Free Desktop Wallpapers-Free Photos-Blue Christmas Lights, New York

photos by William Thomas

Hello from New York!

Here are some free trucking photos of blue Christmas lights
to give you a colorful birds eye view of my life. I know our
wives wonder what we really do out here!
I take pictures to share my trucking life with Kathy.
I snapped these in Freeport, New York, Dec. 15th, 2008
It's already getting dark here. You can copy these and have fun
with them on your blog, desktops or in emails.

Free Christmas desktop wallpapers& free photos

Use these free images to brighten your desktop, blogs and emails!
Merry Christmas!

Toys For Tots

TOYS FOR TOTS


MISSION: The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.

GOAL:The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a shiny new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders.

Request Toys

The Christmas Store, Free Gifts: Oklahoma

The Christmas Store of Cleveland County is a community project involving hundreds of people who donate their energies and resources to help low-income families help themselves to a better Christmas.

Just before Christmas a store is set up with donated time, money and merchandise. Here, low-income families can shop for food, toys, clothing and other gifts. They choose what their family wants and needs, not what someone else thinks they should have.They can buy the gifts and food with a fixed quota determined by family size. The individuals pay for these gifts by donating their time setting up the Christmas Store.This allows families to plan their own Christmas and to maintain the self-respect of knowing that they contributed toward their Christmas. Without the Christmas Store of Cleveland County, these families would not have food, toys or clothing for Christmas.

Free Christmas Holiday Baskets: Wisconsin

Last year, the Holiday Basket Project gave 1,233 low-income families in the area some much-needed season's greetings.

"The whole idea is to just provide a nice Christmas for struggling families, and this year we're thinking there may be more, because of the economic situation," a coordinator Karen Aldinger said.
The 2008 Holiday Basket Project provides a holiday meal and gifts at Christmas to low-income and working-poor families. A nonprofit program of Operation Bootstrap, it accepts applications from local families in need and matches each with a sponsor.

People can sponsor a family with a food basket containing items for a holiday meal or a gift certificate from a local grocery store, plus gifts for the children.
It will cost about $75 to fill a basket for a family of four.

There are about 25 food items suggested to put in the basket, such as a 10-pound turkey, stuffing mix, two cans of pie filling and 12 eggs. It also suggests additional items that can't be purchased with food stamps, such as toilet paper, toothpaste and shampoo. Stocking stuffers, such as washable markers, storybooks, mittens and puzzles, also can be included.
Sponsors will deliver the baskets from Dec. 16 to 23.

"It's a wonderful way for the community to get involved in providing a special Christmas for those that aren't well off and less fortunate," Aldinger said. "It makes (sponsors') Christmas special when they can make someone else's Christmas better."

St. Paul Lutheran Church in Stevens Point has been making 75 holiday baskets a year for almost 30 years, said Bonnie Lund, project coordinator at the church.
She sends a letter to the congregation every year, and this year she requested $12,000 in donations for supplies. The church also has a mitten tree, where people can donate mittens and other gifts. Everything goes toward the baskets.
Several youths from the congregation do the shopping

for the baskets.
"What I'm most proud of is that we have so many young people involved," Lund said. "It's ... the wonderful commitment that our church has in reaching out to the community."

To get involved or for more information, call Holiday Basket Project at
344-9950.

Free Christmas Food Baskets, Illinois

Requests from low-income residents for a holiday food basket are being accepted by the East Peoria Youth Council.

Request form to send in by Dec, 3rd.

The Youth Council is now in its 27th year of conducting its Christmas Food Basket Program. Approximately 300 baskets were distributed in 2007.

Those eligible for a food basket are low-income families. All recipients must reside in the corporate city limit of East Peoria or in the boundaries of East Peoria Community High School District 309. To keep the program fair, Youth Council members check to make sure those rquesting baskets are from East Peoria or Creve Coeur, and that they are not receiving a basket from other area groups.The baskets contain a gift certificate for meat, canned corn and green beans, pork and beans, macaroni and cheese, brownie mix, gelatin, applesauce, spaghetti and sauce, a loaf of bread, apples, potatoes and other vegetables, soup, peanut butter and corn bread mix.

The request deadline is Dec. 3, and requests must be made on the downloadable form at the top of this page. Forms are also available at EastSide Centre, 1 EastSide Drive, and East Peoria City Hall, 100 S. Main St. Recipients will be notified by mail about basket distribution, set for Dec. 19.
For more information, contact Paula Smart at East Peoria City Hall, 698-4715.

Christmas Assistance Programs in San Berardino,California

Christmas Assistance Programs in San Berardino and surrounding areas.

Our Lady Of Hope 6885 Del Rosa Ave. San Bernardino, CA 92404 909-884-6375 Administration 909-884-8976 FAX
Christmas Baskets
Distributes Christmas baskets to families with Low-income
Area served: All Areas

Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy
349 North E Street San Bernardino CA 92401 909-864-4650
Toy Giveaway Previously had a one day toy give away in 2007. Required pre-registration, call for more information
Area Served: City of San Bernardino Only

Chino Neighborhood House
13130 6th Street Chino, CA 91708 909-628-5608
Christmas Toys & Baskets
Program distributes toys and Christmas baskets to low-income families on Dec. 25th from 9 am to 1 pm
Areas served: Chino Only


Catholic Charities of San Bernardino/Riverside
1800 Western Ave. Suite 107 San Bernardino CA 92411 909-880-3625 Service/Intake 909-880-9847 FAX
Christmas Toys Distributes Toys to low income or homeless families.
Areas Served: All Areas
Eligibility: Must bring Identification, Proof of address, Proof of income, Social security cards for every household
member

Aletheian Christian Foundation 12801 Oaks Ave.Chino, CA 91710 909-627-3635 Service/Intake and administration
909-590-1285
Christmas Food Baskets provides groceries (baskets) for a holiday meal to eligible individuals. Must register in
advance. Areas Served: All Areas


Community Action Partnership
696 South Tippecanoe Ave. San Bernardino, CA 92408 909-723-1500 Administration 800-635-4618 Toll-Free
909-723-1560 Service
Christmas Celebration Annual Christmas party for approximately 600 homeless and low-income children
Services Provided: Presents, Food, entertainment and a visit from Santa
Areas Served: San Bernardino County Residents


Santa Claus, Inc. 1330 East D Street P.O. Box 362 Ontario, CA 91762 909-984-6627
Provides toys and clothing for Chaffey School District children. Area Served: Chaffey School District Only

Mary’s Mercy Center Mailing: P.O. Box 7563 San Bernardino, California 92411 909-889-2558 909-386-7704 FAX
Annual Christmas Eve Party
Always Held on December 24th. Program gives over a 1,000 children a picture with Santa, a new wrapped gift and a
bag of candy and the opportunity to participate in a drawing for larger gifts. Each adult receives a wrapped shoe
box filled with toiletries, etc. Areas Served: All Areas


Thanksgiving Salvation Army – Ontario 1412 South Euclid Ave. Ontario, CA 91762 909-986-6748 Service/Intake and
Administration 909-986-9979 FAX
Provides a hot Thanksgiving meal on Thanksgiving day (10:30-2:00) in a congregate setting for low-income families.
Call for details or program changes. Areas Served: All Areas


Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy
1614 North D Street San Bernardino, CA 909-881-3382 Administration 909-881-3385 FAX
Thanksgiving Meal Provides low-moderate-income families with a meal at Thanksgiving time. Applications must be
received in advance, late application will not be accepted. Areas Served: All Areas


Our Lady Of Hope 6885 Del Rosa Ave. San Bernardino, CA 92404 909-884-6375 Administration 909-884-8976 FAX
Thanksgiving Baskets Provides Thanksgiving baskets for low-income families. Areas Served: All Areas


Aletheian Christian Foundation 12801 Oaks Ave. Chino, CA 91710 909-627-3635 Service/Intake and Administration
909-590-1285
Thanksgiving Baskets Program distributes boxes of food for a holiday meal including a ham or a turkey to low income
families who register in advance to pick one up. Registration begins November 1st until the baskets run out.
Eligibility: must provide Proof of income, Proof of residency, Picture ID, Areas Served: All Areas

White Christmas Lyrics -free Christmas desktop wallpaper, Bing Crosby

free desktop wallpaper

White Christmas - Bing Crosby Lyrics

click here to listen to the Song

I'm dreaming of a white christmas,
just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten and children listen
to hear sleigh bells in the snow

I'm dreaming of a white christmas,
just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten and children listen
to hear sleigh bells in the snow

I'm dreaming of a white christmas,
with every christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright,
and may all your christmases be white

I'm dreaming of a white christmas,
just like the ones I used to know
May your days be merry and bright,
and may all your christmases be white

I'm dreaming of a white christmas,
with every christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright,
and may all your christmases be white

May your days be merry and bright,
and may all your christmases be white

And may all your christmases be white (All your christmases be white)
And may all your christmases be white (All your christmases be white)
And may all your christmases be
(All your christmases be white)
(All your christmases be white)


This song brings back memories of my 50's style family Christmas'.
We all met at my Grandma's big house on the river in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
My Grandparents would dress up in red and grandly decend the staircase to
a huge room full of our immediate family. That room also had a picture window,
a silver metal tree and a light that changed colors on the tree.
Looking back...the greatest of the many gifts was the togetherness-my family
together...Please share your Christmas memories in comments and
I will post them on the blog.

Merry Christmas-Kathy Thomas

Christmas-Free Desktop Wallpapers

Free Desktop Wallpapers are a great way to enjoy some Christmas Season cheer!
Click the picture you want.
Wait until the picture has finished loading...
Right click on the picture and select 'Set as Background' or 'Set as Wallpaper'.
If you want to save it to your hard disk just select 'Save image as...'

More free Christmas desktops- click here

How to Give Great free Christmas Gifts

free Christmas desktop wallpaper

It's easy to get small gifts and stocking stuffers absolutely free! Many 100% free samples and products are available online for the asking! The Web is like a free cafeteria: it's all there free, you just have to go get it! You don't need a credit card or social security number and you don't have to buy anything! If you click to order a free sample and are asked to "participate" just back out and go on to the next one. I get free Food, Music CD's,T Shirts,tools,spices,make up,shampoo,laundry detergent and so much more completely free. With Christmas coming I want to share how I do this in hopes it will help your Christmas!

It's easy to find the 100% free goodies on the internet. Search for these terms "freebies","free sample request form","free stuff","100% freebies" note* I also visit the sweepstakes sites and enter the online sweepstakes: it's a great way to get free coupons and shopping discounts along with very cool smaller prizes from Wii's to free music.

I have been getting these freebies for many years and they really help at Christmas time! You can stuff stockings with free posters,health bars,Christmas music CD's and more! There are many free items for Pets and babies. Free Nasa Posters make great stocking stuffers, and there are tons of free educational materials given by Government sites such as the EPA for kids and teens. Moms can get free formula, diapers, sippy cups, bibs and fantastic coupons from sites like Pampers.com and Enfamil.com. Pet food companies offer treats, cans and bags of free pet food! And it's really free...you simply fill out the online form and click submit...and the item shows up in your regular mail!

I hope you will all enjoy "shopping" for free as much as I do. You could sit and order great freebies day after day and never be able to order them all! Your mailman will think you hit the lotto.

Tips and Warnings
# search Google for "freebies"
# Wal-mart (online) has great freebies that arrive quickly and change often
# visit online fast food and grocery chains for online freebies and discounts
# find a few good freebies and instant online sweepstakes sites and SUBSCRIBE
# to their free newsletters to keep your inbox full of freebies
# order all the laundry detergent and fabric softener freebies to cut down on laundry costs
# Do not give out your credit card info or social security number for a freebie!
# Good legitimate freebies don't even ask!
# Do not "participate" (usually require you to buy stuff with your credit card to get a big freebie)-Don't do it!
# Do not pay postage or shipping /handling
# only fill in the forms for 100% free stuff

I have a few sites to get you started! I use these!
Click the green name of each site
to order all the free stuff you want!

Freebie Finder finds freebies! It is an automated free stuff aggregator. It is designed it to collect free stuff offers from top freebie sites, while filtering out most scams and referral pyramids. Your feedback on freebies is used to improve the listings, and your suggestions are always appreciated. Remember to bookmark this site, because it updates every few hours! -------------------------------------------------------------

Pumpkins- BabyLand , All of the items that we list are absolutely FREE. There is no cost to you. There are NO items with S&H Fees, No SASEs and No Purchases are Required. Newest Offers are Always Added to the Top of Each List. Expired Offers are Deleted. Please tell us of any expired offers or bad links. We will promptly fix or remove them. -----------------------------------------------------------

TheFreeSite.com: Christmas Freebies , Happy holidays! You've found the Web's top collection of yuletide freebies, including gifts, samples, digital holiday cards, freebies for children, and free Christmas software. We also offer such goodies as free services that'll make sure a child's letter gets to Santa, as well as free Christmas clip art, games and contests.

Cranberry Christmas-free recipes-free photos

Free cranberry photos (desktop wallpapers)
Maine Cranberry Digital Pictures by Charles Armstrong
UMaine Cooperative Extension's Cranberry Professional
These photos are free for anyone to use - permission is not required but giving credit is always appreciated.

Nov. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Already a star of the holiday table, Ocean Spray launches its first animated television special -- "Cranberry Christmas" -- airing at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Monday, December 8, on ABC Family as part of the network's annual 25 Days of Christmas programming event. The special will re-air on ABC Family on Saturday, December 13, at 12:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

Ocean Spray has created the animated show as a special gift to consumers, commercial-free. The show is based on the classic 1976 children's book of the same title, written and illustrated by Wende and Harry Devlin. "Cranberry Christmas" features two new original songs performed by the legendary Grammy(R) Award-winning singer/songwriter, Barry Manilow. With worldwide sales of more than 75 million records and dozens of hit songs, music superstar
Advertisement
Barry Manilow co-wrote the two songs with longtime collaborator Bruce Sussman.

"Cranberries have become as much a part of holiday traditions as ice skating and decorating the tree," said Ken Romanzi, chief operating officer of Ocean Spray. "We have taken a story that is near and dear to Ocean Spray's heart and brought it to life to share with other families, and we hope that 'Cranberry Christmas' will take its place as a perennial holiday favorite."

"'Christmas Is Just Around the Corner' has been released as Manilow's Christmas single for 2008. "It's the first original holiday single from an animated TV special in decades," said Rick Ungar, executive producer of the special and former president of Marvel Productions. "I look forward to it being played for decades as well."

"We were moved by this lovely children's story because it celebrates the importance of community as well as the simple pleasures of the holiday season," said Manilow. "The songs we wrote for this television special reflect the themes of the story, which we hope will help viewers step back from the holiday hustle and bustle and get in touch with the true spirit of the season."

"Our brothers and sisters are absolutely thrilled to see our parents' work revived and come to life after a long period of quiet," said a Devlin family member. "For over 30 years we have thought Ocean Spray would be the perfect partner, and now here we are. Our parents would be overjoyed with the faithful and creative TV version of this humorous and colorful tale, with its message of forgiveness and love for the holiday season."

Story Synopsis

Set in the fictitious town of Cranberryport, the story begins three days before Christmas when grumpy old Cyrus Grape forbids children to play and skate on the ice over the local cranberry bog near his home. Young Maggie, along with her grandmother and their friend Mr. Whiskers, work together to save Christmas Day for the children by reclaiming their favorite ice skating spot and discovering the land's rightful owner.

When Mr. Whiskers learns his sister is coming to visit, it's a scramble to get his house in order and Maggie and her grandmother pitch in to help clean the old house. While working, they uncover a hidden box that holds a surprise for everyone ...

Maggie and her grandmother make delicious cookies to serve at their Christmas feast. For more recipes, visit http://www.oceanspray.com.

OATMEAL CRANBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES
INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 6-ounce package Ocean Spray(R) Craisins(R) Original Sweetened Dried
Cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl.

Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in sweetened dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

About Ocean Spray

Ocean Spray is an agricultural cooperative owned by more than 600 cranberry growers in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and other parts of Canada as well as more than 50 Florida grapefruit growers. Ocean Spray was formed over 75 years ago by three cranberry growers from Massachusetts and New Jersey. Florida grapefruit growers joined the Cooperative in 1976. Ocean Spray is North America's leading producer of canned and bottled juices and juice drinks, and has been the best-selling brand name in the canned and bottled juice category since 1981. Ocean Spray posted fiscal 2007 earnings of roughly $1.7 billion.