The Dackel Princess

Good morning everyone. I started to think about my favorite Christmas movies over the weekend. What movies do I watch, year after year, that make it feel like Christmas to me? Well here is a top ten list for you. It has my current favorites, although occasionally it changes and I either add a new one or include another one, thus making ties for favorites, as this group must be seen each year.

I’m aware that some of you may not have seen all of these due to where you live and the availability of programs. I’ve tried to give a brief accounting of each as I go along.

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10. The Santa Clause (1994) with Tim Allen. The movie is based on the premise of what would happen if a man suddenly found out that he was Santa Claus after the “real” Santa falls off of his roof!

9. Home Alone (1990) – The first one, not the sequels! A really good family film for the holidays, except there’s no family! Funny gags, hilarious antics and truly feel-good moments as well.

8. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965 – TV) – I know it’s a made-for-TV movie, but to ignore it would be stupid. Generations of kids have grown up on it.

7. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964- another made for TV movie) – Rudolph is wonderful, even with his jerky movements and static sets and Hermey the misfit elf, Yukon Cornelius the prospector and the Bumble seem timeless. Burl Ives singing, never gets old!

6. A Christmas Carol (1938) – The best version of the well-worn Dickens literary classic. At a mere 70 minutes in run-time, it’s a short but sweet classic.

5. White Christmas (1954) Bing Crosby singing “White Christmas” is the definition of the holiday season. And this happy, colorful 1950s musical. Many of you never got to hear Bing Crosby or Danny Kaye sing, but they sure were special!

4. Miracle on 34th Street (1947) The story of a little girl who’s cynical about life and the department store Santa who teaches her to believe in magic. The sweetest story of love and belief and the Christmas spirit.

3. The Bishop’s Wife (1947) – Who doesn’t like Cary Grant as an angel? Features a great movie quote: “The only people who grow old were born old to begin with”.

2. A Christmas Story (1983) If you haven’t seen this off-beat holiday movie, then get thee to the video store now. Ralphie’s Christmas quest for a Red Rider BB Gun will make you laugh until your funny bone is sore.

1. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Oh, George Bailey! Our hearts break for him every year as we watch him do the right thing and only to be knocked down again and again. If you don’t cry at the end — when George is surrounded by all the lives he changed — then you might need to take up residence with the Grinch. It’s my favorite Christmas movie of all time!

I’ll be watching this next week as I do my Christmas wrapping. It’s sort of a tradition for me now. Me and the Baileys, and scissors and bows!

I was sitting here in the early stages of planning our Christmas foods and I started to wonder, what foods make it Christmas for you?

So far I have planned a nice rib roast for our actual Christmas Dinner. I’ll be serving green beans, butternut squash and braised pearl onions. I’m also thinking baked stuffed potatoes would be nice.

However, I’m totally not sure what to make for Hubby and I on Christmas Eve for dinner. I want to cook something special, a little lamb roast perhaps?

So, my question today is three-fold. What food makes it Christmas for you, and what does your family do for Christmas Eve Dinner? Does your family do anything special on Christmas morning for breakfast? Anything that you HAVE to have?

Please everyone comment and tell me all about your traditions. I’m looking forward to hearing your answers.

Meanwhile, it’s back into the office for me. I’ve been working hard and I think I will be done by Monday or Tuesday.

My good friend, Doug James, has just released this touching Christmas song! Please listen and pass along this link, as we spread the true meaning of Christmas around the world.

Doug’s talent as a singer and songwriter are well known and those of us lucky enough to call him our friend, are thrilled that he has released this beautiful piece for Christmas 2010! Thanks for such a special Christmas song!

Merry Christmas! Listen and enjoy!

You can learn more about Doug and his music by visiting DOUG’S WEBSITE.

1. Have you ever been on a real sleigh ride? How about the warm weather version – a carriage ride?

Yes, Hubby took me on a carriage ride during “First Night” in Boston many years ago.

2. What’s your policy on ‘chain mail’…you know, the emails you receive that are often some sort of poem/blessing/good wish that ask you to send it on to 10 or 12 friends? Do you delete without opening, read and trash, read and trash and then worry you won’t be blessed/lucky/protected? Do you delete the sender from your contacts or just go ahead and send the love onward?

Oh, I really hate ‘chain mail’. I wish people would not send me them. Sometimes I get them, and they’re cute, with puppies and kittens, so I’ll forward, but delete the ‘chain mail’ part saying I will have 30 years of bad luck if I don’t send them to 29 people in the next 10 seconds!

3. Who is your favorite character in any of the Christmas movies and why?

Clarence the Angel in “It’s A Wonderful Life”.

~Dear George, Remember no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings, Love, Clarence.~

4. Share a favorite quote.

~ Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?~

5. What’s your favorite holiday scent?

I love the smell of Snickerdoodle cookies baking in the oven! All spicy and cinamonny!

6. Does the Christmas season stress you out? In what way?

Yes. I think because expectations are high and people are rushing around, and often people tend to forget to enjoy the reason for the season.

7. What’s the best thing about your life right now?

Love. The love of a wonderful husband, fabulous daughter, family, friends and furry pups. I also have decorated my house for the holidays and I am really enjoying the beauty of the lights and seeing all my much loved ornaments again.

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Since I am nearly done with decorating the living area in our house, it’s now time to clean the rest of it up. My least favorite part of the holiday season. Oh well, it must be done!

Sunday night, while watching a little TV, all four dogs disappeared into our bedroom and promptly put themselves to bed. I didn’t think much about it, and when I went to bed, myself, at 9:30 they never even moved. All four of them were simply dead to the world! So, we all hunkered down and simply enjoyed the warmth of the blankets.

The night was fine, I was up a couple of times, but fell instantly back to sleep. All I had to do was move a dackel or two out of the way.

This morning, Hubby wanted to be up and out the door to go skiing, so we got up together so I could make the coffee. He followed the dogs to the door and then one by one, let them out.

Well, we stood there watching as the dogs went out, one by one and took the longest wee-wee’s on record. It seems that their early bedtime was not very good for their little doggy bladders. Monday night we plan a good long walk in the bitter cold before we turn in for the night!

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While Hubby skied on Monday, I decided to get myself in the Christmas mood and finish our Christmas tree. I carefully put the lights on the tree, while talking to my sister on our cell phones. This took me nearly two hours! Especially when I was putting the bubble lights on, as they are fairly old, and often need a little repair of their bases with super glue. However, I got it done and then set about making lunch for a returning Hubby and myself.

Once lunch was done, I started hanging ornaments. I haven’t seen them for two years and it was so wonderful to see all my little mementos from around the world, as I hung them on the tree. You see, when I have traveled to various countries or states, I always buy Christmas ornaments. I also collect little dackels and red-haired Angels.

Then the garland went around the tree, and it came out pretty well. I was worried about tinsel, because it really is bad for dogs, but I compromised. I only put it on 3/4 of the tree, leaving the very bottom devoid of it. No one really notices, because the tree is in our kitchen and the kitchen table sort of covers that part of the tree.

I stood back admiring the tree and thinking how pretty it was, but something was bothering me. Something was off. What was it?

I’d forgotten the STAR at the very top!

So I climbed up on a ladder and worked to place the star without knocking over the tree. I finally got it on, stood back and admired our beautiful tree!

Our host is Gattina. Come join us and tell us what YOU did this past weekend! After all, you never know when you might need an alibi!

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What a busy weekend I had, as this was our fund raising weekend for my ladies club here in my little town. If you would like to view some very pretty Christmas Trees, scroll down and you can see a little bit more about “The Festival Of Trees”.

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Saturday I worked a long shift in the bitter cold and I swear I did not warm up for many hours after I got home. In fact, I called Hubby just before I left and asked him to start a fire in the hearth and he had a lovely one going when I came in.

I made us dinner, but really, I wasn’t all that hungry. I ate though, and then found a couple of dachshunds to cuddle with while we watched some of the worst TV in a while.

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So far, I am really enjoying the new Weight Watchers program. I love being able to eat all the fruit and the freedom to eat some of the low in carbohydrate vegetables in any amount also really helps. I am NOT hungry, and that is a wonderful thing!

I’m also looking at food differently. I look at it and ask myself, how will this food help my body? Will it send my blood sugar sky high, or will it help to hold it steady? So far I have not had one low blood sugar attack!

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I managed to get my Christmas tree standing UP in my kitchen windows. However, I ran out of energy before I got the lights on. That I will do on Monday.

I also need to spend an entire day doing nothing but HOUSEWORK! Blah! I really hate it, but I need to do it to prepare for any guests that may drop in over the holidays.

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The best part of the weekend for me? Probably seeing the faces of the children and the people from the Nursing Home when they came to see the Christmas Trees! That was just the best and I found, softy that I am, that I had a big lump in my throat, as I watched them!

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Happy Monday Everyone!