Some Favorite Christmas Movies

Hey, Y'all,
Last night Gramps and I were watching the evening news, and they had taken an unofficial poll of people on Market Square and asked what their favorite Christmas movie was. It got me to thinking about all the Christmas movies I have seen through the years.

Ironically, the one that came in first in their poll was mine, as well. "The Christmas Story" with Peter Billingsly as Little Ralphie, and Darren McGavin as the father. Of course the theme throughout the movie was Ralphie's desire to get a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas, and everyone telling him he would shoot his eye out if he received it. I almost know the movie word for word, but I still enjoy watching it. Another favorite is the "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" with Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid. It is just toooooo funny. I like the Tim Allen Santa Clause movies as well. One cannot forget "A Christmas Carol"and all the different versions it has been made in. I just saw one called "The 3 Godfathers" which starred John Wayne, and was directed by John Ford.

Another old favorite is "It's a Wonderful Life" with Jimmy Stewart. Several years ago, they did a remake of "Miracle on 34th Street", and it is okay, but it can't hold a candle to the original one with Maureen O'Hara and Natalie Wood which I saw when it was made in black and white.

As you may know, movie making was originally done using black and white film, and no one really noticed the fact. Somehow, technicolor just doesn't come out the same as black and white. It doesn't seem to catch the detail as black and white does.

Two more films that have nothing to do with Christmas, but which I have dearly enjoyed through the years are: "No Time for Sergeants" with Andy Griffith and Nick Adams, and "Gone with the Wind" with Clark Gable. When I watch Andy Griffith in that movie, I just laugh until I start coughing. It is just too funny! And when I see Scarlett O'Hara say, "I'll think about that tomorrow, for after all, tomorrow's another day", I think, "Yeah, she's right. Tomorrow is another day." I know that we are not promised tomorrow, but when we have done all we can today, we can hope for tomorrow, right?

Well, it is early morning here. I walked down about 8 a.m. to take a piece of mail to the mail box, and felt and heard the frost crunching beneath my crocs, and remembered early days going to school and feeling the crunch of frost as I walked out of the house out to the road that I live on now as a senior adult. My thoughts then were on the school day ahead of me; here they were on the things that I would be doing here in my home today.

I placed the letter into the mailbox and raised the flag to let the postman know there was a letter to be picked up. Then I stopped at the newspaper receptacle and took out today's Knoxville News-Sentinel, spoke to the neighbor's two dogs, Bear and Violet. They are a lab and collie mixture and beautiful dogs. They are more black lab than collie. Bear, being male, is the larger of the two, but Violet is the smarter and the slier of the two. Laurie tells me that as puppies, they chew up anything that is not nailed down, and even some of the stuff that IS nailed down. ha. There is an underground electric fence that keeps them in their yard, thank goodness! Otherwise, you would not find me speaking to them, just avoiding them. ha.

Our neighbors, Scott, Laurie and children, have been gone to Michigan this week, visiting their families up there, and we have really missed them. A friend of theirs comes each day to take care of the feeding of their dogs.

Well, I have had my breakfast of hot oatmeal and toast this morning and Gramps is still in bed. I will be going after while to the living room to work on Will's quilt. I have almost half of the flowers on it handstitched around.

I did some Christmas shopping this week and need to get the presents wrapped and mailed. Maybe tomorrow I will do that packaging and then mail them on Monday. Time does have a way of slipping away from me. I did get all the laundry done and folded, and put away yesterday. Ah, I think I hear the man getting up. I may have a cup of coffee with him while he eats his breakfast, and work the crossword puzzle in the yesterday's newspaper. It is supposed to begin raining sometime today and rain till sometime in the morning. I guess my daughter, Teresa, is already getting rain down in Alabama right now, since it is supposed to be coming from that way.

Well, this is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for now. More later. Much love to each of you, my friends and family. Bye for now.