... 11th DAY OF CHRISTMAS

ELEVEN PIPERS PIPING...

Man oh man oh man! We're sooooo close now I can hardly stand it!

Yep, here we are, CHRISTMAS EVE. Tomorrow's the big day. How many of you are fretting over last minute shopping? Too bad - plenty of time (like a whole year) to be thinking of what you wanted to do for whomever you wanted to do it. Me, I'm going SAILING - and then it's off to Amanda's to spend the night as there's no greater joy for me than those two cherubic little ones, Hailey & Tyler. Also looking forward to see my other two "angels" Madison & Grayson who will be having Christmas Eve with their Nana Anne.

So, ELEVEN PIPERS PIPING... and one of the things they're piping about is STEVE JOYCE'S BIRTHDAY. Happy B-Day Steve. Steve has the dubious honor of sharing the same birth year as I do. More notably, he is the Father of my Dear Friend Ms. Emily who spent a good part of this past year in Moscow "Clowning around," (actually doing volunteer work at an orphanage). And not to be left out let's say HOW DEE DO to Mom Mikie who also shares the same Birth year as Steve & I, and is the Daughter of my very special Club 33 Benefactor. Here's wishing a Merry Christmas and a Safe and prosperous New Year to the whole Joyce Family in Boise, ID and sundry other scattered places.

And with one final nod to the "nostalgia" of the Season, here's another Queen Bee (thank you Auntie Bonnie) IMovie from 2009, with (of course) Tyler, Hailey & Santa...

Oh, and before I go for today, with the "Piper's Piping" and "nostalgia" in mind, I've got one more gem I'm compelled to share... this one's been going around the Internet recently, as well it should, called A DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS POEM, and it's really a tribute or dedication to our Military, serving here and abroad to protect our Freedoms, a part of which allows us to have such a great time as Christmas. I doubt I'll ever be thought of as a "tree hugger" but I hope everyone will remember me, at least in part, as a Flag Waver. If you know someone in the Military, or their Family, share this with them, even if they've heard it, they'll still know that SOMEONE CARES. And that matters. God Bless the Red, White & Blue!

"What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace."
~ Agnes M. Pahro