Christmas Eve Magic!

Happy Holidays readers and writers! We are wishing you warm thoughts all season long and throughout the new year! Let's cheer for peace and fill our hearts with the joy of life!

This week we will be spotlighting some of our favorite posts in 2012, and then Friday, we have a special holiday treat planned. See you all around the book block ; ) Spread the love people! ✌ ~ F & L

Every Christmas Eve, my dad reads Twas' The Night Before Christmas to us. I thought it would be fun to share it with all of you. So, in the exuberant manner of my father...

"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads. And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap.




When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter. I sprang forth from my bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow gave the luster of mid-day to objects below. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his course they came, and he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donner and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall! Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet and obstacle, mount to the sky. So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, with the sleigh full of toys, and Saint Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof the prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my head, and was turning around, down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed in fur, from his head to his foot, and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot. A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, and he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes- how they twinkled! His dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and the beard on his chin was as white as the snow.




The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face and a little round belly that shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, and I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself! A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, and filled all of the stockings, then turned with a jerk. And laying his finger aside his nose, and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, "ere he drove out of sight, "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"