christmas trains

choo-choo! all aboard for christmas fun - i just added the disney "a christmas carol" train tour stop in chicago to our calendar. it looks very exciting - my husband loves trains and i love christmas so this is a perfect event for us both.

for more information, visit: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/christmascaroltraintour/

Disney is pulling out all the whistle stops and taking its show on the
road with a spectacular immersive and interactive 40-city train tour including a 3D sneak peek of film
footage from the upcoming movie “Disney’s A Christmas Carol.” Set amidst a snowy backdrop—complete with all of the
sights and sounds of Christmas including carolers, decorations, giveaways and many more surprises in
each of the 40 cities—the Train Tour is being launched with HP on board as the title and technology
sponsor and driven by Amtrak. This family event is for guests of all ages and is free to the public.
Starring Jim Carrey and directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, “Disney’s A
Christmas Carol” opens in theatres November 6 in Disney Digital 3D™ and in IMAX 3D®.

Featuring four custom-designed vintage rail cars full of behind-the-scenes attractions, entertaining
demonstrations, and fun activities, the tour will have its inaugural stop at Los Angeles’ Union Station over
Memorial Day Weekend, from May 22nd through May 25th. During the next 24 weeks, the train will make
40 stops in 36 states, as it travels its way across more than 16,000 miles of track. The tour will finish at
New York’s Grand Central Terminal over the weekend of October 30th through November 1st.

monthly planning

since rudolph day for june 2009 is only 10 days away, i wanted to finalize my plans. it is also a thursday so i will be working and will have less time to work on things.

right now i am planning on watching "elf" the movie and working on my christmas notebook and figuring out which crafts i'd like to complete for gifts this year. i have some bracelets to work on and luckily i have all the supplies for those.

hopefully i will get a chance to test out another recipe next month!

may 2009 rudolph day

i just got back from michaels craft store since i had a special 20% off coupon for memorial day + a 40% off coupon for one item. i bought a glitter stamping set from the martha stewart crafts line. it came with some really cute deer stamps that i can use for holiday stamping!

i am going to watch "love actually" tonight. i was going to make gluten free cranberry scones (test run!) but i am not sure i will have time or the ingredients since our refrigerator has been acting up lately. as for christmas gifts, i have definitely started an ideas list. i am holding off on buying - i have to get through my husband's birthday first.

trivia thursday

for "a charlie brown christmas", the actors (all children) learned their lines phonetically, often not knowing what they meant, which led to the now familiar peanuts delivery-style.

trivia thursday

a Charlie Brown Christmas is the longest-running cartoon special in history, airing every year since its debut in 1965.

top ten tuesday

Susan: I believe... I believe... Even though it's silly, I believe. ("Miracle on 34th Street")

it's top ten tuesday so i am going to list my top ten favorite christmas movies, in no particular order becuase i cannot play favorites. *wink*

• A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
  
• White Christmas (1954)
  
• Love Actually (2003)
  
• Santa Claus is Coming to Town (1970)
  
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
  
• It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
  
• Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
• Dr Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
• Holiday Inn (1942)

[source: "Miracle on 34th Street", 1947. 20th Century Fox]

in the beginning, there was charlie brown

Charlie Brown: I just don't understand Christmas, I guess. I like getting presents and sending Christmas cards and decorating trees and all that, but I'm still not happy. I always end up feeling depressed.

Linus Van Pelt: Charlie Brown, you're the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem. Maybe Lucy's right. Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you're the Charlie Browniest.

Linus Van Pelt: And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.' That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

[source: Lee Mendelson (2005-09-27). A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition. Harper Paperbacks.]