PHOENIX

As the Phoenix bird rose from the flames, it had the horrible feeling that this time something had gone wrong...

a fun read!

Hey... I read a book! "The Ride of Our Lives" by Mike Leonard. Mike does fun little feature stories for the Today Show. He loaded his family and parents into two RVs and took them on a trip around the country ending up in Chicago for the birth of the first great grandchild for his mom and dad. There are adventures along the way. This is your average American family getting along on a road trip. It will make you laugh out loud... it may make you cry. You might just learn something about pursuing your dream. It is a very easy book to read... it just zips right along.

Included in the book is a DVD which has the segments that aired on the Today Show and more behind the scenes footage. The whole family seems to be comfortable with video cameras.

For a good time... read this book!

PEACE

...and grilled cheese toward men

Guess what? One week after I complained about people using old images for Illo Friday, I am doing it myself! Yep, I dusted off this old Christmas card from a few years ago and am posting it. HA! See... I am just like you guys! Anyhoo... this is the only way to post this week and wish everyone a happy new year!

Peace to all.

HELP

Santa's HELPer needs some HELP understanding the game plan.


Often when I click on an Illustration Friday link, I am taken to an image from someone's archives. And sometimes I need HELP understanding how the image relates to the word of the week... and I think THEY need HELP understanding the concept. The idea is for the word to inspire you to create something new. Oh, well... I will now climb down from my soapbox. :o)

I added a copyright symbol on this one to hopefully deter anyone from HELPing themselves to a free Christmas card.

Thanks to everyone for stopping by JONESAPALOOZA this year. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Tagged!

I have been tagged by MrsB for the Christmas Song game. I am to list 5 of my favorite Christmas songs and then tag 5 others to do the same. I have a little box full of Christmas tapes (cassette... not 8 track) and CDs. I pull them out each year and listen to them. My list will be nostalgic and... BONUS! come with little stories!

1. "There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays"- Perry Como
When I was a kid we had a record (vinyl... woo!) of Perry Como singing Christmas songs. This is about the only Christmas music I remember from that time. I found a CD of that record and when I play it, it's like stepping in the Wayback Machine when the world was a more simple place. Now if I could just find my Red Ryder BB gun...

2. "Christmas Island"- Leon Redbone
Nobody sings this song like Leon. When I was helping with a Cub Scout den, we had to do a skit for the December pack meeting. I had my guys in grass skirts made out of wrapping paper (with slits) paddling their canoe to Christmas Island. I thought it was the most creative skit of the night... but that's just me...

3. "A Christmas Together"- John Denver & the Muppets
Here is where I cheat. When my kids were small, we were big fans of the Muppet Show. This album has so many good songs that I couldn't pick just one. Listening to John Denver tell the story about little Alfie each year makes me think maybe there is hope for the world... maybe...

4. "Mele Kalikimaka"- Bing Crosby
Accept no substitutes! This is the only version to listen to. Play this one while decorating your Christmas tree.

5. "Gabriel's Oboe"- from "A Christmas to Remember" by Amy Grant
Hang onto your hat! We have moved up to 1999! This is one of my favorite Christmas CDs. The orchestration on it is wonderful. The cut of Gabriel's Oboe is just amazingly beautiful. It is on my short list of favorite songs... EVER. Speaking of Amy Grant... I also gotta add that since I live in Tennessee... her song Tender Tennessee Christmas is also one of my favorites. Amy lives in the same county I do... so we are practically realated... right?

So, that's my list... I could go on and on, but these are songs I listen to every year.

Now I get to tag 5 people...

MASK

Sometimes Santa puts on a MASK just to shake things up in the workshop.

spyboy

Here is a sketch and finished art for a little spot I did recently for a youth magazine.

MIGHT