 Whatever you choose to believe concerning the story of Mary and Joseph, travelling ninety miles in the ancient world, from Nazareth , along the Jordan River, up and down through the Judean Dessert and thick Forest, to the tiny town of a hundred residents of Bethlehem, for the Census, during the winter months, had to be a very long and difficult journey. The average person can walk about 20 miles per day. It is said Mary was somewhere between the age of 12 to 14, certainly close to nine months into her first pregnancy and Joseph was said to be a great deal older.  Travelers would have had to carry water in skin pouches and food . . . most likely bread, maybe some oil and herbs. It would've been wise to tote something for shelter in case of bad weather. Winters in that area experience 30 degree temps and loads of rain. The path taken was unpaved and there were Lion, Bear, Wild Boar, Thieves and Crazies they had to be prepared for. The journey surely took people like Mary and Joseph a week to ten days to complete. Ancient Bethlehem was known to only have one primitive Inn. It's widely agreed that the only shelter Jesus could've been born in was a nearby cave used to house animals. A JOYOUS CHRISTMAS TO ALL ! I am responsible for the digital framing of these images, and regret not being able to give credit to the Artists who painted them despite lengthy online searches. I thought they were beautiful. If this is your work, please contact me. THANK YOU WHOEVER YOU ARE !
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 1. THINK ABOUT YOURSELF CONSTANTLY. 2. USE " I " AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE. 3. MIRROR YOURSELF CONTINUALLY BY THE OPINION OF OTHER PEOPLE. 4. LISTEN, GREEDILY, TO WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT YOU AND IF IT'S NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR, GET ANGRY ! 5. EXPECT TO BE APPRECIATED BY EVERYONE. 6. BE SUSPICIOUS. 7. BE JEALOUS AND ENVIOUS. 8. BE SENSITIVE AND EASILY OFFENDED. 9. NEVER FORGIVE A CRITICISM. 10. TRUST NOBODY BUT YOURSELF. 11. INSIST UPON CONSIDERATION & RESPECT AT ALL TIMES. 12. DEMAND AGREEMENT WITH YOUR OWN VIEWS ON EVERYTHING. 13. SULK & FEEL SORRY FOR YOURSELF IF PEOPLE ARE NOT GRATEFUL FOR ALL YOU DO FOR THEM. 14. NEVER FORGET WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR OTHER PEOPLE. THINK ABOUT IT AT ALL TIMES BUT . . . 15. ALWAYS REMEMBER WHAT THEY HAVE FAILED TO DO FOR YOU. 16. SHIRK YOUR DUTY. 17. SEEK , AT ALL TIMES, TO ENTERTAIN YOURSELF. 18. DO AS LITTLE AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN FOR OTHER PEOPLE. Joyce Meyer 
© NINJA EXPRESS CHOP ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
HERE IT IS ! The perfectly thoughtful, practical and reasonably priced gift your friends and relatives will be using more often than not. Now, please know that absolutely NO ONE asked me to write this on NINJA's behalf. This NINJA EXPRESS CHOP came last week as a credit card points trade and these pics were taken in my kitchen today. You can buy yours at TARGET K~MART AMAZON Originally, I wasn't at all happy about any of the redemption items, but my plan was to cash in on accumulated points and cancel the card. I was also disgusted that 4,000 points afforded me a mere $ 20.00 item. I certainly wasn't expecting much from this appliance. 
© NINJA EXPRESS CHOP PARTS ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
The beautifully designed compact top holds the motor with electrical cord and feels secure in one hand. The Tupperware style lid has a capped hole, preventing dirt from affecting the motor housing and doubling as a food storage cover. The blade body sits on a stainless steel pin and easily lifts straight up and off without me being concerned about slicing a finger. 
© NINJA EXPRESS CHOP LOADED ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
I loaded the sturdy plastic container with one rib CELERY cut into 3 inch lengths, the YELLOW PEPPER, a slice of GINGER, a quartered CLEMENTINE with a slice of peel, half a TOMATOE quartered, some fresh CILANTRO, a teaspoon of BRAGG's organic APPLE CIDER VINEGAR and a splash of EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL. 
© NINJA EXPRESS CHOP with LID ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
. . . and put on the lid as instructed. 
© NINJA EXPRESS CHOP ~ Ready to GO ! ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
I placed the motor housing on top, which easily connected to the blade through the open hole in the lid, pushed down on the silver "switch" to the count of ONE ~ TWO ~ THREE 
© NINJA EXPRESS CHOP ~ Salad in Three Seconds ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
If you look close, you'll notice two pepper seeds at the bottom of the base. The base stayed sturdy and stationary as it chopped, never slipping or sliding ! 
© NINJA EXPRESS CHOP ~ Opened ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
. . . grabbed the white blade stem and lifted it straight up ~ off ~ and out ! 
© NINJA EXPRESS CHOP ~ Blade Removed ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
Could've put on the fitted storage lid and refridgerated... But . . . 
© NINJA EXPRESS CHOP ~ Finished ! ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
It was SO DELICIOUS . . .
didn't even need salt . . . devoured the entire thing ! YUM !!! Anyway, I LOVE this thing and hope it lasts awhile. It seems like it will. Your comments are most appreciated and your personal info remains private. HAPPY CHANUKKAH MERRY CHRISTMAS  When I was a child, growing up in New York City, we kept European traditions on Christmas Eve. After an early seafood supper, we dressed in our finest outfits, got on a bus and walked our way to an evening Church service. Those evenings were always cold and crisp, but my favorites were making the trip as fresh snow fell. I sang First Soprano in the Children’s Choir and LOVED wearing the long white robe and large red collar that overlaid it. Each one of us was fussed over and given a candle with last minute reminders. Once the Church bells stopped pealing, the Music Instructor gave a whispered cue to thirty three of us waiting outside the door. Candles lit and held chest high, we followed a lucky boy carrying a GIANT GOLD CROSS, the luckiest boy with a giant candle stick almost as tall as himself and the clergy. Single file, double spaced, we sang JOY TO THE WORLD and neatly placed ourselves stage left to the Altar.  Undine DeFilippo singing OH TANTE BAUM After the service we hurried home for coffee and cake, sweets and gift giving. There was always laughter... once the adults settled in with their Christmas toasts. Each child, was expected to perform a recitation, song or tune BEFORE getting any gifts. It seemed this part of Christmas was something the adults waited for all year ! I had come to understand at a very early age that Saint Nick,{ the Christmas Man aka Santa Claus }, was a very real person who lived a LONG LONG LONG time ago.  Illustration By Hedda Obermaier-Wenz Born in 280 AD, in what is now Turkey, he was known as The Gift Giver of Myra. So that his identity would remain secret, he gave his gifts in the dead of night. St Nicholas was eventually named the Patron Saint of children, sailors, Russia and Greece. He was a very rich person and became a Christian Bishop with an earned reputation of being wise and kind. The tradition of hanging stockings at the fireplace followed one of his middle of the nite gift giving bonanzas. St. Nick dropped BAGS OF GOLD into the stockings of three sisters on their wedding day because their father had nothing to give them.  Illustration By Hedda Obermaier-Wenz In the year 303, the Roman Emperor Diocletian commanded ALL to worship him as a god. St. Nicholas refusal landed him in a nasty tiny cell, where he suffered from cold, hunger and thirst for better than five years. When Constantine became Emperor in 313, he was released and continued to carry out his gift giving, until his death at age 63 on December 6 th. 343. Because of his exceptional kind heart and generosity, he was Sainted and thereby BLESSED to continue having the ability to accomplish kind deeds during the Christmas season for the deserving, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN and ANIMALS. I believe I did see him thru a key hole that year, as I practiced "OH TANTE BAUM" but the angle only afforded me his black boots. I thought I was singing praises to someone’s age old Aunt dressed in something frilly and green which brought knee slapping peales of laughter from the adults. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT !!!  Click on pic to enlarge ! At the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary in Summit, New Jersey, there are 17 Dominican Nuns working very hard to make ends meet by running a Mail Order Gift Shop called THE CLOISTER SHOPPE These industrious women are SOLELY responsible for their financial support, relying completely on Divine Providence. The Roman Catholic Church, The Vatican, The Holy See, The Bishop, etc... DOES NOT - DOES NOT financially assist them in any way AT ALL !!!  St. Nicholas Soap That means that your last minute gift can have dual purpose and double strength in what it will do for others. They offer beautiful hand made, natural soaps in bar, as well as refillable 8 oz liquid bottles in many various scents and sets that customers simply rave about ! One of their most popular sellers is a citrus basil soap that is simply divine. They've also created NATURAL scented room sprays that won't poison your children and pets at a fraction of Walmart prices in environmentally conscious pump spray bottles  Getting most products shipped on day of order ! If you're looking for natural body creams and lotions, they have made them as well. What I like the very best is the ability to CREATE YOUR OWN GIFT BASKET, which they will fill with your exact specifications. There are many plusses and more choices at the CLOISTER SHOPPE. They offer books, dvds, religious statues and rosaries. You can pay safely and securely with PAY PAL and they boast of FAST REASONABLE SHIPPING ! Have a look and GET YOUR ORDER IN VERY SOON as all production CEASES on DECEMBER 17 th !  Click on the pic to enlarge ! Remember to check out their beautiful 2013 calendar. They must be singing "Dominique" { one of my favorites } in this sample calendar picture. Simply click here or on the highlighted names in this article to be immediately directed to their website and gift shop. You'll be glad you did !  The 17 Dominican Sisters of the Monastery of the Holy Rosary in Summit, NJ |
 Undine DeFilippo
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