I am always so blessed listening to these old radio programs...
I hope you enjoy them as I much as I do...They have a way of putting things into perspective and how the world has changed don't they? I love the feel of these and in our family we really, really appreciate these and try to instill the sweet old time flavor in our home.
Just because the rest of the world is spinning on a turnstile of busyness we don't have to do we?
I'm trying so hard to reflect on Jesus as I commune with Him in a special way this advent season. He reminds me often:
Amelia I am the same Father who was who was with you when you were a little girl...
As I reminisce to my grandparent's home, and especially my little home as an only child with my sweet parents back then....
...so many sweet memories, maybe some not so perfect but still... prayerfully creating our own sweetness in our homes this Christmas.I bring to you to also enjoy this most precious Bing Crosby Christmas program. I hope you and your entire family will enjoy this! Grab yourself some, coffee, tea, hot cocoa, something downright delectable and enjoy! This is wonderful for children of all ages to adults, sweet old fashioned but timeless music selections, also a precious, precious story of a sweet donkey as well...I love the sweet spirit of this Christmas story of one very special donkey...
(You may mute the site music at the bottom of the page)
Have you all read any nice books so far this season? I'm reading (read) several:* The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck
* A Simple Christmas, Twelve Stories That Celebrate the True Holiday Spirit by Mike Huckabee
These so far have been such a blessing, I sent the audio version of A Simple Christmas to my 80 year old dad, my dad has macular degeneration and sometimes it's hard for him to read. He loved that book and listened to it all in one day! I hope to be able to send him the audio of The Christmas Sweater as well. I read several chapters of The Christmas Sweater to our girls while they were cooking and my dd17 read the entire book the next day! It is a fascinating book with multiple life lessons!
Another dandy that is very practical but really helps put things in perspective as the rat race revolves around us this season is:
* Hundred Dollar Holiday, The Case for a More Joyful Christmas by Bill McKibben
I saw Hundred Dollar Holiday on LifeAsMom. The author of the book has a sweet way of putting things in perspective in a nice way if you know what I mean...I highly recommend this book!
Some sites snubbing any gift at all for Christmas almost make me bristle...They almost seem to be into a cynical reverse snobbery but I have found this book to be very nice.
I love Christmas and love the wonder of it but would like things to go back to a bit of a more simple time, perhaps that WWII era? At least when people had more of a normal perspective and value of material possessions.
Have you ever heard the old WWII radio ads about saving ration coupons for Kraft cheese spreads for entertaining in your home and how the nation was saving milk for our soldiers so they could have ice cream? I actually have an original magazine ad I believe from Carnation milk company about that, it's on the back of a Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon movie ad...It is fascinating.
One thing we always love doing as a family is reading...
* Reminisce magazine, you can read and be inspired by some wonderful Christmas stories of how things were for little children in more simple times in our country. Those children knew the wonderment of Christmas because fruit, candy and the like were something not taken for granted. Let alone toys.
One story in an old Reminisce I read was of a little girl young in the early 60s and even then, a more modern time this little girl's daddy, a farmer would make sure and buy she and her siblings some fruit so they would be like the other children. If he had a good crop the children would share one nice new toy for Christmas, they would flip a coin to see if it would be a boy's toy or a girls toy between she and her brothers. And if her daddy's crops were not good, they would go to the electric company's Christmas party and pick a used gift from the employee's donations. The story was so touching to my heart.
I have tried to keep things within a simple budget this year and so far so good. : ) I really prayed and asked God to help me and guide me. The Lord gently guided me to Walmart online and that was a great help! If you do go to Wallymart make sure and browse from lowest prices to high, otherwise you might blow a gasket. ; )
I so enjoy the wonderment of Christmas and am amazed at how the Lord helped me! Books are nice gifts too...decorating books, Bible study books, historical reproduction books, new or used as long as the person will enjoy them and they are in respectful condition. Last year I bought my dd25 a neat beautifully worn, old hardcopy of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Please feel free to go back to my blogs from last December, I have similar thoughts, encouragements there too. : ) Just grab some coffee! lol I don't know about you, but I need encouragements this time of year and others blogs help me so many times.
Hope you are enjoying this sweet season as we meditate upon our sweet Savior, Jesus.
Hope to get some new recipes or something of the sort pretty soon on thats-italian.blogspot. Maybe even some homemade gift ideas...Who knows? ; ) Right now I have a neat jar gift recipe posted and just some good ol' practical gift ideas from a George Bailey wife.
Edit 12.03.10: I now have some great vlogs our 25 year old daughter did a couple of years ago on making some wonderful homemade natural fragrance gifts along with a wowee Molasses cookie recipe at my thats-italian.blogspot.
I want to thank each one of you for the sweet comments from the last post, you all know who you are who took the time to encourage me. Thank you.Let's pray for one another this Holy Season. Let me know what you are doing this Christmas to keep things sweet at your house if you get a chance... Hugs and notes of encouragement are always welcome here. I appreciate it greatly and perhaps could use it on certain days. ~Amelia
12.03.10 I'm starting to leave some great old 30s & 40s movie suggestions here in the comment section for Christmas viewing or anytime.
14 comments:
Mrs. Amelia. I adore your blog. I saw that the girls posted some of their really great deals that they got recently. God is very much blessing your family. And, I am so thankful. I know you and your girls work very hard at being Proverbs 31 Women. I am so blessed by your encouragement and your practicality. And, I am so thankful that God sent you into read my little xanga blog so many years ago.
And, I look forward to reading your frugal gift giving tips.
By the way, any suggestions on old Christmas movies? (other than- White Christmas, Holiday Inn and It’s a wonderful life!)
Blessings on your days!
Hi Carmen,
(((hugs))) : )
Thanking God for you today! God sure did use xanga didn't He? : ) It goes to show the Lord can use many avenues in our lives to bless and encourage and even to meet new sisters in the Lord.
Old movie suggestions? By golly you have to come to the right gal! : )
I'm going to be adding to suggestions, but one that comes to mind is "Our Vines Have Tender Grapes" (1945) It is such a precious movie, the little girl is played by Margaret Obrien and the loving daddy is played by Edward G. Robinson...There are some very poignant parts in this movie, one is when the little girl is asking God for a miracle much like the animals kneeling on Christmas eve. It is wonderful!
Here is one link to the movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037963/
Also tcm.com has some good movie descriptions as well. Their Christmas lineup may have some good suggestions too. TCM is where we first saw "Our Vines Have Tender Grapes" this past year.
Have you ever seen "Meet John Doe" (1941)? Oh that is a good one too...
Here's the link for that one:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033891/ Actually I think it was last fall or December of last year I did a blog on it here.
There are some other Christmas movie favorites too that aren't known so well. I'll be adding to comments as we think of them! Stay tuned for more good ol' movie suggestions for Christmas.
Bless you Carmen! Maybe I should do a blog on old time Christmas movies that aren't so well known?
Thanks for coming by sweet friend. : )
Carmen,
"Meet John Doe" is available to watch here!: http://www.archive.org/details/meet_john_doe
OH, Thank You so much for the Christmas movie suggestions. Yes, you should do a post on old Christmas movies. (Easter movies too! lol. I know I just added on to your list to do, sorry.) It is because of your blog post that I go looking around for old movies to keep in the house! :)
I am headed over to order them now. Thanks You so very much!
And,
Here's yet another folks!....Stay tuned for more!
"The Bells of St.Mary's":
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037536/
A precious, precious movie indeed. I love the scene of the children's play rehearsal. Beautiful simplicity. : )
Blessings to all!
Just Dial "O' for O'Malley! This is a DARLING trailer for 'The Bells of St. Mary's'
Enjoy this beautiful clip!
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1681981977/
Watching this with our girls now... "It Happened on 5th Avenue" (1947)
Charming, sweet movie.
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=79512
Check out their Christmas movie collection too while there. This site is a wealth of info on old movies... Enjoy!
Wow. This is turning into a post within a post! : )
My daughters assured me this was a goodie! I've been watching bits & pieces of it...It looks very cute.
"Holiday Affair" (1949)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041473/
Heidi (1937)
This is such a neat movie, such a sweet example of simplicity and how Christ can change things...Oh my. How movies have changed. I love the part where Heidi is excited about her little birthday party with she and the Grandfather, she is so excited to have hard rolls and cheese. Darling.
In one part, Christ is purposely & gloriously shown in a card from the Grandfather's Bible; you can see the Grandfather returning to the Lord Jesus from that ephiphany moment. Oh that we would have more movies like this!
Here is a link, make sure you see the 1937 version. : )
http://turnerclassic.moviesunlimited.com/Product.asp?sku=D28145&shopRef=
Amelia! I have not been over in soooo long! I don't know why! I miss you! Thank you for these old radio programs.We have some on CD that we purchased from a place that sells items from the past. I wish I could think of the name of it--you may know about it already.
I wish you would do a post on old Christmas movies... "Holiday Affair"..I'm not sure if I saw it but it sound familiar. I did see the Bells of St Mary. Many folks are particularly fond of "The Bishop's Wife." We saw "Penny Serenade" recently and it was so sad. Not necessarily a Christmas story, but there are certain aspects that are.
Well, good to talk to you. I think I need to follow this blog so I know when you post.
Blessings to all of you.
Hi Maxine! Awww... I love it when you come by dear friend! I appreciate you so much. : )
Thanks too for suggesting "Penny Serenade" (194). I love that movie so much. That would be a good movie for Christmas, like you said there is definitely a huge aspect of Christmas in it.
Here is a link for "Penny Serenade" and you can also SEE it in ENTIRITY HERE by going to 'videos' to the left of site:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034012/
Thank you for following my blog too Maxine, I consider that a high compliment.
Blessings to you dear one!
Hi Folks!
Here's yet another...We plan on watching this tonight as a family. : )
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033045/
Enjoy & sweet blessings this Christmas season!
Hope to come up with some more old movie goodness soon!
The Bishop's Wife (1947)
http://turnerclassic.moviesunlimited.com/product.asp?sku=D21609&directHit=1
Carmen, On the Margaret O'Brien Christmas movie, I do believe that one is "Tenth Avenue Angel". But Our Vines have Tender Grapes is a must-see as well. The little girl seeing the animals kneel is in "Tenth Avenue..."
They are all wonderful. : )
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