It’s December 1st, folks!  This year is ticking away, eh?  This is the month that the entire year leads up to for me.  One, it’s Christmas and the single most celebrated holiday season of the year.  Two, my birthday is two days before Christmas, the 23rd.  It is also Yule season.

Yule is when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half. Starting the next morning at sunrise, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day. Known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, much celebration was to be had as the ancestors awaited the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, the Giver of Life that warmed the frozen Earth and made her to bear forth from seeds protected through the fall and winter in her womb.  (http://www.wicca.com)   

Winter Solstice for pagans is a time of feasting and the exchanging of gifts and is the original holiday that the Christian religions modified into their own Christmas, even up to the birth of the child (Most theologians who have spent time studying the birth of Jesus admit he was born in either March or April, not the celebrated Christmas date we all know from the standard calendar – it was moved to this date to help induce Pagans to give up their old ways yet allow them their holidays during the spread of Christianity through Europe and the British Isles).  Traditional adornments are a Yule Log, usually of oak, and a combination of mistletoe and holly (also all later adapted into Christian ways)  (http://www.witchway.net)

December is also the time of Hanukkah and  Kwanzaa.  So, this month hosts many of our celebratory holidays.  In whatever faith you follow, may this month be a welcome light into your life in these dark months of winter.

Miss Edna and I have been working late into the night to bring you all the sweetest kit, and I do mean sweet.  Starting this coming Monday, Dec. 6th, we will begin posting “Visions of Sugar Plums” in three parts on each of our blogs.  The following two Mondays will see the remaining parts of the kit until you are all set for your holiday photos.  I added a ‘feed’ button to the top of my side-bar.  By clicking on it and adding your e-mail address, you will get notified each time that I post.  In this way, I hope, you won’t miss a part of anything.  LOL  I would love to hear if this linking works for you.  I subscribe to a few blogs this way and I like it.  The only thing is you can read the post in your e-mail, so, you aren’t on the actual blog to leave a comment.  This means taking the extra step to go to that person’s blog and commenting, but, hey, it’s worth it!  Let me know if you do this and leave a comment, please.  I do keep my files available for ever so the date of the post won’t matter.  I realize I am not the most popular site out here, but, I do try to give people a link or two and a couple of freebies here and there.  It is my hope that I can share some of what I learn on this journey.  And, goodness, I have learned a lot! 

So, with that being written, today begins the December Blog Train from Gothic Inspirations, “Ho, Ho, Ho!”.  I was looking through the previews and there are some wonderful give-aways for you.  Jessica was good enough to add me at a very late moment.  Thanksgiving weekend saw some family crisis that held me up from getting my part ready.  I swear, I love my family, but, jeez!  Anyway, here is the blog roll for you.  Please, keep in mind that there are some wicked time differences among the contributors, so, if one is not posted, try again later.  Also, a simple “Thank You” goes a long way.  😉  Have a great time going from blog to blog reaping the rewards.  (My part is below the list)

Sam, Jen & Jess with: 3 P’s in a Pod Designs

Lisa with: Arty-Pharty

Jo with: A Taggers Scrap

Kelly with: Angels Designz

Angel with: Angel Flower Scraps

Annette with: AW Design

Julie with: Bits N Bobs

Jill with: Created By Jill Scraps

Stuart with: Creative Crazy Scraps

Muriel with: Creative-Disorder

Nikki with: Creative Intentionz

Crystal with: Crystal’s Creations

Dani with: DarkMoon’s Dream

Stina with: Designed By Stina

Sarah with: Designs By Sarah

Sharon with: Designs By Sharonb

Dianna with: Digicats (& Dogs)

Pia with: Digital Blue Print

Conchi with: DNScraps

Trish with: Dreamland Designs

Miriam with: Ellanoir Design

Foxy with: Foxys Designz

Vicki with: Gemini Creationz

Julie with: Glitter Girls

Jessica with: Gothic Inspirations

Hezalin with: HezaScraps & Tags

Laura with: Laura’s Designz

Victoria with: Maitri Scraps

Edna with: Miss Edna

Myst with: Myst Designs

Sally with: Mythical Designs

NAC with: Naughty Angels Creations

Nette with: Nette’s NightOwl Works

Rieka with: Rieka Rafita

Kimberly with: Scrap Rebellion

Marie with: SkyScraps

Siobhan with: Simply Siobhan’s

Kara with: Sweet Cravings Scraps

Tyger with: Tyger’s Tidbits

Julie with: Whispy’s D’zines

My PARTS:

Part 1 – http://www.mediafire.com/?965juw4f3rrq2h5

 Part 2 – http://www.mediafire.com/?bz228rak6kn7k4x

Part 3 – http://www.mediafire.com/?rxltn9m1ip26791

Have a marvelous week and don’t forget to wear your best smile!