Now Edited and Updated: Old Christmas Movies of Excellence Not Mentioned Much

I don't know about you, but hubs and I really enjoy relaxing in the evenings watching a good ol' wholesome movie, when Rebecca is home she too likes to cuddle with a blanket and the threesome of us enjoy these kinds of wonderful movies...   These are very good movies that the entire family will enjoy from a beautiful time in our nation as far as the nation retaining a healthy fear of God.   I hope to add more movie suggestions as time progresses towards Christmas and the entire Christmas season and beyond so if you get the druthers, you may want to check back. 



'Come to the Stable'   (1949)
 
I'm watching this poignant movie at present and am so enjoying it.  Both of these women had turned their backs on the world of fame to serve God in great humility in their own way.  I'm in awe of some of the sacrifices I see made not only from the sisters but of a tough mobster with a tender heart too. 


'Tenth Avenue Angel'  (1948)

 

My last few birthdays, the above has been my choice of movies.  You will see why if you watch, there is a Christmas miracle.  What a winning combination, Margaret O'Brien and Phyllis Thaxter.

'The Christmas Wish',   also goes by   'The Great Rupert'   (1950)

Precious movie with Jimmy Durante in one of his best performances.

'It Happened on 5th Avenue'    (1947)

I had sent the above two movies to my dad several years ago, the last one in particular, 'It Happened On 5th Avenue',  I was hoping he would catch a hint about family concerning he and mother.  A most wonderful movie.

EDIT 12.2019:  Here are some additional movie greats also wonderful for Christmas time, I will update as I think of them.


   Bells of St. Mary's  (1945)
What's not more Christmas then Bing Crosby?   Especially playing the part of endearing Father O'Malley.   Ingrid Bergman is just quietly beautiful here...See the clip of her as a nun playing baseball.  Who doesn't love that?

   Going My Way   (1944)  
Nominated for 10 Academy Awards;  this movie goes hand in hand with Bells of St. Mary's.  Our beloved Father O'Malley played by Bing Crosby, so sweet, so poignant.  I actually knew a priest like Father O'Malley as a little girl, he would braid my long hair in one long ponytail as I waited for my mother to pick me up from c.c.d. class.  There was nothing creepy about the man, but a man of honor and care.  

Whether you're Catholic, Protestant, or like me, a simple follower of Christ, child of God.  These things matter, Oh God help me to never blaspheme the name of Christ by my actions or lack of actions. 



  Meet John Doe   (1941) (The cover artwork isn't fully representative of movie in my personal opinion.)
Anytime you can find a movie by Frank Capra, you are pretty well guaranteed a GEM.  This is one of those movies.   You couple Capra's expertise with Gary cooper and Barbara Stanwyck?  You have a masterpiece.  This is a beautiful movie and the ending is stellar, if you are looking for a movie that speaks of Christ and what He did on that cross over 2000 years ago, you will be in awe in the end...  This movie has special meaning to me because the first time I viewed the movie was on a cold winter's eve in 1993 after delivering my fourth little baby, our fourth baby girl, Rebecca. 


These old movies are tried and true, they are sweet, moral and have wonderful life lessons in them.  I usually sense a comradery with those who also appreciate them and cherish them.  Why wouldn't we love these old movies?  In many cases they feed the soul...


All photos in this edit are by Robert Stock.  

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Christmases Past

My daddy when I was almost born into this world, my mama wisely put up a small Christmas tree that year and of course the little manger scene too.

 My mama and me.  She made this jumper for me and I remember being so fascinated as she painstakingly ironed on the tiny pieces to form a Santa Claus on the jumper, she is an artist and a Godly one.  She called me 'baby' the other day, it was cute.  She's almost 90.

This is my daddy, I love this picture of us.  I miss my daddy sooo much and I'm still so grieved in my heart at the tragic loss of my dad a couple of years ago.  The other day I was crying quietly in the kitchen asking my dad why and our new little fur angel ran up to me, what a Godsend.

This is me as a wee little gal in ballet class at a Christmas party.

God be with you in this Holy Season.  God is with us.   May we quietly plod along being the best mom, the best daughter or the best wife or husband etc., whoever you are, whatever season you are in.  Let's be content in the quiet of the Season.

 

A box full of goodies for our delivery people I quickly made and placed in our drop-off bin, it was fun to do.  I tried not to get too matchy-matchy poo-poo with it.  I want to bless others not drive myself or others in my family crazy.  (big smile)  This worked and worked quickly and accomplished what it needs to accomplish. 

Our delivery people often don't get here til dark and my husband was reading that some have 300 stops and no bathroom breaks.   Can you imagine?

Mixed Emotions at Christmas:

The video following my short treat box video above;  I posted the clip last January when we lost Charlie.  It features the little boy at Boys Town, Teddy weeping and just sharing his little heart on pain from 'Little Men of Boys Town'.   This exchange is soooo beautiful I think especially Spencer Tracey playing the part of Father Flanagan.      Be prepared especially if you are going through any loss or feeling any pain. It's a good clip and Father Flanagan has some beautiful, sweet, sweet godly advice.  Oh give us more Father Flanagans!   Give us more Pastor Flanagans!   May *we* be that Father or Pastor Flanagan, or Brother or Sister Flanagan. 

Video clip HERE

May we exhibit Justice and Mercy all of our lives, may we have discernment and boldness, saturated with Love.  

If This is You

Within the church we have made a reflection of the world. There’s the cool crowd and “it” circle that only wants to associate with certain people which reveals a heart of haughtiness. If this is you, then repent. When you realize God’s love for you, then you want to pour out that love upon others.
A loving heart seeks out those who need love. A loving heart is bold. It doesn’t make excuses on why it can’t love. If you ask for it God is going to put people in your life who need your love. It’s time for a change. Allow the love of God to change you and compel you to make sacrifices.

Quote from Bible Reasons 

This quote should apply to all areas of a true Christian's life, anywhere and everywhere.

  -Robert Stock 












The view sipping my iced tea behind the drive thru in my beloved smalltown.









Just some shots from around here at My Forest Cathedral

Meditating on this Holy Season...  









Signing off from My Forest Cathedral....    ~Amelia

It's a Wonderful Life Facts! Christmas Art Skirt and a New Fur Angel!

It's a Wonderful Life is one of my very, very favorite movies and I just thought these two videos were so interesting on facts about the movie...  George Bailey reminds me of my husband.  My husband is a real estate broker (and musician!) and our real estate office is in an old convent where the nuns used to live very similar to the styles of homes or buildings you see in this movie.  Hubs has helped people his entire career, putting people before money.  You should see him with renters, he comes home and we confer, humanity wins every time let me tell you and God wins ultimately no matter what the cost or loss.  It's all about honoring God and living with no regrets. There have been lean times for us too, I remember collecting change around the house putting it all in a fruitcake tin to buy my girls ballet shoes.  Thus being said, we are on the side of mercy, we understand how things can be for people, and never want to be the oppressor.



You will learn about Jimmy Stewart after he served in WWII also, how he wasn't sure if he would be able to act anymore as he once did...And also that Frank Capra wanted George Bailey to be praying the Our Father at the end of the movie.



I love hearing about Frank Capra because he reminds me so very much of my Italian Grandpa.  My Grandpa Oddo was from the same village, Bisaquino, Sicily.  In one of the biographies on Capra, the Oddo family is mentioned.

This is a very early drawing I had done of my Grandpa, Vincent Oddo as a young single man, an opera singer in New York.  He was discovered singing as a young man, an immigrant hanging his laundry out to dry, a lady from the opera was walking by and heard his beautiful voice.  My Grandpa Oddo was one of the most precious, sweetest men alive.  He later moved to the south as his mother had arrived from Italy here and he met my grandma,from Naples, Italay, she was from New Orleans and had moved to Texas with her family.  They were sooo proud to become American citizens! 











 My grandpa and I shared birthdays many times, our birthdays were within a day of each other.  This is me and Grandpa one year when I was a very little girl.   My grandpa and grandma lived on the bay because Grandpa loved the water, he became a shrimper, he and grandma owned a fishing camp so he became much of what I would consider a Great Caruso on the Bay!  He was a quiet and sensitive man.  Meekness is valued in the Bible and I think people forget that many times. 

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One of my Favorite Art Skirts for Christmas!  It's hard to get a decent angle but this will have to do.



Cute 60s art dogs!   Dauchshounds and Poodles!!!!  Is this not reminiscent of some of our childhoods?



I love the print, it's a good cotton print.  How could I resist?  It's a maxi wrap skirt I made last year. (McCalls 5430 lengthened to maxi)  So fun to wear and I receive many compliments on it.  Looks good with black leggings, black boots or low heel black baby dolls.  I love black knit tops, and I love black turtlenecks for cool weather.  Most of mine are from Walmart.com, the old White Stag or Time and Tru brand.



Identifying Our Style Helps Simplify.   
It's not that I'm being a fashion guru trust me.  But anything that helps us have a carefree spirit and simplifies our life is a beautiful thing in my book.

   It's nice to somewhat identify and simplify our styles, I'm even going with the natural wave-loose curl in my hair these days, going with more of a Victorian look, pulling my hair back gently allowing waves to tossle down.  I'm avoiding the straightening iron these days.
It's kind of fun and it's easy, it helps me to simplify...and it's different.    Two bobby pins criss-crossed for crown, and two bobby pins crossed for next pull back down below ears and near nape of neck.
This day in particular it's a bit messy, but that's part of it!  *big smile* I know by looking here, it's certainly not perfect, but I dislike perfectionism and wanted to just throw it up and take a quick shot. 

The reason I post things like this is I just want to encourage others to have fun with what you wear, and enjoy yourself.  Be a first class version of yourself!  : )








A Funny Little Story I thought of.   (Isn't that what blogging should be?)
  I recall when I was younger I specialized in fashion illustration, my fashion designs were 40s and also Laura Ashley style before any of that was even in vogue.  In highschool my drawings would be in the school showcase, a big long glass display cabinet in the hall to display interesting art of the week or month.  One day one of my friends and I in art class were assigned to go hang the new drawings in the showcase so we unlocked the long lengthy glass cabinet and we stepped inside, closing the  glass doors.  We posed like mannequins to see if passerbys would notice.  Just innocent fun, I still smile and laugh even thinking about that day.  It was me and a girl names Marilyn.  I wonder what happened to Marilyn?

Do you ever think about random classmates?  What happened to them?  I do and it's usually a signal to pray for that person I have found.

Black and white photography above both by Robert Stock.
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A New Edition!

Speaking of cute little dogs, Dauchshounds in particular....

Our New Edition!   Is this not the cutest little fella?   He was cruelly dumped for some reason (how could there be any?!) in our area and he eluded folks for days and days.  I texted our daughters driving here at different times on Thanksgiving to keep their eyes open for the little fella.  Well, Joycie and Pete came to the door with a blanket holding the little fella!!!   The little dog had ran under a barbed wire fence and Pete grabbed him up quickly.  He is soooo thin bless his heart.  I just cannot imagine what he went through, it breaks my heart but he is in good hands now, and I pray God's healing hands upon this little fur baby. EDIT 12.10.19   Jem and I took him to the vet this morning and he just seems to have a bit of a cold and congestion, everything else tested free and clear!  PTL.   Our vet is one of those people who you can sense is a Christian by his actions.  I want to be like that always!!! 


The kicker?   I asked Joycie if they had received my text concerning this little dog to be watching out for it.   She said, No, we never received it!   The other girls who received the text didn't see the little dog, Joycie who never saw the text spied the little dog!   

So this precious little fella is our newest fur angel!

Our sweet vet will be taking a good look at him so we can take the utmost care of this little Gift.  : )

EDIT  12.13.19   Little fella is doing great, just a little cold from being out in the elements so long.

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I'll start to close with this favorite little poem: 

What Shall I Give Him by Christina Rossetti

What can I give Him,
   Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
   I would bring a lamb,
If I were a Wise Man
   I would do my part,—
Yet what I can I give Him,
   Give my heart

I see this poem under several names, I see it as a part of a longer poem also very beautiful by Christina Rossetti.  My little girls had this poem in their Bob Jones University homeschool curriculum and it was so sweet to see them recite this poem using their little hands to illustrate the meaning.

Good memories...There is nooooo money that can buy that!





I saw this quote and thought it was hilariously wonderful!  Sometimes in the Holy Christmas season or anytime it is a bit much when we see the out-there commercials for cars, jewelry and such or folks who just seem so plain wrapped up in all of that.  They have completely lost touch it seems. But we don't have to, do we.  *big smile* 





Good evening, Loves,  

Taken last year at my daughter's baby shower.

~Amelia in the Forest... She married a music man...(Tiny Dancer) and that guy who lassoed the moon  (It's a Wonderful Life)   ....both rolled into one great guy always morphing into an even greater guy as he is in his 60s now.
   





As God's chosen people...clothe yourselves with...kindness   Colossians 3:12

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Romans 12:10



Be kind.  Be so kind and thoughtful that others may ask or wonder...

"I wonder where he or she attends church?"    


I've seen some that I think...Oh dear me, I would not want to get near the church that person attends.
But many times I've asked people that very question as I've noticed their beautiful Holy Ghost smiles and loving, polite ways.


I want to be the latter!  

Oh But This One... 'Dolly Parton's 'Coat of Many Colors'...

Sometimes I think of movies that have touched my heart, that I've seen in the Thanksgiving and Christmas Season.  This movie came to mind recently, so I treated myself to the dvd set of Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors along with the sequel.

Wow.   I haven't cried watching a movie in a long time, and this is one of those movies that made me cry in places, I mean several hankies worth.  There are parts that just strummed the heartstrings something mighty.

The little girl who plays the part of a young Dolly resembles soooo very much our youngest daughter when she was little, the way she talked, her mannerisms, her nature.  Even the little blue checked dress... Yep, that was our Grace.    I smile...

I could relate to Mrs. Parton, Dolly's mother in little ways too.  Yes, I get her in many little ways.  We moms make a lot of sacrifices don't we?

The movie has a sweet, precious ending.  The entire movie is sweet and precious.

Our Grace now?  She is a young woman here at home, an artistic photographer who has a lot of me in her. All of my girls have bits and pieces of Jem and I in them, and it's so fun to see them as adults! Rebecca is that artistic one.  She can tell a fake from a fraud in two seconds flat!  Haha. I remember my dad saying that when he and I argued it was like he was arguing with himself.  smile   Grace sat with Jem and I, watching this precious movie last night, it was really nice.  ...Just really nice.

If you see the movie, or have seen it and would like to treat yourself to a refresher of sorts, I think you'll enjoy the movie and also be most touched by it.

So many young people and older people have had disappointments in life, in churches in people...So I really think this movie fits the bill for all if we're honest and part of the  beautifully broken, the Companionship of Brokeness.  I say beautifully broken because I think God, if we trust Him, in His caring and loving way can put us all together like a....Like a Tiffany lamp.  The Beauty of His Light will shine forth if we let it, giving to others and letting the gentle Light shine in a sweet way.

I wanted to get this blog up quickly because Dear Ones, I really think you would enjoy the movie for the holidays.  

I purchased the double set of Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors and the sequel, Christmas of Many Colors, Circle of Love from Walmart.com and I'm so glad I did!

  The sequel, Christmas of Many Colors, Circle of Love.  Can't wait for another night to watch this one too!





Hope you all are doing well. So many blessings to be thankful to God for...It's the Eternal.



That is why this old world?....Ain't enough.     
~Dolly's mother 




 

 A crazy shot of me and Grace having a good ol' time on a very cold winter's day last year after her doctor's appointment thus the scratch on her poor little nose.  (I hope you don't mind me posting this Rebecca!)  She is really sweet with her new little angel-nephews, Timmy and Jimmy:


Timmy                                        Jimmy


So much to be thankful for...

Good afternoon, Loves,    ~Amelia

The Greatest Generation...Those Vets. Gotta Love and Appreciate Them.

Today is Veteran's Day and we remember those who serve and protect us and many who gave life and limb for us.  I just love them.   Man, when I run into these guys at the store I usually make a beeline for them to thank them for their service.  When my daughters were little girls they each made little red construction paper booklets and they decorated them with patriotic stickers and such.  When we'd go to any patriotic ceremony we would receive autographs from our vets.  I just love'm.



Here is a post of Joycie and I in action at the grocery more then several years ago:
World War II Hero at Our Grocery 

This is Janie's trip to Hawaii for the Pearl Harbor anniversary:
Pearl Harbor Survivors with our Oldest Daughter

This is more of Janie's trip with 'Uncle Bob'.  He was honored by President Trump not long ago.  Lea still talks to him on the phone...What a sweetheart!  Talk about a good attitude!  Uncle Bob has it, you will see him giving Lea dancing lessons!:

More Pearl Harbor Survivors with Janie, Greatest Generation




 My mom and dad probably around 1954 or so.  I miss my daddy this time of year... and I miss my most precious stepdad, Al who received the Purple Heart and never even spoke of it.





A photo I found of my dad at Gulfport Military Academy  as I was cleaning my home studio here, and found this on the floor of all places.  (This is what clutter does, it edges out what is important and things we cherish on the floor in one way or the other.) Clutter is an enemy.

Dad (left) was a Captain and was so very handsome I think.






Jem and I love going to the WWII museums.  We've gone to the one in New Orleans and now several times to the Pacific War Museum in Fredericksburg.    I highly recommend!  The Pacific War Museum is a wonderful value by the way.  Just loads of things to see, learn, listen to those old voices...Tremendous museum!

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Well, I'm doing pretty good.  How about you dear readers?   Yesterday when we were at the Walmart in Farmtown I was so blessed to talk with two separate ladies in the Christmas department.

  - Robert Stock

Both of them were so eager to share and talk.   The first lady knocked the entire front of her buggy into the aisle cap and apologized.  I told her no worries, we all do it!  (it's true!)  Haha!   She tells me she has a lot on her mind.  I told her I understand, me too.   It's a lot to pray about isn't it?  I later saw her again on another Christmas aisle and she started the conversation and we discussed Christmas bulbs and which ones she should get.  Then there was another lady who came up looking for Minnie mouse ornaments because her daughter was able to have a baby after years of disappointments so the little toddler girl will be celebrated by a pink Minnie mouse theme this year.  I noticed the lady had a long cross around her neck.  We just hit it off...I told her maybe find some wrapping paper and cut the pictures of Minnie and glue them on cardboard and decorate...She tells me of ornaments she would make from the past...We end with a heartfelt and eyeball to eyeball God bless you.  

You may say, Well, I'm an introvert.  Well, this may shock you but I have introvert tendencies but you cannot tell it when I'm visiting with someone I'm enjoying conversation with.  My personality initials are INFP if that tells you anything.  I do love people and I just want to smile and be Jesus to them by action.  People just aren't like that anymore it seems but I want to be that way to others and it's great!  It's no scary commitment, except for privately praying for that person and hopefully them for me, it's like being an anesthesiologist, you deal with people in pain many times and give them a shot of goodness with a big toothy grin but then you move on to others and maybe, just maybe you'll see those folks again on another day!
  -Robert Stock




Well, it's time for me to sign off.  I'm trying desperately to get my home studio in order.  Oh my goodness, you just cannot imagine what I'm finding in there....After years of homeschooling and such, the room became a catch-all for everyone.  I'm finding all kinds of things plus sewing projects, paints, brushes, drawings, old, old photographs, books and more books.  I cannot tell you how many times I've stood there in the past few days, wide-eyed and said outloud...Oh my gosh!






 (No offense to Marie Kondo, I just thought this was really, really funny!)


Last but definitely not least, here's some of that old music greatness... Many of these old songs were actually written for the WWII generation as they hoped and prayed and prayed and hoped as a nation for our young men.



Getting ready for some thanksgiving menu plans too.  And you?

Thanking God for our Veterans, past and present!

  -Robert Stock 


Signing off from The Forest Cathedral.    Good afternoon, Loves,   ~Amelia