WELCOME!!!
We are so glad that you have decided to come to our town to visit for Christmas. We sure hope you have a lot of fun here and that it really gets you in the spirit of Christmas. Now while you're outdoors be sure to stay bundled up and warm because we would hate for you to get sick this holiday and miss all the fun we'll be having.
Speaking of staying
warm let'smake our way into the house for a while for some hot apple cider
and see how the decorations look. Well, now that we're
in out of the snow let's
brush ourselves off, hang up our coats to dry
and warm up.
You go sit by the fireplace and
Briarpatchlady will head
into the kitchen to get that pot of
cider warming.
Boy, the house is going to smell so good between
the fresh evergreens, vanilla candles burning and boiling cider
on the stove. I just can't wait!!! I LOVE
Christmas and all the
warm feelings of this time of the year.
I've got the pot on
to heat
so let me and mom show you around. We've worked extra hard
this year to make our home
inviting to one and all. Once
we got all the cleaning done we
started crafting new decorations and
toys for inside and out. Mom
and I try to make new things every year
to decorate the house
with and give away for gifts. There is just
nothing quite like a
handmade gift to treasure for years.
From stockings to quilts and
hand knitted mittens you can use and
cherish.
Of course everyone
also likes handmade
ornaments. I can unwrap and look at every
ornament I have and always
remember the person who gave it to me
or the circumstances under which I bought
or made it. Would you
like to see our Christmas Tree? This year we strung cranberries
and made velvet cone ornaments stuffed with miniature pine cones
and hung with gold
cord. When we have our Christmas party we will
give these all away as gifts to our guests.
That way we'll be
making more memories not only for us but for others too.
Talk about making
memories. That's what Christmas is all about. From remembering
how our Savior Baby Jesus was born to us and the spirit and love
that God wants each and everyone of us to carry inside.
To
spending time and making memories with family and friends.
Keeping goodwill in our hearts to always be charitable and help
others less fortunate than ourselves. If you havn't yet spent a
Christmas that way it's not to late to start, just remember the
true meaning of Christmas and hold it deep in your heart and you'll
be making memories too.
It seems the cider
is hot and spiced and a fire is roaring in the parlor. Why don't
we go into the parlor and mom will read us a Christmas story or
poem. My mom is a wonderful storyteller, she has just the right
way with words. Suddenly as your listening to the story you
become lost in the words and feel as if the story is happening to
you. So come in to the parlor and get comfy and I'll run fetch
the cider. Mom has her book ready.
Bobby was getting cold sitting out in his back yard in the snow. Bobby
didn't wear boots; he didn't like them and anyway he didn't own any. The
thin sneakers he wore had a few holes in them and they did a poor job of
keeping out the cold. Bobby had been in his backyard for about an hour
already.
And, try as he might, he could not come up with an idea for his mother's
Christmas gift. He shook his head as he thought, "This is useless, even
if I do come up with an idea, I don't have any money to spend." Ever
since his father had passed away three years ago, the family of five had
struggled. It wasn't because his mother didn't care, or try, there just
never seemed to be enough. She worked nights at the hospital, but the
small wage that she was earning could only be stretched so far. What the
family lacked in money and material things, they more than made up for
in love and family unity. Bobby had two older and one younger sister,
who ran the house hold in their mother's absence. All three of his
sisters had already made beautiful gifts for their mother. Somehow it
just wasn't fair.
Here it was Christmas Eve already, and he had nothing. Wiping a tear
from his eye, Bobby kicked the snow and started to walk down to the
street where the shops and stores were. It wasn't easy being six without
a father, especially when he needed a man to talk to. Bobby walked from
shop to shop, looking into each decorated window. Everything seemed so
beautiful and so out of reach. It was starting to get dark and Bobby
reluctantly turned to walk home when suddenly his eyes caught the
glimmer of the setting sun's rays reflecting off of something along the
curb. He reached down and discovered a shiny dime. Never before has
anyone felt so wealthy as Bobby felt at that moment. As he held his new
found treasure, a warmth spread throughout his entire body and he walked
into the first store he saw. His excitement quickly turned cold when the
salesperson told him that he couldn't buy anything with only a dime.
He saw a flower shop and went inside to wait in line. When the shop
owner asked if he could help him, Bobby presented the dime and asked if
he could buy one flower for his mother's Christmas gift. The shop owner
looked at Bobby and his ten cent offering. Then he put his hand on
Bobby's shoulder and said to him, "You just wait here and I'll see what
I can do for you."
As Bobby waited he looked at the beautiful flowers and even though he
was a boy, he could see why mothers and girls liked flowers.
The sound of the door closing as the last customer left, jolted Bobby
back to reality. All alone in the shop, Bobby began to feel alone and
afraid.
Suddenly the shop owner came out and moved to the counter. There, before
Bobby's eyes, lay twelve long stem, red roses, with leaves of green and
tiny white flowers all tied together with a big silver bow. Bobby's
heart sank as the owner picked them up and placed them gently into a
long white box.
"That will be ten cents young man," the shop owner said reaching out his
hand
for the dime.
Slowly, Bobby moved his hand to give the man his dime. Could this be
true? No one else would give him a thing for his dime! Sensing the boy's
reluctance, the shop owner added, "I just happened to have some roses on
sale for ten cents a dozen. Would you like them?" This time Bobby did
not hesitate, and when the man placed the long box into his hands, he
knew it was true.
Walking out the door that the owner was holding for Bobby, he heard the
shop keeper say, "Merry Christmas, son."
As he returned inside, the shop keeper's wife walked out. "Who were you
talking to back there and where are the roses you were fixing?" Staring
out the window, and blinking the tears from his own eyes, he replied, "A
strange thing happened to me this morning. While I was setting up things
to open the shop, I thought I heard a voice telling me to set aside a
dozen of my best roses for a special gift. I wasn't sure at the time
whether I had lost my mind or what, but I set them aside anyway. Then
just a few minutes ago, a little boy came into the shop and wanted to
buy a flower for his mother with one small dime.
"When I looked at him, I saw myself, many years ago. I too, was a poor
boy with nothing to buy my mother a Christmas gift. A bearded man, whom
I never knew, stopped me on the street and told me that he wanted to
give me ten dollars. "When I saw that little boy tonight, I knew who
that voice was, and I put together a dozen of my very best roses." The
shop owner and his wife hugged each othertightly, and as they stepped
out into the bitter cold air, they somehow didn't feel cold at all.
May this story instill the spirit of CHRISTmas in you enough to pass
this act along.
Have a Joyous and Peace-filled season.
This story was sent to me by a friend in my email, I do not know who the author is. If you are or know who the author is please let me know so I may give credit for this beautiful story. Thank-you.
We sure hope you enjoyed the story!!! It's starting to get dark so I guess it's back into our boots, coats and mittens so we can take you on a sleigh ride home. We had a wonderful time visiting and hope you come back again. There is nothing like a sleigh ride in the cold crisp night air and now we're off!!!
Sure hope you enjoyed the sleigh ride. Good-Night to one and all. Don't forget to remember the CHRIST in Christmas. Spread goodwill and Christmas cheer throughout the season. And whatever you do, keep making memories to cherish through the years.
Our very first Christmas Award!!! Thank-You Penelope
Click here to go see a beautiful Christmas Nativity Fade Applet
Please go read our TWAS A COMPUTER CHRISTMAS poem.
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This Many Good Folks Have Stopped By to Visit Us! Copyright 1999-2003
by
Two Hearts Are Better Than One
All Rights Reserved
Page Last Updated July 20, 2003
