Seasons Greetings!
Mr. Magpie went out this morning and took photos of this gorgeous St. Augustine sky on his way to pick up breakfast. Then, before I knew it, he had composed a Christmas card which I wanted to share with all the lovely readers/friends who frequent this blog.
Can you believe those colors? And the shot of the lighthouse? Mr. Magpie is not only a talented attorney, he is a talented photographer, and I want to thank him for sharing this card with us!
Speaking of which...
One of the reasons for which I give thanks is YOU!
Thank you for visiting here throughout the years I've been blogging (some years far more than others)...
Do you remember the infamous snowbirds??? Yes, they were snowmen that somehow flew south on those pretzel thin arms! ;-)
Or all the candy kisses I had to eat to make the tinsel around Annie's wings? Or Annie's costume made from paper products that shall remain nameless? Yeah, that! ;-)
Or the changes in the St. Augustine foyer...
Etc.
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Thank you not only for visiting, but for sharing your comments and your lives in return...
And thank you for always making me (and Mr. Magpie) feel so blessed by your priceless gift of love. xoxoxo
Now, a little gift to you, that you might want to pass on to others through SAVE THE CHILDREN, but some background first.
Out of all the wonderful Christmas hymns and songs, "O Come All Ye Faithful" is my favorite...
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One of the myriad reasons I love this hymn so much is because of the line, "Sing All Ye Citizens of Heaven Above."
At that moment, whether in a church filled with people or at home, I always allow myself time to remember the many...
Loved ones and friends, of whom these pictures only represent a few who have gone on ahead to sing in the choirs of Heaven...
I feel especially close to them in singing this joyous hymn. And this lovely lady taught it to me...
As a matter of fact, I know, without a doubt, that all of our voices are joined together in praise once again at this special time of the year!:-)
This song is my way of sharing Christmas with them as the citizens of Heaven and also with the citizens of Earth...
Heaven forbid... we can't forget about the Earthlings! ;-)
Is it real, or is it Memorex: Can you guess which Earthling I am? No? Ha! Not telling!
This year, I was blessed to meet Joe and Terri (above) with Terri being a friend and fellow Blogger!
While the Latin version of "O Come All Ye Faithful", better known as, "Adeste Fideles" and particularly as sung by Pavarotti, has always been a favorite, I happened upon Susan Boyle's version on YouTube quite by chance.
Or was it, indeed, chance?
This rendition made me laugh, made me cry, and left me with a smile in my heart.
I think finding this video has been my favorite surprise of the Christmas season, and I'd like to share that surprise with each of you. The video involves some of the cutest children ever, but to me, all children are cute... naughty sometimes, but still cute! ;-)
Take some time to yourself, click on the link below, and enjoy. Oh, and have yourself A Merry Little Christmas!
Blessings and Much, Much Love,
Mrs. Magpie (Sheila)
(I never noticed before, but in the picture below, look how Mama started her decorating up so far on the Christmas tree. I always loved shiny objects, even from this tender age. Hence I imagine that little hands and little dogs were apt to play with the Christmas ornaments and account for the reason that tree looks so nekkid. That's right, blame it on poor Frankie!)
