Happy Holidays To The Entire Staff Of Fine Art America Members Visitors And Buyers

Happy Holidays to you Michael!

Hello Kathy how nice to receive your holiday wishes. I hope you are doing well and had a successful year!!!

Cheers,

 

Fond wishes, Michael, to you & yours, FAA staff, members, visitors, & patrons -- for peace, joy and love this holiday season, & throughout the years.




carmenhathaway.com

Greetings Carmen thank you for the holiday sentiments and wish you the very best also. I hope things are going well for you and doing ok. I do have plans to have a few friends over for a traditional Christmas Holiday dinner. I did not do Thanksgiving this year nor have a birthday cake. I have reached to age of 67, my birthday November 25. A long time friend we always take each other out to a new local restaurant for our birthday with friends. Instead of a cake I was surprised with a traditional mini Mardi Gras King Cake this was amazing with a brown sugar rum sauce to die for..

I plan on making this year as in the past a family 100 year plus recipe Fruit Cake, instead of loaf I make individual spoonful drops, pour a teaspoon of whiskey, wrap in colored cellophane wrap and thin ribbon tie, thumb print turtles, traditional New Orleans pralines and cocoa fudge for gift giving and after dinner treats..

Wishing you a healthy prosperous New Year!

Cheers,

 

Thanks Michael -- life is good, appears you're enjoying also!     :)
Shared some great news, along with many others in Jim Whalen's What's the Good News? thread.





carmenhathaway.com

Thank you Carmen for the link to Jim Whalen's What's The Good New's a great forum discussion, not sure how I missed reading that one..... Your rum laden caramel sauce sounds worthy preparing and drizzling over bread pudding.....When I was a chef locally I did create a chopped fine roasted pecans to sprinkle over the top of traditional style bread pudding with my brown sugar rum sauce, I am gonna have to make a version using caramel.

I had to chuckle when I was chef on Shell Platforms it was mandatory I made my pudding chocolate mouse style gram cracker layered with hand whipped cream topping three times a week lol I am smiling one of the family Fruit Cake recipe came from my Aunt Carmen and the other my father's side of the family. Back in the days my parents along with all six of sisters and brothers had an assembly line preparing and keeping up with orders over the holidays.....My father designed a pantry closet to house the shelf after shelf of the family fruit cake recipe and when they were cured with the whiskey poured over them with covered with a cheese cloth I do remember every time I passed by I would open the door to the panty and inhale it was so intoxicating.

Cheers,

Happy Holidays and a 2019 full of love, well-being, laughter, and boundless creativity to you Michael, Fine Art America staff, creatives, and collectors!

I'm a huge study of 1880's America, the deferential treatment of other people was paramount above all other things. Calligraphy was considered a high art form; the technical skills required are long lost. Look at the beautiful script in the letter; it's an art form by itself. But if you think about it, there was: no radio, no TV, no internet, no cell phone, no distractions means people had to use their brains.

Peace, Love and have a great day!

Love, Kathy

...and remember: artist's get the last word, always have and always will!

Merry Christmas to you Micheal and the entire FAA staff and membership.

I hope everyone has a great and wonderful new year for the entire year!

Happy Holidays to everyone! I don't think my family are planning to get together this year and that makes me a little sad. When my parents were alive we always had Christmas Eve at our house with my sisters and their families. My older sister has passed now and my nephews' homes are farther away. Mom always made an orange pound cake from my grandma's recipe and sometimes I still make it. I use all butter instead of Crisco though. Here's the recipe if anyone would like to try it. The orange sauce on top makes a wonderful crunchy top and it is very moist if you are careful not to over bake it. If using a dark pan, turn the oven down to 325º.
Orange Pound Cake
1 C. Crisco (or butter)
2 C. sugar
3 C. flour
4 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 C. buttermilk
1 tsp. orange flavoring
1 tsp. lemon flavoring
Cream shortening and add sugar gradually. Add 1 egg at a time beating well. Add flavorings. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk. Add flour and milk alternately, beating well. Bake in a tube pan (greased and floured). Bake for 1 hour and 15 min. at 350º. Make Orange Sauce from ½ C. frozen orange juice and 1 C. sugar. Bring to boiling point and let boil for 1 min. Pour on hot cake and let cool for 1 hour. Remove from pan.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Happy holidays to you, Michael, and to everyone here.

The only stuffing my family will eat now (my recipe adapted from an American settlers cookbook).

Bag of stuffing croutons of your choice, and several slices of rye bread shredded and left to dry overnight
handful of raisins
two or three apples, pealed and chopped into about 1 inch chunks
1 very large white onion, chopped
2 sticks butter
chicken broth

Stir fry the chopped onion in one of the sticks of butter until soft. Combine in a large bowl with the croutons, apples, rye bread, raisins and pour in enough chicken broth to moisten the croutons, but not enough to make the mixture mushy. Melt the other stick of butter and stir that into the bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook in a casserole dish in the microwave for 10 minutes, stir and determine if you need more chicken broth if the mixture still appears too dry, then cook for another few minutes until the apple chunks are soft. Stir in some of the turkey juice if you're cooking a turkey, and serve. Serves about five people, but just adjust the amount of "stuff" up or down depending on how many people you are serving.

Or you can bake it in the oven, probably about half an hour at about 350 - again until the apple chunks are soft.

Lovely letter, and thanks for sharing. What beautiful penmanship, too! Happy holidays to you, Michael, and everyone at FAA/Pixels.

Sincere wishes for joy, happiness, friends and family near and above all, good health.
Our celebration ended just a few moments ago. It was a special 8 days...

Greetings Georgina so nice to see your response and thank you for the holiday sentiments. I wish you also the best throughout the holidays. I mentioned in another post I had been without a working camera and finally put money aside and purchased and now back have camera will travel. I purchased a used Nikon with 15-55 mm lens len got a bargain for a 300mm and seems to working just fine. The camera of course did not come with a manual so I pretty much had to upload the manual from Nikon the model Nikon D3000 I was taken by how many pages to review. I have been slowly back posting new images to my galley.

Greetings Kathy, nice to see your holiday sentiments. I too had always been amazed by the beauty of the detailed calligraphy the art and intricate features. Most done by various pen points and quills dipped into the glass ink well's A collection of essays written by an aunt in the early 1900 written with pen point and beautifully written. I found the son's reassurance to his father he would not endanger his life and fall into the frozen lake and drown while skating on lake. I will be doing further research google search and would think there was a large pond or lake near the university were the students ice skated. Smiling at your comment about artist always get the last word, includes the artist photographer also. Wishing you the best of holidays and a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Greetings Floyd thank you for the holiday sentiments. This past year for many months without a lap top I enjoyed reading your discussion post, always filled with great information. I hope all is well with you and wish you a very healthy and prosperous New Year!

Greetings MM, thank you for the holiday sentiments and hope all is well with you. Thanks also for sharing your story and recipe it looks fantastic and lately been wanting to do a pound cake and now might have the perfect recipe and have one of the loaf pans my father made home made breads and family fruit cake. I will include this with my other confectary treats; I will fan around the slices on the glass pedestal server, with cranberries and thin orange slices as a garnish. The very best for a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Greetings Betsy, thank you for your holiday sentiments and hope things are going well for you. Always nice to see your smiling face and input into the FAA discussions. I wish you the very best of holidays and a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Greetings Mary, thank you for the holiday sentiments. i hope things are well with you and the dressing recipe. I always enjoy new recipes its always the formula and following the directions. I do plan on sharing a few of my favorites with everyone. I wish you the very best of holidays and a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Greetings Patricia, thank you for the holiday sentiments. I hope everything is well with you and agree the letter is beautiful written and the patience everyone had re dipping the pen point or quill into the ink well. In my earlier years in Commercial Art departments I have done calligraphy over the years for clients. Like everything we do as artist the longer you apply yourself it does become easier to accomplish. Wishing you the very best of holidays and a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Greetings Marlene, thank you for the holiday sentiments. I hope things are going well for you and thanks for sharing your tradition of Hanukkah the Jewish Festival of Lights. America having just about every known ancestry and the annual traditions which takes place during the Christmas Holiday season and found on a google search it is estimated 9 out of 10 individuals celebrate during the holiday season. I had always been fascinated by all the traditions globally the different cultures and traditions of the holiday season. I wish you the best of health and a prosperous New Year!

Cheers,

This evening as I always visit the neighborhood coffee, tonight, I thought I would swing by to Marie's home located just around the corner and check on her. . Marie is now a 90 year old widow. Gene is her deceased husband they purchased the Grand Victorian in 1998 which I had lived and renovated.. They were a retired couple from Michigan and Marie's longtime friend Chris was my neighbor. Every year Marie and Gene would make the drive from Michigan and live in the Grand Victorian during the winter months from October and leave in May. A few years back Gene passed away in Michigan and Marie's grown children would drive her down to New Orleans and fly back. I would always help Marie with moving furniture from time to time and check in on her from time to time.

In October Marie along with her grown son and brother 93 and had the pleasure of meeting her oldest brother. While her brother was visiting he tripped and fell on the sidewalk and made it back to the house and she called medics and he was checked out. Prior to Thanksgiving her brother was telling me he was still feeling the effects from the fall he took I mentioned he might have bruised ribs or fracture. Marie's brother left after Thanksgiving and not clear if his son flew or drove him back to Colorado.

I passed by to see Marie's Christmas Tree which a few times I helped her pick one out after Gene died and the florist would deliver and set it up in the parlor and I would string the lights on for her. The ceilings in the Grand Victorian are over 15 foot and Marie and Gene always put it in the corner by the stairs. When I walked into the house I noticed suitcases and no tree and Marie informed me she was leaving to go home earlier than expected.

When we walked and sat in the Music room a side parlor we started to converse and she informed me her 93 year old brother passed away. I mentioned did it have anything from the fall he had while the two of them walk walking prior to Thanksgiving. She did mention her brother did have a heart pacer and he may have known his time was near and wanted to journey down to New Orleans with her this past October.

We started talking further and Marie knew my father had passed away on Christmas Day. I then told her about the letter which I had posted here for everyone to read, Marie had never seen the letter. I had my lap top with me and showed Marie the letter and she had thought how beautiful the script was then mentioned oh that is when my mother died December 28 , she chuckled while assuring me it was not 1888.

I mentioned how strange and weird is that and she proceeded to share a few family memories with me. Marie then ask me she did not quite understand her long time friend Chris who passed away December 20th 2017 who was a couple of months younger why did she pass before her. Last year Marie was upset she did not get to attend the funeral of her life long friend Chris, Marie was informed by the Chris's daughter her mother did not want anyone attending her funeral it was private. I informed Marie Chris physically her health was diminishing over the years from her open heart surgery she had years back. Chris had driven by to visit me, she drove a Jaguar and upon reaching my house started to have a heart attack.

The neighbor across the street comes from her house and yells at her to lay off the horn . I was about a block away walking the dog back to the house and noticed and heard the commotion Chris was on her way across the river and stopped by to say hello to me when she started to have a heart attack. She informed the neighbor would you mind calling me an ambulance I am having a heart attack.

By the time I arrived I immediately got Chris out of her Jaguar and managed to get her to my Jeep and I took her straight to the hospital and spoke to the emergency room and they were ready to take her straight to surgery upon my arrival. On the way while driving I asked Chris did she have any aspirin and managed to assist her to take them now.

Chris's daughter made it to the hospital and Deidara infomed me Michael you saved my mother's life. Within a month or so Chris was riding a bicycle....amazing her recovering from a major open heart surgery from onslaught heart attack.. Marie after reading the son's letter to his father started to tell me how during the holidays the one memory she always cherished was the laughter they had sitting around the table after dinner.

In just a few days Marie's daughter is flying down and they will make the drive back to Michigan. I was not expecting to hear about Marie's brothers death and then finding out December 28 was the day her mother passed. I told Marie if I did not see her before she left have a safe trip and pleasant days over the holidays.

Also, as a reminder for star gazers, here is the link of the upcoming named the Christmas comet. They are saying away from light pollution or with a DSLR camera, binoculars, telescope you will see near the Orion constellation in southern sky. The nearest approach to the sun is December 12, 2018 and maximum visibility to the naked eye December 16, 2018.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-12-09/christmas-comet-46pwirtanen-and-geminids-meteor-shower/10583932

I´d just like to join the club of fine people here and to wish you, Michael and all members and staff of FAA happy holidays, a blessed time and merry christmas.

Happy Holidays and a 2019!, to you Michael, Fine Art America staff and all members ! Wish you all many new ideas and creations in New Year! BR,Ina

Warm hugs and peppermint kisses from the GREAT state of Michigan--with it's snowmen and icicles....

Evie

Greetings Hans, so good to see you and thank you for the holiday sentiments, I hope things are going well for you and wish you Happy Holidays and a Prosperous New Year!

Greetings Ina, thank you for the holiday sentiments and I wish you the very best of Holidays and Prosperous New Year!

Greetings Evie, so nice to meet you and thank you for the holiday sentiments and I wish you the very best of Holidays and A Prosperous 2019!

Best wishes to everyone this season and good health and happiness in 2019.

I'll be glad when its all over!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!

I hope everyone here has a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for health and happiness in 2019.....

A beautiful letter, dear Michael. Thank you for sharing it, and also for sharing your kindness and indomitable spirit. You are a fabulous example to us all. I've been on the other side of the computer these past few years as Lady Life has made it her business to whap you upside the head. And always, always you rise ... you rise with grace and dignity and usually a wisp of a smile.

A blessed Christmas to you Michael, dear friend, as well as a New Year filled with good health, good fortune and good humor!!!!!

Blessings to all my dear Fine Art America friends ... both my amazingly talented fellow artists, wonderful staff members (including the amazing printers!!! wow!!!!) ... and of course most especially to those of you out there who've chosen to honor me with purchases of some of my stuff.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Great New Year to all!!!!!!!

... all good things ...
Lois Bryan

Thanks for sharing Michael! Happy Holidays and boundless creativity to the Fine Art America staff and a new year full of love, laughter and happiness!

Greetings Gil, its good to see you share your sentiments with everyone here at Fine Art America, I hope things are well with you and I would like to wish you a Happy Holidays and a very Healthy, Prosperous New Year!

Greetings Tracey, thank you for sharing your sentiments with everyone, I hope all is well with you and for most some take down the xmas tree the very next day, some after New Year's Day, for us here in New Orleans most keep the tree up til 12th night after Christmas for that signifies the official start of the Mardi Gras season here in New Orleans. It was a pleasure viewing you magnificent and masterful gallery, superior compositions and colors....wishing you the very best Happy Holidays and Healthy, Prosperous New Year!

Greetings Susan thank you for sharing your holiday sentiments, I hope all is well with you and would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a healthy, prosperous New Year! Have a great 2019!

Greetings Mo, thank you for sharing your holiday sentiments to everyone. I wish you a Merry Christmas and healthy, prosperous New Year!

Although my "Christmas" is in November and my New Year In March, I wish everybody great holidays and an even greater 2019.

Many people wish for Peace on Earth. I don't. I wish for love. If people love each other regardless, peace on earth will be an inevitable consequence

Michael, I really enjoyed reading you post about Marie. You are a great story teller!

Happy Holidays to all! I sincerely appreciate the job the Fine Art America's staff does and service you provide, thank you. To all other members of FAA, I love seeing what you do and create. It's inspiring. I also appreciate the support of our customers so very much. Lastly, thank you Michael for providing this discussion, Happy Holidays!

Hello MM, it will not be long now for I will be removing your pound cake recipe. I will let you know the outcome. Instead of vanilla I used almond flavoring . I can not wait, I can not wait to bite into the pound cake, .its gonna be close tonight is the public Christmas sing along in Jackson Square a long time tradition, the gates open at 6:30 to the square and caroling begins at 7 pm, its a very long time tradition the public singing in Jackson Square I have attended many over the years with family and friends, I did not get to go to the public Christmas caroling in Jackson Square.

Hello Lois, it is always nice to see and hope all is well with you. Thank you for your thoughts and sentiments how nice, it appears you have been keeping busy as a bee. I would like to wish you and yours the very best of the holiday season and a healthy, prosperous New Year 2019. Lol, lol, lol, I always try my best to keep the humor and wits about me in check.

Greetings David, thank you for sharing you holiday sentiments to me and everyone. I wish you and yours the very best of holidays and a healthy, prosperous New Year 2019. It was a pleasure to view your masterful and superior gallery. I particularly enjoyed viewing your space shuttle photos great shots, I also noticed the thousands in the plaza below to catch a glimpse of the amazing sight.....


....

Greetings to you also Rudy, it is always a pleasure to read your comments in the various discussions. Also, thank you for the assistance as a staff member and monitor of the discussions.....I wish you the best of your traditions and celebrations, good health and a prosperous New Year 2019.....no wish besides all others could be greater than love, cheers and thank you for the generous sentiments of my story telling, it is unique.

Greetings Timothy, thank you for visiting and sharing your holiday sentiments, I hope all is well with you and wish you and yours Happy Holidays, good cheer and a healthy, prosperous New Year 2019 the letter is beautifully written and a treasure to have and share with everyone.....

Hello MM Anderson, I ended up watching the Miss Universe Pageant smiling, , letting the pound cake cool, have eaten 4 slices....I ended up drizzling white powdered sugar frosting with green sugar sprinkles on top, very festive... I could have reduced the cooking time by 15 min, my stove is an electric and to help with a uniform air flow I always place a larger sheet pan at the bottom, then om the upper rack place the loaf pan which I use for homemade breads and sweet breads, this helps regulate the air floor around the loaf pan. The ends were slightly a bit discolored due to the fact the sides as the cake rose cooked faster..

The center cracked wide open as expected,very moist and beautiful golden brown... homemade cranberry relish flavored with blackberry rum and black berry brandy. Being a retired chef I may for presentation at the table in a saucepan a little butter, white sugar until gets slightly medium thick as you would make a cherry jubilee sauce add the black berry brandy and whisky and ignite then saute the alcohol down a bit then add the cranberry mixture As a precaution of creating a flambeau and you are not accompstom of creating a flambeau .warming up sauteing the alcohol long enough should reduce the alcohol content make a glaze sauce consistency....

Another suggestion to use as a confectioners frosting drizzle using egg nog for the replacement of liquid to make the eggnog frosting. drizzle and sprinkle lightly nutmeg powder on top Generally the egg nog purchased at the store bottle or carton.will do just fine.....

A unique center piece place setting is large platter places in the center, use a clear red or green glass gar or a ginger jar purchase an artificial tree or live rosemary plant from a nursery.. to place in the glass container, purchase a small string of battery power colored lights or white lights, prior to sitting down at the dinner table let the guest hang and decorate the center piece, use large water glasses or extra large wine glasses place the mini hooked ornaments in the glass container and let the guest decorate the tree at there setting at the table. It allows your guest to take part in a tradition.

In the kitchen on my large butcher table at one end I have an antique meat slicer from Germany I place on top of it a green glass container and place a small artificial tree with white lights. and a large screen vegetable strainer white feathered chickens are placed in the strainer all guest visiting the apartment over the holidays I have mini feather chickens wire ties and guest find a branch and twist the chicken feet around the branches..., around the base is green garland fresh or fake...

Disclaimer As a precaution at home everyday cooking or entertaining always store and cook the various foods to temperature not to cross contamination of seafood, poultry and beef. When preparing speciality recipes you can prepare as you would seasoning and so forth. Also stay news alert of any contaminated lettuces, wash thoroughly all food eaten raw.......

Here is my Christmas Day evening dinner menu

Baked Blackened Seasoning Turkey, thawed and rinsed...pat dry rub, rub olive oil, or what ever you use then coat the entire turkey with blackened seasoning and back, if possible raise turney on a grate in your cooking pan bake according to turkey packing....make sure turkey is at required backing temperature, pour water in the bottom make a foil tent half way through cooking time then remove and cook til required temperature reading, I generally constantly baste the turkey with drippings.. (In the turkey cavity, washed and cleaned apples, onions skin removed, and garlic cloves) both cavities This gives the turkey a unique apple and wild game taste. Always bake 165 internal temperature, upon removing when done remove the apples, onions debris from turnkey . Remove turkey and place on large platter place dressing around the perimeter of turkey for presentation. you can use fresh rosemary as a garnish and thin sliced apple wedges with skin remaining, surrounding the turkey The red and green very festive for the holidays instead of turkey on a platter alone....

Traditional duck with cherries jubilee would be used as part of a traditional Reveillon Dinner Menu

New Orleans Style French Bread Oyster Dressing)

Slightly Baked Red and Green Bell Pepper drizzle olive oil and slightly baked in oven on cookie sheet, cleaned and cut in half remove then (Stuffed with wild grain dirty rice, with beef and or boiled peeled shrimp, topped with progresso seasoned bread crumbs or plain) rebake to serving temperature I generally use plain crackers smashed and sauteed using butter and a little olive oil in a large black skillet or place on a large cookie sheet and bake until a light medium brown. occasionally stirred around....

My original signature dish, by Chef Michael Hoard Steamed Cauliflower with artichoke heart on top with (Goat;s Milk Garlic Bechamel Cream Sauce using three white cheeses gratted to sprinkle over top and bake until melted..) Graded Parmesan, Provolone, and Swiss and flash bake in oven until bubbly. remove light sprinkle of parsley finely diced.....

Roasted 'Artichoke Hearts canned drained place on baking sheet drizzled with olive oil, what will occur as the artichoke heart bake and dry out slightly the leaves of the artichoke heart will start to curl down and slightly charr on the edges of the artichoke leaves open up like a florette, The artichoke is placed on top of garlic goat's milk sauce the graded cheese tossed atop and baked until slightly melted and bubbly

Oyster and Artichoke Leek soup, this soup or andouille sausage gumbo is served as traditional included on menu of Reveillon Christmas Dinner Menu

Spinach Rockefeller New Orleans Casserole or prepared and served on cleaned half oyster shells or individual baking dishes, ribbed french oval baking dishes one side spinach rockefeller other side Cauliflower with sauce pour over the top sprinkle graded white cheese, place the backed artichoke heart on top,

Oyster Patties Pastry Shells, as a hot appetizer When cooking oysters always precook oysters for safety, you can saute the raw oysters in a skillet and when they star to form ribs or gills they are pretty much cooked save any liquid for stock flavoring, you can also cook a trinity while cooking the oysters, diced bell pepper, garlic, onion, and green onion until clear or lucid. take cooked oysters and saute them into the trinity you can use a blond roux, or make a white sauce using heavy cream, similar to alfredo sauce consistency, with penne. Dice fine green onions last. Cook until bubbly , remove from heat spoon into the pasty shells cook in oven on cookie sheet, remove from oven and garnish with chopped fine parsley place and service tray and serve to guest......

Alternate version without seafood, you can make a trinity, as above saute using any type of chopped mushrooms fine add a can of campbell's mushroom soup a little of heavy cream.....cook until thickened, spoon mixture into tiny pastry shells or use tiny tart or tea tassies...bake for a few minutes in over sprinkle with chopped fine parsley......

Flank Steak as a appetizer

Over roasted or black skillet roasted brussel spouts , always score a cross at the bottom of the brussel spouts for faster cooking .

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Cajun Corn Maque Choux a personal favorite,

Giblet Gravy

Orange Cranberry Relish

Desert Menu, Pound Cake with cranberry Blackberry Brandy and Blackberry Whiskey Sauce, Fruit Cake, Turtle Thumbprint Cookies, Bread Pudding with roasted chopped fine pecan with praline rum sauce,

.

Happy holidays, wishing everyone safe and healthy end of this year and a prosperous and happy new year!

Greetings Deana, I hope all is well with you and thank you for sharing your holiday sentiments to staff and members. I hope all is well with you and wish you the very best of holidays and healthy, prosperous New Year 2019

Merry Christmas, Michael! And to all the admins and staff that make FAA such a wonderful experience. :)

Merry Christhmas and a Happy new year

Merry Christmas to All!
Check this contain useful information: http://regrefresh.com

Happy holidays and merry Christmas to all 🎄 , wishing you happiness and joy

Wishing you a happy holidays and a wonderful New Year. Best wishes from the GullG.

Thank you for sharing, Michael, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and all of our excellent, hard working and thoughtful staff on FAA/Pixels. Sean, Abbie and staff thank you for you for your support, guidance and for making being a part of this site a great experience! May all of you and the artists here have a healthy, happy, prosperous 2019!!!

Merry Christmas all artists, collectors and FAA staff.
Thank you for your creativity, love and support!
Have a lovely Christmas.
Inessa

Best wishes to all. May you find joy in your life each day.

Additional note to the Cauliflower Goats Milk bechamel cream sauce recipe. Prepare the cauliflower as you normally would, take the florets and place a few in the indiviedual baking dish or layer in a casserole dish pour the cream sauce over the top, cover the top lightly with the white cheeses and place the roasted artichoke on top, and garnish with chopped parsley.......

Greeting Steve and sharing your holiday sentiments Happy Holidays to you and your family wishing you the very best for healthy, prosperous New Year 2019

Greetings Tatiana, thank you for sharing your holiday sentiments and wishing you and your a Happy Holidays and the very best healthy, prosperous New Year 2019

Greetings Eman, thank you for sharing your holiday sentiments and wishing you and yours a Happy Holidays and the vest best healthy, prosperous New Year 2019

Don't matter who you are, just love me the way I are http://happy-wheelsgames.com happy wheels http://happy-wheelsgames.com/basketball-legends-game basketball legends game

Greetings Gull, thank you for sharing with everyone your holiday sentiments, I hope all is well with you and wishing you and yours happy holidays and a healthy, prosperous New Year 2018!

Greetings Sandi, thank you for sharing your holiday sentiments, I hope all is well with you and wish you and yours holidays greetings and the very best of a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year 2018!

Mr. Michael, your stories are fascinating and a great read! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and to all here on FAA.

Happy Holiday Everyone! May your holidays be filled with, Love, Peace and Joy!

Many thanks to all the staff at FAA for all their hard work behind the scenes! A very happy Christmas to everyone and all the best for 2019!

Michael, thank you for starting this thread and writing from the heart. I am so very sorry for the tremendous loss of your father, and so close to Christmas at that.

Yesterday was the eighth anniversary of my Dad's passing. I greatly miss him, as I do Mom, who passed recently, October 15th. This will be my first Christmas without both my parents.

I am very grateful, that they received the greatest Gift of all... of inviting Jesus into their hearts. I know they are in heaven and one day, I will see them again in the presence of our Heavenly Father. That brings me great comfort. I will forever be grateful Mom encouraged me to receive Jesus when I was five.

I want to thank Sean, Abbie and the Fine Art America home team for all you do in making this not only a remarkable business opportunity for many artists, but also a community of supportive fellow artists. I want to thank my artist friends who have helped me along the journey of honing my craft, and granting me the honor and opportunity to speak words of encouragement to you as well.

As my dear Mother would say, may each and every one of you precious ones enjoy a most a most blessed Christmas with Jesus' love and a fabulous New Year, with God's abundant blessings and happiness.

Greetings Inessa thank you for sharing your holiday sentiments, I hope all is going well for you and I would like to wish you and yours a healthy, prosperous New Year 2019!

Greetings Julie, thank you for sharing your holidays sentiments, wishing you and yours the very best of holidays and a healthy, prosperous New Year 2019!! Happy New Year!!!

Greetings Gaby, thank you for sharing your holiday sentiments and thank you for the generous comment on my story telling, I have been told by so many over the years its unique. Wishing you and yours the best of holidays, healthy and prosperous New Year 2019!!! Happy New Year!!!

Merry Christmas to you and your family Michael. To the amazing staff of FAA, the artists and members of FAA thank you for your friendship and have a happy and safe holiday season and here's to a fantastic 2019.

If she's listening, or if someone is listening for her, I'd like to make sure that I took the opportunity to say THANK YOU to Judy in Customer Service, I am very grateful for her kind demeanor and patient attention she paid to my piddling little problems.

Thank you, Judy.

PLAU
UPD

(PS, there really is a Judy, right? Sometimes... they use one name and...)

Merry Christmas to all the staff at Fine Art America ! Many thanks for the great work they do and for the many opportunities they provide for us all year long.

Wishing the same for all of the talented, creative and helpful artists that are here !

May everyone have a safe, healthy and Happy New Year !

Greetings Brian, thank you for sharing your sentiments for the holidays to everyone. You mentioned this will be the first Christmas without your parents and yes and both birth and death are a precious gift to each and everyone of us. As time itself passes may you find solace the pain and grief of death becomes less frequent but the memory remains. Brian you mentioned the loss of my father near Christmas, my father died on Christmas Day evening and I recall when I gave his eulogy days later I told the congregation present do not mourn his death but consider his demise life and death a gift. He was the last elder survivor of both sides of the family.

My mother passed in the 1990's I gave her eulogy as well, I stood next to my mother's coffin as i gave her eulogy, I brought with me to the service a music box placed it on the coffin. The music box had a boy painted on the wooden lid, the music the box played was Laura's Theme, Somewhere My Love, from the movie Dr. Zhivago one of my mother's all time favorite movie. The uniqueness about that music box is my sister who lives in Houston she too gave our mother the identical music box, without sharing what we planned on getting our mother as a gift for Christmas. My sisters box had a girl painted on the cover. Upon going through her personal belongings my sister and myself kept the music boxes we both had given her on Christmas Day.

I recall as I was speaking the priest glances over at me while I was administering the eulogy he nodded his head and then walks over and stood looking up to me at the pulpit. As I concluded the eulogy the priest stopped me as I was returning back to my seat and spoke a few words and informed me of all eulogy's he heard he told me how unique and different my words were and how I spoke to comfort everyone of his passing and explanation of his life and death.

After the service concluded my family had asked what did the priest discuss with me and I shared his words. My father a WW II veteran, his coffin draped in the American Flag and upon completing active duty to protect and serve our country my entire family lived his own personal reenactment post war throughout our entire lives a life long endurance, he survived and so did my mother three sisters and two other brothers for love of family..... My father was to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery his decision to be buried here in New Orleans.

Our parents, are the very life force, the bond shared within us all til their demise for some the journey of passing is easy for others a lifelong memory of keeping their memory alive......I wish you the very best of this Christmas Holiday, a healthy, prosperous New Year 2019!

Greetings Shaniana, thank you for sharing your holiday sentiments, may you and yours have the best of holiday and a healthy, prosperous New Year 2019 !

Greetings Uther, thank you so much for sharing your sentiments, I hope all is well with you and I wish you and yours the best of holidays, a healthy, prosperous New Year 2019 !

Greetings Mel, thank you so much for sharing your holiday sentiments, I would like to wish you and yours the best of holidays, a healthy, prosperous New Year 2019 !

Lovely thread, Michael.
From me................


Merry Christmas to all the staff at Fine Art America ! Many thanks for the great work you do and for the many opportunities FAA offers us,and
the great support staff's care.

Wishing the same to all of the talented, creative and helpful artists here, some so precious my friends.

May everybody have a safe, healthy and Happy New Year ! 2019 Yeah.

VIVA

Dear Michael, and all the dedicated staff of Fine Art America, May you all have a Joyous Christmas and may we all be blessed with an inspired ,creative and prosperous New Year.
I'm am honored to be part of such a fine community.
To all that's good,
Marcus Dagan/Poets Eye

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to all at FAA /PIXELS - visitors and collectors.
May the New Year 2019 be prosperous... filled with peace,love and colourful dreams :)

Pardon the pause everyone......Today and every day, may you call see joy and good tidings to every corner of life, love and blissfulness! Terrance and Nicole

A Special Merry Christmas back at you Mike. Waited until day to finally read your touching letters.
It's Christmas here in Maine, soon to be throughout rest of the continent. So wishing all of that are already in it, and all of you that still waiting a very Merry Christmas, and a Hopeful and Happy New Year!

I waited until today to wish you all a lovely holiday, Christmas, or whatever you personally celebrate this day. My bf celebrates Christmas, I don't. But I do love presents and Decorations. So we are both happy :-)

Be kind to loved ones and please remember those today alone and perhaps visit. Even a 5 minute visit can last them all week xx

Thank you to the staff and all of the excellent artists who people the FAA site. I routinely enjoy scanning some of the new art work and having it inspire me to be better with my own. I wish all a peaceful holiday season and a creative, prosperous new year.

Merry Christmas to my second family here at FAA! Love you all!

Greetings VIVA how nice to see your Christmas sentiments, I hope all is well with you. I would like to wish to you a Merry Christmas and a healthy, prosperous New Year 2019! It has always been great to read your comments in the discussions over the years for everyone, thanks for sharing......

Greetings Poets, thank you for sharing your Christmas sentiments, wishing you a Merry Christmas and a healthy, prosperous New Year 2019.

Greetings Bliss, thank you for sharing with us all your beautiful image and holiday sentiments, I wish you the very best of a healthy, prosperous New Year 2019!

Greetings Jolanna, thank you for sharing your Christmas sentiments with us all. I wish you the very best of a healthy, prosperous New Year 2019!

Greetings Terrance and Nicole, thank your for sharing your Christmas sentiments with us all and your beautiful photograph. I wish you both the very best of a healthy, prosperous New Year 2019!

Greetings to you Mike, thank you for sharing your beautiful art for the holidays!!! I have two great friends who live outside of Bangor, Maine and hopefully plan to visit them next year....I hope all is well with you and wish you the very best Christmas, healthy, prosperous New Year 2019.

Greetings to you Abbie, thank you so much for all you do for us all here at Fine Art America, Sean, Susan, Rudy and everyone behind the scenes who keep this great site thriving. I remember so well in the early years how frustrated using the site but with everyone's help it remains a pleasure to be part of this great family of dedicated artist and photographers. A big thank you for allowing me to share with everyone over the years my own successes. As you mention everyone celebrates the Christmas traditions in their own personal way.

Its all about Peace, Family, Acquaintances, and Harmony among all of all. I wish you the very best to you and your BF the very best of Christmas, a healthy and prosperous New Year! Thank you also for reminding everyone to check in on those not so fortunate during the holidays it does mean so much to them......Thanks again for all your support and advice to us all and continuing being the best of site moderator, dedication making this as I have said many times I consider this the best a on line site can possibly be.... I recently saw photographs of your dogs how they have grown into beautiful creatures......thanks for sharing your sentiments, h ave a great healthy, prosperous New Year 2019!, Cheers, Michael

I am at the neighborhood coffee shop and on my way back home to finalize cooking preparations for guest arriving later this tonight.

I'm a little late to the party but I wanted to wish you all the very best in 2019. Whatever form happiness takes for you, may it come knocking on your door or tent flap. And I wish you all good vibrant health too!

First ever Christmas Day evening dinner without any hitches or delays. All the guest enjoyed the menu selections which I had prepared with a few last minute menu changes. After dinner we sat around eating the deserts, sharing stories laughing and having a good time.

Holiday Greetings Sharon, I hope you had a great Christmas Day and thank you for visiting and sharing your sentiments to everyone, I would like to wish you the very best for a healthy, prosperous New Year 2019.....

Holiday Greetings Jessica, I hope you enjoyed your Christmas Day and thank you for visiting and sharing your sentiments to everyone. I would also like to say what a beautiful photograph Winter's Gate a beautiful composition. Wishing you the very best of a healthy, prosperous New Year!!

Greetings Peggy, I hope you enjoyed your Christmas Day thank you for visiting and sharing your holiday sentiments to everyone. I would like to wish you the very best of for a healthy, prosperous New Year 2019 !!!

The countdown has begun a few days away and it will be 2019!

I wish everyone a Healthy, Prosperous New Year!!!




A photo from New Years Eve past. New Orleans may have rainy weather New Years but somehow some way the party will continue.....