Ready To Party

Look what happened to that nice Mrs. Beezley.
At least she kept the granny glasses and the same hair do.

It's kind of creepy that we look so much alike.
Of course I don't have a rose tatoo, leathers or a bottle of Jack.

No wonder she gets more men than me.

Bittersweet Memories

Dan Fogelberg -

Met my old lover in a grocery store
The snow was falling Christmas Eve
Stole behind her in the frozen foods and I touched her on the sleeve
She didn't recognize the face at first but then her eyes flew open wide
Tried to hug me and she spilled her purse and we laughed until we cried
Took her groceries to the checkout stand
The food was totaled up and bagged stood there lost in our embarrassment as the conversation dragged
Went to have ourselves a drink or two but couldn't find an open bar
Bought a six-pack at the liquor store and we drank it in the car
We drank a toast to innocence, we drank a toast to now
Tried to reach beyond the emptiness but neither one knew how
She said she'd married her an architect
Kept her warm and safe and dry
She said she'd like to say she loved the man but she didn't want to lie
I said the years had been a friend to her and that her eyes were still as blue
But in those eyes I wasn't sure if I saw doubt or gratitude
She said she saw me in the record store and that I must be doing well
I said the audience was heavenly but the traveling was hell
We drank a toast to innocence we drank a toast to time
We're living in our eloquence, another old lang syne
The beers were empty and our tongues grew tired and running out of things to say
She gave a kiss to me as I got out and I watched her drive away
Just for a moment I was back in school
And felt that old familiar pain
And as I turned to make my way back home the snow turned into rain

Life's Too Short

Til death Do Us Part

Now that they've retired, my mother and father are discussing all aspects of their future. "What will you do if I die before you do?" Dad asked Mom. After some thought, she said that she'd probably look for a house-sharing situation with three other single or widowed women who might be a little younger than herself, since she is so active for her age. Then Mom asked Dad, "What will you do if I die first?" He replied, "Probably the same thing."

Leave a Message

A man received a phone call one day, and the caller asked if he had lost a parrot. He said that he had indeed lost the bird,but wanted to know how the caller located him.
The called said that the bird had landed on his balcony and kept repeating, "Hi, you have reached 555-1234. I can't come to the phone right now, please leave a message at the tone."

Non-sense

A man with no money got into a senseless argument.

Word Of The Day

CAROM
to strike and rebound, glance, cannon.

Growing up we had a Carom board. Remember those?

Elvis Is Still The King

This year's Wonders of America set climbed to second place in the most popular stamps, but Elvis is still the King, the Postal Service said Tuesday. Some 124.1 million of the 1993 Elvis Presley stamps were saved by Americans, according to the post office, which does an annual survey of 10,000 households to determine which stamps are most popular.
Rising into second spot was the Wonders of America set with 87.5 million stamps saved, the agency said.
"Stamp collecting continues as one of the worlds most popular educational hobbies that the entire family can enjoy," Postmaster General John E. Potter said in a statement.
The post office receives stamp ideas from an estimated 50,000 people annually, with 20 to 25 suggestions making it onto postage. The avalanche of ideas is reviewed by an independent advisory committee which sends its recommendations to the postmaster general for a final decision.




Following Elvis and the Wonders of America in popularity were Wildflowers, 1992, 76.1 million stamps saved; Rock & Roll/Rhythm & Blues, 1993, 75.9 million and DC Comics Super Heroes, 2006, 73.0 million.
Rounding out the Top 10 were Greetings From America, 2002, 71.4 million; Insects and Spiders, 1999, 61.0 million; Art of Disney: Romance, 2006, 57.2 million; Legends of Baseball, 2000, 53.9 million and Art of Disney: Celebration, 2005, 52.8 million.
And the rest of the top 25 are: Baseball Playing Fields, 2001, 49.0 million; Art of Disney: Friendship, 2004, 47.7 million; Civil War, 1995, 46.6 million; Legends of the West, 1994, 46.4 million; Marilyn Monroe, 1995, 46.4 million;
Advances in Aviation, 2005, 45.8 million; Bugs Bunny, 1997, 44.1 million; Lunar New Year, 2005, 42.7 million; Comic Strip Classics, 1995, 40.8 million; Jim Henson: Muppets, 2005, 40.6 million;
Cloudscapes, 2004, 40.1 million; Stars and Stripes, 2000, 40.0 million; Baseball Sluggers, 2006, 39.5 million; Summer Olympics, 1992, 39.5 million and Lucille Ball, 2001, 38.7 million.

The Purina Diet

The Purina Diet
I was in Wal-Mart buying a large bag of Purina for my dogs and was in line to check out. A woman behind me asked if I had a dog........(Duh!)
I was feeling a bit crabby so on impulse, I told her no. I was starting The Purina Diet again, although I probably shouldn't because I had ended up in the hospital last time and that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in the intensive care unit with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IV's in both arms.
Her eyes about bugged out of her head. I went on and on with the bogus diet story and she was totally buying it. I told her that it was an easy, inexpensive diet and that the way it works is to load your pockets or purse with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The package said the food is nutritionally complete so I was going to try it again.
I have to mention here that practically everyone in the line was by now enthralled with my story, particularly a tall guy behind her.
Horrified, she asked if something in the dog food had poisoned me and was that why I ended up in the hospital.
I said no.....I'd been sitting in the street licking my butt when a car hit me.
I thought the tall guy was going to have to be carried out the door.

Who knew you could have so much fun at Wally World. He He!

This Little Light Of Mine

For Christmas I received several candles. People know I like them, but this year they went overboard. I probably got 30 candles. They ranged from tea lites, to votives, to pillars, to jars, to tins. I love them all. I'm ready for the power outage now.

Maxine says

This Day In History

On December 25

1223
St. Francis of Assisi assembled one of the first Nativity scenes, in Greccio, Italy.
1818
"Silent Night" was performed for the first time, at the Church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorff, Austria.
1868
President Andrew Johnson granted an unconditional pardon to all persons involved in the Southern rebellion that resulted in the Civil War.
1917
The play "Why Marry?" opened at the Astor Theatre in New York City. "Why Marry?" was the first dramatic play to win a Pulitzer Prize.
1939
"A Christmas Carol," by Charles Dickens, was read on CBS radio for the first time.
1971
The longest pro-football game finally ended when Garo Yepremian kicked a field goal in the second quarter of sudden death overtime. The Miami Dolphins defeated Kansas City, 27-24. The total game time was 82 minutes and 40 seconds.
1991
Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev went on television to announce his resignation as leader of a Communist superpower that had already gone out of existence.
1998
Seven days into their journey, Richard Branson, Steve Fossett and Per Lindstrand of Sweden gave up their attempt to make the first nonstop round-the-world balloon flight. They ditched near Hawaii.
2000
Over 300 people were killed and dozens were injured by fire at a Christmas party in the Chinese city of Luoyang. The incident occurred at the Dongdu Disco.

Merry Christmas

I wish you peace, joy and love on this holiday. May you all be blessed with the true spirit of Christmas.

Santa Baby

Santa Trivia:

Santa Claus is based on the real life historical figure Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors.

North Pole, Alaska is the redirection point of most letters addressed to Santa. The kind people there volunteer to answer all the letters. In 2005, North Pole, Alaska received 120,000 letters from 26 countries.


Sinterklaas was the name of the original Dutch figure that inspired the modern day Santa Claus.
The feast of Sinterklaas is observed in Holland, Belgium and Germany.The name Sinterklaas was mispronounced by the English.

Trivia

Do you like trivia and taking quizzes? If so check out this website 123facts.com
I just took some quizzes about Christmas. It was fun. There are many catagories of interest to chose from. Go play!

An Affair To Remember

6 Affairs

The 1st Affair
A married man was having an affair with his secretary. One day they went to her place and made love all afternoon. Exhausted, they fell asleep and woke up at 8 PM.
The man hurriedly dressed and told his lover to take his shoes outside and rub them in the grass and dirt.
He put on his shoes and drove home.
"Where have you been?" his wife demanded.
"I can't lie to you," he replied, "I'm having an affair with my secretary. We had sex all afternoon."
She looked down at his shoes and said: "You lying bastard! You've been playing golf!"
The 2nd Affair
A middle-aged couple had two beautiful daughters, but always talked about having a son.
They decided to try one last time for the son they always wanted. The wife got pregnant and delivered a healthy baby boy. The joyful father rushed to the nursery to see his new son.
He was horrified at the ugliest child he had ever seen.
He told his wife: "There's no way I can be the father of this baby.
Look at the two beautiful daughters I fathered!
Have you been fooling around behind my back?"
The wife smiled sweetly and replied: "Not this time!"
The 3rd Affair
A mortician was working late one night. He examined the body of Mr. Schwartz, about to be cremated, and made a startling discovery. Schwartz had the largest private part he had ever seen!
"I'm sorry Mr. Schwartz," the mortician commented, "I can't allow you to be cremated with such an impressive private part. It must be saved for posterity."
So, he removed it, stuffed it into his briefcase, and took it home.
"I have something to show you won't believe," he said to his wife, opening his briefcase.
"My God!" the wife exclaimed, "Schwartz is dead!"
The 4th Affair
A woman was in bed with her lover when she heard her husband opening the front door.
"Hurry," she said, "stand in the corner."
She rubbed baby oil all over him, then dusted him with talcum powder.
"Don't move until I tell you," she said, " pretend you're a statue."
"What's this?" the husband inquired as he entered the room.
"Oh it's a statue," she replied, "the Smiths bought one and I liked it so I got one for us, too."
No more was said, not even when they went to bed. Around 2 AM the husband got up, went to the kitchen and returned with a sandwich and a beer.
"Here," he said to the statue, "have this. I stood like that for two days at the Smiths and nobody offered me a damned thing."
The 5th Affair
A man walked into a cafe, went to the bar and ordered a beer.
"Certainly, Sir , that'll be one cent."
"One Cent?" the man exclaimed. He glanced at the menu and asked: "How much for a nice juicy steak and a bottle of wine?"
"A nickel," the barman replied.
"A nickel?" exclaimed the man. "Where's the guy who owns this place?"
The bartender replied: "Upstairs, with my wife."
The man asked: "What's he doing upstairs with your wife?"
The bartender replied: "The same thing I'm doing to his business down here."
The 6th Affair
Jake was dying. His wife sat at the bedside.
He looked up and said weakly: "I have something I must confess."
"There's no need to, " his wife replied.
"No," he insisted, "I want to die in peace. I slept with your sister, your best friend, her best friend, and your mother!"
"I know," she replied,"now just rest and let the poison work"

Christmas Reading

I recommend you read the children this classic holiday story; The Story Of The Holly And The Ivy by Rummer Godden and illustrated by Barbara Cooney.
It's the story of an orphaned girl named Ivy who finds her Christmas wish fulfilled with the help of a lonely couple and a doll named Holly.
I think my niece, who is named Holly would love it. I should have got her the book instead of the Bratz doll for her Christmas gift.



my art work

Thought For The Day

Life is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer to the end, the faster it goes.

Origin of the Christmas Wreath

my original art work



Christmas wreaths - In ancient Rome, people used decorative wreaths as a sign of victory. Some believe that this is where the hanging of wreaths on doors came from.
The origins of the Advent wreath are found in the folk practices of the pre-Christian Germanic peoples who, during the cold December darkness of Eastern Europe, gathered wreaths of evergreen and lighted fires as signs of hope in a coming spring and renewed light. Christians kept these popular traditions alive, and by the 16th century Catholics and Protestants throughout Germany used these symbols to celebrate their Advent hope in Christ, the everlasting Light. From Germany the use of the Advent wreath spread to other parts of the Christian world. Traditionally, the wreath is made of four candles in a circle of evergreens with a fifth candle in the middle. Three candles are violet and the fourth is rose, but four white candles or four violet candles can also be used. Each day at home, the candles are lighted, perhaps before the evening meal-- one candle the first week, and then another each succeeding week until December 25th. A short prayer may accompany the lighting of each candle. The last candle is the middle candle. The lighting of this candle takes place on Christmas Eve. It represents Jesus Christ being born.

Nostalgic Christmas Town

my original art work

Visit From The Folks

My parents, who live in Arkansas came for a visit this weekend. It was both a happy and sad occasion. They came back for my uncles funeral and for an early Christmas get together.
I hadn't seen my folks in about three years. Goodness me!

My dad has had some health issues over the last few years, but he seemed to be doing well. I swear my mother looks younger than ever. She is a stylish, petite little thing that takes good care of herself. Too bad I don't look much like her, except in the face. My body is more like my dad's, big and tall. We always look like the odd couple in family photos.

I had to work of course, but we got to spend a few hours together. My mom, who is a terriffic baker and cook brought a container of goodies for everyone. It sure brought back memories of our holidays spent together growing up. Inside were, Amish sugar cookies, snicker doodles, dream bars, fudge with walnuts, cranberry cheese cake bars, chocolate chip cookies and more.
All I can say is Yum! Just to verify how good of a baker my mom is she told us that she had won the cookie bakeoff/exchange prize at her local ladies group party. You should taste her pies too.

It was so nice to see them both. Have a safe trip back home.

whine and cheese

Observations

Men and women will act rationally when all other possibilities have been exhausted.

Life is what happens to you while you are making other plans.

People will accept your idea more readily, if you tell them that Benjamin Franklin said it first.

Never go to bed with anyone crazier than you.

A person is as big as the things that make him angry.

In every organization there will be one person who knows what is going on....This person must be fired.

Everything depends.

For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism.

All things being equal, a fat person uses more soap than a thin person.

Remember, pain is nature's way of reminding you who's in charge.

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try.

If you love what you do you'll never work another day in your life.

The best angle from which to approach any problem is the try-angle.


Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate.

Common sense is not that common.


When all else fails, read the instructions.

Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays, it insists on it.

If the facts do not conform to the theory, they must be discarded.

Observation: It is a mistake to allow any mechanical object to realize that you are in a hurry.

Observation: I have seen the truth and it makes no sense.

Observation: The user does not know what he wants until he sees what he gets.


Observation: Logic is a systematic method of coming to the wrong conclusion with confidence.

Observation: Matter will be damaged in direct proportion to its value.

Observation: When you are over the hill, you begin to pick up speed.

Observation: A carelessly planned project will take three times longer to complete than expected; a carefully planned project will take only twice as long.

Budgets help you worry before you spend money, as well as, afterward.

Ring My Bell

A tangled bellringer tolled himself off.

Happy
Birthday
Jeff

Enjoy your special day!

Blessed Be

BLESSED ARE THE CRACKED

FOR THEY ARE THE ONES

WHO LET IN THE LIGHT!

Thought For The Day

Good friends are like stars.
You don't always see them but you always know they are there.

Maxine's Words Of Wisdom

Redneck Computer Terms

BACKUP - What you do when you run across a skunk in the woods
BAR CODE - Them's the fight'n rules down at the local tavern
BUG - The reason you give for calling in sick
BYTE - What your pit bull dun to cusin Jethro
CACHE - Needed when you run out of food stamps
CHIP - Pasture muffins that you try not to step in
TERMINAL - Time to call the undertaker
CRASH - When you go to Junior's party uninvited
DIGITAL - The art of counting on your fingers
DISKETTE - Female Disco dancer
FAX - What you lie about to the IRS
HACKER - Uncle Leroy after 32 years of smoking
HARDCOPY - Picture looked at when selecting tattoos
INTERNET - Where cafeteria workers put their hair
KEYBOARD - Where you hang the keys to the John Deere
MAC - Big Bubba's favorite fast food
MEGAHERTZ - How your head feels after 17 beers
MODEM - What ya did when the grass and weeds got too tall
MOUSE PAD - Where Mickey and Minnie live
NETWORK - Scoop'n up a big fish before it breaks the line
ONLINE - Where to stay when taking the sobriety test
ROM - Where the pope lives
SCREEN - Helps keep the skeeters off the porch
SERIAL PORT - A red wine you drink with breakfast
SUPERCONDUCTOR - Amtrak's Employee of the year

Happy Birthday

Happy 69th Birthday Dad !

You and Frank Sinatra share the same date, December 12th.

Have a great day!

Holiday Home Tour

my original art work - Holiday Home
Last night my son and I drove around our community to look at the light and decoration displays of peoples homes. Some were big and showy, with almost any character you can imagine lit up in the yard, to subltle white twinkling lights and red bows, to a be-jeweled tree in the front window, to a single wreath on the door. It's always gets me in the Christmas spirit to look at the lights. Now all we need is a little snow to make it perfect. Happy Holidays !

Bad Santa

Santa was very cross. It was Christmas Eve and NOTHING was going right.
Mrs. Claus had burned all the cookies.
The elves were complaining about not getting paid for the overtime they had while making the toys.
The reindeer had been playing their reindeer games all afternoon and were dead tired.
To make matters worse, Rudolph had taken the sleigh out for a spin earlier in the day and had crashed it into a tree.
Santa was furious. "I can't believe it! I've got to deliver millions of presents all over the world in just a few hours and all of my reindeer are sleeping, the elves are on strike and I don't even have a Christmas tree yet! I sent that stupid Little Angel out HOURS ago to find a tree and he isn't even back yet! What am I going to do?"
Just then, the Little Angel opened the front door and stepped in from the snowy night, dragging a Christmas tree. He says, "Yo, fat Santa man! Where do you want me to stick the tree this year?"
And thus the tradition of angels atop the Christmas trees came to pass...

Emily Dickinson- 176

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Though virtually unknown in her lifetime, Dickinson has come to be regarded, along with Walt Whitman, as one of the two quintessential American poets of the 19th century.
Dickinson lived an introverted and hermetic life. Although she wrote, at the last count, 1,789 poems, only a handful of them were published during her lifetime - all anonymously and probably without her knowledge.

This Day In History

On December 10
1520
Martin Luther publicly burned the papal edict. The papacy demanded that he recant or face excommunication. Luther refused and was formally expelled from the church in January 1521.
1851
American librarian, Melvil Dewey, was born. He created the "Dewey Decimal Classification" system.
1901
The first Nobel prizes were awarded.
1906
President Theodore Roosevelt became the first American to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
1953
Hugh Hefner published the first "Playboy" magazine with an investment of $7,600.
1958
The first domestic passenger jet flight took place in the U.S. when 111 passengers flew from New York to Miami on a National Airlines Boeing 707.
1964
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. received the Nobel Peace Prize. He was the youngest person to receive the award.
1993
The crew of the space shuttle Endeavor deployed the repaired Hubble Space Telescope into Earth's orbit.
1994
Advertising executive Thomas Mosser of North Caldwell, NJ, was killed by a mail bomb that was blamed on the Unabomber.
1996
South Africa's President Mandela signed into law a new democratic constitution, completing the country's transition from white-minority rule to a non-racial democracy.
1999
After three years under suspicion of being a spy for China, computer scientist Wen Ho Lee was arrested. He was charged with removing secrets from the Los Alamos weapons lab. Lee later plead guilty to one count of downloading restricted data to tape and was freed. The other 58 counts were dropped.
2003
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld new restrictions on political advertising in the weeks before an election. The court did strike down two provisions of the new law that involved a ban on political contibutions from those too young to vote and a limitation on some party spending. (McConnell v. FEC, 02-1674)
2003
The U.S. barred firms based in certain countries, opponents of the Iraq war, from bidding on Iraqi reconstruction projects. The ban did not prevent companies from winning subcontracts.

Heading South

Word Of The Day

VERACITY - filled with truth and accuracy, actuality, authenticity.

Poker Proverb

Life is not holding a good hand, life is playing a poor hand well.


I knew I could learn something from all that poker playing I do.
Lots of times my crappy looking hand has won.
It's all in how you play the game.

Peace

Memorium

My uncle Gene passed away yesterday. He was my mother's brother. We shared the same birthday, July 2nd. He was a kind-hearted man. I still remember the the lovely toy dish set he gave me one Christmas many years ago. How did he know what would make a little girl so happy? Even back then I was a domestic diva. :o)
Rest in peace uncle Gene.

The Legend Of Mistletoe

Mistletoe Origins of its name - The common name of the plant is derived from the ancient belief that mistletoe was propagated from bird droppings. This belief was related to the then-accepted principle that life could spring spontaneously from dung. It was observed in ancient times that mistletoe would often appear on a branch or twig where birds had left droppings. "Mistel" is the Anglo-Saxon word for "dung," and "tan" is the word for "twig". So, mistletoe means "dung-on-a-twig".

The Plant : Mistletoe is especially interesting botanically because it is a partial parasite (a "hemiparasite"). As a parasitic plant, it grows on the branches or trunk of a tree and actually sends out roots that penetrate into the tree and take up nutrients. But mistletoe is also capable for growing on its own; like other plants it can produce its own food by photosynthesis. Mistletoe, however, is more commonly found growing as a parasitic plant. There are two types of mistletoe. The mistletoe that is commonly used as a Christmas decoration (Phoradendron flavescens) is native to North America and grows as a parasite on trees from New Jersey to Florida. The other type of mistletoe, Viscum album, is of European origin. The European mistletoe is a green shrub with small, yellow flowers and white, sticky berries which are considered poisonous. It commonly seen on apple but only rarely on oak trees. The rarer oak mistletoe was greatly venerated by the ancient Celts and Germans and used as a ceremonial plant by early Europeans. The Greeks and earlier peoples thought that it had mystical powers and down through the centuries it became associated with many folklore customs.
The Mistletoe Magic : From the earliest times mistletoe has been one of the most magical, mysterious, and sacred plants of European folklore. It was considered to bestow life and fertility; a protection against poison; and an aphrodisiac. The mistletoe of the sacred oak was especially sacred to the ancient Celtic Druids. On the sixth night of the moon white-robed Druid priests would cut the oak mistletoe with a golden sickle. Two white bulls would be sacrificed amid prayers that the recipients of the mistletoe would prosper. Later, the ritual of cutting the mistletoe from the oak came to symbolize the emasculation of the old King by his successor. Mistletoe was long regarded as both a sexual symbol and the "soul" of the oak. It was gathered at both mid-summer and winter solstices, and the custom of using mistletoe to decorate houses at Christmas is a survival of the Druid and other pre-Christian traditions. The Greeks also thought that it had mystical powers and down through the centuries it became associated with many folklore customs. In the Middle Ages and later, branches of mistletoe were hung from ceilings to ward off evil spirits. In Europe they were placed over house and stable door to prevent the entrance of witches. It was also believed that the oak mistletoe could extinguish fire. This was associated with an earlier belief that the mistletoe itself could come to the tree during a flash of lightning. The traditions which began with the European mistletoe were transferred to the similar American plant with the process of immigration and settlement.
Kissing under the mistletoe : Kissing under the mistletoe is first found associated with the Greek festival of Saturnalia and later with primitive marriage rites. They probably originated from two beliefs. One belief was that it has power to bestow fertility. It was also believed that the dung from which the mistletoe would also possess "life-giving" power. In Scandinavia, mistletoe was considered a plant of peace, under which enemies could declare a truce or warring spouses kiss and make-up. Later, the eighteenth-century English credited with a certain magical appeal called a kissing ball. At Christmas time a young lady standing under a ball of mistletoe, brightly trimmed with evergreens, ribbons, and ornaments, cannot refuse to be kissed. Such a kiss could mean deep romance or lasting friendship and goodwill. If the girl remained unkissed, she cannot expect not to marry the following year. In some parts of England the Christmas mistletoe is burned on the twelfth night lest all the boys and girls who have kissed under it never marry. Whether we believe it or not, it always makes for fun and frolic at Christmas celebrations. Even if the pagan significance has been long forgotten, the custom of exchanging a kiss under the mistletoe can still be found in many European countries as well as in Canada. Thus if a couple in love exchanges a kiss under the mistletoe, it is interpreted as a promise to marry, as well as a prediction of happiness and long life. In France, the custom linked to mistletoe was reserved for New Year's Day: "Au gui l'An neuf" (Mistletoe for the New Year). Today, kisses can be exchanged under the mistletoe any time during the holiday season.
The Legend : For its supposedly mystical power mistletoe has long been at the center of many folklore. One is associated with the Goddess Frigga. The story goes that Mistletoe was the sacred plant of Frigga, goddess of love and the mother of Balder, the god of the summer sun. Balder had a dream of death which greatly alarmed his mother, for should he die, all life on earth would end. In an attempt to keep this from happening, Frigga went at once to air, fire, water, earth, and every animal and plant seeking a promise that no harm would come to her son. Balder now could not be hurt by anything on earth or under the earth. But Balder had one enemy, Loki, god of evil and he knew of one plant that Frigga had overlooked in her quest to keep her son safe. It grew neither on the earth nor under the earth, but on apple and oak trees. It was lowly mistletoe. So Loki made an arrow tip of the mistletoe, gave to the blind god of winter, Hoder, who shot it , striking Balder dead. The sky paled and all things in earth and heaven wept for the sun god. For three days each element tried to bring Balder back to life. He was finally restored by Frigga, the goddess and his mother. It is said the tears she shed for her son turned into the pearly white berries on the mistleto plant and in her joy Frigga kissed everyone who passed beneath the tree on which it grew. The story ends with a decree that who should ever stand under the humble mistletoe, no harm should befall them, only a kiss, a token of love. What could be more natural than to translate the spirit of this old myth into a Christian way of thinking and accept the mistletoe as the emblem of that Love which conquers Death? Its medicinal properties, whether real or imaginary, make it a just emblematic of that Tree of Life, the leaves of which are for the healing of the nations thus paralleling it to the Virgin Birth of Christ.

Word Of The Day

PLACATE - to soothe or pacify, calm, reconcile.

This Day In History

On December 5
1766
James Christie, founder of the famous auctioneers, held his first sale in London.
1776
In Williamsburg, VA, at the College of William and Mary, the first scholastic fraternity in America, Phi Beta Kappa, was organized.
1848
President Polk triggered the Gold Rush of '49 by confirming the fact that gold had been discovered in California.
1932
German physicist, Albert Einstein, was granted a visa making it possible for him to travel to the U.S.
1934
Fighting broke out between Italian and Ethiopian troops on the Somalian border.
1978
The American space probe, Pioneer Venus I, orbited Venus, and began beaming back its first picture of the planet.
1985
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose above 1,500 for the first time.
1998
James P. Hoffa became the head of the Teamsters union, 23 years after his father was the head. His father disappeared and was presumed dead.
2001
In Germany, Afghan leaders signed a pact to create a temporary administration for post-Taliban Afghanistan. Two women were included in the cabinet structure. Hamid Karzai and his Cabinet were planned to take over power in Afghanistan on December 22.

WD40

WD-40 who knew? Water Displacement #40. The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a "water displacement" compound. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40.
The Corvair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts. Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you. When you read the "shower door" part, try it. It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your stovetop... Voila! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed.

Here are some of the uses: 1) Protects silver from tarnishing. 2) Removes road tar and grime from cars. 3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings. 4) Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making it slippery. 5) Keeps flies off cows. 6) Restores and cleans chalkboards. 7) Removes lipstick stains. 8) Loosens stubborn zippers. 9) Untangles jewelry chains. 10) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks. 11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill. 12) Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing. 13) Removes tomato stains from clothing. 14) Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots. 15) Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors. 16) Keeps scissors working smoothly. 17) Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes 18) It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks. 19) Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40! 20) Gives a children's play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide. 21) Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers. 22) Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises. 23) Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open. 24) Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close. 25) Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers. 26) Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles. 27) Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans. 28) Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling. 29) Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly. 30) Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools. 31) Removes splattered grease on stove. 32) Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging. 33) Lubricates prosthetic limbs. 34) Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell). 35) Removes all traces of duct tape. 36) Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain. 37) Florida's favorite use is: "cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers." 38) The favorite use in the state of New York WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements. 39) WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states. 40) Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch. 41) WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag. 42) Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and re-wash. Presto! Lipstick is gone! 43) If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.
P. S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.

Light Up Your Life

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD is what happens when people who don't get enough sunlight during the winter feel depressed.
So does extra light make you happier?
It does, says the journal Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. And you don't need a whole lot to make the difference.
Researchers at Sapporo Hanazono Hospital in Japan studied the effects of one hour of bright light every morning on a group of elderly women.
After two days, the women reported improvements in alertness, mood, motivation, happiness, refreshment, concentration and appetite.
After four days, there were also improvements in sleep patterns and anxiety.
By the end of the month, they reported higher electric bills!

Luck

I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it. - Thomas Jefferson

A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.





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