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2006 G.I.F.T. Challenge

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*Updated with new buttons*

Instead of being a time of unusual behavior, Christmas is perhaps the only time in the year when people can obey their natural impulses and express their true sentiments without feeling self-conscious and, perhaps, foolish. Christmas, in short, is about the only chance a man has to be himself.
~Francis C. Farley

Despite the fact that I am totally sappy, as evidenced in places on this blog too numerous to mention, I do feel like the above quote has some truth in it, even for me. Why is it that it seems easier somehow to give of oneself during this time of year? Why is it acceptable, especially for men, to bask in nostalgia, tradition, and love for your fellow man during the month of December and not in the heat of July? I’m getting a bit off track here. It all comes back to giving and sharing, which is the point of this latest challenge.

Christmas – that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance – a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.
~Augusta E. Rundel

In some ways the above quote references the spirit behind this latest challenge. As promised I have come up with something that should be easy, the reason being that Christmas can be a very stressful time, there are a number of other reading challenges currently in progress that I do not want to encroach upon, and I want this to be something that can successfully be completed. So what is the challenge?

I struggled with the idea of even calling this a challenge. The other reading challenges meet the definition by requiring some concerted effort to read a certain number of books, or challenge people to read things outside of their normal reading routine. All very good things. But that really isn’t the point of this one. The point is to give. Christmas, despite the myriad of negative things that can be pointed out when one is feeling cynical, is about giving. It is about presents…not the ones you get, but the ones you give. So in this way I actually am challenging you. I am challenging you to give. How? Read on.

I have decided to call this one the 2006 G.I.F.T. Challenge. Giving Inspiration, Fostering Tradition. I know, it is pretty lame but I had to call it something. What you agree to do, if you choose to participate, is to partake of and/or post on any 4 of the following:

Christmas movies
Christmas novels/short stories
Christmas songs
Christmas poems
Christmas traditions
Christmas memories

For whichever 4 things you choose you will post about them. That is where the giving comes in. Giving of yourself for the shared edification and inspiration of others. Your favorite Christmas movie, story, song, etc. may just inspire others to try it out. At the very least we will share in your joy and enthusiasm as you give us a glimpse into who you are by sharing memories, traditions, and favorites.. “Where is the challenge?”, you may ask. The challenge comes in here: two of your 4 choices must either involve something completely new to you or something you haven’t read or watched in an inordinately long amount of time. Take some time to read a Christmas related story or watch a Christmas movie that you’ve wanted to watch for years but never got around to. Seek out a Christmas poem and share it with us. You can post on each thing individually or do one big group post or combine things…do whatever you want to complete the challenge.

But what if this new thing ends up being something I just don’t like? That is okay, just give us an honest review. After all, sometimes lumps of coal do end up in the stocking.

I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.
~Charles Dickens

Well, that’s it. I told you it would be easy and I hope I delivered. I also hope that I succeeded in opening up the challenge a bit beyond reading for those who want to participate but do not read much. I really look forward to reading about your memories, traditions, favorites, etc. I also look forward to the potential to add Christmas stories, movies, songs, etc. to my list of things to try out that I may not have seen or heard of before. That is your gift to me and everyone else who reads your posts, an expanded ‘to read’ and ‘to watch’ list! 😉

If you don’t have a blog and want to participate, you can post your comments on the things you choose here in the comments section.

I made some buttons of various sizes should you want them:


(115X95)


(150X123)


(179X147)


(200X165)


(250X206)

The challenge begins as soon as you start in and will end December 24th. Please leave a comment if you want to participate and come back here and link to your posts in the comment section once you get them up. Happy Holidays everyone, I hope you can join in.

*Because you asked for it: New Buttons*


(100X134)


(150X201)


(175X235)


(200X269)

Feel free to request custom sizes of any of the buttons should you need them.

115 thoughts on “2006 G.I.F.T. Challenge”

  1. Love the Christmas button and the quote by Rundel. Great challenge idea. There was no way I could promise to finish anymore books by the end of the year. 🙂

    Christmas movie – I love National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story,Miracle on 34th Street ( Classic and Modern versions ), and It’s a Wonderful Life BUT my latest holiday favorite is Love Actually. This is a wonderful holiday movie for ADULTS that came out a few years ago. Tons of wonderful actors are in it: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Liam Neison, Hugh Grant, and many, many more. Christmas time is a
    time of love and this movie focuses on love in so many ways. I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s also a tear jerker so have some tissues handy even if your a guy. At least I’m not ashamed it made me cry.

    My family and I love Christmas songs. We’ve been listening to holiday music on the car radio for a couple weeks already. My story on a Christmas song is one from my teenage years. I can’t remember what cassette I had this on but I had one that had a version of ” Little Drummer Boy ” by Joan Jett that I still to this day remember fondly. Her deep throating voice on this rendition was amazing to me as a teen and is one of my favorite christmas memories.

    Great Carl. I will work on trying out new holiday ideas and will be reading others posts for inspiration in the weeks to come. Happy Holidays everyone!

  2. I’m trying to find this book I have of short stories that are all about Christmas. Many of them are older and from well known authors and most likely they exist on the web as well as at the library. I won’t be able to read another novel but I do want to read one or two short stories out of that book for this challenge…if I can find it, that is!

    I know this one isn’t quite up to par as R.I.P., challenge-wise, but I personally don’t have the time to take on another big challenge this coming month. I am thinking about doing a fairy tale/fantasy challenge to take place from the first day of spring to June 21st, midsummer’s eve. I have some really cool ideas brewing in my head and I for sure want to build on the R.I.P. challenge for next year.

    Thanks for participating Jeff. Now go to bed!!!

  3. Well, I had been collecting Christmas books, which I may still read, however I think this is a better idea as there is no pressure. Each year I promise myself to decrease the pressure and have more fun. Your blog fits that. I have a book of Irish Christmas stories that I gave my mother for Christmas that I have never read. I’ll check the exact title and author so I can share that. Great idea, Carl.

  5. I know I won’t be able to do the full challenge, but I wanted to share some of our family’s favorites: Loreena McKennit’s recording To Drive the Cold Winter Away is the absolute top of the list when it comes to Christmas music. My college-age daughter turned the house upside down looking for our copy so that she could hear it before going back to school. It wouldn’t be Christmas without it, and whenever anyone new hears it playing at our house, they always say “oooh, what is THAT?” We also COULD NOT celebrate Christmas without our annual viewing of A Child’s Christmas in Wales starring Denholm Elliot. A perfect little gem of a movie, appropriate for all ages, nostalgic and timeless and full of the joys of a family Christmas. We wait till I’ve got all the varieties of cookies baked, then all of us (including the dog) get into the big bed with a plate of cookies and watch. It’s a great antidote to a case of the bah-humbugs!
    Wendi

  6. I love this Carl!!! Excellent idea!!! I’m excited to get going on GIFT! Thank you so much for sharing your creativity with us.

    I also really like the idea of a Fairytale type challenge and look forward to what you come up with.

  7. I might just do this challenge, Carl. I need to make myself take the time to blog.

    I have to share my FAVORITE Christmas song of all time. It is Mary’s Boy Child / Oh My Lord by Boney M. It’s AWESOME. The kids and I put it on repeat and dance until we can’t dance anymore. It gets good at 3 1/2 minutes and gets even better at 3 min and 45 seconds! I know I’m a dork! But it gives the message of salvation through Jesus beautifully. Without Him there would be no Christmas!

  8. Excellent Challenge, Carl. I’ve already posted Robert Frost’s Stopping By the Woods on a Snowy Evening, so I won’t repeat it for my challenge, but it is a family favorite. Love the button, too! Now to gather ideas. Thanks for taking the time during such a hectic season to help us all slow down and savor the holiday.

  10. Glad you’re all joining in. I have not heard that song Jules, I’ll have to check it out. Is it on Rhapsody?

  14. I want to participate, but that button makes me feel…lonely and left out…cause I don’t have anyone to kiss at Christmas. Can you make a button for those of us that are alone at Christmas?

  18. Tiny bit of clarification: are we posting about new Christmas things that we’ve not read/watched/heard before? Or our own favourites, for the benefit of others?

  19. 2 of your 4 picks need to be new or things that it has been so long since you’ve seen/read/heard them that it is like new and the other 2 can be favorites. Feel free to do more than 4 as well.

  20. Don’t know that I’ll post on four things (I think I’m done making blog committments since I never seem to keep them — I still have 2 things from RIP that I want to write about….), but, I do want to recommend ‘Christmas in Harmony’ by Gulley. A delightful little novel that I am reading now that is all about Christmas memories. There is something on almost every page that makes me smile.

  21. Nice idea. I will have to give it some thought as to what to post. I need to find a way to get in the Christmas spirit as I have to admit I have been feeling pretty grinchy! 🙂

  22. I think you are a genius with your creative ideas. This challenge is wonderful. I need to think a bit before posting, but will let you know as soon as I do. Love the button.

    The spring fantasy challenge sounds perfect.

  24. You deserve some award for creativity; I am constantly awed by the clever ideas your blog reveals. I’m excited about participating, of course; I’ll have so much tiime I just might do more than 2 categories! Thanks for the inspiration, and the alleviation of potential holiday “tristesse.”

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  27. The new, non-relationship button will be available tonight, but it won’t be until late. Sorry!

  30. Carl, you always have great things going on here.

    (Question: do you have to be a guy to participate in the GIFT challenge? 😉 )

    Anyway, since I haven’t seen It’s A Wonderful Life, that’s on my list. And maybe White Christmas too.

    My dh loves those movies, so I guess he’s a sap like you. But apparently sappy guys like ya’ll know how to attract awesome women…right???

  31. I totally agree Colleen…and you definitely need to see both of those films.

    No, everyone is welcome to participate. 😉

    What is up with your site Colleen, for days I’ve had nothing but trouble trying to get your site to load.

  32. Carl, those new buttons are GREAT! I’m playing along, and I hope to do better than I did at the October reading thing!

  33. Hey, I barely finished my own challenge so I have to kick it in gear too and accomplish this one. Should be easy, but not if I wait until the last minute!!!

  35. Great idea, Carl! I will try this one. Do I have to post all 4 at one time? I can post a couple that we always do, but I’m going to have to search out and read up on some NEW stuff.

    We have already watched A Christmas Story and Elf this year. Love them both!

    I also LOVE the movie Last Holiday with Queen Latifah. I was very pleasantly surprised at it. That would be a new one for me.

  36. No Karen, you can post one at a time or in groups, however you want to. I’m excited that you’re joining in. I want to see Last Holiday, that may have to be our new one.

  37. This challenge is perfect for me, since I already have “A Christmas Carol” at the top of my to-be-read pile. I’ve always been something of a “Bah! Humbug!” kind of guy when it comes to the holidays–I dread Christmas more than anything. I’m not quite sure why this is; I enjoy the spirit of the holidays, but I also can’t wait for them to be over. I suppose it’s because I’m not a sentimental person; the sappiness of Christmas turns me off. But your challenge should be interesting for me. Maybe I’ll even get out of my Scrooginess and appreciate the holidays a bit more.

  38. Ok Carl I posted it on my site but I kinda cheated a little. In a good way though.
    To make up for it, I went out and bought Christmas Carol and that will be my mini challenge. Hahahaha. Please forgive me???

  39. I don’t really consider my challenges cheatable, they are all about the spirit and not the letter of the law!

  40. Count me in, Carl…This will be the first Carl Challenge that I participate in, and I can’t thank you enough for your creativity and inspiration. You are the best!

  41. the new buttons are great.. and i love your new header!
    i may have to change mine for the christmas season.. tho i’m low on ideas..

  42. If you’re interested there are many more old 50’s ads, like the ones I used for my new header, at the Plan 59 site.

  44. I am going to do something along the lines of what I described somewhere in this rambling post in the Spring. It will probably begin on the first day of Spring and will end on Midsummer Night’s Eve…both are very fantastical, fairy tale dates in my imagination and that is what the overall theme of the challenge will be. Since it will cover a longer period of time it should allow people to meet whatever the challenge requirements are AND still be able to keep up with whatever other reading they want to do.

  47. Pingback: Stainless Steel Droppings » Friday Favorite: Snow!!!

  48. No, it actually says somewhere if you dig deep enough in the site “no borrowing without permission”. They are ads that they have scanned from old magazines they found so they didn’t originally own the images but they own these scanned copies of them. I suppose once the write and tell me to take them down I will, but until then I am going to enjoy them and promote their site as a wonderful place to find pics and buy prints. Their prints are actually amazingly reasonable…I wish they had cards with these images on them.

    I go back and forth on these issues. I haven’t ever gotten permission to use any of the art for the Friday Favorites but I figure I am promoting their wares so it shouldn’t matter. However I’m sure not all would see it this way. Oh well, off to denial! 😉

  52. OK, at first I thought I’d have nothing for this challenge, but now that I’ve read it all again, I have some ideas that I’m excited about. So count me in. I have no post up yet, though.

  53. I missed the fall challenge, so I’m looking forward to this one – my first Carl Challenge. Now, to decide if Less Than Zero counts as a Christmas story…. 🙂

  54. Those who have known me already know I’m a challenge! 😉

    Less Than Zero has snow in it, right? *wink*

  56. Jeff, as you know we really like Love Actually also. I well up during parts of it too despite having seen it 4 or 5 times in the past two Christmases.

    Wendi, Loreena McKennit sings the lines to Tennyson’s poem “The Lady of Shalott” and it is wonderful. I’ll have to check out To Drive the Cold Winter Away.

    Les, that Robert Frost poem is awesome. I encourage people to go to Les’s site and check it out.

    Cam, I hadn’t heard of the Phillip Gulley stories but they sound like a cross between Lake Wobegon Days and Janet Karon’s wonderful books. I think this will be a good gift idea! Thanks!

    I am really enjoying reading everyone’s answers. I hope you all keep linking here so that everyone can easily get to your G.I.F.T. posts and revel in the holiday cheer.

  59. I’m a bit slow but have just seen your challenge and am keen to join in. Like Brandon, I think I’ll start with ‘A Christmas Carol’. I’ve had it for such a long time and never read it.

    A great challenge though, thanks for getting it started!

  60. Carl another great idea. Count me in . I will of course do Christmas novels (perfect timing because this month’s KTC selection is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens).

    Amanda

  64. This is a wonderful idea! I’m still upset with myself for missing out on the R.I.P. challenge, so I’ll definitely do this one!

  65. I am The Observer from ‘Fields of Observation’ blog.

    Count me in for the GIFT challenge – I am a little late in starting but I will get underway –

    May I add your Blog to my small but growing list? Great Blog and Great idea and Fab buttons!!

  67. We’re reading ‘Charles Dickens’ Christmas Ghost Stories’ aloud these evenings, by the fire of course. Absolutely delightful and Amazon has several copies for 77 cents! There are several more in addition to ‘A Christmas Carol.’

  72. i followed a string of links getting here, but loved the challenge and posted my first tonight!
    thanks!

  73. Got a graphic and posted an intro and linked here so I will be doing them over the coming weeks. I will link here once I do them. Thanks for such a lovely idea for the holiday season. 🙂

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  79. Here is the link to my first post. Unlike the RIP challenge that I didn’t complete, I think I can get this one finished! Thanks for a neat idea, Carl.

  81. Pingback: Christmas Challenges…Bah Humbug « BOOKIE

  82. I have posted # 1 and 2 for the challenge — a short story and a movie. I am having fun looking for new stories and music for the challenge.

  83. Good morning, Carl. I’ve posted my first two challenge entries here and here. Thanks for such a lovely challenge. It’s been a joy to think about old & new holiday traditions and help me through a rather difficult Christmas season.

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  96. I posted my 4th entry here. I may have another to add before the 25th. We’ll see how the week goes. 🙂 This has been great fun, Carl.

  97. I appreciate the fact that you keep coming back and posting links to your entries. Thank you!

  103. Count me in! My posts are ready. It took me a while but I’ve had lots of fun. Thanks Carl for this wonderful idea.

  105. Pingback: Her Majesty’s Throne :: G.I.F.T. Challenge Day Two :: December :: 2006
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