hope smiling ... Alfred Lord Tennyson

Hope smiles from the threshold

 of the year to come, 

whispering, 

'It will be happier.' 

~Alfred Lord Tennyson

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Douglas County, Oregon

making progress ... Charles Kettering

Every time you tear a leaf

 off a calendar, 

you present a new place 

for new ideas and progress.

 ~Charles Kettering

Courtesy of JMW Enterprises
Location: Alaska

Take a leap of faith 

and begin this wondrous

 new year by believing. 

Believe in yourself. 

And believe that there is 

a loving Source - 

a Sower of Dreams - 

just waiting to be asked 

to help you make 

your dreams come true. 

~Sarah Ban Breathnach

Courtesy of JMW Enterprises
Location: Valdez, Alaska

pre-party advice ... W. Somerset Maugham

At a dinner party 

one should eat wisely 

but not too well, 

and talk well 

but not too wisely. 

~W. Somerset Maugham

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises

Your success and happiness

 lies in you. 

Resolve to keep happy, 

and your joy and you shall 

form an invincible host 

against difficulties. 

~Helen Keller

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Prescott, Arizona

a bit of tea and peace with Robert Godden

“At Christmas, tea is compulsory. Relatives are optional.” 

– Robert Godden

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Anthem Mall, Phoenix, Arizona

cleaning up with Andy Rooney

One of the most glorious

 messes in the world 

is the mess created 

in the living room 

on Christmas day. 

Don't clean it up too quickly.

 ~Andy Rooney

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises

Merry Christmas ... Mary Ellen Chase

Christmas, children, 

is not a date. 

It is a state of mind.

Mary Ellen Chase

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Mormon Temple, Mesa, Arizona

I will honor Christmas

 in my heart, 

and try to keep it

 all the year.

~Charles Dickens

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Prescott, Arizona

Christmas ... flame on ... Washington Irving

Christmas is a season
 for kindling the fire
 for hospitality in the hall,
the genial flame of charity
 in the heart.
~Washington Irving

Courtesy of Larkin Family Archives

the magic of Christmas with Norman Vincent Peale

Christmas waves a magic wand 

over the world,

 and behold, 

everything is softer 

and more beautiful.

~Norman Vincent Peale

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises

Christmas is a great time 

to recommit to each other 

and our communities. 

~James Lankford

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: White Dove Thrift Store, Phoenix, Arizona

playing with Thomas Tusser

At Christmas play and 

make good cheer, 

for Christmas comes 

but once a year. 

~Thomas Tusser

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: White Dove Thrift Store, Phoenix, Arizona

Christmas Spirit ... Harlan Miller

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.

~Harlan Miller

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: White Dove Thrift Store, Phoenix, Arizona

gift giving with Pindar

Every gift which is given, 

even though it be small, 

is in reality great, 

if it is given with affection.

 ~Pindar

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Mormon Temple, Mesa, Arizona

the joy of thinking ... Moliere

It is a fine seasoning 

for joy to think of 

those we love. 

~Moliere

Courtesy of Larkin Family Archives

what are you expecting for Christmas ... Edwin Louis Cole

Expectancy is the atmosphere 

for miracles. 

~Edwin Louis Cole

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises

the heart of Christmas ... Garry Moore

Christmas is, of course, 

the time to be home - 

in heart as well as body. 

~Garry Moore

Courtesy of Larkin Family Archives

serving up Christmas ... Queen Elizabeth II

For many, Christmas is

 also a time for

 coming together. 

But for others, 

service will come first. 

~Queen Elizabeth II

Courtesy of Larkin Family Archives

Christmas in action ... Charles M. Schulz

Christmas is doing 

a little something 

extra for someone. 

~Charles M. Schulz

Courtesy of Larkin Family Archives

where's Christmas ... Roy L. Smith

He who has not Christmas

 in his heart 

will never find it 

under a tree. 

~Roy L. Smith

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises

Heart trouble with Bob Hope

If you haven't got any 

charity in your heart, 

you have the worst 

kind of heart trouble. 

Bob Hope

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Anthem Mall, Phoenix, Arizona

Dale Evans defining Christmas

Christmas, my child, 

is love in action. 

Every time we love, 

every time we give, 

it's Christmas. 

~Dale Evans

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Indian Bend Wash

Christmas with Alexander Smith

Christmas is the day that holds all time together. 

~Alexander Smith

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Mormon Temple, Mesa, Arizona

the purpose of Christmas ... Winston Churchill

Christmas is a season 

not only of rejoicing 

but of reflection. 

~Winston Churchill

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises

holidays with the Kennedys

Sharing the holiday with

 other people, and feeling

 that you're giving of yourself,

 gets you past all the

 commercialism. 

~Caroline Kennedy

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises

a piece of advice with Benjamin Franklin

Wise men don't need advice. 

Fools won't take it. 

~Benjamin Franklin

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Mormon Temple, Mesa, Arizona

advice is like snow, really? Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Advice is like snow - 

the softer it falls, 

the longer it dwells upon, 

and the deeper it sinks 

into the mind. 

~Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Prescott, Arizona

what does Christmas smell like? Blake Lively

The smell of pine needles, 

spruce and the smell of a

 Christmas tree - 

those to me, 

are the scents of the holidays. 

~Blake Lively

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: City Center, Prescott, Arizona

watching TV with George Gobel

If it weren't for electricity,

 we'd all be watching 

television by candlelight. 

~George Gobel

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Prescott, Arizona

objectivity with Robert Morgan

Distance not only gives nostalgia,

 but perspective, 

and maybe objectivity. 

Robert Morgan

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises

how to describe life ... Charles Lindbergh

Life is like a landscape. 

You live in the midst 

of it but can describe it

 only from the vantage point

 of distance. 

~Charles Lindbergh

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises

talking it over with Fran Lebowitz

The telephone is 

a good way to talk to people

 without having to offer

 them a drink. 

~Fran Lebowitz

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Somewhere on Route 66, Arizona

striking out with John D. Rockefeller

If you want to succeed 

you should strike out 

on new paths, 

rather than travel 

the worn paths of 

accepted success. 

~John D. Rockefeller

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises

Eat at Joe's ... Irina Shay

Nothing is better than

 going home to family

 and eating good food 

and relaxing. 

~Irina Shay

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Wickieup, Arizona

have you seen them all? E. O. Wilson

When you have seen one ant,

 one bird, one tree, 

you have not seen them all. 

~E. O. Wilson

 Courtesy of Erin Enterprises

life lessons from the dog ... Robert Benchley

A boy can learn a lot from a dog:

 obedience, loyalty, 

and the importance of turning

 around three times before 

lying down. 

~Robert Benchley

Courtesy of Larkin Family Archives

loyalty defined by James Herriot

If having a soul means

 being able to feel 

love and loyalty and gratitude,

 then animals are 

better off than

 a lot of humans. 

~James Herriot

Courtesy of Larkin Family Archive 

the noble Aesop

Gratitude is the sign 

of noble souls. 

~Aesop

Courtesy of Larkin Family Archives
Location: Crater Lake, Oregon

Happy Thanksgiving ... Nigel Hamilton

Thanksgiving is a time of

 togetherness and gratitude. 

~Nigel Hamilton

Courtesy of Library of Congress
1943 San Antonio, Texas

praying with Alice Walker

'Thank you' is the best prayer

 that anyone could say. 

I say that one a lot. 

Thank you expresses extreme

 gratitude, humility,

and understanding. 

~Alice Walker

Courtesy of Larkin Family Archives
Location: Wahleena Falls, Oregon

Happy Thanksgiving ... Joseph B. Wirthlin

Some memories are 

unforgettable, 

remaining ever vivid 

and heartwarming! 

~Joseph B. Wirthlin

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises

William Blake ... thanksgiving

The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest. 

~William Blake

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises

sharing with W. Clement Stone

If you are really thankful,

 what do you do? 

You share. 

~W. Clement Stone

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises

the universal language ... Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Music is the universal language

 of mankind. 

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Courtesy of the Library of Congress
Free Concert, 1930s