END IT WELL – for the 2021 Holiday Photography Challenge (See
sidebar for full list.).
Today, the year draws to a close, along with the Holiday
Photography Challenge. It seems fitting to include this lovely little stone
chapel.
Nope, it’s not my church, which is much more modern-looking
and a whole lot bigger.
But I might have sighed out loud when I stepped up to this
spot.
There’s something distinctly inviting and sweet about coming
upon a lovely traditional country church on an outdoor jaunt. I had to stop and
admire the stonework, the stained glass windows, and the way the sunlight
reflects of this sweet architectural gem.
The new year offers us new hope, new chances, and new
treasures to explore.
Here’s an annual favorite, a bilingual greeting by Puerto
Rican/American singer/guitarist Jose Feliciano. Although the song has been
covered by others artists, including Celine Dion and Michael Buble, Feliciano’s
original version of “Feliz Navidad” has enjoyed steady play on the holiday
season airwaves for decades.
Who’s going home for the holidays? And who’s missing someone
special and wishing he or she would show up on the decorated doorstep for a
Christmas surprise?
Friends and relations send salutations,
Sure as the stars shine above.
For this is Christmas,
Yes, Christmas, my dear,
It's the time of year to be with the one you love.
The Eagles flew up the contemporary music charts, several
years ago, with their cover of “Please Come Home for Christmas” (“Bells Will Be
Ringing”), originally recorded by Charles Brown in 1960.
The tune has joined
the ever-growing list of perennial holiday favorites.
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Several other popular artists have recorded cover versions
of “Please Come Home for Christmas.” These include Gary Allan, Bon Jovi. Josh
Gracin, Martina McBride, Willie Nelson, Lee Roy Parnell, and more.
Goodbye, 2011, with all of your ups and downs. What a year! Twelve months of injuries and insights, happy moments and hurts, challenges and cheers, and so much more.
Are you happy to see the old year gone ... and the new one just beginning? For many, the dawning of a brand-new year brings hope and optimism. Let's count on it!
New starts are always promising.
What are you looking forward to the most in 2012?
Maybe it's a new job, a life goal, a physical fitness plan or even a mended relationship. Perhaps you are planning a big move across the country, starting to work on that book you've been meaning to write, or beginning to journal daily.
What changes are you hoping for, as 2012 begins?
Are you hoping for healing? Yearning for personal growth? Waiting for a long-expected answer on something truly telling in your own life?
Is there something you've been praying long and hard about? Maybe 2012 will be your year!
My 2012 hopes are hearty, but simple and trifold.
Personally,I'm stretching for healing, both from a long-term medical condition and from traumatic injuries I sustained when a quiet horseback ride turned into a bad rodeo last summer. It only lasted a moment, but the results have lasted many months. I'm praying for friends and family members for a host of reasons, both personal and practical.
Professionally,I want to stretch as well, seeking to continue improving my craft as a writer, as well as my efficiency as a freelancer. This seems to be a perennial purpose.
Spiritually,I desire to desire more of God - His presence, His character and His blessing. I want the Lord to continue to reshape me, making me less like me and more like Him.
Who wants to ask me (next December) how it all turned out?
Feel free to leave a comment, including a link to your own New Year's post, if you have one. Why not add Practically at Home to your blogroll, so you can stop by easily for future visits?
Do you prefer pop, blues, rap, rock, soul, gospel or another style of music? What was the best song of 2009, in your opinion? Did you buy it on CD or download it to your MP3 or iPod?
Here's an amazing remix blend someone made of Billboard's Top 25 hits from 2009 (posted yesterday on YouTube). Whether you like pop music or not, the blend is intriguing. See how many hit singles (and popular music artists) you can recognize. Can you find Fergie, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Flo Rida, and other artists?
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What did you think?
Happy New Year!
Don't you just wonder what popular music 2010 will bring?
Let’s try a bit of Wednesday Weirdness today. The posted questions are listed here in bold type, and my responses are in italics. (CTRL-Click on any links to open those items in new windows.)
1. Why do you keep a blog?
I love to write. Actually, I have several blogs. Please feel free to visit any and all of them. In fact, how about signing up to be a blog follower, so you can keep up with my prolific posts?
My New Year’s Resolution is to read the Bible every day and to read through the entire Bible in chronological order in 2009.
Would you like to read along with me? Come on in, and join me at The Heart of a Ready Writer. I would welcome the encouragement of a comment now and then too!
4. People who still have their outside Christmas lights up. Festive or Lazy? Discuss.
Twelfth Night (January 6th) was yesterday. For many cultural traditions, that’s the official end of the Christmas season. Plenty of folks keep their Christmas lights up and on until January 6th each year.
5. What is the last annoying song that got trapped in your head?
Today’s blogging prompt at the Meme Express is “Dirty Laundry.” I included a music video for Don Henley and the Eagles’ song, “Dirty Laundry.” Now I simply cannot get that song out of my brain.
Maybe I truly ought to attack the overflowing laundry baskets in our closets.
6. Have you ever worn or tried edible underwear? What are your thoughts on it?
Gee, I don’t believe I have. Of course, something seems to be eating single socks at our house. Maybe the mysterious sock eater knows something we don’t.
Bonus: If you could do one bad thing and get away with it, what would you do and why?
I’d probably eat a lot more chocolate. If calories didn’t count, and post-binge migraines posed no threat, I would definitely dive in.
Throughout 2009, please join us at The Heart of a Ready Writer, a Bible reading and devotional blog, as we read through the entire Bible in chronological order.
Are you watching the clock at this timely moment of the year? Are you resolutely making New Year’s Resolutions for 2009? Planning a party to watch the ball drop in New York’s Times Square?
How will you spend the final moments of 2008 . . . and the first moments of 2009? What are you doing New Year’s Eve?
