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Happy December and Happy Holidays! Free Christmas & Holiday Features!

/ jrmilson / 2 Comments

Happy December and Happy Holidays!  The holiday season will be in full swing now that we have turned the calendar page to December.

Today, I wanted to simply take a few minutes to remind everyone about all of the holiday features available here on my Writing Pages. Freely shared, as always, because that is how we roll here.

I encourage you to Like and Follow my Writer’s Page on Facebook and on Twitter to be notified and enjoy all of the extra upcoming holiday postings not appearing here on my Writing Pages — New Christmas Coloring Pages for all ages, Holiday Recipes, Christmas-themed Videos, Images, Wallpapers, and more.

Holiday Features here may be accessed by either tapping on the individual links below, or at any time thru the dropdown menus at the top of the page. Please feel free to share with families, neighbors, and friends, because sharing and giving is what the holiday season is all about.

Christmas Holiday Writing Features & Gallery Summary Page

“Love’s Candle in the Night Poem”

“The General Store Christmas Poem”

“Fireside Questions for Santa Poem”

“Blue House on the Hill” — a Christmas Poem

“What To Do On A Christmas Week Night Poem?”

“Christmas Thru The Window Glass” — a nostalgic look back at Christmases of my childhood

“Christmases Of My Childhood” by the award-winning author Kathleen Creighton

“Christmas – It’s in the Singing Of A Street Corner Choir . . .”  featuring The Muppets

“Haddon Sundblom, Coca-Cola, and Santa Claus” about how the well-known modern image of Santa Claus came to be

“Christmas Trains and Memories Beneath the Tree”

“That’s What Christmas Is All About, Charlie Brown . . . .”

“Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus . . . . . . And So Much More!”

“Susie’s Bear” — a Holiday Season Short Story

“Little Red Bear’s “Christmas & Holiday Season” Coloring Pages for All Ages”

And, the most visited holiday season page every year, a tongue-in-cheek, fun adaptation of “The Night Before Christmas” poem featuring the Little Red Bear story characters → “Little Red Bear’s ‘Happy Christmas Left/Right Gift Exchange Game”

For me, this year has raced past and here we are already beginning December. How has it been for you this year?

December can be a very hectic month with the holiday season in full swing and so much to do it seems. Holiday and event planning, holiday parties to attend, shopping for gifts, wrapping, decorating, and more. Not even to mention baking cookies, cakes, pies, fudge, and other holiday treats and goodies to share. It can all be overwhelming if we allow ourselves to get too caught up in it all. Let’s all resolve this year to pace ourselves, pause now and then, live in the moment, and truly enjoy the holidays and all of the joys and happiness they bring.

We hope you can take a few moments now and then to visit with us here and enjoy the free holiday features and activities listed above. And watch for a new feature on Clement C. Moore’s “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” poem coming soon! Actually, I invite you to Register today to be notified of every new upcoming post and feature because it is always an ever-expanding list!

Sending along best wishes and blessings for a wonderful, healthy, and joyous holiday season ahead! — Jim  (and Red!)  🤠🐻 🎅 ❄️ ⛄🎄

With children and grandchildren around (and for those of any age who like to color!), we invite you to visit “Little Red Bear’s “Christmas & Holiday Season” Coloring Pages for All Ages”  for hours of family coloring fun and time together this holiday season!

If you enjoyed this piece, you may also like — “I Will Greet This Day With Love In My Heart”  and “Wishing You Deep Peace, Love, Happiness, and Joy –  And A Very Good Day!” 

(New Visitors — Welcome! To find out what we are all about, please check out — “Welcome To My Writing Pages!” and “About the Blog, Jim & Little Red Bear” — and sign up to follow and be notified of every new post! Because really, why in the world wouldn’t you?)

“Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.” – Peg Bracken

“It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.” – W.T. Ellis

Meet Little Red Bear & His Friends —  “Once Upon A Time In A Very Special Woods . . . .”

Old-fashioned, Family-friendly Stories and Fun for All Ages! 
About an Uncommonly Special Bear and His Friends.
Tap Here For A Free Preview!
“Christmas is the season of joy, of holiday greetings exchanged, of gift-giving, and of families united.” – Norman Vincent Peale

This is a purposefully non-monetized, ad-free site to be able to offer the most enjoyable reading and viewing experience for everyone, with all content freely shared, and generates no income to offset the costs of maintaining and operating.

If you enjoy your visits and time with us, I invite you to Join our new Patron Community today, because together we can do so much!

With the help of patrons, we are able to donate free print copies of “The Adventures of Little Red Bear: The First Holler!” to Senior Citizens,  School Libraries and Classrooms, and to those who could otherwise not obtain a copy.

Patrons also help my friend Little Red Bear and me to continue this as a Non-Monetized site free of distracting advertisements,  dedicated solely to entertainment and educational purposes while sharing positive messages of Happiness, Inspiration, Kindness, Environmental Awareness, and Conservation with everyone.

We invite you to Join Us In Making A Positive Difference In The World!

 “Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most.” – Ruth Carter Stapleton
Thank You for visiting with us!
Please feel free to share with family and friends. Likes, Shares, & Comments are truly appreciated and help greatly to expand our reach and encourage new readers and visitors!
Because together, we can do so much! 

 

Making the World Worthy: A Timely Reminder For Our Children and Us All — “You Are a Marvel”

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Sharing an illuminating piece from Pablo Casals, applicable not only for guiding our children but for reminding ourselves, as well.

For those not familiar with the name, Pablo Casals was from Catalonia, Spain (December 29, 1876 – October 22, 1973), and is generally regarded as the pre-eminent cellist of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest of all time. Also a composer and conductor, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy.

His comments seem especially relevant as so many search and attempt to find their way and place in today’s world.

“Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again. And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France.

“When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them — Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move. You may become a Shakespeare, a Michaelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel.

And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel?

The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn’t been, and until the end of the world will not be, another child like him.

You must work, we must all work, to make the world worthy of its children.”

— Pablo Casals

These instructive words of wisdom seem very applicable today, as so many in our society struggle with self-image issues, self-doubt, personal worth, learned hatreds and prejudices, resulting in lashing out more and more frequently with heartbreaking episodes of violence, with families and communities shattered and forever changed.

People the world over share a desire for happiness and a better life for their families. If we truly desire a peaceful, kind, compassionate, and forgiving world, not only for ourselves but for our children and children’s children, then it must start now with each of us taking responsibility for our own actions and for the age-old resentments we harbor, continue to nourish and pass along to future generations. No one is born with hatred and prejudices — they are learned.

Leaders and politicians may bluster, give speeches, form committees and convene hearings. But change, true change in society never comes from the top because attitudes and morals cannot be legislated. True changes in society invariably spread and percolate up from the bottom.

Peace and kindness for our children and the world begin with each of us as we go about our daily lives, starting with how we view and treat ourselves, our families, and our neighbors.  We must step up and “Say ‘No!’ to Violence”, and become a kinder and gentler people. Because violence and hateful rhetoric are dividing and ripping us apart.

You, like a child and along with each and every one of us, are a marvel, unique in all the history of the world and time to come. There has never been and will never be another “You!” A gift to the world. A perfect marvel capable of so much more than we imagine.

You and I each have within us the power to change the world for the better or worse. It is up to us. Do we choose to allow our light to shine, encourage, and show the way for others, or to keep it hidden while those around us continue to stumble thru the darkness and our world becomes ever more violent and intolerant? Our country and the world are in urgent and dire need of more Light.

Thanks for visiting and spending part of your day with us.  Brighten someone’s journey with your smile today, share a kind word or gesture, and truly be the change you wish to see in the world. Lead with your light for others to follow, and help to make the world worthy of its children. — Jim (and Red!)

“In music, in the sea, in a flower, in a leaf, in an act of kindness . . . I see what people call God in all these things.” – Pablo Casals 

“When we see God in each other we will be able to live in peace.” – Mother Teresa

“The Adventures of Little Red Bear” Short Stories on Amazon.
Old-fashioned, Family-friendly, Multi-generational Stories and Fun for All Ages!
~ About an Uncommonly Special Bear and His Friends ~
Tap Here For A Free Preview!

                           “In this world, hate never dispelled hate. Only love dispels hate.                         This is the law, ancient and inexhaustible.” – Buddha

“Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.” – Gandalf, “The Hobbit” – J. R. R. Tolkien

This is a purposefully non-monetized, ad-free site to be able to offer the most enjoyable reading and viewing experience for everyone, with all content freely shared, and generates no income to offset the costs of maintaining and operating. If you enjoy your visits and time with us, Join our new Patron Community today. Patrons help my friend Little Red Bear and me to continue this as an ad-free site,  dedicated solely to entertainment and educational purposes.

                            “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace . . . . ”  – St. Francis of Assisi

“That’s What Christmas Is All About, Charlie Brown . . . .”

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The morning of December 9th, 1965 found me one week away from my 16th birthday, approaching nearly not fast enough at the time, as you may well imagine. That evening featured the debut of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” on the CBS television network, based on my favorite comic strip “Peanuts” by creator Charles Schulz. The show remains a much-anticipated classic and delight each holiday season for millions of viewers to this day. Fifty-two years have not diluted the show’s message.

While there are many discussion themes running thru the story, the most poignant for me has always been Linus’s speech on stage, responding to a frustrated Charlie Brown’s question of — “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?!?”

At this time of year, trying to keep our wits about us while navigating thru and around all the hustle and bustle of crowded malls, traffic, grocery shopping, cookie exchanges, decorating, children’s school plays and activities, holiday parties, family pictures and greeting cards, boxes, packages, wrappings, and bows, all while trying to out-maneuver porch pirates from swiping online deliveries, do you ever find yourself wondering the same question — “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”

Sometimes we simply need to pause, taking a moment to catch our breath and reflect.

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought,                doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”            — Dr. Seuss

As one of my sometimes forgetful uncles used to say years ago — “I don’t need to be told, but I do occasionally need to be reminded.”

In reply to his friend Charlie Brown, Linus took the stage to remind us all —

“Lights, please . . . .”

“And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

“And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them! And they were sore afraid.

“And the angel said unto them — “Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ, the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

“And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, and good will toward men.””

And that is what Christmas is all about. For Charlie Brown. For Linus, Lucy, and Snoopy. For us all. The reason for the season, as they say. Christmas, it turns out, does indeed mean a little bit more.

Linus is famously noted for carrying around his trusted security blanket with him wherever he goes. Held tightly fast and never let go lest panic ensues. Have you ever noticed that at the point when Linus repeats the words of the angel “Fear not!” that the blanket is suddenly on the floor beside him, confidently lain aside until he once again retrieves it at the end of the speech?  There are subtle messages and lessons awaiting us in that simple action and demonstration of faith, too.

As Ebineezer Scrooge even came to realize in the end — “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year!”

Peace, Good Will, Kindness, Generosity, Charity, Compassion, Empathy, Love — none of these are or should be exclusive or seasonal things, as we should truly keep them in our hearts throughout the year.  The Christmas Season is an annual reminder of how we should be always, for everyone and all things in this miraculous and beautiful world we all share and call home.

Thank You for visiting and spending part of your day with us.  Wishing you and yours a very Merry and Blessed Christmas and holiday season! A simple act of kindness or encouraging word can change someone’s entire life around. Will you do that for someone today? In the Spirit of Christmas.  — Jim  (and Red!)

            “Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.”          – Peg Bracken

“Peace on earth will come to stay, when we live Christmas every day.” – Helen Steiner Rice

“The Adventures of Little Red Bear” Short Stories on Amazon.
Old-fashioned, Family-friendly, Multi-generational Stories and Fun for All Ages!
~ About an Uncommonly Special Bear and His Friends ~
Tap Here For A Free Preview!

“Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves.” – Eric Sevareid

“Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.” – Washington Irving

This is a purposefully non-monetized, ad-free site to be able to offer the most enjoyable reading and viewing experience for everyone, with all content freely shared, and generates no income to offset the costs of maintaining and operating. If you enjoy your visits and time with us, Join our new Patron Community today. Patrons help my friend Little Red Bear and me to continue this as an ad-free site,  dedicated solely to entertainment and educational purposes.

“Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.” – Dale Evans Rogers