italy. She doesn't really come to visit often, in fact the last time I've seen her was when I was about ten years old. I can't really remember the visit well, but I do remember that she taught me how to knit. I remember sitting by the fireplace and watching her intently, trying to remember all of the different stitches and moves that she was making with her hands. Because she has been knitting for about fifty years and on a daily basis, she is extremely good at what she does and extremely fast. I remember just being intrigued by her quick moving hands and her lightning stitches. It only took her about an hour to finish a beautiful piece of work: a pair of socks.
Once I began knitting, I took my time. It wasn't as fast for me to catch on, but I eventually did. I still don't knit very well, but it's definitely better than most people. In fact, I absolutely love sitting and knitting while watching my cable tv. When I knit, it literally feels like hours are passing by. And the fact is is that they actually are. I get so enveloped in my knitting that I actually forget what and who is around me. It's really very interesting.
Written by Don Gregory
At my house, we love watching Nick Jr. on Dish Network, which is satellite TV from www.TVbyDirect.com. Nick Jr. has so many shows that my 23 month old daughter loves to watch. Her favorite of course, is Dora the Explorer. She has learned so much just by watching Dora. She has known most of her colors and shapes since she was 20 months old, which is incredible. I credit Dora with her learning them so early. Most kids do not know many colors or shapes by the time they are two. My daughter asks to watch Dora several times a day and I am always happy to let her.
We also enjoy watching Diego on Nick Jr. Diego is just like Dora, except he is a boy and has a rescue pack instead of a backpack. He is fun and always on some kind of adventure.
Fresh Beat Band is also a fun show on Nick Jr. If your kids like music, they will love Fresh Beat Band. They make my daughter dance in ways that I have never seen her move. She gets excited when she hears them on TV.
Our final favorite is Kai Lan. She is somewhat like Dora, except Chinese. Her show teaches children about feelings. My daughter has learned about being happy, sad and angry from watching Kai Lan. She also knows the names of all of the characters.
It is amazing, how much kids learn just by watching Nick Jr. It is my daughter's favorite, but also the favorite of my husband and I because it has helped her to grow into such a smart toddler. You can definitely say it is like pre-school on TV.
One of the many picture of my little girls opening their presents on Christmas morning. Kaitlyn had already opened one gift when she woke up. We had to leave a few minutes after Kaitlyn opened one gift to pick her big sister in Baltimore. She was so excited that we were finally picking up Kayla, she missed her terribly this past days that she was at her moms. We got home before two in the afternoon. As soon as we got in the girls headed for the tree clamouring to open the gifts. They had so much fun ripping the wrapping paper off. We got both girls a Mr. and Mrs. Potato head in honor of toy story 3. The toy comes with so many accessories, it will be a pain in the neck to keep it together but it is worth it. Kayla's big big gift was the DSi XL and as soon as she opened it she was in DS land. Kaitlyn on the other hand got busy playing with the Mrs. Potato head. Thank you to my husband for all of the toys the kids got and also for my gifts. This was indeed a good Christmas.
From our house to yours, A Merry Merry Christmas to all.
Authored by Greg Fletcher
I made a special trip to the hardware store yesterday to do some Christmas shopping. Before I left, I made sure to set myHome security alarm. It took me about an hour to get over to the store I wanted and I had one thing on my list to get. My mother has been wanting a clay chiminea for awhile now. A chiminea is basically a little stove or bonfire that sits outside. She wants one so that she can relax on her patio and roast some marshmallows in the fire. It sounded like a great idea, and when I found out that the hardware store had them in stock I ran over there as fast as I could.
I made my way into the store and it was jam packed full of people who were doing their holiday shopping. I'm actually surprised they had the chiminea I wanted in stock. In fact, they only had one left. It came to about one hundred dollars and I made my way back to the store. The lines were ridiculous, but I thankfully got on a short one and was paid and out of there within only a few short minutes. I made my way to the car and loaded the chiminea into it. I came home and had to find a good hiding place for it. I'm sure my mom is going to love it come Christmas.
