"REST EASY MY BROTHERS, PEACE AND FAREWELL"

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Rest easy, sleep well my brothers.

Know the line has held, your job is done.

Rest easy, sleep well.

Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held.

Peace, peace, and farewell...

 You may be interested to know that these wreaths -- some 5,000 -- are donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine . The owner, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths, but covers the trucking expense as well. He's done this since 1992. Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to DC with this event to help out. Making this even more remarkable is the fact that Harrington is in one of the poorest parts of the state. So, hats off th Merrill Worcester and the school children of Maine for finding a perfect way to honor our American heroes!

DRL wants to wish all veterans and active military, and their families, a very happy, healthy,and peace-filled New Year! God bless you and thank you for your service!

MAURICE SENDAK; AUTHOR, ILLUSTRATOR, EXHIBIT DESIGNER

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Maurice Sendak, author and illustrator of childrens books, has created an exhibit for the Jewish Museum in New York City. The exhibit, called “An Artist Remembers:Hanukkah Lamps Selected by Maurice Sendak” is on display through January 29^th, 2012. Sendak, most famous for his story “Where the Wild Things Are”, the tale of little Max and his journey to the land of the Wild Things, selected 33 menorahs from the museums extensive collection to put on display.

In an interview, Sendak stated that the simplicity of the exhibition’s menorahs reminded him of the Holocaust. Sendak was born in Brooklyn, New York to Jewish immigrants. He described his childhood as “ a terrible situation” since much of his family died in the Holocaust.

According to Susan Braunstein, one of the organizers of the exhibition and curator of Archaeology and Judaica at The Jewish Museum

“For Maurice Sendak they (the lamps) are powerful repositories of memory, embodying stories that illuminate the past for new generations,” Braunstein told JointMedia News Service. “The lamps speak to us of their survival through time and of the people that once made or owned them.”

Braunstein said visitors will be able to understand the deep connections between the emotions they evoked in Sendak and his aesthetic choices, and selected visitor memories will periodically be posted on the museum’s website at www.thejewishmuseum.org.

Maurice Sendak is 83years old and his career has spanned over 60 years. He has won every important award given for children’s literature. He is a true American Treasure!

MICHAEL JORDAN ENGAGED!

Former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan is engaged.

According to publicist Estee Portnoy, Jordan popped the question Christmas night. His fiancée, Cuban-American model and girlfriend of three years, Yvette Prieto have not set a date as of yet.

 Jordan was married to Juanita Vanoy for 17 years before they split. Jordan has 3 children from his first marriage: Jeffrey 23, Marcus 21, and Jasmine 19.

HAPPY 75TH BIRTHDAY MARY TYLER MOORE!

TEEN'S VIDEO GOES VIRAL AFTER HIS DEATH ON CHRISTMAS DAY

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Ben Breedlove, an 18 year old young man with HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) a serious and dangerous heart condition, recently posted a homemade video about how he cheated death 3 times. On Christmas Day, he failed to cheat death a 4^th time.

Do you believe in Angels or God? Perhaps watching this video will affect your answer.

                                                                                         

http://gma.yahoo.com/video/news-26797925/sick-teen-s-videos-go-viral-after-death-27729605.html#crsl=%252Fvideo%252Fnews-26797925%252Fsick-teen-s-videos-go-viral-after-death-27729605.html

Read the story from abc news:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-teen-ben-breedlove-posted-powerful-videos-christmas/story?id=15248385

RIP Ben Breedlove

BURGERS AND BEER....

Tony Walker

Did you hear the solution to the world's overpopulation problem?

Some fast food restaurants are going to start selling beer!!

Half the United States will be wiped out in no time!

Let me explain.... most of us are always on the run. Work, shopping, driving the kids to their activities, etc. What's more convenient than grabbing a quick burger? But as we all know these things we call "burgers" are the most disgusting things to eat. Yet we go back for more all the time. Between those things & now beer? Our cholesterol levels will skyrocket & we'll be dead!

Serving beers at the fast food restaurants is a great example of how smart we are. Think about it. Most of the fast food places close around 11PM-12AM but leave the drive thru open practically all night long. SO GRAB A BEER AT THE DRIVE THRU!!! Fast burgers, fast beers, fast DWI's!!!

How soon before we hear about the drunken moron who bought a beer at Burger King then slams into something as he's pulling out of the drive thru?

SOUL FOOD

Barbara Ward-Finneran

Miracles occur all around us. It can be as simple as an act of compassion, a kind word, something unexplainable, or as grand as a defining moment filled with light to break up the dark. 

Sometimes it's fostering the power to believe in yourself enough to move forward. 

Look for your miracles. They happen if you hold onto faith and hope. 

They are all around us... Just believe!

Keep the promises that you make to yourself!

©  All Rights Reserved

DISNEY DOES IT AGAIN!

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Disney Nature had done it again; they’ve produced a nature documentary that educates, moves and entertains! Past successes include Oceans, Earth and African Cats. This year Disney Nature presents Chimpanzee, in theaters Earth Day (April 20, 2012).

In this documentary, we travel deep into the forests of Africa to meet Oscar, a young Chimpanzee and his family. His antics and adventures lead us to discover the intelligence and ingenuity of this amazing species.

A 100 page educational guide is available and contains lesson plans and activities geared towards grades 2-6. All lessons are aligned with National Standards and include audio and visual clips and ready made PowerPoint presentations on topics like: Animal adaptations, habitats and Ecosystems, Animal behavior, use of tools and communication. Also covered are the important topics of protecting and making a positive difference for wildlife worldwide.

When I was an assistant principal, I made arrangements and took grades 4-8 to see Earth and Oceans on two different Earth Days. It was a great way to celebrate and reinforce awareness of global issues. The kids loved both movies and felt it was a real treat to go to the movies on a school day. The theater made special arrangements and gave us a wonderful package of ticket, soda and popcorn for $5 per student.

I’m especially excited about this year’s movie Chimpanzee. As you may know, I volunteer at the Center for Great Apes in Wachula, Florida,  which is a sanctuary for Orangutans and Chimpanzees who were formally in the entertainment industry, non accredited zoos, research facilities or were exotic pets. In all cases, once they became bigger and more dangerous, they were no longer wanted. The Center provides them a safe, enriching environment in which to live out their natural lives in as close to the wild as possible. The love and care they receive is inspiring and the people who run the Center are awesome, dedicated people! It’s a privilege to volunteer there.

I’m hoping every parent will bring their children to see this movie. I hope adults will see it as well. It’s so important that we become aware and involved in the humane treatment of animals. Watching Disney Nature allows us to see these creatures in the wild and within their family groupings. We can come to know them and understand the universal interconnectedness of all living things.

For more information visit:

http://disney.go.com/disneynature/chimpanzee/#/movies/chimpanzee

http://disney.go.com/disneynature/chimpanzee/#/videos/chimpanzee

http://www.centerforgreatapes.org/

ANGRY BIRDS

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Angry Birds; they’re everywhere!  Since the release of the app Angry Birds in December 2009, people everywhere are flinging these little birds at pigs and knocking down structures in an effort to rescue stolen eggs. Over 12 million copies of the game have been purchased from Apple's App Store, which has prompted the company to design versions for other touchscreen-based smartphones, such as those using the Android operating system, among others. The developer, Rovio Mobile has supported Angry Birds with numerous free updates that add additional game content, and the company has even released stand-alone holiday and promotional versions of the game.

The game has become so popular, that one of this Christmas season’s top selling toys is the Angry Birds Plush toy. You can also get Angry Bird toys for your dog. I bought the red bird frisbee for Dudley, our Corgi! I also bought a bird and some pigs to put in my husband’s stocking since he’s addicted to Angry Birds!

According to Wikipedia, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angry_Birds)  several updates and special editions of the game have been released.

Angry Birds Seasons:In October 2010, Rovio released a special Halloween edition of game. Angry Birds Halloween, exclusive to iOS at the time and a separate application from the main game, included new levels with Halloween-themed music and graphics. In December 2010, Rovio released Angry Birds Seasons to iOS, Android and Symbian^3 devices. Seasons introduced 25 Christmas-themed levels, one for each day leading to the holiday, similar to an Advent calendar.All versions include the previously-exclusive Halloween levels and are offered as separate, stand-alone paid applications, with the exception of the free, ad-supported Android version; Angry Birds Halloween users on iOS received the Seasons levels as a free upgrade.  The Halloween version was given the episode title "Trick or Treat," while the Christmas episode was entitled "Season's Greedings." In February 2011, Rovio released a new Valentine's Day update to Angry Birds Seasons, entitled "Hogs and Kisses," complete with new themed levels and graphics, as well as the option to send Angry Birds-themed Valentine's Day messages through Facebook. In March 2011, Rovio released a new St. Patrick's Day update, entitled "Go Green, Get Lucky," followed by an Easter update, entitled "Easter Eggs," in April 2011 and a summer update, "Summer Pignic," in June 2011. In September 2011, "Mooncake Festival" was released in conjunction with the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. In October 2011, "Ham'O'Ween" was released and introduced a new orange bird, known as the globe bird. In December 2011, "Wreck the Halls" was released with 25 Christmas-theme levels also arranged in an Advent calendar setting.

 Angry Birds Rio: Rovio launched Angry Birds Rio in March 2011. In this version, based on the 20th Century Fox animated film Rio, the Angry Birds characters appear in Rio de Janeiro and interact with characters from the film. Angry Birds Rio initially included two chapters including a warehouse chapter entitled "Smuggler's Den" and a jungle chapter entitled "Jungle Escape", but it has been updated with additional chapters and levels including a beach chapter entitled "Beach Volley", a carnival chapter entitled "Carnival Upheaval", an airfield chapter entitled "Airfield Chase", and one more chapter as Smugglers Plane. Since release, Angry Birds Rio has been downloaded more than 10 million times.

 Angry Birds Magic: A special version of the game, called Angry Birds Magic, will be developed exclusively for Nokia's NFC-enabled Symbian devices. This version of the game will include functionality that will unlock game levels upon contact with another NFC-enabled phone running the game. A free version of Angry Birds Magic will come preinstalled with all NFC Symbian devices to be sold in 2011, starting with the Nokia C7.

Angry Birds has been praised for its successful combination of addictive gameplay, comical style, and low price. Its popularity led to versions of Angry Birds being created for personal computers and gaming consoles, a market for merchandise featuring its characters and even long-term plans for a feature film or television series. With a combined 500 million downloads across all platforms and including both regular and special editions, the game has been called "one of the most mainstream games out right now", "one of the great runaway hits of 2010", and "the largest mobile app success the world has seen so far”

It seems that these angry little birds will continue to be flung from slingshots to destroy funny little pigs for some time to come!

MAKING MARIJUANA LEGAL

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Washington State has already made marijuana legal for medicinal purposes. If they get their way, initiative 502 will make marijuana legal for all, but production and distribution will be strictly controlled by the Washington State Liquor Control Board.

Supporters of the initiative are scheduled to submit a petition to the Secretary of State’s office in Olympia on December 29^th. The measure needs 241,153 valid voter signatures to guarantee a position on Washington State’s 2012 ballot.

In a statement of purpose, supporters wrote:

“We are united in the belief that Washington should stop wasting law enforcement resources on adults who use marijuana, and instead create a tightly regulated system that generates tax revenue for our state and local governments,” If I-502 qualifies for the ballot, it will be sent to the Washington state Legislature.”

The Legislature can enact it into law, or refer it to the ballot, or reject it. If not enacted, the proposal goes to a vote of the people.

 What do you think? Should Marijuana be legalized for medicinal purposes, for everyone, or not at all?

RANDOM GIVING...

Tony Walker

Would you guys mind answering a question for me?
During this Christmas season some people who live in my neighborhood donated some money to someone in our community who donates her time to various local organizations. PTA's, Scouts, Churches, school, etc. This woman does everything. Everyone in our town knows her. So when we heard she was having some financial difficulties we didn't hesitate helping her out.
Today she reached out to thank us all but announced that she doesn't need money to have a great Christmas so she is donating all the money to various local charities.
I love this woman.... she is wonderful... but I have to be honest. I don't know how to feel about this. We donated our hard earned money to HER not to somewhere else. Several people who donated had a rough year too & scrounged up some money only because of where it was going. I'm feeling a little insulted. To be totally honest, I am the one who found out things were tough for her & rounded up the troops. Now I am embarrassed because this woman is basically saying she didn't need the money after all. I'm afraid some people who donated are going to be upset with me.
Tell us what you think. Am I overreacting? Have you ever been in a situation like this?

CHRISTMAS QUIZ

The name of Scrooge's deceased business partner in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol was?

What is the name of Tiny Tim's father in the story, "A Christmas Carol"?

What did Frosty The Snowman have for a nose?

How many gifts would you receive if you received all of the gifts in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas"?

In the song "Winter Wonderland", who do we pretend the snowman is?

In the movie "Miracle on 34th Street", a man is on trial for claiming to be Santa Claus. What convinces the judge to rule in the man's favor?

In the traditional song, "Go Tell It on the Mountain", what are you suppose to go tell on a mountain?

According to the song, "Frosty The Snowman" what kind of soul does Frosty have?

True or False: Joseph was the one that told Mary she was going to have a baby.

In the Christmas song, who did I (the narrator) see kissing Santa Claus under the mistletoe last night?

1. Jacob Marley, 2. Bob Cratchit, 3. A Button, 4. 365 Presents, 5. Parson Brown, 6. USPS Delivered Him, 7. Jesus Christ is Born, 8. A Jolly Happy Soul, 9. False, 10. Mommy

JOY TO THE WORLD... THE LORD IS COME!

LET EARTH RECEIVE HER KING!

Many blessings & love to everyone!  

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

WHAT MATTERS...

Barbara Ward-Finneran

Being with people you love

The memories you cherish

The sound of laughter & the feeling of hugs

Giving from the heart

The sparkle in a child's eyes

Making the most of this moment

The gift of the Lord's love

Remembering those who aren't with you

Faith, Hope & Love

Tears because they mean you "feel"

Everyone whose ever meant anything to you

The blessings that you forget to count

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL 

AND TO ALL A GOODNIGHT!

THE CHRISTMAS STORY

Matthew 1:18-25; Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 1:26-38; Luke 2:1-20.

The Conception of Jesus Foretold

Mary, a virgin, was living in Galilee of Nazareth and was engaged to be married to Joseph, a Jewish carpenter. An angel visited her and explained to her that she would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit. She would carry and give birth to this child and she would name him Jesus.

At first Mary was afraid and troubled by the angel's words. Being a virgin, Mary questioned the angel, "How will this be?" The angel explained that the child would be God's own Son and, therefore, "nothing is impossible with God." Humbled and in awe, Mary believed the angel of the Lord and rejoiced in God her Savior.
Surely Mary reflected with wonder on the words found in Isaiah 7:14 foretelling this event, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel" (NIV)

The Birth of Jesus:

While Mary was still engaged to Joseph, she miraculously became pregnant through the Holy Spirit, as foretold to her by the angel. When Mary told Joseph she was pregnant, he had every right to feel disgraced. He knew the child was not his own, and Mary's apparent unfaithfulness carried a grave social stigma. Joseph not only had the right to divorce Mary, under Jewish law she could be put to death by stoning.

Although Joseph's initial reaction was to break the engagement, the appropriate thing for a righteous man to do, he treated Mary with extreme kindness. He did not want to cause her further shame, so he decided to act quietly. But God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream to verify Mary's story and reassure him that his marriage to her was God's will. The angel explained that the child within Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit, that his name would be Jesus and that he was the Messiah, God with us.

When Joseph woke from his dream, he willingly obeyed God and took Mary home to be his wife, in spite of the public humiliation he would face. Perhaps this noble quality is one of the reasons God chose him to be the Messiah's earthly father.
Joseph too must have wondered in awe as he remembered the words found in Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (NIV)

At that time, Caesar Augustus decreed that a census be taken, and every person in the entire Roman world had to go to his own town to register. Joseph, being of the line of David, was required to go to Bethlehem to register with Mary. While in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus. Probably due to the census, the inn was too crowded, and Mary gave birth in a crude stable. She wrapped the baby in cloths and placed him in a manger.

The Shepherd's Worship the Savior:

Out in the fields, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds who were tending their flocks of sheep by night. The angel announced that the Savior had been born in the town of David. Suddenly a great host of heavenly beings appeared with the angels and began singing praises to God. As the angelic beings departed, the shepherds decided to travel to Bethlehem and see the Christ-child.

There they found Mary, Joseph and the baby, in the stable. After their visit, they began to spread the word about this amazing child and everything the angel had said about him. They went on their way still praising and glorifying God. But Mary kept quiet, treasuring their words and pondering them in her heart. It must have been beyond her ability to grasp, that sleeping in her arms—the tender child she had just borne—was the Savior of the world.

The Magi Bring Gifts:

After Jesus' birth, Herod was king of Judea. At this time wise men (Magi) from the east saw a star, they came in search, knowing the star signified the birth of the king of the Jews. The wise men came to the Jewish rulers in Jerusalem and asked where the Christ was to be born. The rulers explained, "In Bethlehem in Judea," referring to Micah 5:2. Herod secretly met with the Magi and asked them to report back after they had found the child. Herod told the Magi that he too wanted to go and worship the babe. But secretly Herod was plotting to kill the child. So the wise men continued to follow the star in search of the new born king and found Jesus with his mother in Bethlehem. (Most likely Jesus was already two years of age by this time.) They bowed and worshipped him, offering treasures of gold, incense, and myrrh. When they left, they did not return to Herod. They had been warned in a dream of his plot to destroy the child.

ANSWERING THE CALL

Christmas is a time for being with friends and family, sharing good food, gifts and laughter. But it is also a time to remember the Greatest Gift, Jesus. What better way to celebrate than answering His call to serve others. Watch how 3 men hear and answer that call.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=9OcQXpZwRKY

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM DRL

Wishing all our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May the peace, love, and joy of the season be yours!

CHRISTMAS JOKES FOR KIDS

Which of Santas reindeer has bad manners? - Rude-alph!

What do you get if Santa goes down the chimney when a fire is lit? - Crisp Cringle.

What is green, white, and red all over? - A sunburnt elf.

Why are Christmas trees like bad knitters? - They both drop their needles!.


What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations? - Tinselitus!

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS DECEMBER 24

Howard Hughes born on December 24, 1905

Bill Dudley born on December 24, 1921

Ava Gardner born on December 24, 1922

Michael Billington born on December 24, 1941

Lemmy born on December 24, 1945

Gaëtan Brizzi born on December 24, 1951

Paul Brizzi born on December 24, 1951

Clarence Gilyard Jr. born on December 24, 1955

Anil Kapoor born on December 24, 1959

Carol Vorderman born on December 24, 1960

Glenn McQueen born on December 24, 1960

Mark Valley born on December 24, 1964

Shirley Henderson born on December 24, 1965

Diedrich Bader born on December 24, 1966

Choi Jin Shil born on December 24, 1968

Brigitte Hamers born on December 24, 1969

Amaury Nolasco born on December 24, 1970

Beau van Erven Dorens born on December 24, 1970

Ricky Martin born on December 24, 1971

Hwang Soo Jung born on December 24, 1972

Francesca Vanthielen born on December 24, 1973

Mekhi Phifer born on December 24, 1974

Ryan Seacrest born on December 24, 1974

Michael Raymond-James born on December 24, 1977

Yildiray Basturk born on December 24, 1978

Paizley Adams born on December 24, 1980

Stephen Appiah born on December 24, 1980

Dima Bilan born on December 24, 1981

Masaki Aiba born on December 24, 1982

Abdoulaye Cisse born on December 24, 1983

Catie Anderson born on December 24, 1984

Robert Carmine born on December 24, 1984

Natalia Ziganshina born on December 24, 1985

Melissa Suffield born on December 24, 1992

SHE'S CRAFTY - HOLIDAY ICE WREATH

How to Make a Cranberry Ice Wreath

A cranberry-kumquat ice wreath is a lovely outdoor Christmas decoration for your home. The only requirement for this project is that the temperature outside be below freezing. This ice wreath is beautiful and unusual and will last as long as the temperature stays low. Remember to make room in the freezer for your ring pan before you begin.
To complete this ice wreath, you need the following supplies:

• 10 to 12 cup Bundt pan or other ring pan
• 1 cup cranberries
• 10 kumquats, sliced
• 24-inches of 2-inch-wide red ribbon

Then, follow these steps:

1. Fill the ring-shaped pan a third of the way with cold water. Sprinkle half of the cranberries  over the water. Freeze until firm.
   Use distilled water to make the frozen ring as clear as possible, or, boil and cool your tap water.
2. Add cold water to the mold so that it is about three-quarters full. Sprinkle in the remaining fruit. Freeze again.
3. Remove the wreath from the mold. Thread the ribbon through the center and tie a knot and bow near the ribbon’s end, resulting in a large loop underneath the bow.
4. Immediately hang outside.

www.dumbies.com

THE SHROUD OF TURIN - BRAND NEW RESEARCH SAYS IT'S AUTHENTIC!

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

The Shroud of Turin, the alleged burial cloth of Jesus Christ, has been at the center of controversy since it was first mentioned in historical records from 1353. Experts have studied and tested the shroud and none have provided definite proof of its authenticity or proven that it is a fraud. A piece of the cloth was carbon dated and found to be from the Middle Ages, but scientists have found that the piece was part of the shroud that was repaired and not part of the original shroud.

Today, scientists in Italy believe they have finally found the answer. They are 95% sure of the shroud’s authenticity. Researchers from Italy's National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development believe their findings undermine previous theories that the shroud was faked in the medieval period.

The markings on the shroud are as follows:

·  one wrist bears a large, round wound, claimed to be from piercing (the second wrist is hidden by the folding of the hands)

·   upward gouge in the side penetrating into the thoracic cavity. Proponents claim this was a post-mortem event and there are separate components of red blood cells and serum draining from the lesion

·  small punctures around the forehead and scalp

·  scores of linear wounds on the torso and legs. Proponents claim that the wounds are consistent with the distinctive dumbbell wounds of a Roman flagrum.

·   swelling of the face from severe beatings

·   streams of blood down both arms. Proponents claim that the blood drippings from the main flow occurred in response to gravity at an angle that would occur during crucifixion

·   no evidence of either leg being fractured

·   large puncture wounds in the feet as if pierced by a single spike

These markings are consistent with the reports of Christ’s experience during crucifixion.  The new reports have once again stirred up the controversy among believers and non believers.

My opinion?  I have to agree with Tom Chivers, assistant comment editor for “The Telegraph,”  The "authenticity" or otherwise of the Shroud of Turin does not have any implications for whether or not Christ was real, or whether He was divine. If it was a medieval forgery, it doesn't mean the stories aren't true; if it really was made in the first century AD, it doesn't mean they were.

ADAM LAMBERT ARRESTED

Singer and former American Idol runner- up Adam Lambert was arrested and briefly jailed Thursday in Finland. Lambert apparently had a brawl with his Finnish boyfriend, Sauli Koskinen. The two were reportedly arguing inside a well known gay bar called “Don’t Tell Mama” when the brawl rambled out into the street. Lambert became physical with people who tried to intervene. Police eventually arrived and took both Lambert and Koskinen into custody and charged them with multiple assaults.

 The actual cause of the argument has not been reported as of yet, but Koskinen has since blogged : "Publicity is not easy, but also celebrities are just human. Love is not easy either, but it lasts forever!”

SOUL FOOD

Barbara Ward-Finneran

Celebrate the you you are right now. Embrace the present moment and be proud of today. Armed with the power of knowing that the more you acknowledge and honor the present, the more there will be in life to celebrate. Potential can stretch far beyond anything you imagine --- all you have to do is dare to push it!

Keep the promises that you make to yourself!

Photo Courtesy of Barbara Ward-Finneran and Drawn 2 Design, LLC

©  All Rights Reserved

TRACKING SANTA

Dawn Boyle

For a few years now my kids have been using the site below to track where Santa is on Christmas Eve. It is a lot of fun for them and actually gets them to bed at a reasonable hour!

http://www.noradsanta.org/en/

Please share with everyone at DRL your favorite holiday sites in comments below!

IS BIGGER REALLY BETTER????

Natalie Molloy

B.J's , is bigger necessarily better? If you're reading this article you may be a "little" disappointed. The topic I'm "touching" on may not be what your curiosity led you to , however , I am a mother of three rapidly growing boys and I am always looking for the better solution. So, I ask again moms, dads when you do your shopping for your household do feel buying in bulk (bigger) is economically beneficial or is it smoke and mirrors?


My food bill each week keeps growing. Makes sense , I mean after all so are my kids. I've tried the B.J's thing , but I have to say , sometimes I feel that the more I have the more they eat. it doesn't last any longer, unless of course I'm purchasing paper goods or garbage bags at some ridiculous bulk size amount. Then, everything comes in over sized boxes and bags, HELLO - where am I storing all of this crap? Part of me wants them to eat everything just to create more space in my home!

How much am I really saving anyway? I'm spending way more than I do in the supermarket, but hey - I just bought half a cow? I don't know - I can't make sense of it. So I ask your help. What tricks of the trade do you have in grocery shopping?

I've watched that show "Extreme Couponing" and I can't wrap my brain around that either. These people shop and walk out with one hundred boxes of Cheerios - healthy, yes - breakfast , lunch & dinner - NO! Then they show their homes and the things they've stocked up on, really, nothing I could use or force myself to do so.

So , I turn to you - the public. Weigh in here, and help out a fellow shopper. Are you a believer in bulk, or does the intimate setting of your local grocer satisfy you?

"THE HOBBIT, THE UNEXPECTED JOURNEY" TAKES US BACK TO MIDDLE EARTH!

 Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Get ready to return to Middle Earth! The new trailer for the upcoming movie “The Hobbit, The Unexpected Joutney”, based on the book by JRR Tolkein, was released yesterday. The story of The Hobbit will be divided into two movies , the first being released next December (yes, one whole year from now!)

“The Hobbit” was the “must read” book when I was in college back in 19XX! Everyone was reading it, talking about it, analyzing its themes. It was first published in September of 1937 (and no, that’s NOT when I read it!)

According to Wikipedia: Set in a time "Between the Dawn of Færie and the Dominion of Men", The Hobbit follows the quest of home-loving hobbit Bilbo Baggins to win a share of the treasure guarded by the dragon, Smaug. Bilbo's journey takes him from light-hearted, rural surroundings into darker, deeper territory. The story is told in the form of an episodic quest, and most chapters introduce a specific creature, or type of creature, of Tolkien's Wilderland. By accepting the disreputable, romantic, fey and adventurous side of his nature (the "Tookish" side) and applying his wits and common sense, Bilbo develops a new level of maturity, competence and wisdom. The story reaches its climax in the Battle of Five Armies, where many of the characters and creatures from earlier chapters re-emerge to engage in conflict.

Themes of personal growth and forms of heroism figure in the story. Along with conflict, these themes lead critics to cite Tolkien's own experiences, and those of other writers who fought in World War I, as instrumental in shaping the story. The author's scholarly knowledge of Anglo-Saxon literature and interest in fairy tales are also often noted as influences. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit)

The new film is the prequel to the popular “Lord of the Rings” movie and many of the characters/stars will return in the new Hobbit movie. Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) make appearances in the trailer, but we'll have to wait to see Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Elrond (Hugo Weaving) and Saruman (Christopher Lee).
I know many people are looking forward to this film with great anticipation. It may be a year before the release, but at least we now have a trailer to take a sneak peak!