Category: Holidays
Every year people make a list of things that they will to do, be or have. Very few actually achieve these goals. Sometimes it really is a case of aiming for the impossible. You set your self up for failure at the start of the year – that really sucks!
Rather than make a list of things that you know you won’t really do, how about making yourself just one promise? Make it your new year’s resolution that no matter what, you will keep learning something new everyday. This means that you will keep an open mind to things and maybe be more open to possibilities. You may find yourself feeling younger and a lot lighter because of it. Challenge your mind. That’s always great.
It really isn’t true that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. You can learn anything you want to, if you set your mind to it. You might still teach these young whippersnappers a thing or two about trends and technology.
From the time we were kids, Christmas has been a time of giving and receiving. It isn’t only the kids who look forward to the joy of ripping the gift wrapping aside and discovering what treasure has been bestowed by our loved ones. It does not matter the price or the size. It is about how well we are loved, that they care to think about what we really want and need.
For some though the receiving truly is less important than the giving. One such couple is Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat’s guard and his wife Siohvaughn. Now that they not only can afford to buy themselves anything they want, they no longer get up early on christmas morning to rip open their presents. Instead christmas for them is about putting smiles on the faces of kids in need.
Giving is what it is all about for Dwayne, his wife and his children. Dwayne Wade says it is about being blessed and sharing those blessings such as they did three days before christmas with these kids from South Florida. His wife Siohvaughn says, “When he does things like this, often he’ll say that if someone did something like it or came where he lived and did something like this for children when he was a kid, that would have made a difference in his life”.
This is the true spirit of christmas. This is what makes the season special.
Every December many children (and a few adults) are hopeful that they will get a visit from Santa. They are each hoping that they made it on the good list and not on the naughty one. Some do not believe that he exists at all.
Well, for those who do believe and hope that they will see him when he comes calling, there is a way to find out where the guy in the bright red suit is. North American Aerospace Defense Command is ready and waiting to help track Santa. Operation NORAD Tracks Santa will begin at 2am MST on December 24, Christmas Eve.
NORAD, and its predecessor CONAD, have been doing this for 50 years. They track Santa using the radar called the North Warning System. It has 47 installations along the North American border. The moment that Santa has been detected taking off from the north pole, the satellite network will now be used to track Santa’s flight. It works using infared sensors which can detect Rudolph’s red nose easily by its infared signature.
There are also Santa cams deployed this year. These high speed digital cameras are scattered around the world. Note that they are only used once a year – on Christmas Eve.
Lastly, there are NORAD (Canadaian and American) fighter pilots assigned to intercept Santa and welcome him at various points. They will fly will fly with Santa and his reindeers part way, taking turns.
Children can call or email to ask about Santa’s location. There will be over 800 volunteers taking turns to answer the lines and respond to the emails. They can also visit the website for updates.
Around christmas time everyone seems to transform into the kids they are at heart. Suddenly no hiding place is safe since they have all become expert detectives. They always seem to find where you hid the presents.
If you are looking for a way to help keep things a surprise, try what Nashville is doing. They have Santa Closets.
No, the closets do not contain the big guy in the red suit. A Santa Closet is the term used for the self storage units that have become a favorite hiding place for many adults. Some people rent Santa Closets to store items like a new TV, iPod, recliner or boat that you hope they won’t see til Christmas day. The gifts can be any size. The important thing is that they are away from the curious fingers of the christmas detective squad.
With Santa Closets, the stash will be safe ’til you decide to put them under the tree. Just make sure to keep its location secret.
Every christmas time, many places come to life with lights. There are however a few that really stand out with their christmas display, doing more than just brighten up trees. These homeowners and shopkeepers turn their christmas displays into works of art that attracts visitors from far and wide to marvel anew at the christmas stories.
Maybe the best known display is that of the family of Dan Brown in Greenville, Texas. This year’s display is made with over 500,000 lights and has expanded since his son moved into the house across the street. They don’t charge anything for people to enjoy the display, people can simply drive down the street and marvel at the beauty of this display of snowmen, trains, a giant carousel and more. They do welcome donations that people give. Any amounts they receive are used on the electricity bill. Any excess amount is used to improve and add on to the display for next year.
Of course there are lots of other families who have also become landmarks for their own areas during the holiday season. The Little family in Morgan County, Utah have put up a beautiful christmas light display since 1956. They began with carving out Mary and Joseph. Over the years they added the sheep, shepherds, the wise men, the city of Bethlehem, reindeers, candy canes and more. The Little Hill as it is called is a crowd drawer every year.
