Podcasts about The Little Drummer Boy

A special clip from our revisited Little Drummer Boy episode, available right now on Patreon. Efrain and David bring their finest gifts to lay before the T. Join us for our journey through the city of Bethlamos as we explore the origin and history of Tori's very first Christmas song. Plus we present a very special segment: Tori's Drummer Boys, in which we profile every drummer Tori has worked with throughout her illustrious career. And, as always, everything you've come to love and expect – hidden gems, forgotten audio clips, improvs and a full dissection of the live evolution of the song in our A-M-O-S Live Lounge. If that doesn't bang your drum, we don't know what will. Shall we [press] play for you, pah-rum-pah-pum-pum?

What are the 4Qs? (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out. If you listened to Tuesday's episode, you heard my excitement that I got to chat with accomplished filmmaker John Gray, once again. John is a very prolific filmmaker and to date I have seen no fewer than eight of his short films, including Household Demons, Exit Package, Extra Innings, The Third Defector, The Desecrated, The Little Drummer Boy, and The Overlook. We've had the privilege of presenting John's films in numerous festivals over the years, most recently The Unquiet Dead, which was featured at SOFF 2023. It's been a pleasure to get to know more about John over the years, and I'm always eager for his 4 Questions. You can learn more about John Gray at these links: Official Website: https://www.johngrayofficial.com Instagram: @bayrdge - https://www.instagram.com/bayrdge/ Twitter/X: @jthomasgray - https://x.com/jthomasgray Bluesky: johntgray - https://bsky.app/profile/johntgray.bsky.social _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Website – Instagram – Facebook – X/Twitter The INDIE Channel The INDIE Channel Website – Instagram – Facebook – X/Twitter – TikTok

Greetings, Film Fans, and a happy Tuesday to you! This may actually be the last Tuesday we post for awhile because we have so may great interviews coming your way, we are going to try on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule release to get those out! The first time I saw one of John Gray's short films was during Covid lockdown. In fact I saw two of John's films, “Household Demons” and “Exit Package.” Both took home awards that year; thanks to lockdown we could include both instead of following our rule, “if someone submits two short films, only make one official selection.” But John is a very prolific filmmaker and to date I have seen no fewer than eight of his short films, including The Unquiet Dead, Extra Innings, The Third Defector, The Desecrated, The Little Drummer Boy, and The Overlook. Most year's it's a challenge to pick which John Gray film we show in the theater! In addition to being a prolific filmmaker, John is simply a good person. Most of the time we have zoomed for his Q&A's, as so far he has not been able to make the trip from New York to Los Angeles. Maybe someday! In the meantime, our Zoom Q&A's have allowed us to have longer talks and I always look forward to them. I knew that John would be an excellent podcast guest and he did not disappoint. In this great chat you get to learn about how he went from a Brooklyn kid who could have taken the wrong path to a screenwriter, a director, a network showrunner, and more. I hope that you enjoy listening to this as much as I enjoyed recording it. You can learn more about John Gray at these links: Official Website: https://www.johngrayofficial.com Instagram: @bayrdge - https://www.instagram.com/bayrdge/ Twitter/X: @jthomasgray - https://x.com/jthomasgray Bluesky: johntgray - https://bsky.app/profile/johntgray.bsky.social _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Discover Indie Film Website – Instagram – Facebook – X/Twitter The INDIE Channel The INDIE Channel Website – Instagram – Facebook – X/Twitter – TikTok

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The team has rested up at Minzewald and gotten fully strapped UP. It's time to potato-fy the last of the yule lads, defuse the bomb, and send Santa back to his own plane for another year. Tingle sticks to the shadows, Chase channels the Little Drummer Boy, Pfeffer does insane amounts of minty damage, and Skeleton with a Gun keeps the crowd under control. Will it be enough? Will this one-shot end in temporary triumph or permanent winter?Join the BCBP Patreon at patreon.com/bcbparty. Gift a subscription to our show at patreon.com/bcbparty/gift. Visit our DFTBA merch shop at bit.ly/jennamerch.Email us at BurntCookBookParty@gmail.com, or find us on Tumblr @BCBparty or Bluesky @BCBparty.Burnt Cook Book Party is a time-loop comedy actual play show, featuring an original campaign based on Pathfinder. Four heroes of varying skills, attractiveness, and stupidity, race to prevent a war - and to prevent a timeloop from resetting the whole game! Featuring the talents of host Jenna Stoeber, game master Justin Green, Caitlin Stayduhar, Andrew Hansen, and Paul Luetkemeyer. Sound edited by Akshay Balakrishnan. Produced by Jenna Stoeber. Support us on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a textGavyn Rhone has worked with various artists, including Keyshia Cole on "Party Ain't A Party" (2014), Jordin Sparks on "No Restrictions Live" (2024), and contributed to the soundtrack for "The Proud Family" (2001).This holiday season Gavyn is spreading joy through his holiday single "Little Drummer Boy", a song that is close to his heart and has a powerful story behind the music, which he would love to share with you.About Gavyn Rhone:If you were to imagine an artist who epitomizes a unique fusion of elegance, refinement, smooth yet spirited vocal delivery, and a compelling stage presence that seamlessly blends gentlemanly sophistication with heartthrob charm, Gavyn Rhone would be the perfect exemplar.While Kansas City raised this undeniable talent through church and choirs, it was the impeccable ear of mega producer Babyface who took one listen to Gavyn's demo and immediately invited him to Los Angeles, California. He was to be the lead singer of a young R&B group that would go on to tour the world, be signed by J records, Def Jam records, enjoy thousands of fans worldwide and secure a #1 video on BET's top 10 countdown for 7 consecutive weeks for the song ‘Get With Me'.Following his very successful stint, Gavyn has thrived in the American music industry, having a reputation amongst industry insiders, producers and artists as the ‘go to' for many of their creative and artistic needs. He produced vocals for 8 songs on the 7X Grammy nominated, "11:11" album by celebrated R&B singer Keyshia Cole. He also featured on her hit single "Party Ain't A Party" which premiered on B.E.T. and took the #1 spot on the Billboard Hip-Hop & R&B chart. His charismatic vocals mixed with her impassioned tone continues to impact fans all over the world. Another accolade included Gavyn being hand-picked to be the new leader of the renowned Gap Band, previously led by the legendary Charlie Wilson. He continues to tour with the band satiating thousands of adoring fans.To date he has toured/shared the stage with: Drake, Justin Bieber, Paul Stanley of KISS, Pitbull, Nick Jonas, Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga, Trey Songz, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Babyface, Jennifer Hudson and of course, Keyshia Cole on the epic Jimmy Kimmel show.Rhone's musical talents have led him to roles in both television & motion picture. Some of his credits include the theater hit, ‘Dirty Grandpa' with Robert De Niro, showtime series ‘Soul Food', a role on the Disney Channel cartoon, ‘The Proud Family' and box office hit, ‘Honey', starring Jessica Alba.Gavyn Rhone, someone who never initially sought the spotlight and never forgets his humble upbringing, loves giving back to his friends and supporters. Wanting to provide an increasingly needed service for artists, he founded an artist development company called ‘Amastar Entertainment Group'. Understanding that labels were no longer providing this, and more artists with so much potential were feeling lost and alone, Rhone and his team of writers, producers, choreographers and vocal coaches develop artists at any level. They also provide them a platform to display their honed talents for label executive and industry power players while continuously building their fan base.Gavyn has worked with some of the top producers in the industry from the likes of Diane Warren, Babyface, Paul Stanley, Poo Bear, Rodney Jerkins, Musiq Soulchild, LL Cool J, David Foster, Tank, Vincent Herbert, Tyrese, 50 Cent, J Moss, NeYo, Fabulous, Sean Garrett & Big Boi of Outkast to name a few. Industry legends and fans alike, will attest and express that Gavyn Rhone is one of the hardeSupport the showJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG261e_-_MmsxulLsGeakdQ/join

spotifyYoutubeFacebookInstagramhttps://www.tiktok.com/@alya.the.artistNo More Lonely Christmas, the new album from ALYA, which was just dropped, is a fulfilment of the artist's Christmas wish, embodied in the track that provides the name for the album.The eight tracks feature ALYA's versions of three classics, including a collaboration with Eric Clapton on “Silent Night,” and five original songs, including the title track, a fast, fun, hand-clapping, jazzy, pop love song.“We wanted to create something that would be an updated version of Mariah Carey's ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You,' which is a song I really love, a Christmas classic, but we felt like it's time for something new, fresh, cool, and ‘No More Lonely Christmas' is the song that came out of the thought.”Where Mariah's song is a wish for a certain someone, ALYA's song is the wish come true: I waited since foreverand now that we're togetherI feel the holiday cheerCuz I'll never be alone on Christmas“It was very fun to record,” she said. “There is a lot going on in the track.”Piano, horns, clapping, drums all combine in a happy, joyful celebration of love and the season.“It's just a very, very good feeling song. I had so much fun recording it, and I really hope that everybody else will feel the joy, feel the love that I put in the song. I really believe that it has all the chances of becoming a new Christmas classic.”The song is a perfect namesake for an album that carries the artist's Christmas hopes.“I wanted to put over so much love, so much good emotion, so much good energy that when you listen to the record you will feel like, no matter where you are, you are surrounded by your loved ones.”“Little Drummer Boy” and “I'll Be Home for Christmas,” along with “Silent Night,” are the album's three classics. Together, they constituted the EP she put out last year, Home for Christmas.They have been updated for the current album. This year's version of “I'll Be Home” features Indiara Sfair, “a wonderful musician from Brazil,” on harmonica.ALYA will live her Christmas wish on Monday in Los Angeles, when she will perform at the Good Shepherd Shelter for women and children who are victims of domestic violence. The children were asked to request gifts in advance, and they will get their wishes when ALYA distributes gifts.“I will be Mama Claus,” she said.Gifts will also be distributed to the mothers and staff and ALYA is providing a catered luncheon for the residents and staff.On December 19, she is streaming a live show from Burbank for STAGE.LIVE.BUY, a showcase for new artists modeled after NPR's “Tiny Desk” series.The day the album released she performed for a “Models in Comedy” Christmas special.ALYA was born and raised in the Soviet Union and, as a child, started classical vocal training. She immigrated as an adult to the United States in 2012 and began her career in music.“I dropped everything and started my life from scratch,” she says in her official biography. “I took the road less traveled, and that has made all the difference.”She has amassed millions of viewers on her social media platforms. Her single “Hope,” released earlier this year, went viral on TikTok, drawing more than a million views. As an artist and a philanthropist, she has been featured in Star, Us Weekly, In Touch Weekly and Life & Style.Beginning last year, she took her career further down the road less taken, putting out music at a much faster pace.“It takes a while to find the right people. It takes a while to find the sound that you really love,” she said, “and I'm just warming up.”No More Lonely Christmas is her first full length album. Next year, she will come out with more singles.“We will probably drop an album at the end of next year with a new sound, with new people.”Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/creator-to-creators-with-meosha-bean--4460322/support.

12-26-2024 Kathi Sohn Learn more about the interview and get additional links here: https://www.thetimesusa.com/give-your-heart-like-the-little-drummer-boy/ Subscribe to the best of our content here: https://priceofbusiness.substack.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCywgbHv7dpiBG2Qswr_ceEQ

Merry Christmas! Come, they told me — pa rum pum pum pum A newborn King to see — pa rum pum pum pum Our finest gifts we bring — pa rum pum pum pum To lay before the King — pa rum pum pum pum     Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum. So to honor Him — pa rum pum pum pum When we come.

No More Lonely Christmas, the new album from ALYA, which was just dropped, is a fulfilment of the artist's Christmas wish, embodied in the track that provides the name for the album.The eight tracks feature ALYA's versions of three classics, including a collaboration with Eric Clapton on “Silent Night,” and five original songs, including the title track, a fast, fun, hand-clapping, jazzy, pop love song.“We wanted to create something that would be an updated version of Mariah Carey's ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You,' which is a song I really love, a Christmas classic, but we felt like it's time for something new, fresh, cool, and ‘No More Lonely Christmas' is the song that came out of the thought.”Where Mariah's song is a wish for a certain someone, ALYA's song is the wish come true: I waited since foreverand now that we're togetherI feel the holiday cheerCuz I'll never be alone on Christmas“It was very fun to record,” she said. “There is a lot going on in the track.”Piano, horns, clapping, drums all combine in a happy, joyful celebration of love and the season.“It's just a very, very good feeling song. I had so much fun recording it, and I really hope that everybody else will feel the joy, feel the love that I put in the song. I really believe that it has all the chances of becoming a new Christmas classic.”The song is a perfect namesake for an album that carries the artist's Christmas hopes.“I wanted to put over so much love, so much good emotion, so much good energy that when you listen to the record you will feel like, no matter where you are, you are surrounded by your loved ones.”“Little Drummer Boy” and “I'll Be Home for Christmas,” along with “Silent Night,” are the album's three classics. Together, they constituted the EP she put out last year, Home for Christmas.Support the show

Join us for the festive annual Jewish Christmas Spectacular on 580 Live! Host Dave Allen is joined by sponsors Tony the Tailor and Judge Richard Lindsay, alongside Delegate Mike Pushkin, Coop, Steve Animal, and Shockley from 98.7 The Mountain. Special guest violinist Alasha Al-Qudwah adds a magical touch with live performances of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Little Drummer Boy" with Delegate Pushkin. Tune in for music, laughter, and holiday cheer in this unforgettable celebration!

Like the Little Drummer Boy, we bring to you what we can — a holiday gift that includes a JonBenet mea culpa, some very special holiday Am I the Asshole discussions, some recommendations, some gripes, and lots of fun! Happy Holidays and here's to a great 2025! If you're interested in checking out Maureen's Maine-based […]

As we change our focus from what we see in the mirror to the people around us, we'll begin to recognize that there are people who need to experience God's heart and His love and we are the ones who can do that! This is what the song “Little Drummer Boy” can teach us. God can use whoever we are and whatever we have for His purpose. We all have something to offer that can benefit the world around us in beautiful and amazing ways. 

Melyik oltás miatt van heg a középgeneráció vállán, lehetnek-e világbajnokok a magyar kézis lányok, miért van egyszarvú Eger címerében, mire jó a Perplexity, mik a NER legnagyobb kormányzati fiaskói, miért tévednek nagyokat a politikai közvéleménykutatások, miért nevezte magát Kennedy berlininek, közép- vagy általános iskolai tanárgyereknek rosszabb-e lenni, bonyolult-e az agysebészet, vannak-e jó karácsonyi zenék, mi történik a banánnal nagy nyomáson, szabad-e egy konkrét ügy miatt jogszabályt változtatni, hogyan működnek a légtartásos sátrak és hat-e ez a benne sportolókra, jó-e a kávés beöntés, mit kell gondolni a reklámipar ökolábnyomáról, lehetne-e feladatra optimalizált embert tenyészteni, van-e a szagnak mértékegysége, hogyan választottunk gyerekneveket, összefügg-e az orrlyuk mérete a szépséggel, milyen LED izzót érdemes venni, hogy lehet felkészülni az ünnepek utáni letargiára, melyik oldal szavazói ragadnak be inkább a saját véleménybuborékjukba, készít-e magának vacsorát a svéd király, miért hívjuk a merevlemezt vincseszternek? Zenék: Corporal Blossom - White Christmas; Little Drummer Boy; Lustmord - Silent Night.

Midweek Bible Study | Bro Paul Froese

A Reason For Hope with Pastor Scott Richards! Sharing the Word one question of the heart at a time. Tags: Michael Brown Scandal, The Little Drummer Boy, and Superman

Connect with God — on Abide, a Christian meditation app that provides a biblically grounded place to experience peace and progress in your relationship with Christ. Use this biblical meditation, narrated by James Seawood, to center yourself on the truth in God's word. The Little Drummer Boy and the story of the widow who gave all she had both have lessons for us this Christmas season. Meditate on Mark 12:43-44. Allow the music & nature sounds, deep breathing, prayer, and scripture help you connect with God in a new way. For a 30 day free trial of our premium ad-free content, your trusted friend for meditation is right here: https://abide.com/peace Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Merry Christmas from all of us here at the Video Store Podcast! I've picked out a few lesser-known Christmas specials from Rankin/Bass for this week's show. The first is The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold from 1981. Originally conceived as a St. Patrick's Day special, this story was reimagined as a Christmas special for ABC. Join sailor Dinty Doyle as he works to guard the Leprechaun's gold from the evil banshee, Mag the Hag. Next is 1974's ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, starring George Gobel, Joel Grey, and Tammy Grimes. Clockmaker Joshua Trundle has made a clock that will bring back Christmas cheer and make amends with an offended Santa Claus. However, when a curious mouse gets into the clock…well…kerplunk? Kerplooey. Can they fix it in time to save Christmas? Watch and find out. Nestor, the Long-eared Christmas Donkey from 1977 is next on our playlist of Rankin/Bass B-sides. Based on the Gene Autry song of the same name, Nestor is a long-eared donkey who is bullied for his unusually long ears. It's those ears that get him into trouble, but they also allow him to do something no one else can do—safely take Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem where the Lord Jesus will be born. This is a tear-jerker, so grab some tissues along with your eggnog. The last selection for our show today is The Little Drummer Boy: Book II from 1976. This lesser-known sequel to 1968's The Little Drummer Boy takes the little drummer boy, Aaron, King Melchior, and a bellmaker named Simeon on a quest to retrieve Simeon's stolen bells he made to ring in the birth of the Christ child. Can they get the bells back? You'll have to watch and find out. Thanks for joining us this holiday season on the Video Store Podcast. We hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday and a blessed new year. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.videostorepodcast.com

“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord ” - Job 1:21This Advent, Saints Alive brings you the heartwarming Christmas adventure of the boy behind the drum. We've all grown up hearing his song, but today, you can listen to the story of the little orphan boy who met Jesus the very night he was born. Cozy up and listen with your family this season, and like the little drummer boy, prepare your hearts to meet the Savior of the world this Christmas. Original song written by Patrick O'Connell and performed by Patrick DwyerPlease rate, review and share with friends and family! Saints Alive is brought to you by the #1 Catholic Prayer App, Hallow! Sign up today with a 30-day free trial! Find resources on the saints, discussion questions and more about our team by visiting our website: https://www.saintsalivepodcast.com/

En el audio de hoy se hace un ejercicio de interpretación psicólogica con inspiración Jungiana de nuestros símbolos navideños incluyendo el nacimiento de Jesús, los reyes magos, Santa Claus, el belén, las luces navideñas representan archetipos universales pertenecientes a nuestra psicología inconsciente individual y colectiva.  Música: Little Drummer Boy; O'Holy Night; Silent Night; Winter Dance (Edward Sccissorhands); Adeste Fideles; Joy to The World. 

#1165 - We love to highlight songs that offer lessons. The little drummer boy serves as an example that we all have something significant to give. Find our show notes and get the link to the free Life Purpose Quiz we mention here: https://biggsuccess.com/?page_id=13900 Thanks so much for listening, - George aka "The Professor" & Mary-Lynn P.S. Want weekly inspiration? Sign up for our newsletter and join our community of people who have an entrepreneur mindset. BIGGSuccess.com/Join

Christmas songs are a joy to play, and even more fun when you get creative with them! In this episode, Marlene will walk you through three unique patterns that combine strumming and drumming techniques to use while playing The Little Drummer Boy. So tune in and discover how to bring an extra layer of rhythm and creativity to this holiday favorite! Be Your Own Drummer episode YouTube: MarlenesMusic1 Instagram: @marlenesmusicguitar Facebook: MarlenesMusic Marlene Hutchinson X: @MarlenesMusic Start Your Free 7-day YoGuitar Video Library Trial! Join our Guitar Tips Community! Our next community jam session is 12/17, don't miss out! Marlene's Guitar Courses & Learning Resources YoGuitar Video Library Learn to Play Guitar in a Day!  Coaching Sessions Marlene's Tips For Guitar Playing Success book Thursday Tips blog Thank you to our sponsor! GatorCo.com   Available on... @applepodcasts @applemusic @spotify @spotifypodcasts  #LittleDrummerBoy #strum&Drum #guitarpercussion #guitar #learnguitar #playguitar #guitartips #guitarpodcast  Credits: Creator, Host, Producer: Marlene Hutchinson This podcast was made possible in part by: Gator Cases I Create Sound - For help getting your best sound go to www.icreatesound.com

The little drummer boy grew up to be the drummer for Iron Butterfly. True story!

A little drummer boy brings music back to a town long without hope.

What is your favorite Christmas song? All of us have one. Maybe it's Oh Holy Night, or Joy to the World. For some, it doesn't get any better than when Bing Crosby sings White Christmas. Or maybe you are like Pastor Jim and Pastor Chad and Little Drummer Boy feels like it is about you! One of the most well known songs that is sung every year around Christmas is “Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel.” That name, “Emmanuel,” literally means “God With Us.” It also means that Christmas is a reminder that God put on flesh, stepped out of Heaven and into our dark and dying world, and became one of us. It's a thought that almost seems too big to be true, and yet it is. So what does the incarnation of God in human form mean for us? Obviously, that was part of the plan in order that humanity could be redeemed from sin and death, but are there implications beyond just salvation? Join Pastors Jim and Chad for a conversation on the incarnation of Jesus and what Almighty God putting on flesh in the form of a baby in Bethlehem means for us today.

Loft Worship | Aaron Laird |  The Christmas season is here, filled with lights, music, shopping and all the familiar sounds of the holidays. But amid the jingling bells and bustling crowds, it's easy to lose sight of the deeper meaning of the season. That's why this Advent, we're tuning our hearts to the songs that tell the true story of Christmas. In our series Repeat the Sounding Joy, we'll explore a beloved Christmas carol each week and uncover the message of hope, peace and love woven into its lyrics. Join us at Loft as we celebrate the birth of Christ and let these timeless songs fill our hearts with joy!

(TIME STAMPS BELOW)A DC-Focused week including: A review of the series finale of Superman & Lois combined with a review of the series as a whole, a review of the series premiere for the animated series Creature Commando's, which marks the beginning of director James Gunn's DCU. We also begin a seasonal series of Christmas devotionals, starting with some thoughts about our deep desires for significance by reflecting on scripture and, surprisingly, the lyrics of The Little Drummer Boy.AND MUCH MORE!00:00:30 Intro00:03:49 Superman & Lois Series Finale and Series Review00:28:58 CGC & Christian Geek News (Upcoming CGC Vacation Content Changes, Easy/Inexpensive Christmas Gifts From SBP!, Flight of Fate by Tricia Goyer and Nathan Goyer)00:40:50 Creature Commandos Premiere & James Gunn's DCU01:15:39 The Geek's Longing For Significance (Scriptural Reflections On "The Little Drummer Boy")01:33:06 Listener/Viewer Feedback, Topics & Questions(A Decrease In Utopian Stories?, Questions/Concerns About Playing "Anti-God" Games With Witchcraft/Sorcery)Paeter's Geek Week01:59:03 TV/MOVIES- The Penguin Miniseries02:14:20 VIDEO GAMES- Spider-man: Miles Morales, Spider-man 2, Cthulu Saves Christmas02:23:49 On The Next Episode...02:27:36 Essential Issues Weeky: DC Comics Reactions (DC fell flat for me this week. Despite a nice spotlight given to The Penguin, a strange artistic choice and a baffling philosophical choice left me hoping next week will be more my cup of tea. Here's why... Reactions to The Penguin Special 1, Batman The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween 2, Poison Ivy Swamp Thing: Feral Trees 1!!)Support this podcast and enjoy exclusive rewards at https://www.patreon.com/spiritbladeproductions Subscribe in a readerOpen In i-tunes- itms://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-geek-central-podcast/id258963175?mt=2i-tunes Page Link- https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-geek-central-podcast/id258963175?mt=2Get fun, exclusive rewards for your support! Visit: https://www.patreon.com/spiritbladeproductionsOrBecome a Patron!All episodes are archived and available for download at www.spiritblade.com , Resources used to prepare the "In Search Of Truth" Bible Study include:"Expositor's Bible Commentary", Frank E. Gaebelein General Editor (Zondervan Publishing House),"The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament", by Dr. John H. Walton, Dr. Victor H. Matthews & Dr. Mark W. Chavalas (InterVarsity Press), "The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament", by Dr. Craig S. Keener (InterVarsity Press),Thayer's Greek Lexicon, Strong's Exhaustive ConcordanceBlueletterbible.org (primarily for search functionality), The Christian Geek Central Statement Of Faith can be found at: http://christiangeekcentral.blogspot.com/p/about.html The Christian Geek Central Podcast is written, recorded and produced by Paeter Frandsen. Additional segments produced by their credited authors. Logo created by Matthew Silber. Copyright 2007-2024, Spirit Blade Productions. Music by Wesley Devine, Bjorn A. Lynne, Pierre Langer, Jon Adamich, audionautix.com and Sound Ideas. Spazzmatica Polka by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Freesound.org effects provided by: FreqMan

We Raid the Algorithm to listen to Ben Roethlisberger hype up the Steelers, a twist on Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You, and a mashup of Low by Flo Rida and Little Drummer Boy.

Send us a textJoin us as we share a little known business lesson gleaned from the famous Christmas song "The Little Drummer Boy." Buried in this fantastic song are a few gems that can help us build businesses that glorify God. Enjoy!Also, join us for a free webinar on how to build a highly profitable business in the midst of a crazy culture. We'll be doing it at 2:30 PM EST on Tuesday, Dec 17th.  Click HERE to register. 

Dan and Ryan have fun remembering the 1977 'Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth' duet with Bing Crosby and David Bowie, recorded just over a month before Der Bingle's death on a golf course in Spain.Also, a woman is convicted of eating a domestic cat in front of witnesses not far from Springfield, Ohio - where Donald Trump suggested during a debate with Kamala Harris that 'they're eating the pets of the people who live there.'

Send us a textOn this episode, Tom and Bert select, review and discuss their Honorable Mentions and their TOP 10 + 1 Greatest Holiday Song Favorites of all time!It's the "SONG" that makes the criteria for their selections then theor favorite/best renditions by their favorites singers complete their lists. Some are the traditional Classics and some are newer originals with a few surprise sleeper hits that make up their lists.Some highlights: "Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer" (9:21) by Dean Martin"Merry Christmas Baby" (13:35) by the Carpenters"Happy Holidays/Holiday Season" (21:03) by Andy Williams"Feliz Navidad" (23:30) by Jose Feliciano"Every Year, Every Christmas" (25:52) by Luther Vandross"The Christmas Song" (27:24) by Nat King Cole"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (32:03) by Frank Sinatra"Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" (38:45) by Burl Ives"Peace on Earth"/"Little Drummer Boy" (41:30) by Bing Crosby and David Bowie"Gloria" (51:06) by Michael W. Smith"Santa Baby" (53:45) by Eartha Kitt"Baby It's Cold Outside" (1h 01m) by Dean Martin"Same Old Lang Syne" (1h 12m) by Dan Fogelberg"All I want for Christmas is You" (1h 15m) by Mariah CareyHave a Great Holiday Season and we wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year. Enjoy the Show!You can email us at reeldealzmoviesandmusic@gmail.com or visit our Facebook page, Reel Dealz Podcast: Movies & Music Thru The Decades to leave comments and/or TEXT us at 843-855-1704 as well.

Can Two Broken people make something whole, again? In 2 parts, Based on the post from Tx Tall Tales. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. Neighborhood Party Cathy & John were holding a Christmas Eve open-house next door; and expecting half of the neighborhood over that evening. They were a high standard in generosity, for the rest of us neighbors to try to emulate. I made my appearance, around 8:30 , and stoically accepted the offered condolences which were definitely putting me in the wrong state of mind. After only half-an-hour I knew I had to get out of there, even if it did piss off Cathy. John seemed to catch my mood, and dragged me outdoors to enjoy a cigar in semi-peace. With a heavily spiked eggnog in hand, and a more than decent Rocky Patel Decade burning nicely, I was willing to stick it out a little longer when he headed back indoors. “I should skin you alive for that little stunt, you know.” I heard a voice coming from poolside, and headed that way to face the music. Sandy was sitting there alone, a large, mostly empty glass of wine at her side. “I know. I was bad. But I'm done now.” “What the hell were you thinking?” she snapped. “I just wanted Erica to have a decent Christmas, and wanted to help you out a little in your effort to sell your house.” She cackled, and it wasn't a pretty sound. “You too? You just barely met me and you're so damn eager to get me out of the neighborhood.” Her words surprised me. “Not at all. I'm just trying to fight back a bit against the unfairness of the world. What are you doing out here alone, anyway?” “I can't stand the way they look at me. Like suicide is contagious or something. They don't know what to say; they all avoid me, or look at me like I was a leper or something.” “People can be assholes.” She smiled. “I'll drink to that.” I sat beside her and drank my 80 proof eggnog in silence. We watched a small group come out and start talking while they lit up their cancer sticks. “I know you mean well, Alex. But you can stop now, Ok?” she said softly. “One last thing.” “Please. Enough already.” “Steve called. Everything's cleared up with the insurance. You'll get your check next week.” She looked at me like I'd grown a third eye, completely stunned. “Really?” “Really.” She finished her wine, gulping it down, then sat back. “Shit. Six fucking months they drag it out and then suddenly, like that,” she snapped her fingers, “they're willing to pay up?” “Steve's good.” She leaned forward and held her head in her hands. After a few seconds I could see her body was shaking. She was crying, silently. “I'm sorry it took so long. If I'd been a better neighbor, we might have taken care of this months ago.” She sat up abruptly, and I could see the streak of the tears on her face. “Don't. Don't apologize. Just don't, Ok?” “Ok.” I sat awkwardly, while she wiped her eyes and turned away from me, staring out at the backyard. I leaned over and took her empty glass. “Can I get you a refill?” “Yeah. I mean, yes, please. Thanks.” “Be right back.” It took a few minutes to navigate the crowd around the bar, and to endure the late arrivals expressing their sorrow over my “loss”. Like they know anything about loss. Shit. I was happy to get back outside, away from the doe-eyed suburban mommy's pity and their awkward mumbling husbands. I plopped down next to Sandy. “Jesus. Next time you can make the booze run.” I told her passing the wine glass over. She gave me a twisted smile. “You volunteered, remember?” “Don't remind me.” “That's what you get for being a Good Samaritan.” “That's it for me. Believe me, I've learned my lesson.” She chuckled. “Somehow I doubt that.” My cigar had gone out, and it would have been a shame to waste it. I ventured into the smoker arena long enough for a light, and immediately regretted it, catching the sidelong glances they gave each other, knowing what they were thinking. I didn't spend a moment there longer then I had to, hustling back to my solitude and Sandy. The only kindred soul at this soirée who might feel a tenth of the loss I that was consuming me. There was one last thing I wanted to do, but I didn't know how she'd take it. I thought that maybe, just maybe, with one more glass of wine under her belt, she might acquiesce. “Sandy?” “Hmm. I don't know if I like the sound of that. Are you up to something again?” “No. Maybe. Not really. I mean, well, can I show you something next door?” She gave me an odd look, which lasted quite a long time. “Can I bring my wine?” “Of course. It'll only take a minute.” She stood, and followed me out the gate. We walked around the fence to my driveway and into my backyard. As we crossed my patio she piped up. “Just because I've had a few drinks, and just because you did something nice doesn't mean you're going to get anywhere with me, I hope you know.” Her words slammed into me like a bucket of cold water. I hadn't even thought about anything like that. I turned and looked at her. She didn't look bad. Not at all. She cleaned up nicely, and even if she was ridiculously skinny, I could see she was an attractive woman. Funny that I'd never even noticed. I stood there trying to think of how to reply. “Jesus, Alex. I'm just teasing you.” It took me a few seconds to reply. “That was the furthest thing from my mind.” “Of course. Believe me. I understand.” Her sardonic reply was more surprising than the original tease. Caught without a response, I entered the house and led her to the living room. “What did you want to show me?” I turned on the light in the living room, and moved out of the way. “Holy crap!” I gestured toward the piles of gifts. “They were for my girls. I don't know what to do with them.” “That's all for your girls?” she asked, looking on in wonder. “Yeah. I kind of over do it.” “I'll say.” “I'd like Erica to have them. She doesn't have to know they're from me. They can all be from Santa if you'd like. If you don't take them, I… I don't know what I'll do with them.” “It's too much, Alex. It's a nice gesture, really. But it's too much.” “Please. No strings. Do it for Erica.” She stood silent for a while, before she turned to me. “Why? Why now?” “I don't know. Look, they're just sitting there. I'll end up donating them to some charity or something. I've got a ton of gifts, and nobody left to give them too. You've got a sweet little girl who has one present under the tree and could use a bit of joy in her life.” She wandered around the room, nudging the gifts with her foot, not answering, taking the occasional sip from her glass. She eventually wandered back and stood beside me. She stood quietly for several seconds, apparently pondering a reply. “It's not fair,” she finally muttered. That wasn't what I'd expected. “No shit. Life's about as unfair as I could ever imagine,” I answered honestly. “Good people get hurt for no apparent reason. Jack-offs seem to glide along easily without a care in the world. Innocent little girls have their lives cut short meaninglessly. Good-hearted neighbors have their lives crapped on as if it was some big cosmic joke.” I could hear my own voice getting louder and more frustrated. “Life's a fucking kick in the ass, and every time it looks like something nice might come out of it, some cosmic comedian pulls the rug out from under you. What kind of God destroys a family for no good reason? Huh? Answer me that!” I was almost shouting by the end of my tirade. “I…I think I need to go home now.” She turned and started walking away. I chased after her, “Please, can you take just a few? Please. It's killing me to see them here.” She stumbled a bit, then paused. Without turning she said, “Bring over what you want around midnight.” Then she slipped out the back door. I took a few minutes to compose myself after she left. I'd made a complete ass of myself. Oh well. About par for the course. I decided to make another short appearance at Cathy's to at least say my goodnights. My nosy neighbor caught me the moment I made it in the door. “John told me you were around, but I couldn't find you anywhere.” “I ran into Sandy, and we broken people sort of hid out in your backyard.” She looked at me quizzically. “I was kind of surprised she came over. She didn't say a word about what we did this afternoon.” “Lucky you. I've still got the scars,” I teased. Then I told her a little about our discussion, including the insurance situation and the deal with the gifts. “Thank God. Maybe she can finally stop working 16 hours a day, and spend some time with her daughter. That'll be nice. I was wondering what you were going to do with all those gifts. I was afraid you were going to make a memorial out of them, leaving them there year after year, until the dust was an inch thick over them.” Her words stung a bit. “I'm not that bad.” “No, you're not. Although you had me worried there for a bit. It's just a hard thing to take. I understand that.” “I guess it's not a problem now.” She smiled. “I guess not. Erica's a lucky little girl.” "I don't know if I'd say that, but at least she might have a nice Christmas." "I'm glad you came over tonight. A lot of our friends were worried for you. Your appearance was a nice Christmas gift for them as well." "I can't say I really care too much. I know it sounds harsh, but how they feel isn't really high up there on my list of priorities at the moment." "That's Ok. It's still nice that you came." "I appreciate your inviting me. And for being the nagging neighborly meddlesome busybody you've been for the last couple of weeks." She laughed. "That's the nicest thing anybody's said to me in a while, and in the nastiest way. I guess you are feeling a little better." I sighed. "A little. Although I doubt Christmas will ever be the same for me again." She moved in and gave me a hug. "It'll never be the same. But it may still, someday, be Ok." I hugged her back, quietly. I doubted it. Back home, I dressed down to sweats and a t-shirt, torturing myself a little by watching The Little Drummer Boy, Briana's favorite. Life was so fucking unfair. My girls were gone. It was Christmas and I was alone. I'd never, ever, spend another Christmas with Briana and Allora. Never. An hour later I was at Sandy's back door with three huge garbage bags full of gifts. It had taken me two trips. I knocked softly and a few moments later Sandy let me in. She'd gotten rid of her party clothes as well, answering the door in a plain robe. She looked tired. I guessed that she'd been waiting up for me. "Erica?" I asked softly. "Asleep," she confirmed, taking one of the bags from me. Quietly we headed to her front room and started spreading out the gifts. On each one, I removed the existing tag and she put a new sticker 'from Santa' on it. She asked me what was in each, but I couldn't remember all of them. Still, I was able to fill her in on the majority. She must have had some plan in mind, because she organized them according to my descriptions of their probable contents, separating them in neat little piles. After about 15 minutes I looked over and saw her shaking her head. "What?" "It's too much." "That's what my ex said every year. I never got a complaint from the girls." She gave me a wry smile. "At least one of us is going to have a pretty spectacular Christmas." "Isn't that how it should be?" I saw her nod, and noticed that her eyes were glistening again. I decided to leave it alone. Until those moments, I really hadn't seen Sandy as a woman. I'd related to her as a person in need. But between her dressing up at the party, her comments on my patio, and the way she was dressed in just a robe, I'm almost ashamed to say I was scoping her out. She was rail thin, with short dark brown hair, almost black. She wasn't very large on top, but when she was moving around on her hands and knees, arranging presents, I got a few glimpses inside the top of her robe, and saw the swelling of very feminine breasts. Her legs were as thin as the rest of her, but with decent calf definition. Some of her movements were less than ladylike, and I saw myself peeking up the bottom of her robe, looking at her pale inner thighs, or glancing at her round rear giving form to her robe. Her face was cute. Small turned up nose, narrow mouth with bowed upper lip, and natural eyebrows fuller than was popular, above big brown eyes. Those eyes were extremely expressive, and somewhat mesmerizing. I found myself looking at her too often, and she eventually caught me at it. "What?" she asked. "Nothing," I answered quickly. Trying to cover myself I explained. "You just look happier than I've seen you until now." One corner of her mouth turned up. "I guess for once you're seeing me when I'm not completely pissed-off at you." We finished with the gifts and I carefully stood up and gingerly stepped around the pretty wrapped up presents. I turned and held my hand out to Sandy while she did her best to maneuver around them without stepping on any. She almost made it before stumbling at the last minute, kicking a pile over and falling toward me. I caught her and held her up, pulling her backward with me until the wall halted my retreat. She stared up at me, my arms still wrapped under hers, holding her closer than I intended. Her hair smelled like strawberries. "I should be furious with you," she said, leaning into me. "I know." I pulled her upright, but she clung to me, pressing against me. "We don't need anybody." She sounded angry again. I shrugged, hard to do while holding a fragile woman in my arms. "I don't have anybody." Her look softened. "I'm sorry." "Don't be. I'll be Ok." I closed my eyes, and thought once more of my kids. I could feel myself on the verge of losing it again. Without warning her lips were on mine, gentle at first. Then I felt her fingers dig into my skin, and she was kissing me fiercely, her teeth pressed hard against my lips. I pulled her tightly against my body, opening my mouth to hers, returning her ardor. It was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. She was clutching at me, kissing me, hugging me, hitting me, scratching me, while I stood there holding her, absorbing it all. I waited for her to calm down, and when she didn't I reached down and lifted her by the ass, holding her tight, while her legs encircled me. She bit my lip hard, and I could taste blood, while her claws sank into my shoulders. I could feel the anger and frustration in her, the desire to strike out somehow at the unfairness of it all. I echoed those feelings, accepting them, expanding them, and returning them in kind. Yes, I was angry too. Furious. The taste of my own blood on my lips just served to fuel the fire. Like everything else, having her vent her anger on me, while I was the only one in the world trying to help her was patently unfair. I was hurting too. I had lost so much more. So very much more. I was tired of being treated like dirt. Holding her by the rear in one hand, I grasped her hair from behind, pulling her hair back making her gasp. I lowered my mouth to her slender neck and bit her, sucking on her flesh. Both of her hands went to my head, entangling in my hair, and pulling my face down against her. Her hips ground against me, while her bare feet beat a tattoo against my back. Sandy pulled my head back by the hair, and I loosened my grip on hers. She stared into my eyes, hers flashing with pent up emotions. "Damn you!" she gasped. She leaned in and pressed her lips against mine again, still fierce and unrelenting. I turned and pressed her against the wall, trapping her there with my body. My hand lowered and slid into her robe, meeting nothing but bare flesh. I grabbed her breast and squeezed, causing her to moan into my mouth. Her hands weren't idle and she was pushing the top of my sweats down, using her feet to push them down in the back. She squeezed a hand between us, her other wrapped around my shoulders, and I felt her fingers wrap around my hardness. It was hard to believe how I was responding to her and her tantrum, but there was no doubt. I took over, pushing my sweats down, letting them slide down to my ankles, drawing my boxers with them. I was naked from the waist down and exposed. Our lips had never separated, and she sucked hungrily on my tongue, while I tore open her robe, roughly. Like me, she was naked underneath, except for a pair of loose shorts. She had my cock in her hand, and aimed it at her moist opening, pushing the leg of her shorts aside. I lowered her, easing into her, until I was fully sheathed. She groaned. Her hand now free, she grabbed me by the hair and tugged back, drawing her lips away. "You bastard," she gasped. "Bitch," I growled. I pulled my hips back and thrust into her hard, pushing her into the wall, eliciting another gasp. I felt my own anger welling up inside of me. I knew I wasn't really angry at her, but she was the unintended victim of my fury. I slammed my cock into her hard, grinding against her. Pulling back, I did it again, even harder, doing my best to push her right through the wall. She gasped as if I'd struck her. "That's right, fuck me," she whispered harshly. "Go ahead, fuck me you prick, like everyone else has." I took her ass cheeks in my hands and pulled her away from the wall, lifting her up off my cock, before releasing her, letting her weight impale her on my aching staff. One at a time, I reached my arms under her legs, her thighs resting on my forearms, my hands gripping her ass cheeks tightly. I tugged her shorts down in back, exposing her soft butt-flesh, and grabbed her cheeks tightly digging my fingers in. She linked her fingers behind my neck, and leaned backward, exposing her upper body to my gaze. Her small breasts had the most perfect little nipples, hardened for me. I fucked her hard and fast, while my strength and fury held out. As my arms grew tired I walked to the living room. She released each of her arms long enough to let her robe fall, leaving her almost naked. I lowered her, setting her butt down on the arm of the couch. She let go of me, leaning backward, lowering her back to the couch. Her hips were now positioned well above her body, and I pulled her toward me hard, so her lower back was on the couch arm. I yanked her shorts off and threw them to the side, staring down at her sexy naked body. I opened her legs wide, slid my cock into her warm hole and pounded into her, fucking up into her tight opening, while she moaned so damn sexily. Holding her legs in my hands and lifting them high and wide, she was effectively immobilized by her own weight resting on her shoulders. I slid my cock in and out of her, banging away, free to do as I please. She lay there, staring up at me, her eyes burning. I didn't want to look into those condemning orbs. I pulled out, roughly turned her over, her smooth soft ass raised up by the arm of the couch. I spread her legs and pierced her again, thrusting deeply on the first stroke, making her pay. I held her hips tightly and vented my feeling through my hips, hammering away viciously, fucking her as hard as I could. Looking between us, I was hypnotized by the sight of my thickness stretching her, filling her. With each stroke her flesh clung to me, stretching outward before yielding. I pulled out to the edge, spread her cheeks with my hands and toyed with her pink little slit, nudging my cock head into her, watching her opening stretch obscenely wide to take me. I slowed, squeezing her poor ass cheeks hard while slowly feeding her my cock. The incredible feeling was overcoming my ire, and I just enjoyed long-stroking her, making her feel every inch of my length, pushing deeply until I felt resistance deep inside of her. I couldn't take much more. I grabbed her hips and leaned over her, driving into her, filling her. I could feel her moist channel grasping at me, dragging me to the edge of desire. I looked down and saw she'd twisted her torso to look back at me. "Do it." I slammed my full weight into her, unable to resist the urge any longer. Gasping, I came inside of her, the release painful in its urgency, exploding deep within her over and over again. Her legs were flailing, and as I slowed she relaxed, bent over the arm like a rag doll, lifeless. She squealed when I lifted her up, spinning her around to sit on the arm. I took my still hard cock, and forced it back into her, pulling her against me, until just the edge of her butt was still resting on the couch. I could see she had tears in her eyes, and wet streaks running down her cheeks. I slid my arms around her, holding her close, squeezing her frail body. Her arms slid around my torso and she pressed her face against my chest. I held her while I felt her body shaking. I felt horrible, sickened at what I'd done. I'd fucked her viciously, using her, venting my aggravation and unhappiness on the one person I knew who'd already suffered enough on her own. I could feel my own eyes welling up. We held each other, desperately, clutching to anything that might let us ride out this horrible time in our lives. My hands relaxed as did the tightness that had been enveloping my body. I caressed her back, feeling her ribs under the soft skin. I pressed my lips to her hair, kissing her softly. She was returning my kisses, pressing her lips to my chest and shoulders, rubbing her hands over the scratches she'd given me earlier. I realized I was nudging in and out of her, surprised to find my cock staying hard, eager to continue. I held her, slowly screwing her, while she sobbed against me. I massaged her back, nuzzling her hair, kissing her temples. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "Don't," she sobbed. "Don't you dare apologize! Not now. Not ever." I pushed her head back, and lowered my lips to hers, kissing her softly. "I won't." "Good." She looked up and touched my lip, drawing back a finger red with my blood. "Oh God! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do that." "No apologies. Remember?" She answered by reaching up and kissing my lip. When she drew back I could see a little red on hers. I kissed her back, feeling her return it this time, still moving inside of her. Her legs spread wider, accommodating me. I looked down to see where I was entering her. When I looked back into her eyes they were smoldering. "Take me to bed," she whispered. "Are you sure?" "No. Do it anyway." I stood carefully, my pretty little sister-in-misery still impaled on my rod. She wrapped her legs around me tightly and clung to me with both arms. I held her by her sweet little ass and slowly climbed the stairs. With each step I lifted and lowered her, screwing her along the way. Nearing the top step she surprised me by giggling. "What?" "You're stronger than you look," she said, softening the words with careful little kisses bestowed across my chest. "You're light as a feather. I need to feed you." She smiled wickedly. "A protein oral injection?" I almost dropped her, and she giggled, "What?" "You, young lady, have a dirty mind." I saw a storm flitter across her face, but she shook it off and smiled. "It's been a long time, Alex. I'm not so good at flirting and teasing." "Ditto, beautiful. Bear with me." She made a little rolling movement of her hips, ending with my cock completely sheathed within her moistness. She giggled. "Damn! I can't believe you can just hold me like this." I pulled her up and down on my cock a few times, drawing a quiet gasp out of her. "I could hold you like this forever." I had cleared the last step and was walking her into her bedroom. Once again a flurry of emotions danced across her face, ending with a smile. "But then how would you ever feed me?" I reached back and closed the door behind us. Mischievously, I pulled her high in the air, making her squeal. She really was as light as a rag doll. I doubted she weighed a hundred pounds. I held her in my arms like a baby, rocking her. A very sexy baby. I had one arm under her legs, and the other under her back, and she turned in my arms, her lips closing around my nipple. I lifted her shoulder high, then removed the arm under her back, causing her to fall downward. Not far, since I caught her by the hips, hanging upside down. She gasped, her legs kicking out, her arms circling my waist. I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her legs down onto my shoulders, pressing her warm pinkness against my face. Her face was down around my waist. She squeezed her legs tightly around my head, her thighs pressing hard against my ears. "You're crazy!" she gasped. "See. I can hold you and still feed you," I teased, then licked her, my tongue probing her moist slit. She giggled, and I felt her warm lips engulf the head of my cock. I grabbed her near the hips, and lowered her a bit, feeling my cock enter her mouth. I lifted and lowered her a few times, licking her on the upward movement, filling her mouth on the way back down. For all my bravado, it was amazingly difficult, and I could feel my arms trembling from the effort. I held her still, her mouth filled with my cock, and walked the few remaining steps to the bed. She was getting more active, sucking me and moving her head back and forth. It felt incredible. I almost didn't want to put her down. But I knew if I didn't there was a chance I'd drop her soon. With one last herculean effort I lifted her up and leaned over depositing her in a squirming ball of flesh on her mattress. She spent no time at all sitting up and pulled me onto the bed. I reached out for her but she pulled away. "Lay down. My turn now." I stretched out in the middle of her bed, and watched her crawl to my waist, move between my legs and look up at me before lowering her mouth to my pulsating rod. She licked me, examining me, stroking me with her hands, kissing my cock with her warm, tender lips. Staring into my eyes she lowered her lips over the purple helmet and took most of my length into her mouth. It felt so damned incredible I moaned loudly. She pulled up and pressed her fingers against her lips. "Shhh. We don't want to wake anybody." I mimed zipping my lips closed, barely containing another groan when she took me in her mouth again. She sucked me as if she were on a mission. Her hands worked me just below where her mouth took over. I reached down and brushed her bangs aside so I could watch her. That was enough encouragement for her to pick up the pace, pistoning her face onto my stiff pole, gasping when she pressed too hard. "Sandy," I started to warn her. She held out her palm to me, sucking with complete abandon. I didn't say another word. I let her draw my juices up and out, and moaned softly when I finally achieved my much needed release, erupting between her lips. She was breathing hard through her nose, holding me in her mouth, taking all I had to offer and gamely swallowing it down. She sucked softly when I was done shooting, and I could feel the pulses of tightness while she swallowed repeatedly. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be concentrating hard on completing her mission. When my hardness started to whither, she took me in her hand and stroked me, her mouth tenderly sucking me, carefully tugging on my shaft, her tongue massaging the tender head. I relaxed on the bed and enjoyed her attention, concentrating on the amazing feeling around my waist. The idea of getting hard for her and continuing our play was combining with her devoted attention, and I finally responded after a few minutes, hardening in her mouth. That seemed to be a signal to her and she sat up, sucking me more aggressively, restoring the steel to my cock, until it could stand on its own, full and ready. Sandy moved up my body, straddled my waist and slid my trouser soldier back home. She slowly worked her way up and down my cock until I was completely sheathed once more. Then she settled all the way down and stretched. It was beautiful to see, her slender body straining upward, her arms reaching to the sky, her head leaning back, the curve of her rib cage accentuated by the hollow of her belly, her perfect little breasts standing out brave and eager, the pretty pink tips showing hard little caps. After a few moments in that pose she relaxed with a sigh, settling back down and leaning forward until her hands were braced against my chest. "Thanks for the meal," she said with a teasing smile. "You are amazing," I confessed. She gave me a sad little smile. "It's nice to hear someone say that. It's been a long, long time." I reached out for her and she slid down to my chest, while I wrapped her in my arms. "That's a shame. You are so beautiful." "You don't have to say that," she said into my shoulder. "But you are." I held her, pushing with my hips, slowly screwing her while I held her. "I'm not. I know it. It's Ok." I reached down and lifted her face so I could lean forward and kiss her. It was a long tender kiss, and afterwards I just held her. I kept my hips moving gently, not wanting to lose the contact with her, staying hard and filling her. "Just hold me a bit, Ok?" "As long as you'll let me." I assured her, and I engulfed her in my arms, clutching her as if I'd never let her go. I could feel her trembling, her arms holding me tightly. Her back was rising and lowering spasmodically, and I heard the tiny gasp of her crying against me. I didn't try to quiet her or comfort her. I just held her, raining kisses down onto the top of her head, holding her tightly, and easing my cock back and forth into her. We spent several long minutes like that, until she slowly relaxed and her death grip on me eased. I loosened my own grip, allowing my hands free rein in their exploration of her body, stroking her, fondling her, holding her tight little butt in my hands and pushing up into her. She slowly responded, pushing back against my strokes, her tits pressing into my chest. I pulled her tightly to my body, rose up on one arm and rolled over, lifting her body off the bed, and settling it down below me. On top of her now, I let go, raising my torso the length of my arms and thrusting into her with long slow strokes. She looked so small and vulnerable underneath me. I leaned down and kissed her, and she grabbed my head and kissed me back eagerly. She finally let me go and I resumed fucking her, happy to be right where I was. I gazed down at her, wondering how I'd failed to notice how pretty she was right from the start. "Stop staring." "I can't help it. You are so beautiful. I want to memorize everything about you." "I'm not too skinny?" she asked. "Nothing a few more meals can't fix," I teased. I fucked her in silence for a bit, then rose up to pound her more thoroughly, opening her legs up for better access. She pulled her legs back, holding her own ankles nearly parallel with her head. I spread my legs and straightened them, raising my hips high before plunging down into her. She gasped and I smiled, pummeling her from above, fucking her fast and hard, her wide open pussy screaming out to be filled. For the first time that night I felt her responding deeply, shivering. She released her feet and clutched her legs behind her knees, her shins bracketing her pretty face. I rose up to my knees, leaning over and pushing down on the back of her legs, screwing her as fast as I could, feeling the need to cum growing in me. "Harder," she gasped, "harder." I slowed down just a bit and put some more weight behind my strokes, pulling her forward to meet my onslaught. She was gasping continuously, her toes curling up and her feet stretching out. I watched in delight as her head tilted back and her eyes rolled back into her head, while she came on my cock, her entire body quivering, her chest blushing bright red. Just as she appeared to be settling back down, gasping hard, I grabbed her thighs and fucked her as fast as I could, feeling my own need peaking. I couldn't hold back any longer and buried myself deep inside of her, shooting hard, my hips jerking forward of their own accord, filling her. Sandy cried out, releasing her legs which kicked out and trembled while she came with me. I stretched out over her, while her legs slowly wrapped around me. Her eyes were large, staring at me in ego-soothing wonder. I kissed her softly. "You are amazing," I told her. She blushed. "I...I never...not like that," she murmured. I was exhausted, from head to toe, and my legs and arms were trembling from my exertion. The front of my hips were sore from pounding against her, and my cock felt like it had been run through a wringer. I rolled off of her, lying on my back, breathing hard. She rolled over and leaned her upper body into mine. I reached around her, holding her close. There was so much I wanted to say, but I didn't know how, or where to start. Instead I just kissed the top of her head while she held me. I reached across with my opposite hand and stroked her side before allowing my hand to settle over her breast, holding it gently, my fingers idly toying with her nipple. She moved closer, lifting her leg over mine, laying half on top of me. It allowed my arm holding her to wander, touching her, feeling her. I could feel the wetness of her crotch pressing into my hip, cold and wet. I closed my eyes, my arm stretched across her back, my hand holding the warm flesh of her ass cheek. Her breathing was slow and steady, her arm thrown across my chest. I pressed my lips against her hair one last time, leaned back and relished holding this sweet, sexy, troubled woman. I woke abruptly, confused. I was alone in a strange bed, the covers pulled up to my chin. Daylight was streaming in the window, and I sat up, disoriented. It took a few seconds for me to recall the previous evening, and I looked around for Sandy. I started to get out of bed, and realized I was naked, my clothes were still somewhere downstairs. I pulled the covers over my waist, and looked around for something to cover up with, before spotting my clothing from the night before folded on a chair nearby. I pulled on my shorts and ducked into the bathroom for a much needed leak. I splashed some water on my face and borrowed her brush to run it through my wild hair. I took a swig of mouthwash and did my best to look partially human before heading back to the bedroom. I was pulling on my sweats when Sandy appeared with a cup of coffee. It smelled delicious. She smiled and passed it to me. She was dressed in pajamas, and had clearly showered and cleaned up. Her hair was still moist. "Hurry up. There's a little girl downstairs almost bursting with the need to open her presents." I took a sip of the coffee, hot and strong, then passed it back to her for a second while I pulled on my shirt. I straightened it out and retrieved my coffee for another sip. She was watching me intently, a sad little smile on her face. I started to speak but she cut me off. "No. Let's not talk about it right now. It was something we both needed, but it doesn't have to mean anything. It just happened. I don't regret it. Right now we need to go downstairs." I moved to her and grabbed her chin. I saw she was nervous and wondered if she'd practiced that little speech. I leaned over and kissed her softly, continuing until she responded. "I just want to say you are amazing. Really." "So you keep saying," she teased. "What is Erica going to think?" "I told her you had a sleepover. She probably has a good idea what that means, kids are so precocious these days, but she seemed alright with it." "Shit. I feel like a jerk, spoiling her Christmas with you." She hit me, her little fist landing solidly on my chest, almost making me spill my coffee. "Shut up. It's because of you that she's having a Christmas worth mentioning at all." She turned and headed downstairs, and I had to pull my eyes away from her cute little butt, before I had a physical response that would be almost too much to bear. I realized she was walking tentatively, and wondered if she was as sore as I was this morning. Probably. Maybe more so. We headed straight for the living room, and sat back on the couch about a foot apart while Erica waited for us, standing beside the presents almost shaking. She watched her mother anxiously, glancing my way long enough for a quick smile. When her mother nodded she dove into the presents grabbing the closest and tearing it open. She oohed and aahed over each new gift, while the pile of unwrapped ones grew smaller and an ever growing field of toys gradually overtook the room. She shrieked and jumped up and down when she opened the iPod touch, pulling off the $50 iTunes gift certificate. She'd been pretty quiet up until then but she climbed over to her mother and gave her a big hug. "He knew, Momma, he knew!" she shrieked in joy, stopping her present opening to crack open the iPod box and pull it out, looking it over, holding it reverently in her hands. I felt a warm hand settle onto mine, giving a soft squeeze. I turned my wrist and held her hand in mine, interlocking our fingers. I looked over to Sandy, and saw the tears in her eyes. With a sniffle she carefully brushed them away. As usual, the new clothing got short shrift, being tossed into a growing pile, but she did look each one over, holding it up against her body, asking her mother's opinion on several before moving on. I listened to Sandy laugh at her daughter's antics, and thought it was the most beautiful sound I had heard in ages. Erica was about halfway through the gifts. I watched her reach for a big box, and I gave her mother's hand a squeeze. "Maybe that one should be last," I whispered. "Erica, darling, that one's from Mr. Reed. Why don't you open it last?" Erica looked up, her surprise matching my own. She moved it to the side and continued her quest to eliminate the pile of wrapped presents. The small purse with five $10 bills was another big hit, as were the rollerblades, each calling for another shriek and a visit to her mother's lap, bringing forth more giggles and laughter from the woman beside me. Sandy was smiling hugely, taking the wrapping paper from her daughter and filling a garbage bag with it as we went. I was torn. Each gift I'd so carefully picked out for my girls was disappearing. I couldn't help but think about how I should be spending my Christmas, if I hadn't received such a kick in the teeth from fate. A couple of times I felt myself tearing up, my breath catching in my chest. Sandy moved closer, her leg pressed against mine, holding my hand in both of hers, tightly, in her lap. Then I would see the joy on young Erica's face, and I'd wipe the tears away, taking a deep breath, knowing that it was what my daughter's would have wanted. Their hearts had been as big as the world. I felt Sandy's head lean into my shoulder, and I gave her hand another squeeze. Finally the presents ran out. There were two gifts remaining. The one that had been there on that first day, which seemed so long ago but had only been three days earlier, and the big one. She looked over at us, then starting peeling away the paper off of her mother's present. There was a book sized jewelry box inside, and she opened it shrieking. "Grandma's necklace?" she asked. "You always liked it," Sandy said. Erica came over and sat between her mother's legs, lifting her hair up out of the way so her mother could attach the chain behind her neck. I could now see it was an old-fashioned locket and Erica was clutching at it like she'd never let it go. Sandy finally got the chain latched, and gave her a little shove. Erica stood up and ran to the mirror, looking at herself. She came and stood in front of us, striking several poses. It was so damned cute. I couldn't help but laugh. That got Sandy's attention, and she giggled as well, cuddling up next to me and pulling my arm around her shoulders. We watched Erica go to the last big box, glancing back at us as if waiting for permission. "Go on," I teased, "you can't stop now!" She grabbed the edge of the wrapping paper, and tore into it. She ripped large chunks of paper off, tossing them toward her mother, before suddenly coming to a complete stop. She screamed out, stood up and danced in place. I'd never seen anybody so excited. She bent over and tore the paper away roughly exposing the PS3 and the piles of games taped to the top. "Mom! Mom! It's a PS3!" she cried out, bending over and lifting the box, twirling around with it, before stumbling and dropping it to the floor. Sandy laughed, "Careful! You don't want to break it before you get a chance to use it." Erica scrambled across the coffee table between us and launched herself into my lap. She gave me a huge hug, squeezing me so hard I thought she might break something. I felt her breath against my ear. "Thank you, Santa." I felt her soft lips press against my cheek, bringing a tear to my eye. I hugged her to me. "I hope you enjoy your present." I could feel the tears welling up, threatening to overflow, and I clung to her for a few seconds. "Go on now, open it up." She jumped up and started tearing at the box, peeling off the games, instantly separating them into piles. So much like her mother. I felt Sandy shifting on the couch next to me, and I turned toward her, just as her arms wrapped around me. She kissed me on the cheek. "Thank you." I hugged her. "I should be thanking you. I never thought I could enjoy Christmas again." She smiled. "That would be horrible," she said softly, "if Santa couldn't enjoy Christmas." I thought we were finally done, but Erica went behind the tree and returned with two gifts wrapped in newspaper comics. She gave her mother one, and gave me the other. Sandy and I looked at each other, then she opened her gift. Inside was a hand-made ornament, a picture of their little family, Sandy, Erica, and the missing father, smiling as if everything was perfect in the world. The picture was framed in popsicle sticks, with pipe-cleaners glued to it. It was too cute for words. "If we hang it on the tree, then Daddy can share Christmas with us from heaven," Erica explained. I saw Sandy choke up, then give her daughter a big hug. "It's beautiful." "Hang it up, mom!" Erica insisted. Sandy got up and placed it in the middle of the tree, carefully arranging it so it faced the room. "I love it Erica, thank you." Erica was standing in front of me, hopping from foot to foot. "Your turn," she announced. I opened the paper carefully, and saw a hand drawn picture, colored in crayons on some light colored cardboard. It took me a second to realize what it was. "It's us painting the door, isn't it?" "Yep. And that's momma, trying to look angry." She pointed to a stick figure at the side. It must have taken her a while. The picture was pretty big, more than a foot tall, and she'd carefully drawn the door in great detail, coloring it blue, and she had little Christmas decorations all around it. She was kneeling down painting the bottom, and I had this ridiculously long body, bent over at the waist, painting the door just above her head. I pointed to the figure to the side. "If she's angry, how come she's smiling?" I asked. Erica laughed. "She's only trying to be angry. She's really happy. She just isn't allowed to show it. She has to act sad because Daddy's gone." I held the picture up, then made a show of hugging it. "It's my very favorite Christmas present. I'm going to frame it and put it on my desk." Erica climbed up on the couch and hugged me. "Will you hook up my PS3?" "Of course I will," I told her, returning her hug. "And I'll start breakfast," Sandy announced. I looked up, and she was wiping tears from her face again. What a roller-coaster of emotions. It only took a few minutes, and we had the game system hooked up and Erica was debating which game to start with. She barely got it loaded before we were called over for breakfast. "Mo-om!" Erica pouted. "It's not going anywhere. You can play after breakfast." It was surrealistic, sitting there at the table, with eggs, toast and sausage on my plate, and a glass of orange juice at the ready. Erica had cereal in her bowl and a tall glass of milk. Like a normal family. I was still stunned by how talkative Erica had become, as she told us all about her gifts. "Can Taylor come over later and play?" she asked. "We'll see," Sandy told her. "It's Christmas, her parents may want her to stay at home today." "What are your favorite gifts?" I asked. She seemed to think about it, and I watched her hand move up to the locket around her neck. It was cute watching her face scrunch up as she really thought it over. "I think it was your sleepover," she finally announced, catching me off guard and almost making me spit my orange juice across the table. Sandy was just as surprised, "Really? Better than the PS3?" she asked. Erica nodded vehemently. She looked at me, "Momma's happy." I looked over at Sandy, and saw her blushing furiously. I reached over and tousled Erica's hair. "I'm happy too. Happier than I thought I could be." Erica nodded solemnly. "I know. Your girls went to heaven too. These were their presents, right?" I nodded. "I knew they'd want you to have them." She took a bite of her cereal. "Allora was nice. We made a poster for her in class. I drew an angel." Hearing her name was tough. Suddenly everything felt wrong. I should be sitting at a table with her and Briana, listening to them chatter. Watch them fight over playing with each other's gifts. No chance of that now. The room was becoming blurry, tears for my lost girls filling my eyes. "Don't be sad," Erica said, reaching out and touching my arm. "They're in heaven now, and they get to watch us. They wouldn't want you to be sad." I forced myself to smile. "I bet the poster was beautiful. I wish I could see it." "Mrs. Viola would probably let me take it home for you," she said. "I'd like that." Erica was eating her cereal as fast as she could, and she pushed the empty bowl away. "Can I play now?" Sandy gave her the go ahead, and she made a beeline toward the TV. Sandy and I looked at each other. "She's become quite the chatterbox," I mentioned. "Thank God," Sandy said, standing up and taking up the plates. "Let's hope it sticks." I cleared my own stuff and joined her at the sink. "I should go home soon." "I understand," she said softly. "I have to stop by the in-laws. I promised. But I'd like to come by later if you don't mind. Maybe we can have dinner together." She seemed a little distant. "You don't have to. You've done enough already." I put my arms around her, and felt her stiffen. "Don't tell Erica, but her drawing was only my second favorite Christmas gift." I felt her relax a bit, and she turned toward me, allowing me to hug her properly. I leaned down and kissed her softly. She giggled. "Oh, really?" "Really. The sleepover was my favorite." "That gift will have to hold you over for a while. Another sleepover and I don't think I'd ever be able to walk again. You beast." Her smile took any sting out of the words. "No kidding. I'd have to learn to talk with only one lip." Her eyes opened wide, and she raised her hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry," she whispered. I kissed her again. "No apologies, remember." She smiled. "Alright. Dinner would be nice, but I didn't have anything special planned." "Let me take care of the dinner." She grinned salaciously. "That's right. You did promise to feed me." That made me blush. "As a matter of fact, if you're not in a huge hurry, maybe you could feed me again, before you have to leave." I looked over at Erica. "She'll be fine. You won't be able to tear her away from those games for hours." She took me by the hand, and drew me over to the stairs. Half-an-hour later, I'd fed her, but not before proving to us both that we fit each other perfectly. It was quiet, and gentle, and just what I needed to make it clear that the previous night wasn't a one-time accidental thing. It's been a year since that first Christmas. Things weren't always easy between us, we still had sharp edges and wounds that weren't quick to heal, but we stuck to it. Any talk of holding Erica back in school ended quickly. She's an A student, smart as a whip, and even talking about playing volleyball. Her quiet spell snapped that Christmas. Within six months I'd moved in with Sandy and Erica, and we'd become landlords, renting out my two houses, and using our new found wealth to buy a few foreclosures, renovate them and rent them out as well. Sandy quit her jobs and was relishing her new real-estate magnate career. Even if the rentals can be a headache sometimes. By September we were talking about marriage, and decided to forgo any big ceremony and flew off to Vegas for a mini-vacation and a quick wedding. We even conned Cathy and John to join us for a couple of days. Cathy was our matron of honor. Steve and Darla surprised us by showing up as well. He insisted that if I was going to put on the noose again willingly, he'd be my best man. He always was. We're wrapping Erica's gifts now. I guess overdoing it at Christmas is one habit I'll never get over. Every once in a while I can't help but reach over and rub Sandy's belly. Erica's excited by the idea of having a new baby brother by summer. Me? I'm excited by our new Christmas tradition. I get to re-enact our first Christmas sleepover. Sandy's even wearing that silly, ratty old robe. She's promised never to get rid of it. Christmas will always be bitter sweet to me, and sometimes I still get the blues and need some time to myself to think about those little girls that had their lives cut short so unfairly. I miss them terribly, and think about them every day. Christmas will never be the same. But I'm not complaining. Based on the post from Tx Tall Tales for Literotica

Can Two Broken people make something whole, again? In 2 parts, Based on the post from Tx Tall Tales. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. Neighborhood Party Cathy & John were holding a Christmas Eve open-house next door; and expecting half of the neighborhood over that evening. They were a high standard in generosity, for the rest of us neighbors to try to emulate. I made my appearance, around 8:30 , and stoically accepted the offered condolences which were definitely putting me in the wrong state of mind. After only half-an-hour I knew I had to get out of there, even if it did piss off Cathy. John seemed to catch my mood, and dragged me outdoors to enjoy a cigar in semi-peace. With a heavily spiked eggnog in hand, and a more than decent Rocky Patel Decade burning nicely, I was willing to stick it out a little longer when he headed back indoors. “I should skin you alive for that little stunt, you know.” I heard a voice coming from poolside, and headed that way to face the music. Sandy was sitting there alone, a large, mostly empty glass of wine at her side. “I know. I was bad. But I'm done now.” “What the hell were you thinking?” she snapped. “I just wanted Erica to have a decent Christmas, and wanted to help you out a little in your effort to sell your house.” She cackled, and it wasn't a pretty sound. “You too? You just barely met me and you're so damn eager to get me out of the neighborhood.” Her words surprised me. “Not at all. I'm just trying to fight back a bit against the unfairness of the world. What are you doing out here alone, anyway?” “I can't stand the way they look at me. Like suicide is contagious or something. They don't know what to say; they all avoid me, or look at me like I was a leper or something.” “People can be assholes.” She smiled. “I'll drink to that.” I sat beside her and drank my 80 proof eggnog in silence. We watched a small group come out and start talking while they lit up their cancer sticks. “I know you mean well, Alex. But you can stop now, Ok?” she said softly. “One last thing.” “Please. Enough already.” “Steve called. Everything's cleared up with the insurance. You'll get your check next week.” She looked at me like I'd grown a third eye, completely stunned. “Really?” “Really.” She finished her wine, gulping it down, then sat back. “Shit. Six fucking months they drag it out and then suddenly, like that,” she snapped her fingers, “they're willing to pay up?” “Steve's good.” She leaned forward and held her head in her hands. After a few seconds I could see her body was shaking. She was crying, silently. “I'm sorry it took so long. If I'd been a better neighbor, we might have taken care of this months ago.” She sat up abruptly, and I could see the streak of the tears on her face. “Don't. Don't apologize. Just don't, Ok?” “Ok.” I sat awkwardly, while she wiped her eyes and turned away from me, staring out at the backyard. I leaned over and took her empty glass. “Can I get you a refill?” “Yeah. I mean, yes, please. Thanks.” “Be right back.” It took a few minutes to navigate the crowd around the bar, and to endure the late arrivals expressing their sorrow over my “loss”. Like they know anything about loss. Shit. I was happy to get back outside, away from the doe-eyed suburban mommy's pity and their awkward mumbling husbands. I plopped down next to Sandy. “Jesus. Next time you can make the booze run.” I told her passing the wine glass over. She gave me a twisted smile. “You volunteered, remember?” “Don't remind me.” “That's what you get for being a Good Samaritan.” “That's it for me. Believe me, I've learned my lesson.” She chuckled. “Somehow I doubt that.” My cigar had gone out, and it would have been a shame to waste it. I ventured into the smoker arena long enough for a light, and immediately regretted it, catching the sidelong glances they gave each other, knowing what they were thinking. I didn't spend a moment there longer then I had to, hustling back to my solitude and Sandy. The only kindred soul at this soirée who might feel a tenth of the loss I that was consuming me. There was one last thing I wanted to do, but I didn't know how she'd take it. I thought that maybe, just maybe, with one more glass of wine under her belt, she might acquiesce. “Sandy?” “Hmm. I don't know if I like the sound of that. Are you up to something again?” “No. Maybe. Not really. I mean, well, can I show you something next door?” She gave me an odd look, which lasted quite a long time. “Can I bring my wine?” “Of course. It'll only take a minute.” She stood, and followed me out the gate. We walked around the fence to my driveway and into my backyard. As we crossed my patio she piped up. “Just because I've had a few drinks, and just because you did something nice doesn't mean you're going to get anywhere with me, I hope you know.” Her words slammed into me like a bucket of cold water. I hadn't even thought about anything like that. I turned and looked at her. She didn't look bad. Not at all. She cleaned up nicely, and even if she was ridiculously skinny, I could see she was an attractive woman. Funny that I'd never even noticed. I stood there trying to think of how to reply. “Jesus, Alex. I'm just teasing you.” It took me a few seconds to reply. “That was the furthest thing from my mind.” “Of course. Believe me. I understand.” Her sardonic reply was more surprising than the original tease. Caught without a response, I entered the house and led her to the living room. “What did you want to show me?” I turned on the light in the living room, and moved out of the way. “Holy crap!” I gestured toward the piles of gifts. “They were for my girls. I don't know what to do with them.” “That's all for your girls?” she asked, looking on in wonder. “Yeah. I kind of over do it.” “I'll say.” “I'd like Erica to have them. She doesn't have to know they're from me. They can all be from Santa if you'd like. If you don't take them, I… I don't know what I'll do with them.” “It's too much, Alex. It's a nice gesture, really. But it's too much.” “Please. No strings. Do it for Erica.” She stood silent for a while, before she turned to me. “Why? Why now?” “I don't know. Look, they're just sitting there. I'll end up donating them to some charity or something. I've got a ton of gifts, and nobody left to give them too. You've got a sweet little girl who has one present under the tree and could use a bit of joy in her life.” She wandered around the room, nudging the gifts with her foot, not answering, taking the occasional sip from her glass. She eventually wandered back and stood beside me. She stood quietly for several seconds, apparently pondering a reply. “It's not fair,” she finally muttered. That wasn't what I'd expected. “No shit. Life's about as unfair as I could ever imagine,” I answered honestly. “Good people get hurt for no apparent reason. Jack-offs seem to glide along easily without a care in the world. Innocent little girls have their lives cut short meaninglessly. Good-hearted neighbors have their lives crapped on as if it was some big cosmic joke.” I could hear my own voice getting louder and more frustrated. “Life's a fucking kick in the ass, and every time it looks like something nice might come out of it, some cosmic comedian pulls the rug out from under you. What kind of God destroys a family for no good reason? Huh? Answer me that!” I was almost shouting by the end of my tirade. “I…I think I need to go home now.” She turned and started walking away. I chased after her, “Please, can you take just a few? Please. It's killing me to see them here.” She stumbled a bit, then paused. Without turning she said, “Bring over what you want around midnight.” Then she slipped out the back door. I took a few minutes to compose myself after she left. I'd made a complete ass of myself. Oh well. About par for the course. I decided to make another short appearance at Cathy's to at least say my goodnights. My nosy neighbor caught me the moment I made it in the door. “John told me you were around, but I couldn't find you anywhere.” “I ran into Sandy, and we broken people sort of hid out in your backyard.” She looked at me quizzically. “I was kind of surprised she came over. She didn't say a word about what we did this afternoon.” “Lucky you. I've still got the scars,” I teased. Then I told her a little about our discussion, including the insurance situation and the deal with the gifts. “Thank God. Maybe she can finally stop working 16 hours a day, and spend some time with her daughter. That'll be nice. I was wondering what you were going to do with all those gifts. I was afraid you were going to make a memorial out of them, leaving them there year after year, until the dust was an inch thick over them.” Her words stung a bit. “I'm not that bad.” “No, you're not. Although you had me worried there for a bit. It's just a hard thing to take. I understand that.” “I guess it's not a problem now.” She smiled. “I guess not. Erica's a lucky little girl.” "I don't know if I'd say that, but at least she might have a nice Christmas." "I'm glad you came over tonight. A lot of our friends were worried for you. Your appearance was a nice Christmas gift for them as well." "I can't say I really care too much. I know it sounds harsh, but how they feel isn't really high up there on my list of priorities at the moment." "That's Ok. It's still nice that you came." "I appreciate your inviting me. And for being the nagging neighborly meddlesome busybody you've been for the last couple of weeks." She laughed. "That's the nicest thing anybody's said to me in a while, and in the nastiest way. I guess you are feeling a little better." I sighed. "A little. Although I doubt Christmas will ever be the same for me again." She moved in and gave me a hug. "It'll never be the same. But it may still, someday, be Ok." I hugged her back, quietly. I doubted it. Back home, I dressed down to sweats and a t-shirt, torturing myself a little by watching The Little Drummer Boy, Briana's favorite. Life was so fucking unfair. My girls were gone. It was Christmas and I was alone. I'd never, ever, spend another Christmas with Briana and Allora. Never. An hour later I was at Sandy's back door with three huge garbage bags full of gifts. It had taken me two trips. I knocked softly and a few moments later Sandy let me in. She'd gotten rid of her party clothes as well, answering the door in a plain robe. She looked tired. I guessed that she'd been waiting up for me. "Erica?" I asked softly. "Asleep," she confirmed, taking one of the bags from me. Quietly we headed to her front room and started spreading out the gifts. On each one, I removed the existing tag and she put a new sticker 'from Santa' on it. She asked me what was in each, but I couldn't remember all of them. Still, I was able to fill her in on the majority. She must have had some plan in mind, because she organized them according to my descriptions of their probable contents, separating them in neat little piles. After about 15 minutes I looked over and saw her shaking her head. "What?" "It's too much." "That's what my ex said every year. I never got a complaint from the girls." She gave me a wry smile. "At least one of us is going to have a pretty spectacular Christmas." "Isn't that how it should be?" I saw her nod, and noticed that her eyes were glistening again. I decided to leave it alone. Until those moments, I really hadn't seen Sandy as a woman. I'd related to her as a person in need. But between her dressing up at the party, her comments on my patio, and the way she was dressed in just a robe, I'm almost ashamed to say I was scoping her out. She was rail thin, with short dark brown hair, almost black. She wasn't very large on top, but when she was moving around on her hands and knees, arranging presents, I got a few glimpses inside the top of her robe, and saw the swelling of very feminine breasts. Her legs were as thin as the rest of her, but with decent calf definition. Some of her movements were less than ladylike, and I saw myself peeking up the bottom of her robe, looking at her pale inner thighs, or glancing at her round rear giving form to her robe. Her face was cute. Small turned up nose, narrow mouth with bowed upper lip, and natural eyebrows fuller than was popular, above big brown eyes. Those eyes were extremely expressive, and somewhat mesmerizing. I found myself looking at her too often, and she eventually caught me at it. "What?" she asked. "Nothing," I answered quickly. Trying to cover myself I explained. "You just look happier than I've seen you until now." One corner of her mouth turned up. "I guess for once you're seeing me when I'm not completely pissed-off at you." We finished with the gifts and I carefully stood up and gingerly stepped around the pretty wrapped up presents. I turned and held my hand out to Sandy while she did her best to maneuver around them without stepping on any. She almost made it before stumbling at the last minute, kicking a pile over and falling toward me. I caught her and held her up, pulling her backward with me until the wall halted my retreat. She stared up at me, my arms still wrapped under hers, holding her closer than I intended. Her hair smelled like strawberries. "I should be furious with you," she said, leaning into me. "I know." I pulled her upright, but she clung to me, pressing against me. "We don't need anybody." She sounded angry again. I shrugged, hard to do while holding a fragile woman in my arms. "I don't have anybody." Her look softened. "I'm sorry." "Don't be. I'll be Ok." I closed my eyes, and thought once more of my kids. I could feel myself on the verge of losing it again. Without warning her lips were on mine, gentle at first. Then I felt her fingers dig into my skin, and she was kissing me fiercely, her teeth pressed hard against my lips. I pulled her tightly against my body, opening my mouth to hers, returning her ardor. It was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. She was clutching at me, kissing me, hugging me, hitting me, scratching me, while I stood there holding her, absorbing it all. I waited for her to calm down, and when she didn't I reached down and lifted her by the ass, holding her tight, while her legs encircled me. She bit my lip hard, and I could taste blood, while her claws sank into my shoulders. I could feel the anger and frustration in her, the desire to strike out somehow at the unfairness of it all. I echoed those feelings, accepting them, expanding them, and returning them in kind. Yes, I was angry too. Furious. The taste of my own blood on my lips just served to fuel the fire. Like everything else, having her vent her anger on me, while I was the only one in the world trying to help her was patently unfair. I was hurting too. I had lost so much more. So very much more. I was tired of being treated like dirt. Holding her by the rear in one hand, I grasped her hair from behind, pulling her hair back making her gasp. I lowered my mouth to her slender neck and bit her, sucking on her flesh. Both of her hands went to my head, entangling in my hair, and pulling my face down against her. Her hips ground against me, while her bare feet beat a tattoo against my back. Sandy pulled my head back by the hair, and I loosened my grip on hers. She stared into my eyes, hers flashing with pent up emotions. "Damn you!" she gasped. She leaned in and pressed her lips against mine again, still fierce and unrelenting. I turned and pressed her against the wall, trapping her there with my body. My hand lowered and slid into her robe, meeting nothing but bare flesh. I grabbed her breast and squeezed, causing her to moan into my mouth. Her hands weren't idle and she was pushing the top of my sweats down, using her feet to push them down in the back. She squeezed a hand between us, her other wrapped around my shoulders, and I felt her fingers wrap around my hardness. It was hard to believe how I was responding to her and her tantrum, but there was no doubt. I took over, pushing my sweats down, letting them slide down to my ankles, drawing my boxers with them. I was naked from the waist down and exposed. Our lips had never separated, and she sucked hungrily on my tongue, while I tore open her robe, roughly. Like me, she was naked underneath, except for a pair of loose shorts. She had my cock in her hand, and aimed it at her moist opening, pushing the leg of her shorts aside. I lowered her, easing into her, until I was fully sheathed. She groaned. Her hand now free, she grabbed me by the hair and tugged back, drawing her lips away. "You bastard," she gasped. "Bitch," I growled. I pulled my hips back and thrust into her hard, pushing her into the wall, eliciting another gasp. I felt my own anger welling up inside of me. I knew I wasn't really angry at her, but she was the unintended victim of my fury. I slammed my cock into her hard, grinding against her. Pulling back, I did it again, even harder, doing my best to push her right through the wall. She gasped as if I'd struck her. "That's right, fuck me," she whispered harshly. "Go ahead, fuck me you prick, like everyone else has." I took her ass cheeks in my hands and pulled her away from the wall, lifting her up off my cock, before releasing her, letting her weight impale her on my aching staff. One at a time, I reached my arms under her legs, her thighs resting on my forearms, my hands gripping her ass cheeks tightly. I tugged her shorts down in back, exposing her soft butt-flesh, and grabbed her cheeks tightly digging my fingers in. She linked her fingers behind my neck, and leaned backward, exposing her upper body to my gaze. Her small breasts had the most perfect little nipples, hardened for me. I fucked her hard and fast, while my strength and fury held out. As my arms grew tired I walked to the living room. She released each of her arms long enough to let her robe fall, leaving her almost naked. I lowered her, setting her butt down on the arm of the couch. She let go of me, leaning backward, lowering her back to the couch. Her hips were now positioned well above her body, and I pulled her toward me hard, so her lower back was on the couch arm. I yanked her shorts off and threw them to the side, staring down at her sexy naked body. I opened her legs wide, slid my cock into her warm hole and pounded into her, fucking up into her tight opening, while she moaned so damn sexily. Holding her legs in my hands and lifting them high and wide, she was effectively immobilized by her own weight resting on her shoulders. I slid my cock in and out of her, banging away, free to do as I please. She lay there, staring up at me, her eyes burning. I didn't want to look into those condemning orbs. I pulled out, roughly turned her over, her smooth soft ass raised up by the arm of the couch. I spread her legs and pierced her again, thrusting deeply on the first stroke, making her pay. I held her hips tightly and vented my feeling through my hips, hammering away viciously, fucking her as hard as I could. Looking between us, I was hypnotized by the sight of my thickness stretching her, filling her. With each stroke her flesh clung to me, stretching outward before yielding. I pulled out to the edge, spread her cheeks with my hands and toyed with her pink little slit, nudging my cock head into her, watching her opening stretch obscenely wide to take me. I slowed, squeezing her poor ass cheeks hard while slowly feeding her my cock. The incredible feeling was overcoming my ire, and I just enjoyed long-stroking her, making her feel every inch of my length, pushing deeply until I felt resistance deep inside of her. I couldn't take much more. I grabbed her hips and leaned over her, driving into her, filling her. I could feel her moist channel grasping at me, dragging me to the edge of desire. I looked down and saw she'd twisted her torso to look back at me. "Do it." I slammed my full weight into her, unable to resist the urge any longer. Gasping, I came inside of her, the release painful in its urgency, exploding deep within her over and over again. Her legs were flailing, and as I slowed she relaxed, bent over the arm like a rag doll, lifeless. She squealed when I lifted her up, spinning her around to sit on the arm. I took my still hard cock, and forced it back into her, pulling her against me, until just the edge of her butt was still resting on the couch. I could see she had tears in her eyes, and wet streaks running down her cheeks. I slid my arms around her, holding her close, squeezing her frail body. Her arms slid around my torso and she pressed her face against my chest. I held her while I felt her body shaking. I felt horrible, sickened at what I'd done. I'd fucked her viciously, using her, venting my aggravation and unhappiness on the one person I knew who'd already suffered enough on her own. I could feel my own eyes welling up. We held each other, desperately, clutching to anything that might let us ride out this horrible time in our lives. My hands relaxed as did the tightness that had been enveloping my body. I caressed her back, feeling her ribs under the soft skin. I pressed my lips to her hair, kissing her softly. She was returning my kisses, pressing her lips to my chest and shoulders, rubbing her hands over the scratches she'd given me earlier. I realized I was nudging in and out of her, surprised to find my cock staying hard, eager to continue. I held her, slowly screwing her, while she sobbed against me. I massaged her back, nuzzling her hair, kissing her temples. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "Don't," she sobbed. "Don't you dare apologize! Not now. Not ever." I pushed her head back, and lowered my lips to hers, kissing her softly. "I won't." "Good." She looked up and touched my lip, drawing back a finger red with my blood. "Oh God! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do that." "No apologies. Remember?" She answered by reaching up and kissing my lip. When she drew back I could see a little red on hers. I kissed her back, feeling her return it this time, still moving inside of her. Her legs spread wider, accommodating me. I looked down to see where I was entering her. When I looked back into her eyes they were smoldering. "Take me to bed," she whispered. "Are you sure?" "No. Do it anyway." I stood carefully, my pretty little sister-in-misery still impaled on my rod. She wrapped her legs around me tightly and clung to me with both arms. I held her by her sweet little ass and slowly climbed the stairs. With each step I lifted and lowered her, screwing her along the way. Nearing the top step she surprised me by giggling. "What?" "You're stronger than you look," she said, softening the words with careful little kisses bestowed across my chest. "You're light as a feather. I need to feed you." She smiled wickedly. "A protein oral injection?" I almost dropped her, and she giggled, "What?" "You, young lady, have a dirty mind." I saw a storm flitter across her face, but she shook it off and smiled. "It's been a long time, Alex. I'm not so good at flirting and teasing." "Ditto, beautiful. Bear with me." She made a little rolling movement of her hips, ending with my cock completely sheathed within her moistness. She giggled. "Damn! I can't believe you can just hold me like this." I pulled her up and down on my cock a few times, drawing a quiet gasp out of her. "I could hold you like this forever." I had cleared the last step and was walking her into her bedroom. Once again a flurry of emotions danced across her face, ending with a smile. "But then how would you ever feed me?" I reached back and closed the door behind us. Mischievously, I pulled her high in the air, making her squeal. She really was as light as a rag doll. I doubted she weighed a hundred pounds. I held her in my arms like a baby, rocking her. A very sexy baby. I had one arm under her legs, and the other under her back, and she turned in my arms, her lips closing around my nipple. I lifted her shoulder high, then removed the arm under her back, causing her to fall downward. Not far, since I caught her by the hips, hanging upside down. She gasped, her legs kicking out, her arms circling my waist. I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her legs down onto my shoulders, pressing her warm pinkness against my face. Her face was down around my waist. She squeezed her legs tightly around my head, her thighs pressing hard against my ears. "You're crazy!" she gasped. "See. I can hold you and still feed you," I teased, then licked her, my tongue probing her moist slit. She giggled, and I felt her warm lips engulf the head of my cock. I grabbed her near the hips, and lowered her a bit, feeling my cock enter her mouth. I lifted and lowered her a few times, licking her on the upward movement, filling her mouth on the way back down. For all my bravado, it was amazingly difficult, and I could feel my arms trembling from the effort. I held her still, her mouth filled with my cock, and walked the few remaining steps to the bed. She was getting more active, sucking me and moving her head back and forth. It felt incredible. I almost didn't want to put her down. But I knew if I didn't there was a chance I'd drop her soon. With one last herculean effort I lifted her up and leaned over depositing her in a squirming ball of flesh on her mattress. She spent no time at all sitting up and pulled me onto the bed. I reached out for her but she pulled away. "Lay down. My turn now." I stretched out in the middle of her bed, and watched her crawl to my waist, move between my legs and look up at me before lowering her mouth to my pulsating rod. She licked me, examining me, stroking me with her hands, kissing my cock with her warm, tender lips. Staring into my eyes she lowered her lips over the purple helmet and took most of my length into her mouth. It felt so damned incredible I moaned loudly. She pulled up and pressed her fingers against her lips. "Shhh. We don't want to wake anybody." I mimed zipping my lips closed, barely containing another groan when she took me in her mouth again. She sucked me as if she were on a mission. Her hands worked me just below where her mouth took over. I reached down and brushed her bangs aside so I could watch her. That was enough encouragement for her to pick up the pace, pistoning her face onto my stiff pole, gasping when she pressed too hard. "Sandy," I started to warn her. She held out her palm to me, sucking with complete abandon. I didn't say another word. I let her draw my juices up and out, and moaned softly when I finally achieved my much needed release, erupting between her lips. She was breathing hard through her nose, holding me in her mouth, taking all I had to offer and gamely swallowing it down. She sucked softly when I was done shooting, and I could feel the pulses of tightness while she swallowed repeatedly. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be concentrating hard on completing her mission. When my hardness started to whither, she took me in her hand and stroked me, her mouth tenderly sucking me, carefully tugging on my shaft, her tongue massaging the tender head. I relaxed on the bed and enjoyed her attention, concentrating on the amazing feeling around my waist. The idea of getting hard for her and continuing our play was combining with her devoted attention, and I finally responded after a few minutes, hardening in her mouth. That seemed to be a signal to her and she sat up, sucking me more aggressively, restoring the steel to my cock, until it could stand on its own, full and ready. Sandy moved up my body, straddled my waist and slid my trouser soldier back home. She slowly worked her way up and down my cock until I was completely sheathed once more. Then she settled all the way down and stretched. It was beautiful to see, her slender body straining upward, her arms reaching to the sky, her head leaning back, the curve of her rib cage accentuated by the hollow of her belly, her perfect little breasts standing out brave and eager, the pretty pink tips showing hard little caps. After a few moments in that pose she relaxed with a sigh, settling back down and leaning forward until her hands were braced against my chest. "Thanks for the meal," she said with a teasing smile. "You are amazing," I confessed. She gave me a sad little smile. "It's nice to hear someone say that. It's been a long, long time." I reached out for her and she slid down to my chest, while I wrapped her in my arms. "That's a shame. You are so beautiful." "You don't have to say that," she said into my shoulder. "But you are." I held her, pushing with my hips, slowly screwing her while I held her. "I'm not. I know it. It's Ok." I reached down and lifted her face so I could lean forward and kiss her. It was a long tender kiss, and afterwards I just held her. I kept my hips moving gently, not wanting to lose the contact with her, staying hard and filling her. "Just hold me a bit, Ok?" "As long as you'll let me." I assured her, and I engulfed her in my arms, clutching her as if I'd never let her go. I could feel her trembling, her arms holding me tightly. Her back was rising and lowering spasmodically, and I heard the tiny gasp of her crying against me. I didn't try to quiet her or comfort her. I just held her, raining kisses down onto the top of her head, holding her tightly, and easing my cock back and forth into her. We spent several long minutes like that, until she slowly relaxed and her death grip on me eased. I loosened my own grip, allowing my hands free rein in their exploration of her body, stroking her, fondling her, holding her tight little butt in my hands and pushing up into her. She slowly responded, pushing back against my strokes, her tits pressing into my chest. I pulled her tightly to my body, rose up on one arm and rolled over, lifting her body off the bed, and settling it down below me. On top of her now, I let go, raising my torso the length of my arms and thrusting into her with long slow strokes. She looked so small and vulnerable underneath me. I leaned down and kissed her, and she grabbed my head and kissed me back eagerly. She finally let me go and I resumed fucking her, happy to be right where I was. I gazed down at her, wondering how I'd failed to notice how pretty she was right from the start. "Stop staring." "I can't help it. You are so beautiful. I want to memorize everything about you." "I'm not too skinny?" she asked. "Nothing a few more meals can't fix," I teased. I fucked her in silence for a bit, then rose up to pound her more thoroughly, opening her legs up for better access. She pulled her legs back, holding her own ankles nearly parallel with her head. I spread my legs and straightened them, raising my hips high before plunging down into her. She gasped and I smiled, pummeling her from above, fucking her fast and hard, her wide open pussy screaming out to be filled. For the first time that night I felt her responding deeply, shivering. She released her feet and clutched her legs behind her knees, her shins bracketing her pretty face. I rose up to my knees, leaning over and pushing down on the back of her legs, screwing her as fast as I could, feeling the need to cum growing in me. "Harder," she gasped, "harder." I slowed down just a bit and put some more weight behind my strokes, pulling her forward to meet my onslaught. She was gasping continuously, her toes curling up and her feet stretching out. I watched in delight as her head tilted back and her eyes rolled back into her head, while she came on my cock, her entire body quivering, her chest blushing bright red. Just as she appeared to be settling back down, gasping hard, I grabbed her thighs and fucked her as fast as I could, feeling my own need peaking. I couldn't hold back any longer and buried myself deep inside of her, shooting hard, my hips jerking forward of their own accord, filling her. Sandy cried out, releasing her legs which kicked out and trembled while she came with me. I stretched out over her, while her legs slowly wrapped around me. Her eyes were large, staring at me in ego-soothing wonder. I kissed her softly. "You are amazing," I told her. She blushed. "I...I never...not like that," she murmured. I was exhausted, from head to toe, and my legs and arms were trembling from my exertion. The front of my hips were sore from pounding against her, and my cock felt like it had been run through a wringer. I rolled off of her, lying on my back, breathing hard. She rolled over and leaned her upper body into mine. I reached around her, holding her close. There was so much I wanted to say, but I didn't know how, or where to start. Instead I just kissed the top of her head while she held me. I reached across with my opposite hand and stroked her side before allowing my hand to settle over her breast, holding it gently, my fingers idly toying with her nipple. She moved closer, lifting her leg over mine, laying half on top of me. It allowed my arm holding her to wander, touching her, feeling her. I could feel the wetness of her crotch pressing into my hip, cold and wet. I closed my eyes, my arm stretched across her back, my hand holding the warm flesh of her ass cheek. Her breathing was slow and steady, her arm thrown across my chest. I pressed my lips against her hair one last time, leaned back and relished holding this sweet, sexy, troubled woman. I woke abruptly, confused. I was alone in a strange bed, the covers pulled up to my chin. Daylight was streaming in the window, and I sat up, disoriented. It took a few seconds for me to recall the previous evening, and I looked around for Sandy. I started to get out of bed, and realized I was naked, my clothes were still somewhere downstairs. I pulled the covers over my waist, and looked around for something to cover up with, before spotting my clothing from the night before folded on a chair nearby. I pulled on my shorts and ducked into the bathroom for a much needed leak. I splashed some water on my face and borrowed her brush to run it through my wild hair. I took a swig of mouthwash and did my best to look partially human before heading back to the bedroom. I was pulling on my sweats when Sandy appeared with a cup of coffee. It smelled delicious. She smiled and passed it to me. She was dressed in pajamas, and had clearly showered and cleaned up. Her hair was still moist. "Hurry up. There's a little girl downstairs almost bursting with the need to open her presents." I took a sip of the coffee, hot and strong, then passed it back to her for a second while I pulled on my shirt. I straightened it out and retrieved my coffee for another sip. She was watching me intently, a sad little smile on her face. I started to speak but she cut me off. "No. Let's not talk about it right now. It was something we both needed, but it doesn't have to mean anything. It just happened. I don't regret it. Right now we need to go downstairs." I moved to her and grabbed her chin. I saw she was nervous and wondered if she'd practiced that little speech. I leaned over and kissed her softly, continuing until she responded. "I just want to say you are amazing. Really." "So you keep saying," she teased. "What is Erica going to think?" "I told her you had a sleepover. She probably has a good idea what that means, kids are so precocious these days, but she seemed alright with it." "Shit. I feel like a jerk, spoiling her Christmas with you." She hit me, her little fist landing solidly on my chest, almost making me spill my coffee. "Shut up. It's because of you that she's having a Christmas worth mentioning at all." She turned and headed downstairs, and I had to pull my eyes away from her cute little butt, before I had a physical response that would be almost too much to bear. I realized she was walking tentatively, and wondered if she was as sore as I was this morning. Probably. Maybe more so. We headed straight for the living room, and sat back on the couch about a foot apart while Erica waited for us, standing beside the presents almost shaking. She watched her mother anxiously, glancing my way long enough for a quick smile. When her mother nodded she dove into the presents grabbing the closest and tearing it open. She oohed and aahed over each new gift, while the pile of unwrapped ones grew smaller and an ever growing field of toys gradually overtook the room. She shrieked and jumped up and down when she opened the iPod touch, pulling off the $50 iTunes gift certificate. She'd been pretty quiet up until then but she climbed over to her mother and gave her a big hug. "He knew, Momma, he knew!" she shrieked in joy, stopping her present opening to crack open the iPod box and pull it out, looking it over, holding it reverently in her hands. I felt a warm hand settle onto mine, giving a soft squeeze. I turned my wrist and held her hand in mine, interlocking our fingers. I looked over to Sandy, and saw the tears in her eyes. With a sniffle she carefully brushed them away. As usual, the new clothing got short shrift, being tossed into a growing pile, but she did look each one over, holding it up against her body, asking her mother's opinion on several before moving on. I listened to Sandy laugh at her daughter's antics, and thought it was the most beautiful sound I had heard in ages. Erica was about halfway through the gifts. I watched her reach for a big box, and I gave her mother's hand a squeeze. "Maybe that one should be last," I whispered. "Erica, darling, that one's from Mr. Reed. Why don't you open it last?" Erica looked up, her surprise matching my own. She moved it to the side and continued her quest to eliminate the pile of wrapped presents. The small purse with five $10 bills was another big hit, as were the rollerblades, each calling for another shriek and a visit to her mother's lap, bringing forth more giggles and laughter from the woman beside me. Sandy was smiling hugely, taking the wrapping paper from her daughter and filling a garbage bag with it as we went. I was torn. Each gift I'd so carefully picked out for my girls was disappearing. I couldn't help but think about how I should be spending my Christmas, if I hadn't received such a kick in the teeth from fate. A couple of times I felt myself tearing up, my breath catching in my chest. Sandy moved closer, her leg pressed against mine, holding my hand in both of hers, tightly, in her lap. Then I would see the joy on young Erica's face, and I'd wipe the tears away, taking a deep breath, knowing that it was what my daughter's would have wanted. Their hearts had been as big as the world. I felt Sandy's head lean into my shoulder, and I gave her hand another squeeze. Finally the presents ran out. There were two gifts remaining. The one that had been there on that first day, which seemed so long ago but had only been three days earlier, and the big one. She looked over at us, then starting peeling away the paper off of her mother's present. There was a book sized jewelry box inside, and she opened it shrieking. "Grandma's necklace?" she asked. "You always liked it," Sandy said. Erica came over and sat between her mother's legs, lifting her hair up out of the way so her mother could attach the chain behind her neck. I could now see it was an old-fashioned locket and Erica was clutching at it like she'd never let it go. Sandy finally got the chain latched, and gave her a little shove. Erica stood up and ran to the mirror, looking at herself. She came and stood in front of us, striking several poses. It was so damned cute. I couldn't help but laugh. That got Sandy's attention, and she giggled as well, cuddling up next to me and pulling my arm around her shoulders. We watched Erica go to the last big box, glancing back at us as if waiting for permission. "Go on," I teased, "you can't stop now!" She grabbed the edge of the wrapping paper, and tore into it. She ripped large chunks of paper off, tossing them toward her mother, before suddenly coming to a complete stop. She screamed out, stood up and danced in place. I'd never seen anybody so excited. She bent over and tore the paper away roughly exposing the PS3 and the piles of games taped to the top. "Mom! Mom! It's a PS3!" she cried out, bending over and lifting the box, twirling around with it, before stumbling and dropping it to the floor. Sandy laughed, "Careful! You don't want to break it before you get a chance to use it." Erica scrambled across the coffee table between us and launched herself into my lap. She gave me a huge hug, squeezing me so hard I thought she might break something. I felt her breath against my ear. "Thank you, Santa." I felt her soft lips press against my cheek, bringing a tear to my eye. I hugged her to me. "I hope you enjoy your present." I could feel the tears welling up, threatening to overflow, and I clung to her for a few seconds. "Go on now, open it up." She jumped up and started tearing at the box, peeling off the games, instantly separating them into piles. So much like her mother. I felt Sandy shifting on the couch next to me, and I turned toward her, just as her arms wrapped around me. She kissed me on the cheek. "Thank you." I hugged her. "I should be thanking you. I never thought I could enjoy Christmas again." She smiled. "That would be horrible," she said softly, "if Santa couldn't enjoy Christmas." I thought we were finally done, but Erica went behind the tree and returned with two gifts wrapped in newspaper comics. She gave her mother one, and gave me the other. Sandy and I looked at each other, then she opened her gift. Inside was a hand-made ornament, a picture of their little family, Sandy, Erica, and the missing father, smiling as if everything was perfect in the world. The picture was framed in popsicle sticks, with pipe-cleaners glued to it. It was too cute for words. "If we hang it on the tree, then Daddy can share Christmas with us from heaven," Erica explained. I saw Sandy choke up, then give her daughter a big hug. "It's beautiful." "Hang it up, mom!" Erica insisted. Sandy got up and placed it in the middle of the tree, carefully arranging it so it faced the room. "I love it Erica, thank you." Erica was standing in front of me, hopping from foot to foot. "Your turn," she announced. I opened the paper carefully, and saw a hand drawn picture, colored in crayons on some light colored cardboard. It took me a second to realize what it was. "It's us painting the door, isn't it?" "Yep. And that's momma, trying to look angry." She pointed to a stick figure at the side. It must have taken her a while. The picture was pretty big, more than a foot tall, and she'd carefully drawn the door in great detail, coloring it blue, and she had little Christmas decorations all around it. She was kneeling down painting the bottom, and I had this ridiculously long body, bent over at the waist, painting the door just above her head. I pointed to the figure to the side. "If she's angry, how come she's smiling?" I asked. Erica laughed. "She's only trying to be angry. She's really happy. She just isn't allowed to show it. She has to act sad because Daddy's gone." I held the picture up, then made a show of hugging it. "It's my very favorite Christmas present. I'm going to frame it and put it on my desk." Erica climbed up on the couch and hugged me. "Will you hook up my PS3?" "Of course I will," I told her, returning her hug. "And I'll start breakfast," Sandy announced. I looked up, and she was wiping tears from her face again. What a roller-coaster of emotions. It only took a few minutes, and we had the game system hooked up and Erica was debating which game to start with. She barely got it loaded before we were called over for breakfast. "Mo-om!" Erica pouted. "It's not going anywhere. You can play after breakfast." It was surrealistic, sitting there at the table, with eggs, toast and sausage on my plate, and a glass of orange juice at the ready. Erica had cereal in her bowl and a tall glass of milk. Like a normal family. I was still stunned by how talkative Erica had become, as she told us all about her gifts. "Can Taylor come over later and play?" she asked. "We'll see," Sandy told her. "It's Christmas, her parents may want her to stay at home today." "What are your favorite gifts?" I asked. She seemed to think about it, and I watched her hand move up to the locket around her neck. It was cute watching her face scrunch up as she really thought it over. "I think it was your sleepover," she finally announced, catching me off guard and almost making me spit my orange juice across the table. Sandy was just as surprised, "Really? Better than the PS3?" she asked. Erica nodded vehemently. She looked at me, "Momma's happy." I looked over at Sandy, and saw her blushing furiously. I reached over and tousled Erica's hair. "I'm happy too. Happier than I thought I could be." Erica nodded solemnly. "I know. Your girls went to heaven too. These were their presents, right?" I nodded. "I knew they'd want you to have them." She took a bite of her cereal. "Allora was nice. We made a poster for her in class. I drew an angel." Hearing her name was tough. Suddenly everything felt wrong. I should be sitting at a table with her and Briana, listening to them chatter. Watch them fight over playing with each other's gifts. No chance of that now. The room was becoming blurry, tears for my lost girls filling my eyes. "Don't be sad," Erica said, reaching out and touching my arm. "They're in heaven now, and they get to watch us. They wouldn't want you to be sad." I forced myself to smile. "I bet the poster was beautiful. I wish I could see it." "Mrs. Viola would probably let me take it home for you," she said. "I'd like that." Erica was eating her cereal as fast as she could, and she pushed the empty bowl away. "Can I play now?" Sandy gave her the go ahead, and she made a beeline toward the TV. Sandy and I looked at each other. "She's become quite the chatterbox," I mentioned. "Thank God," Sandy said, standing up and taking up the plates. "Let's hope it sticks." I cleared my own stuff and joined her at the sink. "I should go home soon." "I understand," she said softly. "I have to stop by the in-laws. I promised. But I'd like to come by later if you don't mind. Maybe we can have dinner together." She seemed a little distant. "You don't have to. You've done enough already." I put my arms around her, and felt her stiffen. "Don't tell Erica, but her drawing was only my second favorite Christmas gift." I felt her relax a bit, and she turned toward me, allowing me to hug her properly. I leaned down and kissed her softly. She giggled. "Oh, really?" "Really. The sleepover was my favorite." "That gift will have to hold you over for a while. Another sleepover and I don't think I'd ever be able to walk again. You beast." Her smile took any sting out of the words. "No kidding. I'd have to learn to talk with only one lip." Her eyes opened wide, and she raised her hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry," she whispered. I kissed her again. "No apologies, remember." She smiled. "Alright. Dinner would be nice, but I didn't have anything special planned." "Let me take care of the dinner." She grinned salaciously. "That's right. You did promise to feed me." That made me blush. "As a matter of fact, if you're not in a huge hurry, maybe you could feed me again, before you have to leave." I looked over at Erica. "She'll be fine. You won't be able to tear her away from those games for hours." She took me by the hand, and drew me over to the stairs. Half-an-hour later, I'd fed her, but not before proving to us both that we fit each other perfectly. It was quiet, and gentle, and just what I needed to make it clear that the previous night wasn't a one-time accidental thing. It's been a year since that first Christmas. Things weren't always easy between us, we still had sharp edges and wounds that weren't quick to heal, but we stuck to it. Any talk of holding Erica back in school ended quickly. She's an A student, smart as a whip, and even talking about playing volleyball. Her quiet spell snapped that Christmas. Within six months I'd moved in with Sandy and Erica, and we'd become landlords, renting out my two houses, and using our new found wealth to buy a few foreclosures, renovate them and rent them out as well. Sandy quit her jobs and was relishing her new real-estate magnate career. Even if the rentals can be a headache sometimes. By September we were talking about marriage, and decided to forgo any big ceremony and flew off to Vegas for a mini-vacation and a quick wedding. We even conned Cathy and John to join us for a couple of days. Cathy was our matron of honor. Steve and Darla surprised us by showing up as well. He insisted that if I was going to put on the noose again willingly, he'd be my best man. He always was. We're wrapping Erica's gifts now. I guess overdoing it at Christmas is one habit I'll never get over. Every once in a while I can't help but reach over and rub Sandy's belly. Erica's excited by the idea of having a new baby brother by summer. Me? I'm excited by our new Christmas tradition. I get to re-enact our first Christmas sleepover. Sandy's even wearing that silly, ratty old robe. She's promised never to get rid of it. Christmas will always be bitter sweet to me, and sometimes I still get the blues and need some time to myself to think about those little girls that had their lives cut short so unfairly. I miss them terribly, and think about them every day. Christmas will never be the same. But I'm not complaining. Based on the post from Tx Tall Tales for Literotica

Send us a textKen from the Sounds of Christmas talks to singer/songwriter Linda Imperial about her Christmas music (and non-Christmas music), including last year's single "Christmas In The Topics", her earlier single "Christmas, You And Me" and her charity appearance with "Little Drummer Boy", plus and her plans for a rocking "Run Rudolph Run"!Linda's first appearance in 2021Linda's appearance last year Linda's websiteShow links:Listen to the Sounds of Christmas stationFind the Sounds of Christmas podcastConnect with the Sounds of Christmas on social mediaCheck out all the artists that are making the 2024 season of the Sounds of Christmas station possibleSupport the show

Shawn Katzbeck, Marinette's Marketing & Tourism Director, joins Jim and Nikki to promote another great event for the holiday season. "For Kids from 1 to 92" is set for December 20th at the Community REC Center. It will feature the 13-piece band Steem! Enjoy beloved Christmas and holiday classics like "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)," John Mellencamp's rendition of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," and the timeless "Little Drummer Boy." Tickets are available online. Then Alisa Gerke is in from Unity Hospice. She talks about Unity's services and their new resale shop in DePere. Maino and the Mayor is a part of the Civic Media radio network and airs Monday through Friday from 6-9 am on WGBW in Green Bay and on WISS in Appleton/Oshkosh. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast lineup. Follow the show on Facebook and X to keep up with Maino and the Mayor! Guests: Shawn Katzbeck, Alisa Gerke

Can a toxic environment produce greatness? We ask that question this week as we watched Whiplash (2014). Excellent performances by JK Simmons and Miles Teller, showcase the lengths and punishments that some will endure to achieve their goals. Can you match our tempo? Leave a review and let us know.Also Play:Cinema Chain Game--------------------------------------------Subscribe, rate, and review:Apple Podcasts: Our Film FathersSpotify: Our Film FathersYouTube: Our Film Fathers---------------------------------------------Follow Us:Instagram: @ourfilmfathersTwitter: @ourfilmfathersEmail: ourfilmfathers@gmail.com

KINGDOM IS COMING! Erwin brothers and Kevin Downes, producers of movies: "I Can Only Imagine", "Woodlawn", "Mom's Night Out" and more, had the biggest announcement in 50 years of Christian movie history: - not one - but a slate of four movies announced with their new Kingdom faith-based studio under Lionsgate. Hear of the movies: "I Still Believe" with Jeremy Camp; The Jesus Revolution, on Greg Laurie; the Christmas Movie, "Little Drummer Boy" with King and Country; and The Apostles (discussed in Part 1). For shows and more subscribe at parentcompass.tv/subscribe or download the Parent Compass App. To donate go to parentcompass.tv/donate. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1493/29

KINGDOM IS COMING! Erwin brothers and Kevin Downes, producers of movies: "I Can Only Imagine", "Woodlawn", "Mom's Night Out" and more, had the biggest announcement in 50 years of Christian movie history: - not one - but a slate of four movies announced with their new Kingdom faith-based studio under Lionsgate. Hear of the movies: "I Still Believe" with Jeremy Camp; The Jesus Revolution, on Greg Laurie; the Christmas Movie, "Little Drummer Boy" with King and Country; and The Apostles (discussed in Part 1). For shows and more subscribe at parentcompass.tv/subscribe or download the Parent Compass App. To donate go to parentcompass.tv/donate. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1493/29

Full moon in Aries ~ Little Drummer Boy (1 December 2017 - Los Angeles, CA)

The Richard Syrett Show, September 11th, 2024 Subscribe to Richard's newsletter, "Why I Fight" Scroll to bottom of page https://sauga960am.ca/programs/the-richard-syrett-show WHY IS THIS 9/11 ANNIVERSARY DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHERS? https://publiusnationalpost.substack.com/p/dr-carole-lieberman-to-wear-bullet  Dr. Carole Lieberman is board-certified psychiatrist, who has been helping people cope with terrorism as The Terrorist Therapist® since 9/11 in America, Israel, London, Paris and worldwide. Dr. Lieberman has written two books about terrorism, including the 5x award-winning book, Lions and Tigers and Terrorists, Oh My! How to Protect Your Child in a Time of Terror, for kids (and their parents and teachers). She also hosts “The Terrorist Therapist Show” - chosen as one of the top podcasts on terrorism. NEWS NOT IN THE NEWS THE CULT OF CLIMATE CHANGE Replay from August 7th, 2024 Why Has the Climate Cult Ditched the Polar Bear as Their Mascot?  As atmospheric CO2 has increased, the percentage of the US to reach 90F sometime during the year has decreased - with this year (so far) being one of the lowest on record Tony Heller - Geologist, Weather Historian, Founder of Real Climate Science Trump vs Harris Debate – Who Won? David Freiheit, aka Viva Frei on Rumble and co-host of VivaBarnesLaw.Locals.com 'Linsey Davis is a liar': Social-media deliver abortion truth bomb to presidential debate moderator https://www.wnd.com/2024/09/linsey-davis-is-a-liar-social-media-deliver-abortion-truth-bomb-to-presidential-debate-moderator/ Joe Kovacs Executive News Editor, WND.com. Author of the brand-new best-selling book, "Reaching God Speed: Unlocking the Secret Broadcast Revealing the Mystery of Everything." THIS DAY IN ROCK HISTORY In 1970, NME's Keith Allston met with Jimi Hendrix, for what would turn out to be the artist's final interview. In the article, Hendrix spoke about a new musical phase, even detailing collaborations with Miles Davis and Paul McCartney.  In 1977, David Bowie recorded a guest appearance on Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas TV show, duetting with Crosby for a medley of “Peace On Earth” and “Little Drummer Boy.” The now-iconic performance was one of Crosby's last recordings before his death the following month.  In 1982, John “Cougar” Mellencamp became the only male artist to have two singles in the US Top Ten as well as the No.1 album. “Jack and Diane” landed at No.4, while “Hurts So Good” came in at No.8. His album American Fool maintained the top spot for nine weeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When President Abraham Lincoln in May 1861 issued the call for volunteers to serve in the Union Army for a three-year term, one of those who tried to answer was Ohio resident John Clem. Not yet 10 years old, Clem's service was refused by the newly formed 3rd Ohio. Undeterred, Clem later tried to join the 22nd Michigan, where his persistence won over the unit's officers. They agreed to let him follow the regiment, adopting him as a mascot and unofficial drummer boy. The officers also chipped in to pay his monthly salary of $13 before he finally was allowed to officially enlist in 1863. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Missing Chapter Podcast website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information, previous episodes, and professional development opportunities. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to send us a voice message of your name, where you're from, what your favorite MC story is and be featured on an upcoming episode! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/themissingchapter/support

GEORGIA RADIO - GRAMMY® award-winning singer/songwriter John Berry talks with Georgia Radio's Matt Jolley about his ‘Christmas With John Berry' 28th Annual Christmas Tour. With fourteen shows currently slated and more to come, the tour will kick off on November 29 in Sugar Hill, Georgia, and continue through the holiday season. Berry takes pride in offering a fresh new show each year while always including popular classics like “Little Drummer Boy,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “Let It Snow,” “Mary Did You Know,” and his timeless hit, “O Holy Night.” For on-sale dates and the latest information on the 28th Annual ‘Christmas With John Berry,' visit johnberry.com/tour."Twenty-eight years have passed, and I could never have imagined the incredible blessing of sharing my music and celebrating the birth of Christ on this journey," shares Berry. "It means the world for Robin and I to see so many of you return year after year with your loved ones and friends, all coming together to embrace the joy of the season. I look forward to sharing this time of giving with each of you and am forever grateful for your continued support."John Berry is known for his special holiday shows. In these performances, he sings fan-favorite Christmas classics, many of his hits, and his treasured holiday memories, making this tour even more special for everyone who attends. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of Berry's hit single “Your Love Amazes Me.”The 28th Annual ‘Christmas With John Berry' 2024 Tour Schedule:NOV 29 - The Eagle at Sugar Hill / Sugar Hill, Ga.NOV 30 - High Point Theatre / High Point, N.C.DEC 04 - Etherredge Center / Aiken, S.C.DEC 06 - Williams Auditorium / Henderson, Tenn.DEC 07 - Washington High School / Washington, Ind.DEC 08 - Jefferson Plaza Hall / Jefferson, Ind.DEC 10 - The Grand / Oshkosh, Wis.DEC 14 - Hasting Performing Arts Center / Hastings, Mich.DEC 15 - Dogwood Center for the Performing Arts / Fremont, Mich.DEC 16 - Majestic Theatre / Chillicothe, OhioDEC 18 - Cedartown Performing Arts Center / Cedartown, Ga.DEC 19 - The Classic Center / Athens, Ga.DEC 20 - Monterey Station / Cowan, Tenn.DEC 21 - The Grand Opera House / Macon, Ga.More to be announcedFor more information on John Berry, visit his website or follow him on social media:FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTubeSpotifyAbout John Berry: Grammy award-winning entertainer John Berry's career has spanned over three decades and twenty-five albums, including his latest release, ‘Find My Joy.' Boasting an impressive twenty singles on the charts, with six reaching the Top 5 and one #1 on the Billboard country charts, resulting in numerous Gold and Platinum records. Berry's co-written "A Mind Of Her Own" and "Kiss Me In The Car" introduced him to radio audiences in 1993, paving the way for hits including “Your Love Amazes Me,” “What's In It For Me,” “You And Only You,” “Standing On The Edge Of Goodbye,” “I Think About It All The Time,” “Change My Mind,” “She's Taken A Shine,” and his Grammy-nominated hit, “Your Love Amazes Me.” Shortly after having brain surgery, Berry recorded his Christmas album, ‘O Holy Night' in 1995. This magical album and the title track went on to lay the foundation of his inaugural Christmas tour that has continued for nearly thirty years. In 1996, he scored a GRAMMY win for his participation in Amazing Grace: A Country Salute to Gospel Vol. 1. In 1999, Berry made history with the release of “There He Goes,” a posthumous duet with Patsy Cline. In 2020, John Berry teamed with newcomers Joe & Martina for their Billboard charting single, “Give Me Back The 90's,” paying tribute to Berry and all the other acts who emerged during this popular era in country music. His TV show, Songs & Stories with John Berry, aired weekly for two years on Heartland Television, The Family Channel, The Country Network, Roku (via Heartland), AMG TV, Country TV (New Zealand), and Keep It Country TV (UK). In 2019, Berry was diagnosed with throat cancer, requiring thirty-five combined treatments of radiation and chemotherapy, which were successfully completed. This year will mark Berry's 28th Annual Christmas Tour. For more on John Berry, visit his website at johnberry.com.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/georgia-radio/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week Dylan makes Matt listen to the Justin Bieber album from his childhood while Matt is baffled by hearing his version of Little Drummer Boy for the first time Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ace and Strauss hit up a cafe while Reflux and Duffy try a different approach. If you're looking for more Delta Green action, check out: Pretending to be People! Stories & Lies We have a Patreon! What to support us? Click HERE! You can find us on Instagram (chaosenginepod) and Hive (chaosenginepod) You can also email us at chaosenginepod@gmail.com Published by arrangement with the Delta Green Partnership. The intellectual property known as Delta Green is a trademark and copyright owned by the Delta Green Partnership, who has licensed its use here. The contents of this document are ©

In this holly jolly episode, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eric⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Danny⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ continue counting down each of their top 10 Christmas carols and hymns. The guys chat about why they picked each song, then share a story about each of their picks, from 5 down to 1. Which songs will make their lists? Jingle Bells, O Christmas Tree, O Holy Night, Silent Night, Little Drummer Boy? You gotta listen to find out! Plus, the guys open some fan mail, play a holly jolly Christmas themed game, and share what's been going on lately in their respective lives. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DANNY'S SHOW, HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO! Do you want to have access to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠even more⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ massively merry exclusive ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bonus episodes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, be a part of a private group of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christmas obsessed peeps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ just like YOU, and chat directly with Eric and Danny? It's super simple! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CLICK HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join our Patreon Family! You can also ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUBSCRIBE ON SPOTIFY⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or Apple to get exclusive episodes delivered directly to your feed every week. Check out our merch shop ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Patreon supporters get 20% off all purchases, so ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join now⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get a fantastically festive discount code. Follow us on the socials ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@christmascountdownshow⁠⁠

In this very merry episode, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eric⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Danny⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ begin counting down each of their top 10 Christmas carols and hymns. The guys chat about why they picked each song, then share a story about each of their picks, from 10 down to 6. Which songs will make their lists? Jingle Bells, O Christmas Tree, O Holy Night, Silent Night, Little Drummer Boy? You gotta listen to find out! Plus, the guys welcome in a DREAM guest, the one and only, the legend... DARLENE LOVE! And, if that wasn't enough merriment, the guys chat about the latest Christmas news, open some fan mail, and share what's been going on lately in their respective lives. Do you want to have access to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠even more⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ massively merry exclusive ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bonus episodes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, be a part of a private group of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christmas obsessed peeps⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ just like YOU, and chat directly with Eric and Danny? It's super simple! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CLICK HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join our Patreon Family! You can also ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUBSCRIBE ON SPOTIFY⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or Apple to get exclusive episodes delivered directly to your feed every week. Check out our merch shop ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Patreon supporters get 20% off all purchases, so ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join now⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get a fantastically festive discount code. Follow us on the socials ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@christmascountdownshow⁠

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