The Kid in You

Here is hoping this Easter is being kind to you -- in happiness and health!

My family has been plagued with the CRUD flu bug for nearly 6 weeks now. I am, of course, the last one to have the pleasure of battling sickness. There have been times through it all that I have had to clean our bathrooms (2) three different times in one day, do multiple loads of laundry daily, and tackle the worst mess in my daughter's floor that I never want to see again. Most unpleasant.

Recently on a trip into town and while at a pharmacy, my kids and I had fun browsing the Easter aisle. Jelly Beans were definitely placed in the basket. But the most fun my Wynston and I had was to look at the "cheap" toys. We came home with two for a grand total of $5. I have one pictured at the top. I think those bunnies are so adorable. The idea of the game is to roll a dice and then using a plastic hook shaped stick take one bunny off without making the whole thing fall down.

I didn't capture a picture of the second toy which are leaping bunnies that have suction cups on the base and then are pressed down only to spring high up into the air. The object is to use provided baskets to try to catch them. My kids just roared at how high they fly and then the bunnies jumping out the basket due to the springs.




I say one is never too old not to have the "kid in you" come out especially with inexpensive toys and candy.

Happy Easter!

Time and Friends

“There is no hope or joy except in human relations.”
-Antoine de Saint-Exupery
* * * * * *
“The bird, a nest; the spider, a web; man, friendship.”
-William Blake
* * * * * *
“‘Tis the human touch in the world
that counts—the touch of your
hand and mine—
Which means far more to the sinking
heart than shelter or bread or
wine
For shelter is gone when the night is
o’er, and bread lasts only a day
But the touch of the hand and the
sound of the voice
Live on in the soul always.”

-Spencer M. Free
* * * * * *
“The only way to have a friend is to be one.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Night Before Christmas

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
by Clement Clarke Moore
or Henry Livingston


'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Aloha Christmas

Photo taken by my cousin, Stephanie Marron, Hawaii, December 2010

Can Christmas really be Christmas in Hawaii? Yes, it can. Hawaii residents begin putting up their holiday lights and Christmas trees as soon as the last piece of Thanksgiving turkey is gobbled. There are joyous Christmas concerts, community parades and dazzling displays throughout the state.

Christmas wasn’t formally introduced to Hawaii until after 1820, the year Protestant missionaries came to Hawaii from New England. In ancient times, however, the holiday coincided with a traditional Hawaiian festival called Makahiki. This celebration lasted for four months and included great feasts and games. During this time, wars and conflicts were strictly forbidden. As far as the early Hawaiians were concerned, the Makahiki was their time for "peace on earth and goodwill toward men."

The first Christmas celebration in Hawaii is believed to have occurred in 1786, when Captain George Dixon, docked aboard the Queen Charlotte in Waimea Bay on Kauai, commanded his crew to prepare a Christmas dinner that included roasted pig, pie and grog mixed with coconut milk. The English navigator then led his men in toasts to their families and friends back home.

In 1856, Alexander Liholiho (King Kamehameha IV) declared December 25 to be his kingdom’s national day of Thanksgiving. Two years later, Santa Claus made his first appearance in Hawaii, arriving at Washington Place (now the governor’s residence) to deliver gifts for the children.

Today, there’s no bigger Christmas celebration than "Honolulu City Lights," a favorite holiday spectacle put on by the City & County of Honolulu. Held at Honolulu Hale (City Hall), "Honolulu City Lights" features a 50-foot Norfolk pine Christmas tree, elaborate Christmas tree and wreath exhibits, giant Yuletide displays and live entertainment. Whether you’re young or young at heart, there’s no better place to catch the Christmas spirit in the islands.

Mele Kalikimaka! Merry Christmas!

Christmas Carol History

Maybe you knew this, I did not:

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled.
What in the world do leaping lords, French hens,
swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out
of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?


From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were
not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone
during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.
It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning
plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each
element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality
which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.


-The Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.'Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone

Pet and Doll Parade

The traditional way to start the State Fair in Great Falls, MT is to have a Pet and Doll Parade down Central Avenue. Last night was the 76th Annual Parade with watchers aplenty and cute marchers with smiles. Here are some photos I took and then some from the Great Falls Tribune photographer.



The Mad Hatter, White Rabbit, and Queen of Hearts are pictured here. Wish I had been able to get the whole crew as Alice was up ahead.



Where The Wild Things Are came to march along in this parade. Cool costume!


These two marchers are brothers and their mother is making a statement of how they behave -- like a Civil War.



These two marchers are cousins and they are in costume as aliens -- I like the way they recycled a swimming pool to become their spaceship.



This little girl and boy are proudly displaying the ribbons they won in the judging competition before the march down Central Avenue.











TRIBUNE PHOTO/DANIEL WEST A small marcher makes her way down the parade route during the Pet and Doll Parade on Central Avenue Thursday night.

TRIBUNE PHOTO/DANIEL WEST A participant in the Pet and Doll Parade looks back at spectators who were speculating on whether she was walking or riding the parade route on Central Avenue Thursday night.

Beautiful Clydesdale Horses

"The Clydesdale is a breed of draft horse derived from the farm horses of Clydesdale, Scotland, and named after that region.

Thought to be over 300 years old, the breed was extensively used for pulling heavy loads in rural, industrial and urban settings, their common use extending into the 1960s when they were still a familiar sight pulling the carts of milk and vegetable vendors.

They have been exported in the Commonwealth and United States where they are famous for their use as the mascot of various beer brands, including Anheuser-Busch's Budweiser brand, Carlton & United Beverages and several others.



Clydesdales are now most numerous in the United States where recently over 600 foals are reportedly born each year.

Today, the Clydesdale's most significant presence is in exhibition and parades."



That last sentence taken from Wikipedia is certainly how my family came to get a chance to see these beautiful creatures. It was well worth the effort to find parking and walk a little bit to see our local Fourth of July parade in Great Falls this year due to the appearance of the Budweiser wagon being drawn by a full team of Clydesdales. I told my husband we could head home after they passed because that is all I really wanted to see.

Earlier in the week I missed a chance to see them at a local park, but I later heard the masses of our community had descended at the location for a peek.



They are spectacular and I hope you too will have a chance to see them pass by your way if you have not already.

Thanksgiving Humor

May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey be plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have never a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Film star Helen Twelvetrees, ca. 1936-7 / photograph by Sam Hood

If you love photographs from days gone by, then you are going to be in heaven when you check out this link. I know I will be going back there often to see a bit of history. -- Alice

http://www.flickr.com/photos/statelibraryofnsw/

Helen Twelvetrees during filming of "Thoroughbred", Sydney, 1936 / Sam Hood

Film star Helen Twelvetrees, ca. 1936-7 / photograph by Sam Hood, originally uploaded by State Library of New South Wales collection.

w/WonderlandShoppe

Format: Silver gelatin photograph

Notes: One of the first American women to star in an Australian film

From the collections of the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Midsummer in Sweden - Maypole

Midsummer in Sweden, originally uploaded by Silva_D.

In Sweden the Maypole is usually called a midsommarstång, as it appears at the Midsummer celebrations, but it is also called majstång, as the word maja means to decorate with greens and that is exactly how most Swedes decorate them. They appear in many varieties, the most common being a cross with two rings hanging from the "arms" and the pole is popularly identified with the male sex and the rings with the female.[citation needed] Garlands of leaves and flowers are usually wrapped around the pole.
Sometimes a crown of flowers is placed on top of the maypole, supported by the ribbons, so that it gradually descends the pole as the ribbons are woven together, finally falling to the ground.



Today maypole dances are often done without dividing the participants by gender, simply having them in pairs facing one another so half go one way and half go the other.


In Sweden similar traditions were once observed but today the pole is the centre of traditional ring dances, the songs being more or less the same as during the dances around the Christmas tree. Arrangements are usually made by local traditional groups. Swedish speaking parts of Finland often celebrate Midsummer with a midsommarstång as well.