Getting Hearts and Hands Ready for the Holidays

"At Christmas play and make good cheer, For Christmas comes but once a year." -Thomas Tusser

OK. Thanksgiving was wonderful, visiting with family and sharingfun stories and adventures; laughing around the dining roomtable, enjoying favorite stuffing and pies; watching parades andfootball games; and counting your many blessings.

It is now time to turn our attention to the many preparations for Christmas. Coming from a Christian perspective, I can speak for the anticipation which we all feel to celebrate the birth of the Christ-child. It brings us wonder each and every year, and the time and energy we put into its celebration never wanes. As I watch my jewish friends prepare for Hanukkah, I sense, too, the joy with which they prepare celebrations with loved ones.

The gift of sacrificial love is the true essence of Christmas.

Teaching your children to give generously and to give cheerfullymodels the life of Christ. Our God, who created each one of uswith more love than we can imagine, desires this same outpouringof love to others, and it is at Christmas that we likewise shareour love through gift-giving and through acts of generosity andhospitality. We are buoyed by the "Christmas spirit" because itis through giving--rather than receiving--that we receive themost joy. Pausing to think about others, about their needs anddesires, and extending yourselves to their benefit, brings deepinner satisfaction not found any other way.

Have you made your list of those people with whom you want toshare the Christmas spirit?

Consider giving small, inexpensive gifts to a large list, rather than more extravagant gifts to a very few loved ones.

When Ithink of the model of giving I want to pattern for my own family, I cannot exclude from the list those folks who cross my path on a daily basis--in one way or another--who may or may not have yet reached into close friendship with me. And so I am always thoughtful for small yet kind ways in which I might extend generosity.

Extend your circle of concern.

Think not only of what members of your own family would appreciate at Christmas. Think of cousins and aunts and uncles, and of closest friends. And don't stop there. Extend your circle. Think of your mail carrier, pet groomer, your pediatrician's office staff, the folks at your gym, your neighbors, friends of your children, office workers at youor your spouse's place of work, your manicurist, thelandscaper....think through the flow of your typical week andthose people who enter your life on a regular basis. If they areserving you in some capacity, isn't it kind to remember them now?

Many people refrain from practicing generosity to those outsidetheir small circle of concern because of the lack of money withwhich to do so. But inexpensive gifts can be handmade for pennies if we will only stretch our imaginations and put our hands--and those of our children--to good use.

look to nature and to materials right outside your front door

Free for the asking and the picking: a fresh bouquet of greens--evergreens, magnolia leaves, and berries, tied with a gorgeoussilk ribbon--would be cherished by any receiver.

Tiny bird nest ornaments fashioned from spanish moss, filled with speckled beans and a silk butterfly, and with a wooden clothespin glued from underneath, make delightful gifts for children and adults alike. My own tree is filled with them.

Collect pinecones and make an arrangement with them. Yourthoughtfulness will be appreciated and it will have cost nothingmore than a walk in the woods.

Homemade candies or cookies wrapped in inexpensive cellophanebags look elegant tied with ribbon and make perfect gifts forvirtually anyone on your list.

miniature baskets filled with one tiny, simple gift, are perfect for your children's friends.

Remember: children love exaggeration; anything diminutive (or enormous!) appeals to their sense of wonder.

Homemade "snow globes" make our list every single year

Simply use a baby food or other small jar and fill it with water and a small bit of glycerin (found at your local drug store) and white glitter; add a few plastic toys--Legos, Barbie doll shoes, jacks and balls, plastic bugs--and then squeeze a think line of silicone sealant around the lid before screwing it on to prevent leakage.

Homemade glycerin soaps filled with tiny plastic toys areadorable

They'll delight your children as well, for they'll have created happy memories making them with you for all of their friends.

Consider making homemade wrapping paper or handmade gift tags.

I buy inexpensive tags at office supply stores by the hundreds.They cost about a penny apiece. I also use twine instead ofexpensive ribbon. One bolt lasts several years and costs a couple of dollars.

And mail those out-of-state gifts early to avoid long lines atthe post office as well as the extra expense of priority mail.

Model a generous life...at Christmas and throughout the year.Give faithfully and give cheerfully. You will be blessedbeyond measure.

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Celebrating the Legend of Arnold Palmer

Arnold Palmer is one of golf's most famous celebrities. Arnold's career coincided with the popularity of televised sports that began in the 1950s. Fans adored him for his handsome features and his willingness to play risky shots. The public show more affection to him, even if other golfers may have more trophies on their mantelpiece. This amazing sports figure was born in Latrobe, pennsylvania in 1929. He learned the game from his father who was a professional at the Latrobe country club. He exhibited that he has considerable talent for this game from the age of seven.

This world class athlete won the US Amateur tournament in 1954. This win prompted Arnold Palmer to turn professional and he won the Canadian open the next year. He never looked back as he won seven major competitions in his career. He won the Masters four times, the US open once and the British open championship twice. Arnold Palmer considered the open championship in Britain as something of a mission to persuade other american golfers to participate. He won them round even if they were reluctant at first because of the difference in golf course design of the two countries.

Arnold Palmer won twenty nine competitions on the PGA tour over four seasons from 1960-1963. This period is most successful part of his long career. In 1963, he captained the US Ryder Cup team to victory. Jack nicklaus dominated the game from the late 1960s, and Arnold Palmer decided to go on the PGA Senior tour, now known as the Champions tour. He stated that he was quitting the Majors when he missed the cut at the US Senior open in 1995.

Other golf related activities have helped to keep Arnold Palmer involved in the sport. For instance, he continued his family connection to Latrobe country club by becoming the owner in 1971. He also helped to set up the Golf channel, which is watched by eager fans throughout the world. Golf is a much more international game today than when Arnold was a young man. He is also responsible for the deal to build the very first golf course in China. Arnold Palmer has also found success in a business has been built around golfing books and DVDs that he wrote and presented. He ranks amongst the highest earners in the sport because of the contracts he signed with advertisers and sponsors.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Arnold Palmer. Visit our site for more helpful information about Arnold Palmer and other similar topics.

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Minnesota Golf Courses - Territory Golf Club in St Cloud

What you will notice when you arrive at Territory golf club and make your way to the clubhouse is a rolling prairie landscape. What you will also notice is wetlands and streams running through the property. What you won't notice is an abundance of trees. This is what you see about the property from the parking lot. Because looks can be deceiving, what you will later discover is the tale of two golf courses. All of the hole on the front nine, as well as, holes 10 and 18 are situated on rolling prairie with a compliment of native grasses in the rough and other places that you are not supposed to hit your golf ball. holes 11 through 17 are cut out of an oak forest that also features wetlands and streams along with some significant elevation changes.

Territory golf club plays to a par of 72 and measures 6,921 yards from the back tee markers. The course rating, from the back tees, is 72.9 and has a slope index of 125. There are four sets of tee markers, which means there is an appropriate yardage for golfers of all skills.

The management team consisting of Brock Swanson, head golf professional, Dan Stang, golf course superintendent and Dan Dols, general manager make sure that the players experience is outstanding. The course condition and the pace of play make Territory golf club a golf course that you will want to place on your list of places to play in central minnesota. My playing partner and I played our round on a weekend morning and completed our play in just less than four hours. There were groups in front of and behind us and the pace of play flowed nicely.

The greens at Territory Golf club are quite large, averaging nearly 7,000 square feet each and have significant undulation. These two factors make club selection as you approach the green critical. Just being on the green in regulation does not guarantee that you will have two putts for a par. My playing partner for the round described the greens a looking like "big potato chips" referring the random shapes as well as the wavy appearance as you walk onto the putting surface.

Another challenge at Territory golf club is the sand traps. The traps can generally be described as large, deep and having steep faces on them. Getting out of the traps successfully should be your first concern, getting close to the pin should be of secondary importance.

The back nine plays longer than the front nine with number 10 and number 18 being the two longest holes on the golf course. The par-3 holes are longer-range holes with the shortest playing at 170 yards and the longest playing at 245 yards.

If you are looking for a challenging golf course to play in central minnesota I would certainly check out Territory golf club in St. Cloud. You can call for a tee a time at 320-258-4653 or visit their website at http://www.territorygc.com for more details.

Dana Buttenhoff is an avid golfer and a native Minnesotan. After 20 years of golf and traveling around the USA, Dana would like to share the golf gems rural minnesota has to offer: http://www.minnesotaruralgolf.com

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