Just so you know, this is only one of several posts today, but I promise they won't all be this long.

First of all, I have the best F-list in the history of - ever! I was having a difficult day (emotionally) on Saturday and I really appreciate those of you who expressed your concern. I just really hold that to my heart and I'm very thankful to have such wonderful friends. zap99nad's daily Lance Armstrong post that day was the start to picking me up. Not only is there the 'pretty' but Lance's life and his drive have always been an inspiration to me - so thanks zap!

In addition to the flist, there were a few other things that changed my mood for the better. One was decorating the Christmas tree. It had been up for a few days dressed only in lights, so I decided to finally finish it while listening to the Nutcracker Suite, which I adore. There's a couple of pics behind the cut - if you click a few times you get the huge version and the second one is kind of blurry, but pretty:

( my tree... )

One thing I do every year is read Dickens' A Christmas Carol. I get a lot of enjoyment out of reading the words, but I love all the movie variations as well (even the Muppet version because I think Michael Caine makes a great Scrooge). One of my favorites is the 1951 film 'Scrooge' staring Alastair Sim. It's true to the Dickens prose and this Tiny Tim just tears my heart out. Sim really is outstanding as Scrooge. I watched it Saturday night and, as always, it helped me put things back into proper perspective. So... I thought I'd share it with those of you who may not have seen this version or who haven't seen it in a while. Just change xx to tt: hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=00O78QJA

Last, but certainly not least, I got a card yesterday from My Artist with a fabulous original McShep drawing that was just what I needed and will probably spark fic before it's all said and done. Thank you, sweetheart - I LOVE it! ♥ ♥ ♥ It also came with Lindt chocolate!!