Actually Advent started this past Sunday, Nov 29, but I wanted to use that alliterative redundancy in the post title.
We have a Christmas wreath on the door. That’s it so far for being ready. The family room is too messy to put up the tree or the nativity yet.
The thread, it is open.
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We still have around half of the leftover Thanksgiving ham in the fridge.
Ham tetrazzini, ham jambalaya, ham loaves w/rum raisin sauce, ham & potato soup, nom, nom, nom. I love ham leftovers.
I should have used this for my post pic
http://www.investors.com/image/cTOON1201.jpg.cms
She is wonderful!!!
That’s the first time I ever heard her speak. Up until now all I heard was the Vile Progs talking about her, and they didn’t have anything nice to say.
My biggest problem with the LePens ATM is that I sometimes wonder if they are running a political party or a family dynasty. Because this chick (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion_Mar%C3%A9chal-Le_Pen) is basically the Chelsea Clinton of the National Front, only probably not as smart. It’s no way to build a lasting party, if that’s, you know, your plan.
Great speech.
Except for the part where she includes Iran as an ally in fighting Islamic Fundamentalism.
Um …
She is also indisputably a neo-fascist. Admittedly, she’s gone soft on her daddy’s denial of the Holocaust, but she and the FN are objectively fascistic:
http://www.europe1.fr/politique/fasciste-marine-le-pen-perd-a-nouveau-face-a-jean-luc-melenchon-2525943
Is she as much a neo-fascist as Hollande is a communist?
Because sometimes I think that’s what happens – the more extreme the rulling side is, the more extreme the opposition becomes.
How do you define “fascist?” I see that term used to describe libertarians and small government conservatives.
I also see it describing liberalism/socialism as it (necessarily) moves towards totalitarianism (where it inevitably starts absorbing or merging with corporations one way or the other).
And you’re indisputably a total and complete lying asshole fuckwad who contributes nothing to society and is too stupid to understand the words FUCK OFF.
When I want you’re opinion, I’ll beat it out of you, like a good little fascist. Although I know a whip kisser (h/t RD) like you will enjoy it, I’ll just have to enjoy it more.
You are now now my favorite person ever. 🙂
Wait — I wasn’t before. I’m devastated.
😦
Says everyone here!
“I’ll have what she’s having” 😉
So is Obama, and you support that fuckwad.
Falstaff,
That article doesn’t make any claims that Le Pen is a fascist. It’s about her unsuccessful case against a left-wing politician who called her a fascist. The link doesn’t say anything about her being objectively fascistic.
That’s very kind of you, alice223. But Falstaff doesn’t *care* what the article says. He cares about his narrative.
Near as I can tell, most people define “fascist” as “someone I don’t like.”
My youngest son is married to a woman from the Franche-Comté region of eastern France that borders Switzerland. We spend a lot of time there and have heard her speak on TV on numerous occasions. She polled around 25% there in the last round of elections.While my family is reluctant to talk too much about politics, there is clearly a conservative feeling in that part of France. It is also interesting that so many young people from this area, especially Jura and le Doubs, now work in Switzerland in the watch and automotive industries in particular. Lots of agricultural production has also shifted more to Switzerland recently having to do with raising cattle and cheese production. The bottom line there, it seems, is that most Franche-Comtoise don’t want things to change much more than they already have. They love their land and countryside and their simple lifestyles. Not sure the young people share that sentiment. There is no question though that they are being pressed and Le Pen seems to be in touch with that even though her strongest support is from northern and northwestern France. I personally don’t think any of the people I know there would consider themselves “fascist”, whatever that means these days.
Thank you for the insightful comment, driguana. It stuffs name-calling where the sun don’t shine.
My MIL lives in the Poitiers area, used to be a very strong UMP supporter (now “les Republicains,” aargh), and I am 95% sure that she is now voting FN and for once keeping her mouth shut about it.
WOW !
The people have had enough.
Alt. title: The Advent of Advent
Exactly!
Like Bible book.
The adventure of the advent of Advent!
LOL
I’ve always loved this hymn which is sung on the First Sunday of Advent.
Performed by a traditional choir
Beautiful. So uplifting.
I love the song as well, but I have trouble singing it in church – too many low notes for me.
Our local Catholic school sold Advent candles after church last week. I had always intended to start the Advent wreath tradition, but had never bought one, so I bought the candles, and ordered the wreath through VM’s Amazon link. The wreath is beautiful, and am so glad that I finally did it.
Amazon shows me links to items purchased (no info on buyers) – it is a lovely wreath. Thanks for using my link!
I just got my lampshade today, and it’s perfect. I love Amazon. No more running from store to store. I shop in my jammies, sipping on my coffee.
I bought a bunch of books last evening. I hope I linked to you. I started out going to Amazon through your link. Let me know if 6 or 7 books were credited to you. If not, I’ll have to change my strategery. 😉
Does anybody here ever buy or receive gift baskets? I have a couple of people that are hard to buy for, and I was looking at the gift baskets at Amazon. There are so many to choose from, I’m overwhelmed.
years ago i made gift baskets for the guys in my family. I put everything you would need to watch a football game. peanuts, popcorn, mixed nuts, I even put in a video tape of football bloopers. I found team logo things like a mini helmet and pennants . They had to supply their own beer. They loved them
I like Amazon because I can have things mailed directly to whomever I am buying for and not pay for double shipping. I usually go thru Amazon Smile, which donates to St. Jude, but I will go thru your link this season 🙂
Thanks Helen for the idea! You’ve got me thinking of making my own instead of purchasing them. I could make a few breakfast baskets, fill them with my own home-made crumpets and jellies, then purchase some nice maple syrups, teas, coffees, and nice bottles to fill with my neighbor’s honey. (His bees visit my gardens.)
Our senior choir is doing an updated version of this theme, This link from Belgium is clear enough to appreciate it, (except they don’t have enough bass voices- but who does?) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82J92veIxTI Just imagine that final note a solid octave lower!
Growing up a Catholic in the very Catholic city of Cincinnati was pretty special at Christmas/Advent time….loved going to Mass then in Latin…the beautiful vestments of the priest, wonderful harmonic singing, incense, bells, fresh flowers. It was a love fest. Haven’t been in years but those are still very fond memories. All of the beautiful songs and hymns…Ave Maria was another favorite.
Ave Maria always brings tears to my eyes. The church I attended in my hometown, and got married in, is quite beautiful. When churches modernized, this one didn’t, and kept all the beautiful altars and statues. The nuns always did a wonderful job decorating the church for the holidays, and we’ve started making it a tradition of going back there, and attending Christmas Mass.
Looking through our photo albums, we realized that we never had any pictures of how the church looked at the holidays, so last year, hubby brought his camera, went up to the choir loft, and took pictures.
Sheriff’s Joe Arpaio’s volunteer posse is now patrolling Valley malls for the holidays.
http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/arizona-news/54957612-story
I’m baaaack – missed me while I was away. Will explain later where I’ve been and seen but for now a little Christmas Meow-si-cal.
Welcome back, and looking forward to hearing tales of adventure, or misadventure.
Hi!
Welcome back!
Welcome back Piper.
The Sun is shining again. ❤
Piper ! Hi !
Piper’s back and there’s going to be trouble! La la la. 😉
Welcome back!!
Welcome back! We missed you!
Yay!!! Piper returned!
I hope your journey was fantastical and one you’ll never ever forget.
We’ve missed you!! ❤
That stuff is kitty crack. I got four felines feening for that shit all day every day.
On Thanksgiving day, my sister told the story of one of her cats and that kitty crack! You aren’t kidding. One of her cats found where she kept it, and was able to tear it open and eat them.
glad you are back
Ace:
Your neighbor has some aggressive pit bulls that frequently fight with each other. Your main concern is that they stay contained in the neighbor’s back yard.
K. Marge has another hit which I’ve appropriated. Crossing the international dateline twice has done something to my internal clock, hey I’ll use any excuse to explain my lunacy. No real difference between Tuesday or Wednesday – right.
Poor little clock boy wants to come home to big bad Texas which currently is part of America, land of opportunity and racism according to BLM. My heart bleeds for him – NOT

Breitbart also quotes
“The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette added what little sympathy Americans had for the “Clock Boy” is gone “thanks to a shameless money grab by the teen’s family.” The newspaper added that the Mohamed family’s “departure and subsequent demands make them look like opportunists, or worse.”
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/12/01/clock-boy-ahmed-homesick-qatar-wants-come-back-texas/
They’re just greedy, racist, money grubbers. Let ’em stay away for good.
OMG Bring back the sexy stars! Please!
===
Pirellis’ 2016 Calendar Replaces Sexy Stars With Influential Women
http://www.boredpanda.com/strong-women-pirelli-calendar-2016-annie-leibovitz/
Yoko Ono’s influencial ? I thought she was the most despised woman in the world? 😛
Negative influence counts, too.
Happy December dear Friends.
Get the wrapping paper ready, We are about to wrap up this year. ;D
Ok, my Advent Calendar’s all set 😉
OMG–> 😀
I want! LOL
Best way to celebrate the season!
My husband went to Strasbourg (home of an awesome Christmas Market) last weekend and brought me back an Advent calendar full of TRUFFLES. No “crappy chocolate” calendar for meeeeeee.
Last night, while sitting at the computer, drinking my wine, and knitting (I tend to multi-task.), I thought I saw something out the corner of my eye. With a flashlight in hand, I looked under all the living room furniture for a mouse. Didn’t find anything, told hubby to keep an eye out for it, and he tried to convince me that it was my mind playing tricks (I did say that I was drinking wine.).
WELL, we did indeed have a critter, but it wasn’t a mouse. It was a flying squirrel!!!!
Seriously, the first thing that came to my mind was the scene from Christmas Vacation!
I wish we had taken a picture, but he disappeared before I had a chance to grab the camera.
We were convinced that he was hiding in the Christmas tree, but then I saw his head pop up out of a hole in the floor, behind the tv. (where the wires come up from the basement for the cable) Hubby cut a hole in a small box, put it alongside the wall, and the squirrel came out of the hole and ran right in to the box! (after patiently waiting for almost a half hour)
What an evening!
How smart is your hubby!!!
What made him think of that?
I didn’t ask him, but my mouth dropped open when I saw the little guy run straight for it. I was impressed, and a part of me wanted to keep him as a pet. He was so darned cute with those big brown eyes looking at me.
I’ve seen one once before (a barn cat brought one to our door), so I know they’re around here. Because they’re nocturnal, you would not normally see one.
Leslie, replying here so wordpress notifies you.
Amazon’s reports are slow these past few days (I guess they were slammed on Black Friday weekend) so it will take around a day before the books show up. Thanks for the heads up – I will be on the lookout!
omg!
your hubby is a smart cookie.
Love it !
Fantastic another knitter – share what you are working on!

Another one of my fav. Maxine’s witticism
Knitting socks for Christmas gifts. Nothing like waiting for the last minute! How about you?
Scarves this year. Will try to take a pic of latest project and post later. Off to my Tuesday evening knitting group which meets at Starbuck’s.
Knitters are the Bestests
For years, we’ve been meeting on Tues. a.m. at our local coffee shop. If I wanted to, I could also meet with them on Wed. evenings for dinner and knitting, or on Sat. afternoons at our local library.
I broke my ankle in Feb. ’09, and while recuperating, I knitted seven pairs of socks, and thought I gave myself carpel tunnel. I quit for 5 yrs., but last Christmas the gang invited me to join them for a Christmas luncheon, and once again, I picked up the needles. I do it in moderation now.
Cynic is a superb knitter!! I’ve seen her work. And amazingly, she multi-tasks. I need complete silence to knit or cook – well not cook. I don’t do that unless I must. 😉
Once the holidays are over, I’ll have to concentrate on knitting things for my first grandbaby.
Send address – we’ll be over in a bit to help you celebrate – don’t want you to toast alone.
Lovely calendar cabinet.
Gee, all our Advent calendars had chocolates behind the doors.
This is the year I finally get to cut up and recycle the large artificial tree my kids – now parents themselves – grew up with. That old green plastic and metal relic lasted more than 30 years. Longer than some of our friends. It was a godsend, though, because “allergies “. Nowadays we just do a craft board Christmas tree. So after the grand babies visit we only hafta get out the glue gun.
The irony boggles……………
Wanted freedom.
Got freedom.
Fears freedom.
Christmas music prank.
Wow, such beautiful voices.
Today, Rahm Emanuel dismissed (ask for the resignation of) Garry McCarthy, the chief of CPD. The primary elections are in a few months (March 15) and Anita Alvarez – the State Atty in Chicago – is on the ballot. She will no doubt lose this primary.
Despite the Laquan shooting (and another that was covered up and only written about this morning) I doubt McCarthy will have difficulty finding another position in law enforcement somewhere else. Alvarez is another matter.
bbl.
I’m amazed that they’re not asking for Rahm to resign. We know that he got off in ’08 with the Blago attempted selling of the Senate seat. Right after the whole thing came down, and the media started questioning him, he took off for a trip to Africa, then joined Obama in DC
I see Rezko’s out of prison. Oh, the tales that he can tell. I expect Blago to be let out right after Obama’s out of office. They can’t have him out there talking to the media.
There was scientific consensus that the earth was flat at one point. Well, save for a very few crazy outliers.
Tigers blood! No wait, that was monkeys blood. Shit.
Science doesn’t require “consensus” — only an idiot would think it does.
Using the word “believe” proves you’re talking faith, not science.
That’s a lot of provincial bullshit. The real epidemic is in Africa and it’s right now. The groups of gay people contracting AIDS in big cities in the 80’s was much smaller and due to complete lack of knowledge about the disease.
I remember when Obama, the Senator, while visiting Africa, got tested for AIDS, (I still think he’s got it, and that’s why he’s so darn skinny.) and encouraged others to get tested.
Aren’t his medical records sealed too?
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/427756/yesterdays-giants-todays-dwarves
VDH nails it. if only they taught history
Good article.
Guiliani and NYC Police Commissioner confirm Trump’s claims of Muslims celebrating in NY and NJ on 9/11.
Christie busted lying not only about that (he said “it didn’t happen”) but also about when he was appointed State’s attorney (hint: it wasn’t on Sept. 10, 2001 as he claims).
Ninja deer
http://www.kptv.com/story/30642232/deer-flips-in-air-survives-collision-with-police-cruiser#ixzz3t6pn4W7Y
Thousands cheering 9/11 — it’s alleged Christians at Obama’s church (2:10 mark):
and yet the MSM wants to pretend Muslims weren’t.
OMFG — someone searched through their old video tapes and posted a clip from a CBS local (NJ) affiliate reporting Muslims cheering on the roof in Jersey fucking City! on 9/11. (1:10 mark):
What is that now — Trump 5000 MSM/UniParty 0, or does this make it 5001 for Trump?
Here’s a little more evidence.
==
9 Pieces of Documentation that Vindicate Trump’s Claim of 9/11 Muslim Celebrations
http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2015/12/01/7-pieces-of-documentation-that-vindicate-trumps-claim-of-911-muslim-celebrations/
I saw a clip of Sunday’s MTP, and Chuck Todd questioning Trump about the 9-11 comments. It was ugly, and I’ve watched MTP Daily, and when he’s on Morning Joe. Seriously, I have never seen Chuck look so deranged. The tone of his questioning was over the top.
Look what Trump’s done. It’s brilliant. We’re looking for videos/newspaper articles, and refreshing our memories of that terrible time. And, we get to see, once again, how awful the media is!
Trump campaign releases a flipagram. That’s a new word for me, but I like it. 🙂
https://flipagram.com/f/gQDUWrCTfX
Bam!
OMFG — Master level.
Trump is the 11th dimensional chess guy the left pretended Obama was. LOL
This primary is getting better and better with each passing day.
This book was a real tear jerked for me:
Also, I didn’t put it in the review, but what bastards some people are – aside from Jesse Ventura suing the and jury siding with him, sounds like some of Chris Kyle’s business partners tried to lowball buy her out of the rights to Chris’ image, logo, etc.while she was still grieving.
Would love a boss like this.
Never had snow globes.