Portsmouth NH Homes Condos Real Estate

Portsmouth NH is a great little city to live in all year long, with lots of fun things going on no matter the time of year. Ringing in the New Year here is certainly no exception!


You have your choice of several fun events to take part in here in Portsmouth and the surrounding area. Some of these start during the day, so you can have plenty of fun and then head home if you plan to ring in the New Year at home. For those looking for some night time activities, you'll find plenty of awesome fun at each of these fun evening events!

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My sisters and I grew up in the Air Force, and as such, we lived in scattered places all over the country.  My earliest memories of tracking Santa are from when we lived in Idaho, on Mountain Home Air Force Base. 

We used to be able to turn on the TV and track Santa's progress, and we could see how close he might be getting to our house.  And, of course, what that meant was, we needed to get to bed AND be asleep BEFORE he got to our house or he wouldn't stop.   My sisters and I really thought this was Santa's path, and it would work.  We'd jump in our beds and somehow manage to go to sleep so Santa could arrive.

What we didn't know then was that NORAD, North American Aerospace Defense Command, actually did this every year for the last 50 years.  Of course, back then, it came over our TV.  Today, you can track it on your computer.  This is a fun thing for kids to see.....might help you get them to bed sooner!!

As we got older, we'd mention this Santa tracking to friends who hadn't grown up in the Air Force, and they thought we were crazy, as they'd never heard of it before.  Well, I came upon this last year, and could finally prove that it really did exist. I might even watch his progress to my house this year, just for old times' sake.....what great memories I have of this!

Here's some other fun stuff, for kids of all ages!
--Christmas at the White House with Barney, see the White House decorations with a tour from Barney, the first dog.
--Check out the North Pole, where you'll find lots of fun stories for the kids to read as well as coloring pages.
--Here are some really cool games to play with Christmas themes - fun for all ages here.
--Read about the legend of the Christmas Spider...(and yes, this kind of spider would be welcomed even in MY house!!)  My mom gave me one of these years ago, and I still put it up on my tree each year (when I have a tree, that is!)

Want to make a snowglobe?   Here's one you can make online and send your friends.  Or try this 'recipe' for a real one that your kids will have fun making.

Want to know all kinds of questions about Christmas - what, why, who, etc.?  Here's the symbolism of the Twelve Days of Christmas.  Want to know how to say "Merry Christmas" in other languages?  Here's a site to teach you just that.

Who doesn't LOVE Christmas music??  My favorite Christmas song is "The Little Drummer Boy", and I love many others, too.  As a matter of fact, I can't think of a single one I don't really love hearing!

I love Christmas stories!  Some favorites include: "Twas the Night Before Christmas", "The Legend of the Candy Cane"; "The Gift of the Magi";  "The Ornament on the Christmas Tree" and "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus:.

Check out all the interesting ways Christmas is celebrated around the world! 

There are so many things that symbolize Christmas - poinsettias; fruitcake; mistletoe; ornaments; and so much more.  Don't forget about Santa Claus!  And all his reindeer that help him get all the way around the world in ONE night!!   How did gift-giving get started?

                              

Here's some more fun things for the kids and grandkids, AND adults as well!!
 ~~  Stories, Games, and more   ~~   Christmas Quizzes   ~~   Christmas Trivia   ~~  More Games & Trivia  

I love Christmas!  Christmas means so many things to me, but most importantly, it means FAMILY to me.  My mom was born on Christmas Day.......a real Christmas baby.  This is our third Christmas without her, so Christmas' have come to take on a whole new meaning now.  My grandfather is no longer with us at Christmas either.  This is our second Christmas without him.  

We celebrate our family, our love for each other, and the tremendous gifts my mom and my grandfather gave us over our lives.

This is a picture from our last Christmas together - (from left to right) - this is my youngest sister Nancy, my mom, me, and my next-to-youngest sister Karen, as we were finishing up wrapping presents.

May you celebrate your family and friends at this wonderful time of the year! 

My wish to each and every one of you is for a wonderful Christmas holiday, and to cherish and enjoy each moment you have with your loved ones and friends......

The winners of the Annual Portsmouth Holiday House Decorating Contest have been announced!!

The contest for the best decorated Portsmouth homes throughout the city has been running for the last couple of weeks, with the final judging having been done Monday night, the 17th. The winners were formally announced Wedneday night on Portsmouth Community Radio, 106.1 FM.

~~ Snow was falling while I was out trying to take pictures of the winners

Grand Prize winner: 353 Miller Avenue
Second Place winner: 239 Broad Street
Third Place winner: 383 Dennett Street

Honorable Mentions:
2 Nixon Circle
101 Odiorne Point Road
490 FW Hartford Drive
163 Rockingham
248 Ocean Road
81 Winchester Street
230 McDonough Street
182 Richards Avenue
624 Kearsarge Way

~~ 81 Winchester Road through the falling snow

These Portsmouth NH homes were all decorated beautifully. In riding around town the last couple of weeks, there are so many beautifully decorated homes - I would imagine the judges of this city-wide contest had a difficult time choosing these winners. I know I'd have a hard time if I were judging!

CONGRATULATIONS to all these winners, and my thanks to each of them for making this holiday seson even more festive with their holiday lights!

Ann Cummings
RE/MAX Coast to Coast
Portsmouth NH
ann@anncummings.com
888-349-5678 x 3839
Servicing the Coastal Areas of NH & Southern Maine

Have you ever wondered about mistletoe - where it comes from, how it came to have the romantic magic it does? I saw a bunch of it for sale somewhere recently around Portsmouth, and I got to wondering how a plant like that evolved into something with the magical powers that mistletoe symbolizes.



Did you know that mistletoe is really a parasite? It is! It's a parasitic shrub that's usually found in fruit trees, maples and sometimes in oaks. And in North America, it's typically found in trees from New Jersey down to Florida.

Mistletoe has been associated with the holidays at this time of year going back for centuries, and has symbolized peace and love.

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