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  • Happy Thanksgiving Xanga


     

    Happy Thanksgiving Xanga

    Project-1bTurkeysXanga_RSBlain.JPG

    Have a beautiful week

    Just a bit of info on the image.  Everything was photographed by me.  The Turkeys were lifted out of one photo and transposed into the farm scene and the color was adjusted.  I’ve grown very fond of Turkeys.  They are abundant in the Rockford, Illinois area for photo taking (I have nothing against eating them either but prefer chicken).  The farm scene is here in Ohio and it sits back from I71. I took the photo from our moving car on a trip to my sisters in Columbus.

    Becca

     

  • POLITICAL KNOTS and NOTES

     

     

    NEWLY UPDATED AREAS MARKED NEW IN RED:

    NEW October 7, 2009

    For PURE POLITICAL LISTENING PLEASURE , You may even sing along on this one and one of the many jokes per health care rounding the Internet.

        The phone rings and the lady of the house answers.
       
        “Hello?”
       
        Mrs. Sanders, please.”
       
        “Speaking.”
       
        “Mrs. Sanders, this is Dr. Jones at St. Agnes Laboratory . When your husband’s doctor sent his biopsy to the lab last week, a biopsy from another Mr. Sanders arrived as well.
       
        We are now uncertain which one belongs to your husband. Frankly, either way the results are not too good.”
       
        “What do you mean?” Mrs. Sanders asks nervously.
       
        “Well, one of the specimens tested positive for Alzheimer’s and the other one tested positive for HIV.  We can’t tell which is which.”
       
        That’s dreadful! Can you do the test again?” questioned Mrs. Sanders.
       
        “Normally we could, but the new health care system will only pay for these expensive tests just one time.”
       
        Well, what am I supposed to do now? “
       
        “The folks at Obamacare recommend that you drop your husband off somewhere in the middle of town. If he finds his way home, don’t sleep with him.”

    September 24, 2009 

    I’m ready to throw up … I’d paste this video into my blog If I could, but it’s on FOXNEWS so, a link and you really want to listen to this.  Hear New Jersey elementary school children singing the praises of the man in the oval office and if the link doesn’t get you there the story is on the front page today http://www.foxnews.com/: 
    http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=9972437&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/  I have sung many a song for our nation but never for any president I have ever seen or know of in office. 

    Another IMPORTANT  link for you, http://www.ameripac.org/ The American Political Action Committee, well worth taking a look at for information. 

     

    August 26, 2009  THIS ONE IS A DOOZIE … Taken from video transcripts on the House of Representative’s floor, congressman Mike Rogers speaking on the health care bill, July 16, 2009.  About 4 minutes of your listening time. 

     

    August 13, 2009

    A speech by Ronald Reagan per Socialized Medicine.  It contains his views of what he believed Socialized Medicine entails.  I hope you, who still read my site entries, when I post them, will listen to this video taken from YouTube.  Ronald Reagan was and still is one of our most highly respected presidents of our age.  CLICK ON THE CENTRAL ARROW, turn on your sound, it involves YOU. 

     
     
    August 13, 2009
     
    You may want to check this Wall Street Journal Online article “Lessons of the ‘Stimulus’ Bill” dated August 12, 2009.  
    The first lines read:  With some members of Congress now considering a second stimulus bill,
     
    August 13, 2009
     
    A link for you http://www.freemarketcure.com/brainsurgery.php.  I will say, certainly there is a conservative bias in this link.  I have looked at the “about this site” and looked up the people involved in it but I would call WHAT IS CONTAINED IN THIS SITE, REAL FOOD for THOUGHT.  Here, a link to the front door, http://www.freemarketcure.com/.  You will discover more there. 
     
    Every day I wonder at what monsterous abominations of the human race have been voted into our government and what other plans these people have.  Just what is the intended  outcome for this country?  I have a hard time believing, you who voted for CHANGE, that is now so transparent in it’s devaluation of those things that were so important to the creation of this country and the welfare of us all, are as estatically happy as the day the deed was done.  If you are, I think you still may be wearing blinders preventing you from reading between the lines. 
     
    I continue to build my movie collection which includes now, 58 of the 80 Best Pictures and many politically motivated stories.  Stories are often just stories but I find most are written with real happenings as a basis.  It’s enlightning to watch the older movies written on politics, military and war.  Most have images into the realities of the timeframe and it’s amazing how alike the desires of people everywhere are dating back to the timeframe of the movie and well before.  Each and everyone has taught me something. 
     
    Here are a couple wonderful movies I would suggest watching:
    1-  The Life of Emile Zola (1938), Wikipedia Biography of Emile Zola,  AMAZON buy the movie The Life of Emile Zola (Special Edition) IMDB Info http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0029146/
    2-  Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), AMAZON buy the movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington  IMDB Info http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0031679/  WATCH IT FREE HERE. 
    ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
     
     

    December 9, 2008
    Wikipedia Fred Thompson and some input from Fred on the bailouts. 

    Great News for the Economy. 

    Nearly overwhelming.

    And another really good read for anyone interested:  http://www.thebulletin.us/site/news.cfm?newsid=20210273  What could possibly cause AN HONEST MAN TO WALK AROUND REFUSING TO PRODUCE something so important? 

     

    November5, 2008
    Have you ever had a knot in your stomach?  THE SIZE OF A FOOTBALL PLUS a HEADACHE?  This is my day, after election day, 2008.  To amuse myself, I have been playing a game of discovery, to carry me through, to a better day, tomorrow.

     
    Bob Hope quip, Democrats
     


     
    Freedom
    RSBlain November 5, 2008
     
    And like sheep they ran,
    With the piper and band,
    Who played tunes of deceit while twirling their pens,
    Promising all, “what they wanted to hear”,
    Giving nary a stanza, to what is most dear,
    Freedom
     

    Click for www.electoral-vote.com

     
    Exit Polls Info from this page:  http://www.electoral-vote.com/
    The NY Times has the exit poll data. Obama barely won among men (49% to 48%), but strongly among women (56% to 43%), overwhelmingly among blacks (95% to 5%), and convincingly among Latinos (66% to 31%) and Asians (62% to 35%). However, he lost among whites (43% to 55%) as Democrats normally do. He did progressively worse with age, winning the 18-29 year-olds 66% to 31% but losing seniors 52% to 46%. He swept every educational category as well as Catholics and Jews but lost Protestants 54% to 45%. He won people living in big cities, small cities, and suburbs, but lost in small towns and rural areas. One is tempted to say McCain won in traditional 19th century America (what Sarah Palin would call “real America”): older white Protestant men living in small towns. Obama won everywhere else. The Republican Party is going to have to think long and hard if it wants to hitch its wagon to this fading star while the Democrats are going after younger, multicultural, urban voters.
     

    2008-ExitPolls-RSB

     
    Professional Journalism’s Code of Ethics from this page:  http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp
     
    Preamble to the Journalist’s Cod of Ethics
    Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist’s credibility. Members of the Society share a dedication to ethical behavior and adopt this code to declare the Society’s principles and standards of practice.
     
    The SPJ Code of Ethics is voluntarily embraced by thousands of journalists, regardless of place or platform, and is widely used in newsrooms and classrooms as a guide for ethical behavior. The code is intended not as a set of “rules” but as a resource for ethical decision-making. It is not — nor can it be under the First Amendment — legally enforceable.

    The last sentence is how journalists get around playing down/not reporting information such as in THIS MUST READ: 

     
    SOME DEFINITIONS
     
    Truth: 
    1. the true or actual state of a matter: He tried to find out the truth.
    2. conformity with fact or reality; verity: the truth of a statement.
    3. a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like: mathematical truths.
    4. the state or character of being true.
    5. actuality or actual existence.
    6. an obvious or accepted fact; truism; platitude.
    7. honesty; integrity; truthfulness.
     
    Lie:
    1. a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth; a falsehood.
    2. something intended or serving to convey a false impression; imposture: His flashy car was a lie that deceived no one.
    3. an inaccurate or false statement.
     
    Deception:

    1. the act of deceiving; the state of being deceived.
    2. something that deceives or is intended to deceive; fraud; artifice.
     
    Gullible:

    1.  naive and easily deceived or tricked;
    2.  easily tricked because of being too trusting; “gullible tourists taken in by the shell game” 

     
    Democracy: 
    1. government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.
    2. a state having such a form of government: The United States and Canada are democracies.
    3. a state of society characterized by formal equality of rights and privileges.
     
    Democratic: 
    1. pertaining to or of the nature of democracy or a democracy.
    2. pertaining to or characterized by the principle of political or social equality for all: democratic treatment.
    3. advocating or upholding democracy.
     
    Democrat:
    1. an advocate of democracy.
    2. a person who believes in the political or social equality of all people.
     
    Liberal:
    1. favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.
    2. (often initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to a political party advocating measures of progressive political reform.
    3. of, pertaining to, based on, or advocating liberalism.
    4. favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, esp. as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties.
    5. favoring or permitting freedom of action, esp. with respect to matters of personal belief or expression: a liberal policy toward dissident artists and writers.
    6. of or pertaining to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies.
    7. free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: a liberal attitude toward foreigners.
    8. open-minded or tolerant, esp. free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.
    9. characterized by generosity and willingness to give in large amounts: a liberal donor.
     
    Bleeding heart liberal:
     
    Republic:
    1. a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them.
    2. any body of persons viewed as a commonwealth.
    3. a state in which the head of government is not a monarch or other hereditary head of state.
     
    Republican:

    adjective
    1.  relating to or belonging to the Republican Party; “a Republican senator”; “Republican party politics” 
    2.  having the supreme power lying in the body of citizens entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them or characteristic of such government; “the United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government”- United States Constitution;
    noun
    1.  a member of the Republican Party 
    2.  an advocate of a republic (usually in opposition to a monarchy) 

     
    Commonwealth:
    1. a group of sovereign states and their dependencies associated by their own choice and linked with common objectives and interests: the British Commonwealth. 
    2. the Commonwealth. Commonwealth of Nations. 
    3. a federation of states: the Commonwealth of Australia. 
    4. a self-governing territory associated with the U.S.: official designation of Puerto Rico.
    5. (initial capital letter) the official designation (rather than “State”) of four states of the U.S.: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
    6. any group of persons united by some common interest.
    7. the whole body of people of a nation or state; the body politic.
    8. a state in which the supreme power is held by the people; a republican or democratic state.
    9. Obsolete. the public welfare.
     
    Conservative:
    A descriptive term for persons, policies, and beliefs associated with conservatism.
     
    Conservatism:
    1.  The inclination, especially in politics, to maintain the existing or traditional order.
    2.  A political philosophy or attitude emphasizing respect for traditional institutions, distrust of government activism, and opposition to sudden change in the established order.
    3.  Conservatism The principles and policies of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom or of the Progressive Conservative Party in Canada.
    4.  Caution or moderation, as in behavior or outlook.
     
    My Thoughts:
    I am what I feel might be called a mixed republican conservative or possibly a very conservative liberal. 
    • 1- ABORTION:  I believe in a woman’s right to choose but prefer, over abortions, the educated use of condoms and if an abortion has to be the choice, the first trimester should be the limiting time span unless there is truly a health risk for the mother.  Partial Birth Abortion is disgusting, abominable and should never be used unless there is no other choice. 
    • 2- GAY RIGHTS:  my son was gay and though a difficult person, he was worth his weight in gold and deserved all of what anyone who is a good person deserves.  Who are we to limit a persons right to happiness and a loving partner.  If it’s a sin, let God be the one to condemn the person, not the human race.  Human, after all, has a definition one and the same as humane.  Two people dedicated to each other should have the same rights for house/home/happiness/jobs/insurance/benefits as working others who may have a piece of paper stating “married”.  I’m personally a bit sick of government looking into the bedroom window.
    • 3- STEM CELL RESEARCH:    WIKIPEDIA for INFORMATION on STEM CELL RESEARCH:  I have no problems with the use of stem cell research to help the living.  If and when there is a better way then go with it but until then there are people in dire need who may live better lives through the use of stem cells. 
    • 4- THE RIGHT TO DIE OR TO LIVE WITH DIGNITY:  I am a proponent for dignity in death and if I so choose it, the right to die as painlessly as possible over and above being kept alive to die in painful bits and pieces. 
    • 5- MILITARY:  I believe in a strong military and national defence and think every citizen of the United States should serve in a military capacity if only working in an office for the duration of his enlistment.  
    • 6- GUNS:  I believe strongly in my right to keep and bear arms but I have great reservations about assault weapons.  I don’t see them in the hands of the general population but know criminals will always have them.  I want to retain the right to protect myself and my family in my own home.  I think every citizen should be trained in the proper use of handguns and other legal arms SO they can be called upon with confidence to help in a crisis.  There will always be nut cases who will be a danger with a knife if not a gun or a log if not a knife, we need to be aware but taking away my guns will not alleviate the problems of the unstable.  I believe children should be schooled properly per weapons and their use and taught what death is instead of hiding it from them.  Children can’t be concerned with death or what it means if no one teaches them exactly what the loss entails.   
    • 7- PATRIOTISM:  I believe we are losing as a nation when we don’t educate ourselves to be patriotic.  I believe the survival of nations depends on one of two things.  1- a deep patriotic loyalty coupled with sensible freedoms and a respect for one another through educated bonding thereby building a love of country and the people within.  2- A strong upper hand say as in China.  Which would you prefer?    
    • 8- GOVERNMENT HANDOUTS:  This is a real sore spot with me.  I believe in a helping hand but I also believe in a moral obligation to ourselves to refuse excess handouts.  I believe they serve to weaken instead of strengthen us, as a Nation.  There is nothing wrong with an honest day’s work.  Government Handouts should be temporary or leeches are bred and we have bred millions of them.  Isn’t it better to encourage self sufficiency and a responsibility for oneself?  There are jobs that can be done to earn any government handout.  The trash along the side of the road that spreads for miles into the deserts would be a good start, for God’s sake.  It shames me when I see the filthy face we present from litter on the streets to the litter in our minds, to visitors to our country from other parts of the globe.  
    • 9- ILLEGALS:  Today, with the threat of terrorism around the globe, I have a strong opinion per illegals.  I think the citizenry of all nations needs to work together to discover illegals, reporting who and where they are, and we should not allow our government to tie the hands of our law enforcers  READ THIS FOR EYEOPENING.  I don’t want my money used to fund the welfare of people who have no use for the law while draining my tax dollars.  Legal citizens are denied the help they need through funding millions of illegals who put very little back into the coffers.  I think a border fence is futile.  To stop illegals, extend proper temporary work visas and DISCOVER AND PUNISH EMPLOYERS WHO HIRE ILLEGALS.  Heather McDonald is a writer I found, easy to read and methodical in her writing.  Check out some of her articles on Illegals.  READ THIS FOR EYEOPENING and this:  Hispanic Family Values; and  What would Mexico do with protesting illegals; and Immigration Myths; and Amnesty Lessons; and the Republican’s Hispanic Delusions; and Honesty From the Left on Hispanic Immigration; and Whimping Out on Welfare and she has a ton more to discover, Check out her list of articles, HERE.
    • 10- ENGLISH the OFFICIAL LANGUAGE of the UNITED STATES:  Did someone dare to say I should learn Spanish instead of the Hispanic immigrant learning English.  Am I supposed to learn Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Greek, Arabic and all else as there are immigrants and illegals in the United States who are from those language speaking countries and MORE.  GET REAL.

     

    My hopes, that the majority might feel the same way I feel, were dashed in the presidential elections of 2008.  How can goals/desires/interests/needs/ be so similar and yet be so dissimilar in accomplished understanding?  How can long term, positive results be, so elusive?  How can what is so transparent to some be, so opaque to others?  Is there no pride left?  Is there no willingness to persevere to preserve what people died for and are dying for, to see that you and I have the privileges we have?  I HAVE DECIDED, it’s the water people are drinking, and sadly, the craplines we choose to be fed. 
     
    I have more to say but will have to work at its construction.  As I am being ignored as a fool and some writers have intimated I am a hate filled racist, I can only say, read back in my blogs to discover a little about me.  My tags are listed and you only have to look. 
     
    Holy shit, where’s the tylenol?
    RSBlain, Republican Voter
     

  • Memorial Day 2009

     

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    Have a safe weekend Xanga

    ani-flagwave

    Remember our Military

     
     

    “Pledge of Allegiance”

    “I pledge allegiance to the flag
    Of the United States of America
    And to the Republic for which it stands
    One nation under God, indivisable
    With liberty and justice for all”
    *

    Our National Anthem

    “Star Spangled Banner”
    Written September 20, 1814 by Francis Scott Key

    Oh, say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
    What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
    Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
    O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
    And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
    Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
    O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
    O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
    *

    “God Bless America”

    written by Irving Berlin in 1918
    but not finished until 1938 at the onset of WWll

    God Bless America, land that I love
    Stand beside her and guide her
    Thru the night with a light from above
    from the mountains to the prairies,
    to the oceans, white with foam
    God bless America my home sweet home
    God bless America my home sweet home
    *

     
     
    Be careful what you wish for.
    Becca
     

  • Happy Mother’s Day Xanga Moms 2009

     

    Happy Mother’s Day Xanga

    May your day be filled with sunshine
    And the words you hear all sweet

    MothersDay-2009-2_RSBlain.jpg

    Right click on the above image for 800 x 600

    For 1024 x 768 CLICK HERE

    Happy Mother’s Day ladies.



  • Military Poetry from Becca, YouTube by Lizzie Palmer

     

    Header-Yarrow_RSBlain.jpg

    How Easily We Forget
    © RSBlain
    April, 2009

    How easy it is to forget, that which we seldom see
    People, places, and events fade out in memory
    When brains march multi-tasking to daily hum and drum,
    Programmed tasks which drive us until work, each day, is done.

    It’s sometimes easy to forget, some voices as they play
    On radios or IPod as they softly drift or sway
    Some voices go un-noticed until a scream of pain
    Recalls you to your senses, your attention to regain.

    It’s very easy to forget what we can’t see, or feel, or hear
    Things we’re not directly party to, not in our path or near
    Like someone’s son or daughter lying in a bed
    Of satin pillowed casket with flag draped overhead.

    Forgetting’s like a virus of proportions not displayed
    Like measles or a cold sore we’d work hard to clear away.
    Letters, cards and packages are lotion for attacks
    Of guilt-ridden forgetfulness.  You can’t take forgetting back.

     

    A YouTube video,
    REMEMBER  ME

     
    Have a good week.

     
     

  • Happy Easter Xanga 2009

     

    Happy Easter Xanga

    May the blessings of this season

    become yours

    as well as mine,

    no matter who we are,

    no matter where we are.

    Happy Easter

    Easter-2009-2D_RSBlain .jpg

    800 x 600 HERE  and 1024 x 768 HERE

     

    Easter-2009-1D_RSBlain.jpg

    800 x 600 HERE  and 1024 x 768 HERE

     

    Easter-2009-3_RSBlain.jpg

    800 x 600 HERE  and 1024 x 768 HERE

     

    Have a beautiful week,

    Becca

     

  • Infiniti Weekend Getaways Widget

    I just posted this Infiniti Weekend Getaways widget for 500 credits. You can earn free credits too!

  • A Happy Saint Patrick’s Day Xanga 2009

     

    Happy Saint Patrick’s Day Xanga

    Some Spring Desktops for YOU

    SaintPatricksDay-2009-3_RSBlain.jpg

    The displayed desktops are 800 x 600  get the 1024 x 768 HERE

    SaintPatricksDay-2009-2_RSBlain.jpg

    The displayed desktops are 800 x 600  get the 1024 x 768 HERE

    SaintPatricksDay-2009_RSBlain.jpg

    The displayed desktops are 800 x 600  get the 1024 x 768 HERE

    A Poem

    Saint Pat’s Day 2009
     © RSBlain March 16, 2009
     
      From Irish Eyes
      To old tales of wives
      And green beer poured at pubs,
        Where Leprechauns
      Spur drinkers on
      To Gaelic tunes and song,
      The Shamrocks sway at rivers edge
      While sheep lowe on the hill
      And Red haired, Irish lads keep court
      With green eyed, cream skinned girls
      Ireland,
    H    er story book, is live and daily swelling   
      With emerald beauty unsurpassed
      Her history in the telling. 

     

    The Quiet Man gets better with each viewing.  What wonderful breaks movies make in the seasons .

    Take care of you, Xanga,
    Becca

     

     

  • Happy Valentine’s Day 2009 Xanga

     

     

    Love, Love, Love

    Valentine-2009_RSBlain

    Wishing everyone a love filled weekend.

    Stay safe, smile a lot, laugh a little, hug your kiddies, watch some love filled movies.  Treat yourselves to each other.

     

    Becca

     

  • Happy New Year Xanga 2008

     

     Happy New Year Xanga

     

    Some photos
    “Christmas in Virginia”

    1-  ChristmasNewYear1_2008_RSBlain

    Our plans were to leave for Virginia on Sunday the 21st.  Our plans were cramped a little by the cat who adopted us.  The temps were really cold and though an outdoor cat when it found us, its been sleeping inside for several months and chooses to be in when it’s cold.  We had planned on a neighbor feeding it but … anyway, we kenneled the cat on Tuesday and we left later in the day hoping to drive during the late hours with little traffic.  What you see above is the rain that was pouring down at the time of our departure, my side window and rear view mirror.

     

    2-  ChristmasNewYear2_2008_RSBlain

    We are barely out of Cincinnati.  We picked up some fried catfish at a fastfood we like and slipped and slid behind the rest of the traffic that was slipping and sliding.

     

    3-  ChristmasNewYear3_2008_RSBlain

    Looking at this photo I guess you can tell it’s still raining and ice.  We drove about 3 hours and managed about 1 hour of distance.  The temps were expected to be higher in the morning so giving up, into a motel we go.  There was a Subway sandwich bar next door, the only thing open.  So, subs for supper and some television.

     

    4-  ChristmasNewYear4_2008_RSBlain

    Early up and more rain but we head out on wet but not frozen highways and we grab a bite to carry with us at the closest place we can find.  I took a lot of photos in this light and liked so many I had a hard time choosing which to use. 

     

    5-  ChristmasNewYear5_2008_RSBlain

    We finally made it to Charleston, West Virginia, probably 12 or more hours later than we expected to. 

     

    6-  ChristmasNewYear6_2008_RSBlain

    After a full day of driving, we are finally at the tunnel that crosses the bay going into Norfolk, Virginia Beach and beyond.  Photo taken, 10:09 pm on Christmas Eve.  Cats and icy highways sure can mess up a schedule.  Anyway, when we get to the tunnel, we are near our destination.

     

    7-  ChristmasNewYear7_2008_RSBlain

    Our first peek at Christmas In Virginia.  The tree is live and not quite 18″ tall but it’s just beautiful.  Lots of candles are burning creating a more reserved, starry night  look.  It isn’t quite the same as the past couple of years but with Mitch in Afganistan and Halie working, the mood and conditions are different.  I would call it more quietly festive.

     

    8-  ChristmasNewYear8_2008_RSBlain

    Look at this lovely fire and the gifts on the mantle.  Relaxing in this room, at Christmas time and New Years, is perfect.  Halie is under the covers on the sofa at the right.

     

    9-  ChristmasNewYear9_2008_RSBlain

    Christmas morning and India is looking out the door for Santa Claus.  Lots of packages are on the mantle and in Santa’s bag, so I know Santa was here.

    10-  ChristmasNewYear10_2008_RSBlain

    Santa was good, he brought John one of the little Sony GPS units for mapping our way across the country or around the world.  He has been playing with it, off and on, since he opened the package.

     

    11-  ChristmasNewYear10b_2008_RSBlain

    Eden is artistic so new art supplies for school were welcomed gifts from Santa.

     

    12-  ChristmasNewYear10c_2008_RSBlain

    New clothes are always welcome when you have a job that requires nice clothing.  Mitche’s mom is the practical  gift giver, always thinking of necessities.  I am the frivolous grandma.  I buy movies and Halie, Eden and Mitch can buy practical with a bit of money left in their stockings.

     

    13-  ChristmasNewYear10d_2008_RSBlain

    The grouping is small but the food is good and enough, perfect.  After the meal we relax with movies, or word games, or a drive for photos and more photos.

    14-  ChristmasNewYear11_2008_RSBlain

    This is Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach.  The area caters to tourists year round, as the climate is fairly friendly with nice days happening often, the year round.  At Christmas time, the city goes all out to look festive with a lot of lights to please the eye and to take photos of.  McDonalds hosts a festival of lights on the boardwalk that is beautiful, drawing big crowds.

     

    15-  ChristmasNewYear12_2008_RSBlain

    This is one of the beautiful days we see while in Virginia during our Christmas vacation.  Surfers and divers are in the waters and boats are out and about at all hours of the day.  The seagulls are plentiful and follow the boats for what the fishermen don’t want to keep.  Virginia and Virginia Beach have many a place that is a photographers dream.

     

    16-  ChristmasNewYear13_2008_RSBlain

     

     

     Happy New Year Xanga