Dating Article

Since I did a bit of a round-up in this week's Word of the Week post, I thought I'd continue that trend today. 😀 Here you'll find a list of all my past Christmas-themed posts throughout the years (or all the ones my search turned up, anyway, LOL). Have you missed one? Now's the perfect time to catch up! Finding Christmas Christmas should be about Who is in our hearts, not about what's under the tree...or even what family is around us. The Real Spirit of Christmas We hear so much about the spirit of Christmas...but what about the Spirit this Christmas season? When Christmas Was in the Books A quick look at the very different appearances of Christmas on the pages of A Heart's Revolution (formerly Love Finds You in Annapolis ) and Ring of Secrets When Christmas Was Banned   How the Pilgrims and their descendants viewed Christmas The Hanging of the Greens   The reasons behind the red and green tradition Santa Claus and Giving   The real St. Nick and what he stood ...

This is another word that my daughter came running out to show me in her history book. And one I found even more intriguing when I looked it up on my own, as etymonline doesn't, in fact, agree with said history book! So, according to A History of Us , the phrase brand-new was once bran-new . This because imported items were shipped in barrels that used bran as a packing material. So if something was fresh from the crates, just taken from the bran... Other sources, however, say that the original was brand-new , dating from the 1500s...though the idea is actually rather parallel, in that it came from the notion of being straight from the forge ( brand at the time meant "fire). Shakespeare actually used fire-new . So whether it has a D or not, it certainly carries the same meaning--something freshly made.

Original post published December 15, 2011 I'll just come out and admit it--I like getting presents. I do. That surprise of ripping open the paper and finding something underneath that you didn't choose for yourself. That feeling of appreciation that comes from knowing someone took the time to select something for  you . And, well, just getting new things. 😉 Amazon I like giving presents. I like putting thought and care into what each person in my life wants and needs. I love finding those gems--like the year we gave my mother-in-law the leg lamp from her all-time favorite move,  A Christmas Story . (Or as she calls it,  Shoot Your Eye Out , LOL.) I love picking things that I know will make my kids squeal with delight. But this year . . . I don't know. We're trying to clear some accumulated junk from our house, so I'm rather loath to bring in new junk. You know? In years past when buying for my kids, I would often just grab things to fill out the allotted funds from...