Christmas In July

Christmas will be here before you know it. Go ahead and laugh, but they already have Halloween decorations for sale in the stores. They have been there since mid-July.

SO, all my frugal readers... Part of being able to have a GOOD Christmas is having it taken care of ahead of time. Start a little savings account. Break out the knitting needles.... acrylic paints, whatever your craft of choice and lets get a jump on this thing!

Over the next few weeks I will be posting some ideas for inexpensive and creative Christmas gifts to work on now, in the heat of summer. You'll thank me come January 1st.

So here is the first suggestion:

The Ozarks Mountaineer. You don't have to live in the Ozarks to appreciate the homespun stories, pictures, and history. Just have a little *mountaineer* in ya. Mom, Dad, Husbands, Wives, Grandparents, and neighbors will be delighted. This appeals to the folksy type of person (a.k.a.:ME) and those who love history and a good story. They even have a *Mountaineer Hunt* where they have cleverly placed a picture of a Mountaineer somewhere in the pages. It's a hoot.

This was the Christmas issue... the picture below is *Christ Of The Ozarks*. For those who have never been to The Ozarks; it is beautiful! The Mountaineer isn't full of touristy stuff, but has a decent balance. It will make you want to visit for sure.

Here's a link for subscriptions:
http://www.ozarksmountaineer.com/
You can browse around and get a feel for it.


Here's a little history on the magazine:


The first edition of the Ozarks Mountaineer was published in March 1952 and from that point on was dedicated to perserving the history and folklore of the Ozarks region.

The magazine was founded and run for 15 years by native Ozarkians Roscoe and Velma Stewart. This husband and wife team worked hard at the day to day chores of running the magazine.While Velma Stewart admitted that she didn't have the vision for the Mountaineer that her husband did, she worked with him to make it a success.


In 1967, they handed the reins of the magazine over to another husband and wife team, Clay M. and Shirley Anderson.This couple brought the magazine through its first quarter century and well into its second. Indeed, Clay Anderson was still owner and editor at the time of his death in October of 1993.


Over the years, the magazine gained a wide variety of contributors and readers. Some well-known contributors were M.E. Oliver, Townsend Godsey, Jimmy Driftwood and Mary Kennedy McCord.A well-known reader who later became a contributor was Vance Randolph, who was made famous by his books about Ozark life.
(From the Ralph Foster Archive)




And... to put you in the mood:

Christmas Time's A-Comin'
Christmas Time's A-Comin'
Christmas Time's A-Comin'
And I know I'm goin' home.

Snow flake's a-fallin'
My old heart's a-callin'
Tall pine's a-hummin'
Christmas Time's A-Comin'.

Can't you hear them bells ringin', ringin'
Joy, don'tcha hear them singin'
When it's snowin',
I'll be goin' Back to my country home.

White candle's burnin'
My old heart's a-yearnin'
For the folks at home when
Christmas Time's A-Comin'.

Can't you hear them bells ringin',
ringin' Joy, don'tcha hear them singin'
When it's snowin',
I'll be goin' Back to my country home.

Holly's in the window
Home where the wind blows
The cane foam's a-runnin'
Christmas Time's A-Comin'.

Now that you have that little tune in your head- get busy!