Christmas Greetings

May the hope and peace of Christmas be yours today and always.

It’s 4:28 a.m. and…

…for some Blessed reason I am awake…not that I have been sleeping and am now awake…but that I am awake because I have not been sleeping.

I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!

I stumbled on Confessions of a Pioneer Woman last week, bookmarked it to come back to when I had time because I knew I would need time to read it. I knew if I started reading I wouldn't be able to stop…so when I started reading at 1am I foolishly promised myself I would "stop" after "just a couple entries." Liar. I am a sucker for a good love story…but even more so when it is a real one. I like real. I like authenticity and I like practical. Being awake now and not having been asleep when I should have been is not exactly practical…but just one more entry…


I have discovered the Holy Grail of love stories in the blogosphere and because you are my friend, you one reader out there, I'm going to tell you about what I have discovered…Confessions of a Pioneer Woman's story of how she met and fell in love with her Marlboro Man…Black Heels to Tractor Wheels: A Love Story. It's the epic saga of 'city girl finds love in the Oklahoma prairie':

As our eleventh anniversary approaches, I find myself reflecting on the circumstances that brought Marlboro Man and me together. So grab a Diet Dr. Pepper, hang on to your hat, and come along for the ride!

I started with the beginning sans Diet Dr. Pepper (eww), and read all the way to here. The best place to begin is with the archives, though. All the posts are in one spot and you can read 'til your heart's content. Just so you know…she's not done, it's a work in progress and you'll have to wait patiently for the next installment…and you don't know when she'll write…or how long it will be…but it's worth the wait.

If you decide to jump in…a few words of caution:

1. If you love good photography, especially of cattle, cowboys, kids, horses and prairie…make sure you have ample time to visit her site…you'll be there a while.


2. If you have a rich sense of humor, enjoy good writing and witty redheads…make sure you have ample time to visit, you'll be there a while.


3. If you are (even in the loosest sense) a 'foodie' you will find yourself compelled to visit P-dub's other site The Pioneer Woman Cooks…make sure you have ample time to visit, you'll be there a while.

Find, steal, beg or borrow the time…and enjoy. 

What We Did on Our Snow Day

Make a scrapbook!

Works for Me Wednesday…Holiday Music on Pandora

Do you love music?

I do!! Can't sing much, can't play much, but I do listen much. I especially love holiday music playing in my home while I busy myself with crafts, cooking and kids! As much as I love holiday music, how many versions of "O Holy Night" can there be? And how many ways can "What Child is This" be arranged and performed…tastefully? And my poor Amy Grant holiday CDs are so scratched from being drug from the van to the house to the playroom…do I really want to buy another copy (my 3^rd) only to listen to it for about 13 more days? Hmm…how to solve the dilemma?

Dilemma solved…Pandora radio from the Music Genome Project is a free internet radio site I discovered last summer:

Pandora is a music discovery service designed to help you enjoy music you already know, and to help you discover new music you'll love. It's powered by the most comprehensive analysis of music ever undertaken, the Music Genome Project: a crazy project started back in early 2000 to capture the complex musical DNA of songs using a large team of highly-trained musicians. Just tell us one of your favorite songs or artists and we'll launch a streaming station to explore that part of the musical universe. The name Pandora means "all gifted" in Greek. In ancient Greek mythology, Pandora received many gifts from the gods, including the gift of music, from Apollo. She was also, as we all know, insatiably curious. Unlike those gods of old, however, we celebrate that virtue and have made it our mission to reward the musically curious among us with a never-ending experience of music discovery. It's also important to note that at the bottom of Pandora's box was Hope...

I have had the pleasure of listening to many of my favorite musical genres…folk, country, contemporary Christian, '80s, classical, alternative, jazz. Registration is free, I don't receive tons of annoying emails or spam and if you hear a song you absolutely have to own Pandora has links to itunes and amazon. Register (for free) and begin creating your own radio station. No commercials, family friendly and only the music you like! You guide Pandora with thumbs up or down to the next song! The FAQ link here can answer any questions you might have regarding registration, music licensing, software or hardware requirements, etc.

And Pandora's latest and greatest addition…holiday music!! I don't have to purchase anything, yet I am able to enjoy my favorite holiday music from Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Josh Groban, Manheim Steamroller, John Tesh and other favorites while discovering new artists…commercial free. I am hooked!

Rocks in My Dryer hosts Works for Me Wednesday…this is my first time participating, although I have lurked for a long time. Follow the link to see other creative ideas from Works for Me Wednesday bloggers. You will soon see why this blog carnival continues to grow and grow and grow…