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LET'S TOUR THE SITES AND FIND THE TREASURES! 
December 15, 2011 For my Grandma Glidewell, Christmas was the worst day of the year. When Grandma saw money being wasted, it was almost physically painful for her, and people wasted so much money at Christmas. Worst of all, they wasted some of it on her. So many costly things, too nice of course to use, that she had to pack away in her bureau drawer for the grandchildren to inherit. (And once in a great while she opened the drawer and showed them to us.) My mother was locked into a money-saving contest with Grandma Glidewell, her mother-in-law, but she always seemed to come out second best. Mother, for example, never chewed a whole stick of gum. She chewed half a stick at a time and often gave me the other half. But then she HAD blown a nickel to buy that gum in the first place. Grandma, on the other hand, bought gum for me because I wanted it and she loved me, but she never chewed it herself. She may never have even tasted it. I try to imagine someone trying to force her to chew a stick of gum. “Come on, Florence! Try it. It’s delicious.” And then I try to imagine Grandma actually putting that gum into her dignified, abstemious mouth and biting down on it. The mind boggles. I truly do not think she ever did. Though Grandma drew the line at being ridiculously saving. She believed civilization had peaked in the 1890s, and she tried to live as much as possible in the fashion of that era. But, after World War II, when many other local farmers installed indoor plumbing, she and Grandpa remodeled their house right into the middle of the twentieth century, installing an indoor bathroom and modern kitchen with electric refrigerator and electric stove. Though she kept the old wood stove (“for heat,” she said, but I noticed she used it for cooking too; it was an old friend). Most outerwear had to be ironed back then, and Grandma had always done it with heavy flatirons that she heated in a special compartment of the wood stove. But, at some point in the late 1940s, her daughter Gladys gave her an electric iron for Christmas and, with a sorrowful sigh, Grandma began using it. Not because she wanted to. She much preferred the flatirons, which did not drive up her electric bill. But public opinion could not be denied. Ironing with flatirons had begun to appear ridiculous. Having been raised by two women who were in a contest to see who could save the most money, I’ve always shared Grandma’s pain when I see people wasting money at Christmas ... though by her standards I am a gross spendthrift who buys chewing gum in the large economy pack. But this country has just been through four years of recession, in which even people who had money were afraid to spend it. Which fear of course has made the recession last longer. So now, like Scrooge, I have changed. I say to everyone, “Go ahead and spend it if you’ve got it! Buck up the economy!” Although there is a better way, as the Apostle Paul describes in I Corinthians 13. More about that in items 2 and 3. Janette Blackwell ----Table Of Contents---- 1. The Christmas Story As Told By Children 1. THE CHRISTMAS STORY AS TOLD BY CHILDREN This one is special. Don’t miss it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki8EcnVbd-Q 2. HARD TIMES GENERATION Families living in their last remaining possession, their cars: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57330802/hard-times-generation-families-living-in-cars/ HEATING AID CUT. This item from the TAIWAN NEWS aims at making its readers happy they don’t live in the Northeast U.S.: http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/news_content.php?id=1785410 3. THAT GRAND OLD LADY The charities need our help this year more than ever. The needs are greater, but many people are able to give less. If you haven’t a charity already selected, there’s always that Grand Old Lady of charities, the SALVATION ARMY, well into its second century of service to the needy. Find it here: CHARITY NAVIGATOR. Every year I run this address, as the CHARITY NAVIGATOR rates charities in a number of ways, including the percentage of your gift that would actually go to the people who need it, rather than to the organization’s overhead: 4. CHRISTMAS MUSIC I had no idea AOL had a music station, but it does, with music for many different tastes. As I write, I’m listening delightedly to AOL’s classical baroque section with some utterly lovely and often unusual music. You will find below the address of the “Christian” section of its Christmas music (with the other types of music listed in the lefthand column). I listened to several pieces, and NOT ONE was the kind of Christmas music you find in supermarkets and elevators. Different contemporary Christian Christmas music: http://music.aol.com/radioguide/christmas-music CHRISTMAS CLASSICS, and, yes, you’ve heard and heard and heard these before: http://aolradio.slacker.com/?aolid=2228 WHAT THE ANGELS SANG. This is not your ordinary Christmas music. First, VIVALDI’S “Glory to God in the Highest” with extremely energetic angels: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GuZgdIKAvc And his “Glory to God,” with much more Vivaldi available if it interests you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s00AWLjqaQE&feature=g-vrec 5. THE ULTIMATE KIDS’ HOLIDAY ACTIVITY GUIDE iVILLAGE is very good at this sort of thing: http://www.ivillage.com/ultimate-kids-holiday-activity-guide/6-j-398071 6. WEBSITES FOR GOOD SEASONAL RECIPES The kind of food you read about online gets better and better, and the recipes turn out pretty well too, I find: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-websites-find-fantastic-holiday-recipes/ 7. 20 CHRISTMAS TREES GONE WILD Trees spray-painted various colors were in style ... when? 1950s and 1960s, I guess. Then they were out of style for ages. And now back in, it would seem: www.ehow.com/slide-show_12159847_20-holiday-trees-gone-wild.html 8. GREAT PHOTOS FROM HISTORY These are some of the most fascinating photos I’ve encountered, including two hilarious photos of the BEATLES way before they got cool. In fact, if you are an uncool teenager, or know a teenager who is perhaps even approaching despair in that regard, do hone in on these photos. No one is hopeless. If the sappy looking kids in those photos could turn into international idols, no one need give up hope: 9. 10 DANGEROUS BUT COMMON FOOD SAFETY MISTAKES
Notice the tactful way I don’t put this right under the recipe listings. Click on the numbers on top of the charming photo of a man getting ready to barf. ‘Tis the season for leaving food sitting out for hours at parties, and for the inner excitement we feel afterward: http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-204_162-10008597.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody CHICKEN AND CILANTRO RECALLS are currently in progress too: 10. SURGERY SURVIVAL BETTER WITH EXTRA WEIGHT A much needed note of cheer for us hearty eaters. I searched awhile for this one. News items like this do not grow on trees, Christmas or otherwise. Just tell people you’re preparing for surgery after Christmas, as you pile up the plate: http://www.livescience.com/17134-surgery-risk-death-obesity.html 11. A VACCINE THAT CURES CANCER? Maybe they’ve got one. Maybe. Read this and hope: http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/ 12. SEVEN THINGS NOT TO BUY BEFORE CHRISTMAS Some things go on sale right after, such as baking supplies, electronics, winter clothes, and more: 13. WHAT NOT TO BUY AT WAL-MART WAL-MART seems to sell everything, but everything is not necessarily a good deal: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505144_162-51372460/ FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD BUY AT WAL-MART. They had their little flirtation with elegance, and it didn’t sell. Bargains are back: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505144_162-51372457/ 14. FOUR THINGS NOT TO BUY AT TARGET Better deals are to be found elsewhere on some items: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505144_162-51461471/4-things-not-to-buy-at-target/?tag=mwuser FOUR THINGS YOU SHOULD BUY AT TARGET: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-51461554/ 15. FOUR THINGS NOT TO BUY AT COSTCO http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505144_162-51484580/ FIVE THINGS TO BUY AT COSTCO: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-51484582/ © Copyright 2011 Janette G. Blackwell. All rights reserved. You may copy and use portions of this newsletter for noncommercial, personal use only. You may forward a copy to someone else as long as the copyright notice is included. Any other use of the materials in this newsletter without prior written permission is prohibited. |
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