MY CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

    DECEMBER 24, 2024

MY CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!

    I've shared this story many times

but it's always worth retelling. My

video BLOG includes a re-creation

of this true story that happened 36

years ago this very day. I had a bad

habit of doing my Christmas shopping

on Christmas Eve. There was a time 

when that added to the Christmas spirit

for me. But that year, 1988, my wife

had asked for a somewhat unusual gift.

It was a lawn decoration that looked

like a lamb. I already had plans to pick

up a present for one of my daughters

at a shop in Montrose which is about

an hour and a half from our home. I

decided I'd better look for that lamb

first. I visited a number of Lawn &

Garden shops. A couple of the owners

were familiar with the decoration but

didn't have any in stock. The hour was

getting late with that drive ahead of me

so I decided I'd make up a gift certificate

for my wife and find the lamb after

Christmas. It was dark and getting late

when I finally set out for Montrose.

I was driving along Route 92 near the

Susquehanna River. I was, I believe,

in the area of Harding when I passed a

house off to my right that had one of

those lamb decorations in the front

yard. They had to know where they

bought it! My dilemma was trying to

decide if I should stop and bother the

homeowner on this dark Christmas Eve

to ask where they bought the lamb. Since

this was a special gift my wife wanted I

decided to take a chance. I got out of my

car and walked up to the house then

knocked on the front door. A woman

answered. The woman who MADE THE

LAMBS!!!! Her name was Madeline Woods.

She once owned an area flower shop. Madeline

had two of the newly made lamb ornaments

in her house. One was a gift for a friend. The

other was available! Coincidence? Somehow

I doubt that. Madeline passed away many

years ago but she left my wife and I with

a wonderful craft that we regard as a

Christmas Miracle! Merry Christmas to

you all and may all your NEWS be good!     

 

HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR TREE?

 

  MONDAY, DECEMBER 23RD., 2024
  HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR TREE!

  It's December 23rd my friends and time to
check your tree! It's fun to have a look at all
the branches and find things you may never
have seen before!
   Oh! I don't mean your Christmas tree. I'm
talking about your Family tree! You see this
is "Roots Day!"
    It's the perfect time to celebrate your
heritage. Many of you are likely home or
headed home to be with family for the
holidays.
     I can trace my Mom's side of the family
back to the Revolutionary war. And the
Singlet family has been holding reunions
for over 100 years!
     While I don't know much of the actual
history my Dad's grandparents and great
grandparents all hail from the same town
in Italy!
       Genealogy is a big deal these days.
If you really get into it you can find out
a lot of things about your relatives. Of
course that could be a mixed blessing!
         My wife learned she has some ties
to a New York family that ran a "Family."
Now, every now and then, she makes me
an offer I can't refuse!
         So, while you're decorating or just
enjoying your Tannenbaum, give some
thought to those whose roots make your
family tree so sturdy!
          Hope you find some stars on those
branches and that all your NEWS is good! 

IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS!!!

     SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2024

  IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS!

    It's December 21st! It's Yule Day! I

don't know if you've heard of it before

or not. But you've certainly heard of the

12 days of Chrfistmas. Yule Day is the

start of that 12 day period. It's always on

the Winter Solstice. In years past farmers

would gather in their crops for the holiday

meals. And folks would begin trimming

their Christmas trees. It's the day you

begin gathetring presents for those 12 days

of Christmas. The first one could be the

hardest. A Partridge in a Pear Tree! Wait

a minute. I know where there's a Pear tree!

In fact it's right across the street frpom my

house. I've got myself a Pear tree. Now...

all I have to do is wait for a Partridge to

show up. I wonder what a Pafrtridge looks

like? This may be tougher than I thought!

Hope your 12 gifts are all ready and wrapped

and that all your NEWS is good!  

WRAP IT UP KID!

      FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2024

                    WRAP IT UP KID!!

    Don't get worried. This isn't a wrap

song or verse. It's an observation, and

suggestion for retailers out there. You

sell us these swell presents then send

us home with them in a bag! That leaves

guys, like me, to wrap them for Christmas.

I'm not a very good wrapper! I end up with

bits and pieces of wrapping paper and tape

on me. Lots all over the floor too! Why

don't you pre-wrap the presents? Let us see

a sample of the product then send us home

with an already wrapped present. It would

help guys like me a lot. Of course bad as my

wrapping is I'm certain my wife will 

appreciate the bright can of SPAM I've  

just wrapped up in red paper and.....oh....

wait! I want it to be a big surpise. Don;t

say anything! Hope you're all wrapped

up and that all your NEWS is good!  

BELSNICKEL

      TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2024

                      BELSNICKEL

      It's Christmas time so you know who's

coming to town right? No. Not Santa. I'm

talking about Belsnickel! A Christmas

tradition in parts of Pennsylvania! He's a creature

dressed in furs carrying a long switch from

a tree. He raps on the windows of children's

rooms knowing who is naughty and who 

is nice. The naughty kids get a wack on the

rear end and the nice kids ger a treat.

Belsnickel is a German born tradition who

is still talked about in some of the Pennsylvania

Dutch community. He became nationally

know when actor Rainn Willson, playing

Dwight Schrute, dressed as Belsnickel

for an episode of "Thee Office." So you'd

better watch out and you'd better not cry,

because Belsnickel is coming to town!

Hope you and nice and not naughty

and that all your NEWS is good!  

OUR SUMMER CHRISTMAS IN CLEVELAND!

  

       MONDAY, DECEMBER 16TH., 2024
OUR SUMMER CHRISTMAS IN CLEVELAND!

      You've probably heard of Christmas in
July. But one of our favorite Christmas
memories was made in June!
    If was June of 2009 and my wife and
I took a road trip that lead us to
Cleveland, Ohio!
    We passed by the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame en route to our destination....the
"Christmas Story House."
     It's the home that was used in the movie
"A Christmas Story." A feature all about a
little boy whose only Christmas wish was to
get a Red Ryder BB gun. At one time or
another all little boys want a BB gun!
    If you haven't seen it yet...welcome back
to the United States from your monastery
in the mountains of Tibet or where ever
you've been isolated.
     The movie has become a Christmas
classic and we actually base all of our
Christmas cards on the story.
     It was such a treat to visit the house used
in several scenes! We got to see THE Leg
Lamp! I got to hide under the kitchen sink
just like Ralphie's brother Randy did in the
movie! We even we got to see the actual Red
Rider BB gun that co-stared in the feature.
     And though it was the middle of June
memories of the film made us feel just like
it was Christmas!
     When it comes right down to it a big
part of Christmas is the memories of
previous holidays....usually from the days
when we were kids! Remember those days
when you were a kid, couldn't get to sleep
Christmas Eve, then woke your folks up
about 6am to check and see what Santa left
under the tree!
      I wonder if its too late to sneak an ad
for a Red Ryder BB gun into my wife's
mahjone manual that she checks
every day. Yea......I know exactly what
she'd say! You're saying the same thing!
      Hope your list to Santa has already
been mailed and that all your NEWS is
good!

SALUTING A TASTY TREAT!

 

   SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15TH., 2024
     SALUTING A TASTY TREAT!         

    For those of you who didn't already
know this is National Cupcake Day!
     I'm good with that!
     My grandson has mixed emotions.
He's made it clear he prefers full
sized Birthday cakes at his friend's
parties. If faced with those individual
decorated cupcakes he'll usually, but
reluctantly, lick off the icing.
      Cupcakes have been around for
a long time and they've changed
over the years.
       Winston Churchill is the first
person to suggest that cupcakes should
be frosted. Previously the treats were
made from dried fruit, spices, or gilded
lard, Of course Churchill also blamed
cupcakes for his jowls!
       Always anxious to support
Pennsylvania products I have been
buying Tastykake cupcakes as often
as I could.
       For a long time they were tough
to find outside of eastern Pennsylvania.
When my brother-in-law lived in
California he always bought up a
big supply on return visits.
        Distribution is much wider these
days so folks all over might be joining
me in the celebration today!
        If the grandson stops by I'll give
him one with a heavy coat of icing!
Whether you buy them or bake them
enjoy a cupcake for yourself today!
         Hope all your NEWS is good!