Movie Night - White Christmas with Bing Crosby

White Christmas (1954)
Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney & Vera-Ellen

We used to listen to the recording of White Christmas over and over.

My dad LOVE Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.
Obviously one for the singing and one for the dancing.
I think he has always been a romantic.

Didn't get to watch the movie until I was like in Junior High.  Yes, it has been that long.

So to watch the movie again, bring back a lot of memories.  The singing and the dancing were just as beautiful as I remembered it.  The romantic mix-ups were the backbone of  these musicals. Kind of funny and a bit cheesy.  You have to watch it from the perspective of its context.  No matter how you view it, it was thoroughly enjoyable.

To Set the Mood for the Holidays...
Just for the nostalgic value...I give it a 10+!

White Christmas - Trailer

Bing Crosby singing White Christmas

Talking About Generosity...

Generosity...

Defined:
- Readiness or Liberality in Giving
- Willingness to Give and Share
- Quality of Being Unselfish and Kind

For the Month of December, the kiddies are learning about generosity.

At their age and in this season of "stuff," not the easiest quality to focus on.

How to be generous?
They were not sure what they can give.

We often use dollar amount, quantity and massiveness to measure the "Value" of a gift.
In truth, I think a true gift of generosity takes a lot more than making a list, shopping and paying for stuff.

We discussed Attitude, Willingness, Effort, Thoughtfulness and the Desire for Others to be Happy.
We came up with the Giving of Time, Giving of Doing For, Giving of Doing Together, And the Enjoyment of the Shared Experience.

They decided to "make" gift certificates to give of their time, their effort and their willingness to share experiences.

Sometimes, it is much easier to give a material gift than to 

give of the "self."

Just a thought learned from the kiddies as we move into the 

Season of Giving.

Good Eats - L. A. Desserts...Samplers

L A Market - Junk Food Platter

Holidays...Desserts

They go hand in hand...side by side...(New Year weight loss resolution will have to wait)

Small town, Big cities, every State and every place, they all have their own take on sweets and desserts during the holidays.



Here are a few of what L.A. has to offer.

MILK - West Hollywood
http://www.themilkshop.com/

Ice-cream and cakes, cookies, shakes and stuff...everything desserts imaginable.
Blue Velvet Cake, Malt Ball Shake, Grasshopper Ice-Cream sandwich; Salted Caramel; purple blueberries; on and on it goes...

Syrup Desserts - Downtown LA
http://www.yelp.com/biz/syrup-desserts-los-angeles

They love to make waffles, crepes, and grilled sweet cheese sandwiches; frozen hot chocolate, coffees and teas. Comfy sofas for one to relax. Games on the tables for those who are up for the challenge.

Then there is Porto's Bakery, the mega store of all baked goodies!
 http://www.portosbakery.com/

The infamous cheese rolls, potato balls and everything else under the sun.
Cakes, cookies, desserts, tarts, pastries, and the list goes on and on.
No one can stop ordering and everyone leaves with boxes in hand.

Then we go back to what inspired me from the beginning...Kerry Simon's Junk Food Platter
You can go to Simon L A - http://www.simonlarestaurant.com/
or L A Market - http://www.lalivemarriott.com/LA-Live-Restaurants/LA-Market-22.html

There are cupcakes, and brownies, crispies and such, cotton candy for intermission and milkshake to wash everything down.You can't help but to stare at the table with such sugar insanity. Feel free to order it just for the experience. You can always tell yourself, diet doesn't start til 1/1/2012.

Sunday Reminder - Love Casts Out Fear

Love Casts Out Fear...

1 John 4:18

Amplified Bible (AMP)

There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love [a]turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear [b]brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love's complete perfection].

Facing Fears within us and in life can be like Facing Giants.

...fear of failure

...fear of doubts

...fear of lack

...fear of loneliness

...fear of change

...fear of sickness & death

...fear of the unknown

...fear of _____________

From the movie - Facing Giants (2006)

Fear by Casting Crowns

Lyrics

Oh, what I would do
To have the kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is,
And He's holding out His hand

But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,
You'll never win,
You'll never win."

Oh, what I would do to have
the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant
With just a sling and stone
Surrounded by the sound
Of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armour
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out
My name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,
You'll never win,
You'll never win."

But the stone was just the right size
To take the giant down
And the waves don't seem so high
When I'm standing on top of them looking down
And I'd soar with the wings of eagles
If I could just ignore the sound
Of the waves and the giants,
The waves and the giants in my mind

Lord, you've not given me a spirit of fear
But of power and of love,
And of a sound mind
So from now on,
I won't let the tempter's lies
Turn my eyes away from the prize
That you have set before me,
That you have set before me. 

If Life is a Stage...Will You Show Up?

If this Stage is Your Life...Will You Show Up?

Conquering the Fear of Failure

As I watch the Failure Club on Yahoo unfold the stories of its participants, I couldn't help from asking the question. Yahoo's Failure Club...Webisodes - Click to watch.

It's not about success; it is all about embracing fantastic failures.
Life is lived in the between successes, within the process of failures.
Success is what people settle for when they fear failure.

The idea is to redefine success and failure...

What one dreams of doing should be "almost" unachievable.
Do we wait until our ducks are all line up in a row?
Are are willing to be vulnerable, ready or not?
Looking for perfection will always lead to failure.

The idea is to do something even if it scares us...

Just Show Up...on the stage of life.
With the helps of others, things will happen, life will unfold.

The Birds & The Bees...The (real) Questions Have Started.

The Birds & The Bees Questions...

Questions that make many parents feel like running (the other way). 

We are no exception.  I just felt like running.  Nerdy Hubby actually ran.
When the kids were younger, simple answers were sufficient.





(Then, around 8 y.o.)
Really, Where do babies come from?
Inside the mommy.
Where inside the mommy.
Babies grow in the uterus and then come out of the vagina.
Eeek...Gross!

(Around 9 y.o.)
How does the baby get there?
The sperm and the egg meet and a baby is formed.
Oh.

(Lately, 10 going on 11 y.o.)
How does the baby inside the mom know that is the dad?
From the dad's sperm.
How did the sperm get there?
Oh, honey, do you want some ice-cream? How about playing some video games?
Buying time, thinking fast, but coming up with nothing in the moment.
Mmmm...I was saying, How does the dad's sperm get to the egg inside the mom?
Ahmmmm...can we talk later, your sister is listening.
Sister:  I want to know too!
Awkward silence...Okay, your mother has to go get a book before she can explain everything to you.

Puberty, bodily changes, bodily functions...those are much easier.
I was so happy to have checked those off.
Then, these specific birds and bees ???

It's always a balancing act among accurate information, family values and what to say or not, so not to freak them out.

While searching for the "appropriate" material to share...TED served up a wonderful reminder that our bodies and the formation of life is a truly an amazing process.

Alexander Tsiaras: Conception to birth -- visualized

Still running on borrowed time on the subject at hand...
...to be continued!

Fun Thursday - Handel's Messiah for Christmas

Christmas Music...
Nothing says Christmas music like the choral sound of Handel's Messiah.

Every city hosts at least one, often more, concerts featuring it.
Sometimes even sing-along concerts.
Los Angeles is no exception...



The L.A. Master Chorale
http://www.lamc.org/performances.php

Monday, December 12 - Messiah Sing-Along
Sunday , December 18 - The Master Chorale - Handel's Messiah

Orange County's Pacific Symphony
http://www.pacificsymphony.org/main.taf?p=9,5,6,6&productionID=8271

Sunday, December 11 - Handel's Glorious Messiah

Christmas with Chorale Bel Canto, a community masterworks chorale based in Whittier, CA
http://www.choralebelcanto.org/Calendar.html

Saturday & Sunday
December 10 & 11

Messiah Sing-Along at Lake Avenue Church, Pasadena, CA
http://www.lakeave.org/christmas-at-lake.html

Sunday December 11

Angeles Chorale - Handel's Messiah - Conducted by Donald Neuen
http://www.angeleschorale.org/performances/2k11_2k12/121011/index.asp

Saturday December 10

Richard M. Riggs Memorial Choir
http://www.performingartslive.com/Events/Handels-Messiah-121201121340

Saturday & Sunday
December 3 & December 4

A Sampling,

Handel's Messiah - No.12 - For Unto Us A Child Is Born