Merry Memory Match Game

Instructions: Flip over two cards – using your mouse on a PC and your finger on a tablet or smart phone – to try to find a matching pair. Continue flipping cards until you have matched them all. Click Reset to begin a new game. Memory Game, click to reveal images Play Again Adapted From: AllTogetherChristmas Thanks For Visiting

The Story Finder

Old Mr. Turner hummed a Christmas tune as he and his sleigh horse Bill went out for a ride. Mr. Turner was bundled in his winter coat and his favorite hat sat at a jaunty angle upon his head. If one looked closely, they would have seen a pair of bright blue eyes twinkling out at the world hiding in an age-worn, but happy face. Bill’s harness bells jingled merrily, as his hooves crunched the snow. A light dusting of white rested on his grey dappled back. Sometimes, Mr. Turner and Bill brought wooden toys Mr. Turner had carved for different children or food and clothes for those in need. And sometimes, they would deliver a tree from Mr. Turner’s farm. But what Mr. Turner loved best was telling stories. Children of all ages loved them. He might even bring his guitar or mandolin if the mood struck him. Mr. Turner believed the world was full of stories waiting to be told or written. He also liked to look for stories. Today he had just one tree to deliver and was in a mind to look for stories. Meanwhile, Bill’s ears flicked towards the woods. Did his driver hear the faint whisper of sound? See the shadow of movement, small and slight? Bill huffed, breath misting in the cold. “Whoa!” Mr. Turner pulled on the reins. “What is it Bill?” Bill pawed the ground and turned his dappled head towards the woods. He whinnied as big brown eyes met small gray ones peeping around a tree. “Why bless me!” Mr. Turner exclaimed quietly. “It’s a Christmas Elf!” Bill cocked a dark, gray ear back listening to the voice of his driver. “My grandmother told me once, when she was a girl, she saw one in these very same woods! And this one looks like a lass too!” “Hello!” Mr. Turner said tipping his hat. The elf girl was very still. “We won’t bother her,” he said to Bill. “Goodness knows what kind of elf errands she has this cold winter. Well looks like the story found us this time Bill. And I think it’s the kind of story children of all ages have to find for themselves. It’s a quiet kind of story, more for keepin’ and less for the tellin’. “ Bill seemed to nod his large head in agreement, harness bells merrily jingling. “Best of luck on your errands, lass!” Mr. Turner smiled. The elf said nothing in reply, but intently watched Mr. Turner and Bill. At last they were on their way. Mr. Turner held an arm up and waved. “Farewell!” he said without looking back. Somewhere in the trees, a small figure smiled. Bill’s hoof beats faded away from the forest and Old Mr. Turner chuckled to himself as he hummed Christmas tunes, bright, blue eyes twinkling out at the world. Author: Mason Trent Thanks For Visiting

A Little Women Christmas

The One Christmas Tree

Ten years ago I became self-employed. It was October first. Anybody who ever made the jump knows how disruptive, stressful, worrisome this can be. Especially when you also have rent to pay and ventured into an industry new to you. That year, getting a Christmas tree almost slipped my mind. One day, about a week before Christmas I suddenly realized that I better get with the program. After closing the shop I went to the garden center. I bought every tree there since I moved to Vancouver. It’s also a lovely place to go to because it is always totally decked out with Christmas decorations, lights, and greenery. That evening, it was raining and dark, I arrived totally stressed at the garden center. I noticed that the selection of Christmas trees was rather sparse. Given that it was already very close to Christmas, plus the fact that trees in North America are put up in early December, this of course made sense. I asked the gentleman, who has helped me as long as I can remember, were the small trees are. He replied, that there’s only two small ones left. And that they are “Charlie Browns”. I thought, oh how cute is that, he named them, and both have the same name. I was very happy to buy one. The tree was already in a net, which meant, off I went. At home I put our Charlie Brown in a bucket of water and placed it on the balcony. I usually decorate our Christmas tree around December 12th. But that year everything was different. The day came to take Charlie Brown inside. Decorating the tree is always something I enjoy doing. It’s a ritual. And going through the boxes with ornaments that have been collected over the years brings back so many memories. The first thing that had to be done with the tree, was cutting open the net. And oh the horror! What is this?! It was the ugliest Christmas tree I have ever seen. More disappointed I could not have been. Even though at that time I lived over ten years in Canada, I heard of Charlie Brown trees, but I have never read the book or seen the movie. Only when Klaus told me, that a “Charlie Brown tree” is an ugly tree, I googled it and there they were… I reluctantly decorated the tree after all. Charlie looked very sad. There was really no help to make that scrawny thing come alive. But in the end, we had a wonderful Christmas just like the years before and the years after that. It remained however the only tree I never photographed. A few years later I received the deluxe edition of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Happy ending, after all. Author: Esther Schönwandt Thanks For Visiting

Dowry For The Three Virgins

The "Dowry For The Three Virgins" is also known as the "Legend of The Three Purses", and is considered to be one of Saint Nicolas's most famous acts of kindness. This legend is a celebration of his generosity and love that he bore for his fellow sufferers, which is indeed the true spirit of Christmas In the town of Myra, where St. Nicolas was the Bishop, there lived a noble man who was so poor that he could afford no food or clothing. This man had three beautiful young daughters, but he couldn't get them married for obviously, he couldn't afford any dowry. Cold, hungry and destitute but honorable, the poor noble man couldn't ask others for help. Their situation came to such a state that, with no other employment or help in sight, the maidens were faced with the ugly prospect of prostitution. When St. Nicolas heard of the plight of the noble man and his daughter, he decided to help them but he knew that any form of help in public would look like charity and may be rebuffed by the noble man. So, he did the next best thing, which was to help them on the sly. Now, how he helped the family differs from version to version. According to one popular version, St. Nicolas went to the noble man's house at night and, through a window, threw a bag of gold inside. With this the old man was able to marry off his eldest daughter. He then went the next night and threw another bag of gold in the house, with which the second daughter was married of, and the next night, he threw in another bag of gold for the youngest one. It is also said that the noble man wanted to know who their secret benefactor was so on the third night, he hid near and window. When St. Nicolas came to pitch in the gold, the noble man grabbed his cloak, and begged him not to hide himself. But St. Nicolas, embarrassed that his noble work was discovered, told him not to tell anyone as he was only doing the work of God. The story of hanging a stocking during Christmas, some say, has a basis in this legend. It is believed that when St. Nicolas went to drop a bag of gold for the youngest daughter, he spied the noble man, hiding in wait for him. So, St. Nicolas went up to the chimney and dropped the bag inside. Now, it so happened that the youngest daughter had kept a stocking in the fire place to dry and the bag of gold fell inside it, which she found the next day. by William S. Walsh (Adapted) Thanks For Visiting

Story - The Empty Box

Even though it was only September, the air was crisp and children were already whispering about Christmas plans and Santa Claus. It made the already long months until Christmas seem even longer. With each passing day the children became more anxious, waiting for that final school bell. Upon ringing everyone would run for coats, gloves, and the classroom door, racing to see who would be the first one home: everyone except David. David was a small boy with messy brown hair and tattered clothes. I had often wondered what kind of mother could send her son to school dressed so inappropriately for the cold winter months without a coat, boots, or gloves. But something made David special. It wasn’t his intelligence or manners for they were as lacking as his winter clothes, but I can never recall looking at David and not seeing a smile. He was always willing to help and not a day passed that David didn’t stay after school to straighten the chairs and clean erasers. We never talked much, he would simply smile and ask what else he could do, then thank me for letting him stay and slowly head for home. Weeks passed and the excitement over the coming Christmas grew into restlessness until the last day of school before the holiday break. I can’t recall a more anxious group of children as that final bell rang and they scattered out the door. I smiled in relief as the last of them hurried out. Turning around I saw David quietly standing by my desk. “Aren’t you anxious to get home David? I asked. “No.” he quietly replied. Ready to go home myself I said, “Well, I think the chairs and erasers will wait why don’t you hurry home.” “I have something for you,” he said. He pulled from behind his back a small box wrapped in old paper and tied with a string. Handing it to me he said anxiously, “Open it!” I took the box from him, thanked him and slowly unwrapped it. I lifted the lid and to my surprise saw nothing. I looked at David’s smiling face and back into the empty box and said, “this box is nice David, but it’s empty.” “Oh no it isn’t,” said David. “It’s full of love. My mom told me before she died that love was something you couldn’t see or touch unless you know it’s there…can you see it?” Tears filled my eyes as I looked at the proud dirty face I had rarely given attention. “Yes, David. I can see it.” I replied. “Thank you.” David and I became good friends after that Christmas and I can say that with the passing years, I never again let the uncombed hair or dirty faces bother me, and I never forgot the meaning behind the little empty box that sat on my desk. ANONYMOUS Thanks For Visiting

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

The Classic - Peppermint Patty invites herself and her friends over to Charlie Brown's for Thanksgiving, and with Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock, he attempts to throw together a Thanksgiving dinner. - Source: SchoolTube DISCLAIMER: I do not own this video. It has been uploaded for educational purposes. Thanks For Visiting