~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
December 20

★~ Today’s Quote: Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?~  Clarence Oddbody

★~  Happy Hanukkah: 

Dance the hora and light the menorah, the eight days of Hanukkah start tonight. Children can spin the dreidel for gelt, have some challah and, most importantly, spend time with family on this Jewish holiday, The Festival of Lights.

★~ Go Caroling Day!

The tradition of Christmas carols hails back as far as the thirteenth century, although carols were originally communal songs sung during celebrations like harvest tide as well as Christmas. It was only later that carols began to be sung in church, and to be specifically associated with Christmas.

In honor of Go Caroling Day lets all sing the traditional Wassail Song. The Wassail Song celebrates the New Year! “Wassail” is an old English word that loosely means,  “Good Health.” The drink  wassail is made with spiced or mulled wine or ale. So some say that Wassail is the question one asked after the toast…Wassail! (What’s in this ale)  The tradition of going wassailing dates back to 12th century England. The composer of the music to the wassail song is unknown.

If you send me a video of you singing the Wassail song (music and video up above) I will send you a beautiful Jacquie Lawson computer Advent calendar. If you don’t want to sing the Wassail Song a rousing rendition of your favorite Holiday song will do. (A camera video is fine)

★~Sangria Day:

This refreshingly fruity drink is the perfect toast to the Holiday Season. Sangria is made by combining sliced fruit, honey, sugar, juice, carbonated soda, red or white wine, and other alcohols.

To celebrate National Sangria Day, conjure up your favorite sangria recipe to enjoy with friends and family!

★~ Fried Shrimp Day:

Frying up some shrimp to pair with your Sangria while you sing the Wassail carol might be a fun Tuesday night dinner.

★~ Today in History:

♥~ 1952 – Jimmy Boyd reached the #1 spot on the record charts with the Christmas song of the year, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.

♥~ 1946 – It’s A Wonderful Life Film Premier: 65th Anniversary. America’s favorite Christmas drama premiered on this date at New York, NY. Directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart (George Bailey), Donna Reed (Mary Bailey), Henry Travers (as Clarence Oddbody, trying to earn his angel wings) and Lionel Barrymore (as villainous Mr Potter), the film was nominated for five Academy Awards.

♥~ 1954 – Buick Motor Company signed Jackie Gleason to one of the largest contracts ever entered into with an entertainer. Gleason agreed to produce 78 half-hour shows over a two-year period for $6,142,500. How sweet it was!

♥~ 1969 – Peter, Paul & Mary’s Leaving on a Jet Plane reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

♥~ 1998 – A 15-pound concrete garden frog was returned to its home in Swansea, Massachusetts, after a seven-month vacation. The owners had received a letter, saying the frog just needed to get away from the grind of garden life, but would be home for the holidays. They also received photos and postcards from the frog in New York, Venezuela, Venice, and Indonesia.

★~Born Today:

♥~ 1932 – John Hillerman Emmy Award-winning actor: Magnum P.I.

♥~ 1933 – Dr. Samuel Mudd, MD, American physician who was convicted and imprisoned for aiding and conspiring with John Wilkes Booth in the 1865 assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. He was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson and released from prison in 1869. Despite repeated attempts by family members and others to have it expunged, his conviction has never been overturned. After Booth shot Lincoln, he broke his leg while fleeing the theater  and went to Mudd’s home seeking medical assistance. Exactly how much Mudd knew about Booth’s crime is unclear, but his delay in contacting police worked to tie him to the conspiracy. The moral of this story is  never trust a man with a broken leg and a gun who shows up in the middle of the night.

♥~ 1944 – Bobby Colomby musician: drums, singer: group: Blood, Sweat & Tears: And When I Die, You Made Me So Very Happy, Spinning Wheel, Hi De Ho

♥~ 1945 – Peter Criss (Crisscoula) musician: drums: group: KISS [The Catman]: Strutter, Deuce, Got to Choose, Hotter Than Hell, C’Mon and Love, Rock and Roll All Nite, Detroit Rock City, Shout It Out Loud

♥~ 1946 – Uri Geller, illusionist, psychic, clairvoyant, spoon-bender

♥~ 1946 – John Spencer, Emmy Award-winning actor The West Wing (2002)

♥~ 1948 – Alan Parsons musician: keyboards; music engineer: worked on The Beatles’ Abbey Road LP and early Wings LPs; producer: The Alan Parsons Project: Eye in the Sky, Games People Play

♥~ 1957 – Billy (Steven) Bragg songwriter, musician: guitar, singer: The Milkman of Human Kindness, A New England, Man in the Iron Mask, St. Withins Day, Island of No Return,Between the Wars, World Turned Upside Down, Which Side are You On?, Levi Stubbs’ Tears

♥~ 1966 –  Chris Robinson, singer: The Black Crowes,

♥~ 1982 –  David Cook, Singer, “American Idol”

♥~ 1990 –  JoJo (Joanna Noëlle Blagden Levesque) singer: Leave [Get Out], Too Little Too Late, In the Dark, Disaster

★~ Did You Know: 

♥~It’s a Wonderful Life  cost $3.7 million to produce. In its initial box office run, it only earned $3.3 million.

♥~ James Stewart‘s performance as George Bailey is ranked #8 on Premiere Magazine’s 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

♥~ Actor and producer Sheldon Leonard said in an interview that the only reason he agreed to play Nick the bartender in this film was so that he would have money to buy Dodger baseball tickets.

♥~ It was Donna Reed’s first starring role, and she made quite the impression on her co-stars, especially during the scene where she throws a rock at the old house and makes a wish on the resulting broken window. The crew had a sure-shot thrower standing nearby so he could shatter the window on cue as Donna “threw” her rock. She asked to take a crack at it first and was graciously obliged. To everyone’s surprise but her own, she took the window out on her first try.

♥~ The swimming pool under the gymnasium floor really exists –- it’s at Beverly Hills High School and was still being used as of last year.

♥~ Uncle Billy’s pet raven, Jimmy, can be found in every Frank Capra production since 1938’s You Can’t Take It With You.

♥~ The movie received the “honor” of getting its own FBI file in 1947, when an analyst submitted the idea that the film was an obvious attempt to discredit bankers, a “common trick used by Communists.”

♥~  Beulah Bondi, AKA Mrs. Bailey, played Jimmy Stewart’s mother five times throughout her career. There’s this movie, of course, and also Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Of Human Hearts, Vivacious Lady and once on The Jimmy Stewart Show.

♥~  The film was a flop when it played theaters in 1946 and at the academy awards . The reason for this, is debuted a week after William Wyler‘s The Best Years of Our Lives (IMBD)

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If you have a monro moment, share your favorite Christmas Carol, with us! Better yet, sing it for us! I will share your video’s on El Morno (you do not have to be on camera) and send you a beautiful Jacquie Lawson computer Advent calendar. If you already have an Advent calendar (perhaps from my previous offer)I will send you an easy to open and enjoy Jacquie Lawson e-card. Odd Loves YOUR Company!

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