Candy Canes with a Peppermint Twist

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May I hear the voices of angels and follow the weary shepherds – the refuse, the forgotten, the cast-asides – and go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, and see it again as if for the very first time, if only in my dreams. Waiting is the hardest part, but it can be the best part too.

The Holiday Season is almost upon us. I wanted to take a moment before it gets hectic and just say that I look forward to seeing many of you in the year to come. May we live in a world filled with peace and prosperity, for me, for you.


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I revel in the air of Christmas. I do. There is just that certain magic, with the memorable carols quietly playing in the background of my mind. The smells that you can only associate with Christmas… a mixture of certain spices, Christmas trees, and candy canes with that peppermint twist.

Peace on Earth, goodwill to men.


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To all my friends far and near, there is love in my heart for all of you. I may be absent from time to time, but that doesn't lessen how I feel about you.


Last year I got more Christmas cards than I have ever gotten in my entire life. They came from all parts of my world. They had so many heartwarming messages in between the front and back of them. In the past couple of years, I have not gotten as many out as I wanted sometimes pushing out Valentine's cards to the ones I hadn't gotten out. I remember getting letters and cards from cousins and aunts when I first moved away, recounting family events that I had missed. I was still on an adventure, but the other part of me was a tad homesick, I missed being in the middle of all that family.


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I admit to liking some of the newer versions of things, usually having to do with the video. I am visual as well as auditory. Of course, this one is both. I fully own that I love this song, the beat, the music, and especially her powerful voice.



Time waits for no one and, suddenly we find our lives deeply immersed in the everyday part of life with no time to call your own. Let go and let Christmas be born in your heart. It's not about the gifts, my friends, it is more about the spirit of Christmas,


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We had a day today here. Decorating and making fruit cakes to send out. Don't judge! Some people like fruit cake! Honest! Today is a #BeautifulSunday hosted by @Ace108. It just wouldn't be Sunday without it! This post is also for a #SublimeSunday in the making, by the Meister of my morning, @c0ff33a. I do love my @c0ff33a and he likes eclectic! A match made in heaven, where you share your Sunday, wherever you are, whatever you do.


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All I have are my words, armed in my mind, written in pen, stand by stand. Oh, yes. Still by hand. It has a different feel. Altered not by keys, backspace, and delete, I write, erase, tear it to pieces and start all over again. And again.

It’s my way. I walk out to the deep end of the page and dive right in.


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There are flowers, as always, to color your world. #alwaysaflower I am so amazed at the different poinsettias that are on display. Growing up, there was the basic red and white, now, if you can dream it, they can probably make your wish come true. I want to thank you for stopping by, especially if you left me some words and just like that, this post is over, come back tomorrow and we will do it again and again until we get it right or until the world is right, whichever comes first. For the countdown to Christmas, I give how many days are left and one Christmas picture. There are 18 days 21 hours 7 minutes 21 seconds until Christmas! Have a most fabulous night!

Love to all, Denise ❤️

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How Do I Love Thee?

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Elizabeth Barret Browning


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Hopefully the number of card recipients this year will be higher than last year.

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I don't count how many, that isn't so important. What is important is that I keep in touch with these people who have meant something to me in my life.

I hope you are having a great day!

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I almost made the traditional wish luckily at the end you put the time in its place and told us that there are 18 days left! Reading your words made me feel just like Christmas.

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Every day should feel like Christmas, that blanket of contentment thrown over me. My house is busy right now, but, it is a pleasant kind of busy. It would be nice for the stress of things during the year would fade into the beauty of this season.

Or something like that. :)

Hi, Dan! @bluemoon I hope your week has started out well!

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Indeed, the great beauty lies in these preparations. Magda goes into trepidation and turns the house upside down, by Christmas it will be all work. I don't like this, especially since at Christmas when the children and some close relatives will come to visit us, we will be dead tired. It's like a Greek tragedy, we know how it will be but we don't change anything, it's been happening for decades.

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A Greek Tragedy! Now that made me smile! It's a girl thing. :)) Magda understands.

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Sure, Magda understands! It seems to be something passed on genetically, from mother to daughter.

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Thanks for this beauty today dear. You have already stepped me into the Christmas mood already. I wish you may happiness in advance @dswigle

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Thanks, Sam! @mcsamm If I can help at all getting you into the Christmas mood, then I am a happy woman! :)

Thank you for the wishes! They are appreciated!

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I'm thinking to give one to be part of the people who gave you last year that might give you again now. Just wondering how though, hehehe

Yea Denise, there is love no matter how far or how near we are all apart to one another.

Sending love by the way.

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Received! Thank you so much for the love. Of course, the ones on here are almost better as they are set in digital cement on the blockchain! :)

There will always be love.

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Even with the snow, doesn't feel much like Xmas here yet. We're taking a little vac next week, so maybe after we get back we'll get more into the spirit. It just seems to early this year, perhaps because we just didn't do much for thanksgiving either. We just hung out, feels like it hasn't happened yet. But glad to see you on top of it spreading cheer for us all! Happy Holiday Season!

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Hey you! @ksteem I think maybe it is moving into a place where you don't have a past? Perhaps. You can have friends up there, but, when you move everything right before the Holidays, it is hard to get in step with it all. And moving during COVID! LOL Yeah, I bet there was no welcome wagon at that time. That is just my feeling. Doing something community-minded is so iffy this year with the new strain and people running for cover again.

Le sigh.

Are you going somewhere tropical? Or warm? Or Colorado? :)That is the place to go to get in the spirit of things! Oh, I have got to be me, I will spread it on thick! :)

Thank you! Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas! :)

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Ha, we're not big on the friends part. Few and far between. Prefer our own little space. We were in Covid isolation mode before it was popular, just don't like the mandates. Headed to the beach actually, so the warm will be a nice change. Just hope they let us come back home in a week!

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Is that your Christmas tree - this year or last? It's beautiful. I see that you have a cuckoo clock as well. Awesome! I love a good cuckoo clock.

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I have four cuckoo clocks! One is a small one though. The other two are traditional with the waterwheel on one and a man sawing wood on the one and birds and flowers on the other.

I have four trees and I photograph all of them, so everyone can scream BASTA! ENOUGH! by the end of the month. :) I have one in the entry, one in the den (the open concept kitchen/den) and one in the living room. I also have one in my bedroom. I just remember a small one down in the lower level. One of the girls wanted one for the media toom eyeroll It is a small pencil tree, so I don't really count it.

Are you tired of it yet?

I do love a good cuckoo clock!

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Sounds like you do everything in multiples 😆
Awesome though!

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Hah! I never thought of it that way! LOL Now I need to watch myself!

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Hahaha I'm sure it's only certain things. If you're going to have a collection of things cuckoo clocks are a great choice and I bet the trees make the house super festive each year

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Some people like fruit cake!

I tried it just/only a few times, but it is indeed delicious. I also like other sweets with fruits. Many Hungarian people like these. There are even some traditional Hungarian "sweet and fruit mix" products. For example the Győri keksz (Győri Édes Pilóta), which is a biscuit (sponge thalers) filled with various fruit jellies (for example strawberry, raspberry, cherry, apricot).

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It is good and I do love it. So many people here dislike it, not so much the cake, but, the citron/fruit in it. There are always funny stories about there only being one fruitcake in the world and we just keep gifting it to another person. LOL

They don't know what they are missing!

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Dang, that is some tree there! It makes ours look a little silly. We don't have a ton of room in our house though, so we kind of keep things very minimalist. There have been some years we haven't even put up a tree. I guess you can get away with that when you don't have kids. Kelly Clarkson is one of my favorites. I have a playlist called "Christmas songs that don't annoy me" and her duet with Brett Eldridge "underneath the mistletoe" is on there.

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No such thing as a bad/silly tree. They are all beautiful. This was built in 08/09 when the market fell, so bigger wasn't an issue. It was built for 1/2 price as the builders were more worried about keeping the crews employed as opposed to huge profits. Lucked out. Totally.

I loved Christmas songs that don't annoy me! Haha! I will have to remember that!

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I actually listened to Kelly Clarkson's whole Christmas album today and it wasn't that bad. Some new songs and some classics all in one place. That is awesome about the house!

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I did too!!!! Along with Brett Eldridge and Pavarotti! It was a very classy Christmasy day.

I know! The house! It was so good, bought two. Swear to God. That is how the Shore House came to life. A fire sale! Woot! Of course, I joke about that, but, my gain was someone's loss, and for that my heart bleeds. :(

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Christmas is coming 🎄 Your article always make me feel Christmas vibe closer ❤️
You’re very intelligent and adorable human! God bless you sweet dear friend @dswigle

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Christmas is indeed coming, what do you think of that? Thank you! I hope you are having a good day and I have enjoyed your comments here.

Thank you!

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Really your Christmas photos are just stunning they seem like there jumping out at you with full of joy 😊

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Thank you so much! :) I am so glad you enjoy them after all the beauty you send me from Thailand on a weekly basis!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Those baubles - they are gorgeous
And that tree - wow it is so beautiful
If they look like these in pictures, I can only imagine what they look and feel like in 3D

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Have I told you I love Christmas? Before you go thinking I am truly ostentatious, let me just say that I really don't spend a lot of money at Christmas, but, surround myself with what I feel is beautiful and family and friends. It is such a lovely time of year, and it is woven into my fabric somehow to embrace it.

I will admit that I love pretty things, but, many are from relatives past and present, or even homemade, handmade, or secondhand. I have no shame. :) I will go to a second-hand shop and find the most glorious ornaments that are pretty gaudy, but, look lovely on a tree.

But a tree. I do love my trees. :) Thank you, Dah-ling! You make this place absolutely fun. ❤️

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You do?!!
I would have never guessed hahahaha

Stop giving me more reasons to heart you ;p
I have no shame in hand-me-downs or secondhand too

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I used to be the one who send Christmas glass to many classmates after I graduate all the way from Kansas City and then Singapore. I think I did for close to 5 years before I stopped.
It's amazing you still get them.

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I like keeping in contact and people in New England still seem to send out cards. I still keep in contact with my best friend from when I was almost 5. She was my first real friend and we have never lost touch, except for a few years when the kids were babies and we didn't have a moment to ourselves.

I was supposed to see her last year, but, her husband got COVID and now she won't travel until she feels safer. :(

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You know have quickly become one of my favourite creators on here, every time I stop by to read one of your posts I find myself leaving with a huge smile. Your pictures are amazing your words are incredible and your messages always resonate with me. I may not have known you for very long but your posts are very special to me and I will be sure to check them every day for a little extra happiness.

!LUV

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Thank you so much. That surely made my day! :) I am without words on such a kind and generous comment! I hope you have an amazing day!

Thanks for the LUV!

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hi friend, beautiful decoration
this kind of Those baubles are wonderful
you had a good jod

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Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful words. Baubles are so beautiful this time of year, yes?

I hope you had am amazing day!

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I think it is amazing how you capture the color and the excitement of Christmas in your posts. What a little elf! 🤣

Well Kelly is recently divorced and if she is feeling lonely this Christmas I being a kind hearted soul would be willing to add comfort if needed. Just wanted to put that out there coz I am a giver like that LOL 🤣🤣🤣

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Indeed! That is the scuttlebutt around the blockchain! You are a real giver! No doubt about it. Poor Kelly! I think right about now she needs comfort and joy.

Merry Christmas!

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I've been wishy washy on my cards for a number of years now, not consistent at all !

Boo on me !

I hadn't even though of them this year, but I would like to send a few. Guess I need to put that on my "DO SOON" list huh?

As always, love your words and photos.

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Well maybe not you but somebody better! Thank you so much for stopping by especially when you're supposed to already be in bed for work tomorrow. What's going to happen when you fall asleep on your chair and there's nobody there in your office to wake you up?

Thanks always for stopping by. You're always way too much fun!

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Well... I took an old lady nap in my cushie chair earlier, so I thought fudging a little on my normal bedtime would be ok.

Sleeping on the job ! No good ! LOL..... unfortunately it is phone HEdoublhockysticks week, so that constant ringing will probably keep me from nodding off regardless.

I might be a little cranky with the client's though.... don't tell !

ha ha

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Your post is infectious! Even Ebenezer Scrooge would be moved or the Grinch. We just finished decorating our house this last weekend and the radio in the car is permanently tuned to the Christmas station for the next couple of weeks. Going to have to stay away from the sugars and sweets this year though. Great Post!

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Love to all men and women with lots of peace, prosperity and giving we must never forget to say and wish to one and all. Putting it out to the universe will I am sure magically and miraculously create a world full of happiness and goodwill, ahhh so nice.

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