Movies and Ice Cream

This morning we watched The Polar Express (2004).
That was the last of the Christmas movies.
This evening we watched Going My Way (1944) with Bing Crosby.
Midway thru the movie we stoppped for an ice cream break.
Okay it was for make it yourself sundaes.
Vanilla ice cream, caramel and chocolate toppings,
whipped cream and cherries and crushed honey nut cheerios.

Unaccompanied Scrooge

Four Christmas movies this time ...
Unaccompanied Minors (2006) - I was pleasantly surprised at this one. Thumbs UP!!!
Chasing Christmas (2005 tv) - I was NOT impressed at all. The daughter is the only good thing.
The Night They Saved Christmas (1984 tv) - On the unbelievable side with some family charm.
Scrooged (1988) - Bill Murray plays the scrooge character which is a cynically selfish tv executive. This one I like. I have seen it before.

Miracle Box

Another three more Christmas movies were watched:
The Christmas Box (1995 tv) - very nice story
Mr. St. Nick (2002 tv) - I like it - it's fun and different
- love the romance between the cook and Mr St Nick
Miracle On 34th Street (1947) - It's truly a Classic!!!

Angel in the Clouds

Three more Christmas movies were watched:

The Angel Doll (2002) - A little slow to start, has a sad factor, but ends on an inspiring note.

Christmas in the Clouds (2001)- "A classic comedy of mistaken identity and romance set during the holiday season at a ski resort..." Excellent reviews if you look it up in imdb especially the one titled "enjoyable perfection" which I agree with.

The Nativity Story (2006) - I liked it. It stays pretty true to the facts we know in the Bible.

Merry Christmas

It was our first Christmas married.
My parents came over for dinner.
I made lasagna - a nice simple meal.
Mom brought roast beef and cranberry salad.

We also watched three movies today.
Holiday Inn with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.
White Christmas with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye.
Deck the Halls with Danny Devito and Matthew Broderick.

Babes in Toyland

We watched Babes in Toyland this afternoon.
It is a favorite of mine - not sure why.
There are some great actors in it including Drew Barrymore,
Richard Mulligan, Eileen Brennan, Keanu Reeves, and Pat Morita.
This version was made for television in 1986.

Original concept was from an operetta.
It has been used many of times since then.
Babes in Toyland (1934) with Laurel and Hardy
Babes in Toyland (1961) with Ray Bolger and Annette Funicello
Babes in Toyland (1997) animated version with famous voices

The Twelve Days Of Christmas (Cathy style) part 4

On the tenth day of Christmas my dear wife gave to me:
The DVD Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), #100 on the AFI Top 100

On the eleventh day of Christmas my dear wife gave to me:
The DVD A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), #45 on the AFI Top 100

On the twelfth day of Christmas my dear wife gave to me:
The DVD Fantasia (1940), #58 on the AFI Top 100

Have I mentioned that I love my wife!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas Food Gifts

Growing up parents loved getting handmade gifts.
I still enjoy giving gifts I have personally made.
I enjoy baking especially cookies and sweet bread.
I made 5 types of cookies and 2 types of the breads.
There was Cranberry Fruit Bread and Banana Bread

This year's cookie repertoire included the following:
Orange Oatmeal Chews (biggest) - rolled oats/orange juice
Spicy Crinkles (smallest) - rum flavor/coconut/allspice/cinnamon
Chocolate Shadows (darkest) - chocc chips/peppermint/peanut butter
Snickerdoodles (lightest) - cream of tartar/rolled in cinnamon
Macaroonies (chippy) - flaked coconut/chocolate chips

The Twelve Days of Christmas (Cathy style) part 3

On the seventh day of Christmas my dear wife gave to me:
The DVD Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939), #29 on the AFI Top 100

On the eighth day of Christmas my dear wife gave to me:
The DVD Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) Oscar Best Picture Winner

On the ninth day of Christmas my dear wife gave to me:
The DVD Vertigo (1958), #61 on the AFI Top 100

Have I mentioned that I love my wife!!!!!!!!!

Christmas cards arrived

Got a Christmas card from my dad today. It also included a check for $50! Thanks dad!

(For those of you who don't know, I only reestablished contact with him a few days ago after at least 5 years! And it was probably at least 15 years before that time.)

Also got a Christmas card from my best man and his wife and a Christmas card from her Uncle Arthur & Aunt Barbara.

Cookies to and from our neighbor

I finally got to meet the upstairs neighbor. And her oldest child.

We exchanged presents (cookies that we each had made). Cathy gave a variety of the ones she made plus a mini loaf of Banana Bread and our neighbor sent us a tin of frosted cookie wreaths.

They were so good that we're wondering if it's bad manners to put the empty tin outside her door with a note that pleads "Please refill!!!" Anyone know?

Christmas at LifeTime

Today I watched a couple movies on LifeTime:
His and Her Christmas - Two journalists write
a Christmas column for rival newspapers in the same city.
Crazy for Christmas - A limo driver tries to help
a wealthy man find his long-lost daughter on Christmas Eve.
LifeTime seems to be having Christmas movies ...
at noon and 2 PM and later 9 PM.

Today I also made Chocolate Shadows.

The Twelve Days Of Christmas (Cathy style) part 2

On the fourth day of Christmas my dear wife gave to me:
The DVD Doctor Zhivago (1965), #39 on the AFI Top 100

On the fifth day of Christmas my dear wife gave to me:
The DVD Rear Window (1954), #42 on the AFI Top 100

On the sixth day of Christmas my dear wife gave to me:
The DVD Double Indemnity (1944), #38 on the AFI Top 100

Have I mentioned that I love my wife!!!!!!

Leslie Nielsen Christmas

We watched two movies with Leslie Nielen playing Santa.
The first was Santa Who? where Santa has amnesia.
Then we viewed All I Want for Christmas.

The latter also starred many others I recognized ...
Jamey Sheridan (father) from Law and Order: Criminal Intent
Harley Jane Kozak (mother) from Parenthood
Thora Birch (daughter) from Hocus Pocus
And Lauren Bacall

I also finally started my Holiday baking today.
I made Cranberry Fruit Bread and Orange Oatmeal Chews.

All Nighters

We have both pulled all nighters lately.
Thursday into Friday ...
I was working on layout for newsletter.
Friday into Saturday ...
Randy was working on printing and writing notes.

We will know better next time how long it takes.
We were pushing to get some of the letters in the mail.
We indeed did get a number of batches sent out Saturday AM.
Some are headed to Xenos Christian school
- and we knew they will go on vacation midweek.

The Twelve Days Of Christmas (Cathy style) part 1

On the first day of Christmas my dear wife gave to me:
The DVD Psycho (1960) , #18 on the AFI Top 100

On the second day of Christmas my dear wife gave to me:
The DVD Forbidden Planet (1956), a sci-fi classic

On the third day of Christmas my dear wife gave to me:
The DVD A Place In The Sun (1951), #92 on the AFI Top 100

I'm looking forward to the rest of the days!

Have I mentioned that I love my wife!!!

Christmas Projects

This morning I finished the ornaments I was making.
They are out of plastic canvas and yarn.
I made three and a half dozen.

On one side is tree with snow I designed ...
and on the other side is cat image I redesigned.
Did not post image till January so they were surprise.


Today we also finishing up the newsletter.
Just have the printing and stuffing of them to go.
And Randy is working on leaving personal notes on many.

Christmas Letter

Started to finalize our Christmas Letter. Decided to do one especially for Randy's church family he just left back in Ohio. It includes an introduction, Christmas message about hope, short article by each of us and will include pictures from December 1st wedding and information about our website.

We are also trying to find all the addresses of people we want to send the letter and cards too. I have most of my list complete. Then again I have a much smaller list than Randy. He has asked some others to help him get them all. Thanks to those that can help him.

Christmas and Friends

This morning we worked on Christmas lists.
We needed to know how many cards to purchase.
And a list of people to receive handmade ornaments.

Randy recently moved 900 miles from his church family.
The lists mainly compromise of Randy's friends.
He wants to be sure to keep in contact.

This afternoon we logged onto Christian website we met at.
We have some really wonderful friends there as well.
They were happy to see us return to posting.