Lens-Artists Challenge #178 – You Choose
“December isn’t magical because it sparkles. It’s magical because it changes people’s hearts … at least momentarily.”
Toni Sorenson
So here we are in December – already! As 2021 draws closer to a close, many of us are busy with things like shopping, wrapping, holiday preparations or perhaps (hopefully) with traveling and visiting or hosting family. As such, the Lens-Artists team is inviting you to post on a subject of your own choosing. Feel free to use your imagination to take your post anywhere you’d like – we look forward to lots of variety! Personally, I’ve chosen to focus on some fond Christmas memories, both for the fun of it and to help myself get into the spirit of the holidays.
“When you live gratefully and joyfully, every day is a holiday.”
Marty Rubin
Christmas was always very special while my four brothers and I were growing up. While young we were in bed early on Christmas Eve, eagerly awaiting Santa’s arrival. Once we figured out how Christmas morning really happened we’d wait for our younger siblings to nod off, then tiptoe downstairs to help mom and dad with the real work. We believed Santa brought EVERYTHING. Imagine putting up and decorating the tree, bringing down the presents from their hiding places, putting together bikes and train sets and heaven knows what else, all beginning at 9 pm on Christmas Eve!
“Whatever the grinch can steal, it’s not Christmas”
Sophie Kinsella
Once we were all old enough we attended Midnight Mass as a family and afterwards each opened one of our gifts. Those days are long behind me but are alive and well in my memory. The season included treats like a Christmas calendar that we took turns changing each day, the annual visit to Santa, and moving the Mary and Joseph statuettes around the house every evening until they reached the manger Christmas Eve. Somehow baby Jesus was always there on Christmas morning. No Elf-on-the-shelf back in those days!
“Every day is a gift. But some days are packaged better.”
Sanhita Baruah
Every day is indeed a gift – but some create memories that last a lifetime….what greater gift could there possibly be?! We look forward to seeing what the week will bring as you gift us with posts that suit your own fancy. Please be sure to link them to this one, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you in the WP reader. We thank you for sharing your celebrations last week in response to Amy’s challenge, and look forward to next week when Patti will be back at the helm on her Pilotfish blog. Until then, please stay safe, be kind, and enjoy the holiday season.
Travels and Trifles 
Pingback: Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – You Choose – Journeys with Johnbo
Love the Marty Rubin quote – and the deer picture. Hope you have a happy holiday season.
Thanks very much RR – nice to see your name pop up! Happy holidays to you as well.
PS. Not sure why but I cannot follow you via WP. Your blog only allows me to use email. Do you know why?
Pingback: Lens-Artists Challenge – Me And My Choices – Blog of Hammad Rais
Wishing you a lovely set of holidays, Tina 🙂
And the same to you Hammad!
Pingback: Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – PowWow Portraits | The Nature of Things
Hello again Tina, I’m back in the forest for my nature contribution for this lovely challenge: https://tranature.com/2021/12/15/wordless-wednesday-magic-in-the-forest/
Pingback: Wordless Wednesday: Magic in the Forest – Tranature
Beautiful Christmas photos. 😀 😀
Here is my entry for the week.
Thanks Cee, always happy to have you join us!
Pingback: Lens-Artists Challenge #178: Your Choice – Cee's Photo Challenges
Hi Tina
This is a great challenge you’ve hosted! I like that you’ve said you chose images that help get yourself get into the spirit of the holidays. They do inspire. “Rudolph??? Is that YOU???” is absolutely outstanding. The expression in that buck’s eye speaks volumes, and however did you get him to stand still long enough for you to plant that red nose on his snout?
Here’s my entry for 178 You Choose this week:
Best, Babsje
LOL thanks Babsje, glad you enjoyed this one. Rudolph is quite the hit for the week! Guess he was pausing to chew on my sister-in-law’s flowers to get ready for his big day!
the reason for the season in your memories Tina – with your photos you have brought back some of those simply good times (I like the travels of Mary & Joseph before they reach the manger!). I chose hot and cold!
Thanks Laura – I assumed that was a wide-spread practice but I’ve never spoken to anyone else who did it so maybe it was unique to us. In any case, it was a highlight for us as children. We felt very special on the evenings when it was our turn to take them to the next place in their journey to the manger.
Pingback: I choose hot and cold – PoetryPix
Pingback: #WQWWC #53: Candles or Lights – Marsha Ingrao – Always Write
Beautiful choices, Tina, especially Rudolph. Wishing you and your family a happy holiday season.
Many thanks Sue – it appears Rudolph is this week’s favorite by a long shot!
Pingback: Lens Artists Challenge # 178 – you choose – Philosophy Through Photography
Pingback: Palace Evolution | What's (in) the Picture?
Tina, as always you manage to share some wisdom and beautiful pictures to go with it. We had Santa and Christ in our lives as children. We didn’t really need Santa because we were blessed with three sets of grandparents and one additional great-grandmother. They gave us more presents that any children would ever need, but we never complained about it!
One of the traditions we had was to pile into our car and drive to see all the beautiful lights and decorations around town and clear into the country where people would decorate their entire flat acres with homemade statues and Christmas symbols lit with thousands and thousands of lights. We attend church on Sunday, but I don’t remember any Christmas eve services until I was older.
Have a wonderful continuation of your celebrations for Christmas 2021.
Thanks so much Marsha – we did the same thing every year. We’d all pile into the car and drive around to see the lights. I forgot to mention that in my post. My parents loved the lights so of course we did too!! Wishing you a wonderful holiday as well.
🙂 xxxx
You are helping me to get into the Christmas spirit, Tina. I loved Christmas when the kids were young. Thankfully there is no more late night gift wrapping!
That reindeer seems to be taking it easy. 😄
Yes, He’s chilling out knowing that the hard work will come soon enough Tracy! Glad to help you get in the spirit.
Pingback: Gaudi’s Work: Nature, Religion and Geometry – mazeepuran (माझे e-पुराण)
hi tina, here are some of my nature photos that i would like to introduce to you, i hope you like them https://wp.me/p3XogM-9o.
best regards robert
Thanks as always for joining us Robert! Happy Holidays to you.
Pingback: Heightened Senses – Reflections of An Untidy Mind
Thank you, Tina, for the joy in your photos and for letting us choose. I was just thinking how to infiltrate my Saturday on my blog. 🙂
It was a while since I was Among Humans, but it was a bird that I remember the most. And the crazy light. Have a look.
My pleasure Manja. Happy to have given you an opportunity to share your beautiful light!
Pingback: lens-artists photo challenge you choose hamburgs nature – natur – nature
Pingback: Lens-Artists PC: I choose – An Embarrassment of Riches
Pingback: Christmas in Woodstock Virginia | The Day After
Pingback: Grey Morning | What's (in) the Picture?
I decided to go with one of the winter projects I have going on. This one has since stalled due to the weather improving so I have been working on two outdoor projects:
https://davidmsphotoblog.com/2021/12/14/autumn-in-the-studio/
Thanks for sharing your project with us David – and happy holidays to you
Pingback: Autumn in the Studio – David M's Photo Blog
Beautiful words and pictures, Tina. You never fail to deliver something really special with your posts.
I think next year I am going to throw in the towel and buy an artificial tree. It looks like we won’t be in FL much for the holidays, but I really miss decorating. I’ve decided my minimal efforts just don’t cut it; plus I can’t bear the thought of coming home to a dying tree and all the dropped needles. I need a tree in large part, as you will see in my post, because our ornaments represent so many special memories.
So from one mixed holiday family to another, Happy Holidays – ALL of them!
Thanks so much Karen – your note made me smile as we are in similar situations across the board! Loved your “memory tree” approach. After all, that’s really what Christmas has become as our families have expanded and the holiday is typically celebrated elsewhere. Happy Holidays (all!) to you too!
I really like your post and pictures about your childhood Christmas memories! It reminds me of happy times in our house when everyone was expecting Santa and then all of the excitement of seeing gifts on Christmas Day. Such priceless memories to have!
Thanks Sylvia – precious memories indeed. The very best part of Christmas!
You have picked the perfect topic for the season. Besides your wonderful photographs, I always appreciate the positive message in your words. Joyous holiday greeetings to you!
Thanks so much Frank, much appreciated. And joyous greetings to you as well!!
🙂
Pingback: The Land of the People - Travel with me
I loved seeing the details of your tree ornaments – reminds me that I must get ours up soon! And the Rudolph photo is both clever and cute 😀
Since you give me a choice I opt to take you again to North Korea and to a spectacle I hope you’ll enjoy: https://www.toonsarah-travels.blog/the-land-of-the-people/
Many thanks Sarah – I do love Christmas although it seems we decorate just a bit less each year. We’ve always traveled for the holiday since my brothers all have little ones but this year we’re staying close to home. I’ll be sad Christmas Day but happy not to be dealing with the holiday travel rush for a change!
I have to comment here, Sarah, as I cannot comment on your blog! It does not work writing there right now, and I have had the same trouble with two other blogs. Interesting games, and spectacular of course. Everything they do has to be. My husband, who also went to North Korea, talked much about the games – and you attended them! Great to see the film clips – and sad too. As you say, with no contact of the rest of the world, they have little to compare with.
Pingback: Lens-ArtistPC-178-My-Choice – WoollyMuses
A beautiful festive post Tina and I especially love your capture of Rudolph 💛 We’ve gone for natural sparkling lights in this week’s contribution: https://whippetwisdom.com/2021/12/13/tanka-festive-memories/
LOL, thanks Xenia – perhaps Eivor and Pearl will run into Rudolph before he retires for the season!
Pingback: Tanka: Festive Memories – Whippet Wisdom – a Highland Journey
Sounds like someone is ready for Christmas …
One of Ginny’s friends was Jewish. And, as you know Hanukkah comes before Christmas. She asked him if he, his brother and sisters get the day off if it fell on a weekday. He said they did; it is an excused absence. More importantly, it is the best of both worlds with the two weeks off for Christmas and New Year’s.
LOL, it was early this year so we got two separate holidays which was nice for a change. Usually there’s overlap. Happy holidays to you and yours David
Pingback: I Choose Color | Out of My Write Mind
Pingback: Lens- Artists Challenge #158 You Choose | Leya
Love Rudolph wit( his red nose haha nice capture.
Here is mine https://mywanderings.travel.blog/2021/12/13/i-chose-to-visit-the-city-last-weekend/
Well I guess he was taking a sleigh break and I caught him just in time Teresa 😊
Lucky you!
Wow, Rudolf is that really you??! amazing capture, never seen a real one, i mean this beautiful reindeer.
Ahh loely post Tina…and perfect to recap this year.
Thanks so much JBD, yes Rudolph is quite the hit this week! One wonders where he spends the rest of the year LOL
Pingback: How Amsterdam Airport Schiphol was created | What's (in) the Picture?
Wonderful winter images, Tina. Rudolph is my favorite!
Thanks Susan – he’s getting his fair share of attention, that’s for sure!
Pingback: Christmas Break! LAPC #178 – HorseAddict
That swinging Santa is precious!
LOL, truth be told Sandy, it belongs to my Sister-In-Law. Our family Christmas has always been at their home until Covid changed all that 😩
Still cool!
Pingback: LENS-ARTISTS CHALLENGE #178 – You Choose – John's Space …..
Pingback: Lens-Artists Challenge #178 – You Choose – Mari's Travels with her Camera
Nothing like happy Christmas memories to bring out the kid in all of us Tina. Enjoyed your post and your holiday photos…very nice 🙂
Isn’t that the truth Andy?! Glad you enjoyed – this one was a fond walk down memory lane for me.
Pingback: Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #178 -You Choose… | AEKShots
Tina, I enjoyed reading about your childhood memories! Mine are very similar except we helped pick out the tree and decorate it. Our Santa gifts were never wrapped. All of your quotes are wonderful!
Well that is VERY interesting that Santa didn’t wrap his presents. What a clever fellow he is! I think today most all homes do their own tree but my parents were really emphatic about that initial WOW as we first came into the room.