| Written by Paul and Shelia Race for Family Christmas OnlineTM |
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The Christmas TimesTM, the Official E-Mail Newsletter of Family Christmas OnlineTM and Affiliated SitesThis newsletter is for people who like celebrating holidays, especially Christmas. It is produced in conjunction with the following web sites.
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In this IssueWelcome to the December, 2015 issue of The Christmas TimesTM.Yes, you just got a newsletter on Nov. 30, but we wanted to say "Hi" one more time before Christmas. We have some fun new reading material this month, and links to some stunning Christmas villages. In the meantime, Paul is drawing up plans for a stable large enough to hold a 6'4" Joseph on our church's platform, Shelia is helping her friend plan a Christmas-day theme luncheon for her family, But it's not all work - Paul and Shelia have also had time to attend Wright State's "Madrygale Dyner," complete with boar's head, jester, dancers, renaissance instruments, the voices of the excellent Wright State Chamber Singers and a very tasty sixteenth-century-inspired meal. Paul noted that the instrumentalists from the Wind in the Woods Early Music ensemble took turns on crumhorn, a medieval instrument that sounds a bit like a stuffy English horn. Why? A few days later, a friend from Wright Patterson Air Force Base invited us to a Christmas concert by the Air Force Band of Flight, where we heard slightly more modern music, also performed with all kinds of heart and talent. Paul especially liked the world-class saxophone stylings of Senior Airman Luis S. Rosa. Last month we mentioned how many of our contributors' stories are getting around to other places, even to other continents. We didn't mention frequent contributor Artie Knapp, because he was already well-published before we met up. Artie hasn't forgotten us, though - he's provided a charming new children's story for this months newsletter. Topics discussed in this update include:
Shelia looks back to several of her favorite Christmas memories. Ironically, they were often during the financially "tough times."
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Click the following link and work your way down the page to see display after charming display.
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For an exceptional putz experience, visit novelist Antoinette Stockenberg's 2015 putz. Not only does she arrange her charming village and accessories into a remarkably attractive setting; she also tells the story of most of the little town's citizens.
Click the following link to see this year's putz.
Each month, we get more interest in this newsletter, in our Christmas sites, and in the Christmas traditions, ideas, and memories we discuss. We welcome your questions and comments as indicators of what we should be working on next (also, we always try to answer reader questions quickly). In addition, if you have any photos, tips, or articles you'd like to share with your fellow Christmas enthusiasts, please let us know.
Best Wishes!
As always, our hope is that we can continue helping you and your family (as Dickens said of Scrooge):
In the meantime, please keep in touch, and let us know what you'd like to see added or changed.
May God grant you joy and wonder every season of this year,
Paul and Shelia Race
http://FamilyChristmasOnline.com
http://OldChristmasTreeLights.com
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Because it requires more air pressure than any other wind instrument - in fact, Paul knew a crumhorn player who detached a retina playing the thing. So taking turns is, in part, a safety concern. That said, each performer played admirably.
Remembering Our Shoestring Christmases
Light on a Snowy Day - a Christmas Story
Why I Need Christmas
