~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
December 20,2012

★~ Today’s Quote: “Dear George, remember no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings, Love Clarence.” Clarence Oddbody

★~ 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.

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 alel)  The tradition of going wassailing dates back to 12th century England. The composer of the music to the wassail song is unknown.

★~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! Did you know that Skinnygirl cocktails makes a Sangria mix? There web site is fun too. Here is the Skinnygirl® Berry Sangria recipe.

 Ingredients:
1 part Skinnygirl® Sangria
½ cup frozen berries (blueberries and blackberries recommended)
½ cup ice (optional)

Preparation:
Add Skinnygirl® Sangria to a cup with ice
Add frozen berries
Stir and enjoy

★~ Fried Shrimp Day:

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

★~ Today in History:

♥~ 1812 – 200th anniversary of “Grimm’s Fairy Tales,” a compendium of European folk tales first published in 1812 by German brothers Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm and Wilhelm Carl Grimm. Check out Googles Doodle!

♥~ 1946 – It’s A Wonderful Life 66th Anniversary date of its New York film premier.  Click for more facts about It’s A Wonderful Life.

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

♥~ 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:

Pop Quiz: How Well Do You Know Your Christmas Carols?  Singing aloud is allowed.

The answer key is at the bottom of the page. Share how many you got right!

1. “The Christmas Song” refers to “folks dressed up like— 

A. Elves

B. Angels

C. Eskimos

D. Chewbacca

2. What were the last words of Frosty the Snowman? 

A. “Hold my beer and watch this.”

B. “Catch me if you can!”

C. “Ahh, I can’t wait to get in that hot shower.”

D. “I’ll be back again someday.”

3. In “Joy to the World,” Jesus is said to rule the world with…

A. Truth and grace

B. Love and hope

C. Mercy and care

D. Clout and cash

4  In “The Little Drummer Boy,” how does Baby Jesus react to the stylings of the impoverished percussionist? 

A. He smiles

B. He nods and keeps time with the ox and lamb

C. He sleeps in heavenly peace

D. He weeps inconsolably because, like almost everybody else, he too hates “The Little Drummer Boy.”

5. “Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah” tells us to come light— 

A. The Yule log

B. The menorah

C. The Dreidel

D. The latkes

6. In “Jingle Bells,” the singer says that one day he went out on the snow and fell on his back. A gentleman then came by in a one-horse open sleigh. What does he do? 

A. He sings a song

B. He lifts the fallen man and carries him inside

C. He alights from his sleigh and falls down himself

D. He laughs and rides away

7. In “Winter Wonderland,” the singers build a snowman, and pretend that he is Parson Brown. What is their answer when this fictional clergyman asks if they are married? 

A. Oh, yes!

B. No, man!

C. Get lost!

D. As if!

8. In “Let it Snow,” which consumable product does the singer offer as an inducement to his love interest to stay by the fire? 

A. Wine for drinking

B. Cheese for slicing

C. Chips for dipping

D. Corn for popping

9. In “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” what is it that the kids in Girl and Boy Land will have?

A. A jubilee

B. A holly, jolly Christmas

C. A gay old time

D. Whatever their hearts desire

10. Complete this line: “I’ll be home for Christmas / If only –” 
A. you’ll lend us a couple of bob `til Thursday

B. you’re there, too

C. in my dreams

D. for the gifts

11. As Good King Wenceslaus looked out on the feast of Stephen, what sort of person did he see?

A. A wise man

B. A poor man

C. A page

D. An anti-Stephen protester

12. In “The First Nowell,” whom does the angel address? 

A. Poor shepherds

B. Wise men

C. King Herod

D. Skeptical fellow angels

13. In “Deck the Hall,” what line comes right after the line, “Follow me in merry measure”? 

A. Then we’ll feast and take our leisure

B. To the tree for Christmas pleasure

C. While I tell of Yuletide treasure (Your answer was incorrect)

D. Fa la la, la la la, la la la (Choice “D” is the correct answer)

14. I’m dreaming of a white Christmas with every — 

A. Christmas card I write

B. raindrop on my window

C. snowflake on the trees

D. breath you take

15. In a 1955 seasonal hit, the singer confesses to having broken a bat over his friend’s head. What is he therefore getting for Christmas?

A. His two front teeth

B. A lump of coal in his stocking

C. 3 months in juvvy

D. Nuttin’

16.What did the night wind say to the little lamb? 

A. Where’s your God now?

B. Do you see what I see?

C. Pray for peace

D. Won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?

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Currently Chicago is bracing itself for its first winter storm. As of typing ( Thursday, 12:39am) nary a flake has fallen of the 3-5 inclues expected. Did I say I wanted snow? Well. Yes. However, I did not want it at the height of Christmas hustle and bustle. I wanted it when we could all enjoy it with mugs of hot chocolate inside our houses. My sweet Mom called to make sure we had the essentials in case we were snowed in. Well, with luck Chicago can handle 3-5 inches of snow but if they fail to send out the plows I do have hot chocolate, little bottles of coke, fudge and popcorn so we are in good shape. If only my coffee cake has arrived..IF ONLY.  Oh well, we will make do.

You’ll know it’s winter in Chicago when you turn on the news and see the little old lady in her wool blue coat and heavy shopping bags, bracing herself against Chicago’s brutal wind, snow, and sleet as she makes her way (barely) to the bus stop while  heartless Chicagoans drive by adding waves of slush to her misery.  . .

What’s it like in your neck of the woods? Odd Loves Company

♥~

Answers for Quiz:

1b, 2d, 3a, 4a, 5b, 6d, 7b, 8d, 9a, 10c, 11b, 12a, 13d, 14a, 15d, 16b