Dena Ross: December 2008 Archives

   

Set in 1955, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet play a couple who each dreams of a bigger and better life. In this clip they discuss moving to Paris.

In the new movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Brad Pitt plays a man who ages backwards. In this scene, he attends a tent revival as a 7-year-old who is unable to use his legs.

By Dixie Carter

All my childhood Christmases are memorable and dearer than can be expressed, and after childhood my young adult memories of Christmas are playing in the snow outside the house with my brother Hal and his bride Margo, and Billy Moss, my fella, using cardboard boxes broken down flat for sleds to slide down the long hill in front of our house, and laughing, laughing.

Coming into our house on Christmas break from college was every time a new retreat into the land of safety, comfort, and love. I remember how every apple in the big wooden bowl would have been polished to a ruby sparkle, how crisp and clean our sheets and pillowcases were, how loaded with cooking fragrances the whole house would be, how the mantles would be all trimmed with holly and pine boughs, and somewhere a wisp of mistletoe to surprise us, and with the memories, the knowledge of what effort and love, yes love, my mother put into our welcome back sets me weeping.

During the time my father was in Europe serving in the WWII, our little family was, like all others, in dire straits. Rationing was very strict, and bountiful dinners were out of the question.

It took a great deal of managing for my mother to save enough sugar coupons to whip up a cake for our three birthdays during the course of a year, and Christmas? How she put together a fruit cake, a coconut cake, and an orange cake I will never know. I don't remember whether there was turkey or not. The cakes were the main thing on my mind.

I was four years old on the Christmas when she made the treasure chests. Having no way to give her three children anything from our family store without going against her idea of what was right, she somehow found the time after we had all gone to bed, for I don't know how many weeks, to construct very nicely, three good sized boxes with hinged tops. They were painted brown, and our names were painted in gold on the side. They had a flip down metal closure over a loop, so that a little pad lock would fit should we want to lock up our treasures, and of course we did.

There was absolute magic in those little chests. I knew it the minute we came down the stairs on Christmas morning. I still have mine.

Christmas is wonderful for those of us who have been loved, who are loved. I think that's the reason it's a sad time for persons who haven't known that feeling. Christmas is for me a deeply sacred time, as a cornerstone of my religion; it's also a time of profound gratitude for having been set on earth in this particular little town and into this particular family.

Emmy-nominated actress Dixie Carter has a long resume, that includes the memorable character Julia Sugarbake on "Designing Women." She's currently starring in the Hallmark Channel original movie "Our First Christmas.

I just came across this in my inbox and it's something I'd love to share. Billboard is giving away free music to enlisted members of the U.S. Army (I'll ignore for now the fact that this giveaway doesn't include the Marines, Navy, etc.). If you're interested, go here and select a message (or personalize one) and be sure to include your first name and state. For every entry they receive, Billboard will send a soldier a link to download two free songs. According to the site, the program will run through December 31, 2008.

In this funny clip from "The Office," Jim shows off his gift wrapping skills.

Will Smith stars in this drama about a depressed man who decides to help seven people by killing himself. The film releases on December 19....

Thought you had it tough raising your kids? Try raising 8! On the hit TLC TV show "Jon & Kate Plus 8," we see married couple Jon and Kate Gosselin go through the daily struggles--and, of course, the daily joys--of...

Although many people will probably laugh off reports that actress/singer Jessica Simpson is interested in returning to college to study theology, as reported by Marie Clair via The New York Post's Page Six, religion has always been a part of...

John C. Reilly, Neil Patrick Harris, Jack Black, and others form a big-name cast performing "Hairspray" composer Marc Shaiman's new online video about the gay marriage ban recently passed in California. In the musical, two rival groups--conservative Christians (headed by...