Quilts

When I hear the word quilt, my mind pictures elaborately stitched creations like those made by the Amish. My wife & I love quilts and occasionally frequent quilt shows and exhibitions to see new patterns and cleverness of design. But I was reminded by a post at SurvivalBlog.com of the humble origins and true nature of quilts. My mental image of quilts was equivalent to thinking of hybridized orchids as the only "true" flowers or a gourmet meal as "food".

Quilts were meant to be practical. I have two "camping quilts" that my grandmother made that we still use in the winter. They are made with a simple design of large squares of old scraps. As the fabric gets old and brittle we've replaced some of the squares. In centuries past, quilts were highly valued, often being listed in the inventory of homes for inheritance settlements. 

A quilt is not the fabric design but the construction method of building a blanket sandwich with two outer sheets and an warm insulating center . "Quilting" is the stitching that keeps the insulation in place so it does not bunch up or slide to one end of the quilt. There are "whole-cloth" quilts with no cut pieces at all, just two white sheets and bunting in the middle and yet these can be amazingly beautiful with elaborate stitching patterns used to sew the layers together.

The elaborate stitching patterns are optional. My wife made a denim quilt a few years ago; she bought old jeans at tag sales, removed the seam stitching, ironed them flat, cut squares, and connected the squares on a sewing machine.  For the final "quilting" step we used a thick needle and yarn to tie the layers together with a knot every 6 inches or so apart.

I also learned from the SurvivalBlog.com post that denim is not the best choice for a quilt. It's heavy. (I'll say, you can feel the quilt pressing down as you sleep).

"when you want to stay warm, heavy is not what you want.  To properly insulate yourself from the cold, you need trapped air, and if the top layer of the quilt is of a heavy fabric, it squishes down the insulation and just doesn't keep you as warm."

Better Road Trips

Slate.com asks Do Family Road Trips Have To Be Horrible?

1. Plan the trip together - let the kids contribute ideas & make last minute suggestions based on road signs or GPS recommendations
2. Make plenty of stops - stop and smell the roses along the way. Aim for a ratio of 40 minutes sightseeing for every 60 minutes of driving.
3. Check out  Roadside America for quirky things to visit like the Jolly Green Giant statue or the Future Birthplace of James T Kirk of Star Trek.
4. Stop for factory tours - pretzel makers, chocolate, cheese, etc. Made in the U.S.A.
5. Avoid fast food - seek out local eateries and sample regional specialties like fried mac & cheese
6. Take nature breaks - not just a potty stop but get out of the car and toss a Frisbee around.
7. Make the car ride entertaining with music, games, and family talks

A Summer Swim

As summer nears, thoughts turn to playing at the pool or the beach but did you know that drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death between the ages of 5 and 24? A backyard swimming pool is 100 times more deadly to children than a gun at home! Swimming lessons are available for all ages - even infants! Teach your children to swim today - it may save a life.

Every Cub Scout is taught to "Buddy up!" when swimming. Always swim with a partner, every time — whether you're swimming in a backyard pool or in a lake. Even experienced swimmers can become tired or get muscle cramps, which might make it difficult to get out of the water. When people swim together, they can help each other or go for help in case of an emergency.

When swimming, watch out for the dangerous “too’s” – too tired, too cold, too far from safety, and too much sun activity. Never swim so far into a lake or ocean that you haven't enough energy left for the swim back. Body temperature can drop quickly in water. If a child is shivering or experiencing muscle cramps, get him or her out of the water immediately.

Don't assume that a child who knows how to swim isn't at risk for drowning. All kids need to be supervised in the water, no matter what their swimming skill levels. Set water safety rules for the whole family based on swimming abilities. For example, inexperienced swimmers should stay in water less than chest deep or be required to wear a life jacket.

Pushy Parents

This weekend our cub scout pack will be racing their pinewood derby cars. This is supposed to be a learning experience for the 8-10 year old boys. We've devoted the past 6 weeks to drawing a cut-out template on the cars, sanding them, applying a base coat, a prime coat, and racing stripes. However one boy has had nothing to do because his dad made his car in the very first week. It looks great but the son had zero involvement in its creation. Tragic.

NPR tells another story of parents doing too much, Easter Egg Hunt Canceled Due To Aggressive Parents. "Organizers of an annual Easter egg hunt in [Colorado Springs,] Colorado attended by hundreds of children have canceled this year's event, citing the behavior of aggressive parents who swarmed into the tiny park last year, determined that their kids get an egg." Ropes had been set up for a kids-only area but parents jumped the ropes to help their child get the most eggs. The egg hunt was over in seconds, with many tots finding nothing.

"Parenting observers cite the cancellation as a prime example of "helicopter parents" — those who hover over their children and are involved in every aspect of their children's lives — sports, school, and increasingly work — to ensure that they don't fail, even at an Easter egg hunt. .. (The parents) can't stay out of their children's lives. They don't give their children enough chances to learn from hard knocks, mistakes."

Bottom Line

Have you observed aggressive parents?

What Flavor is Your Potato Chip?

I like BBQ flavored potato chips; my wife does not. But that's OK, there are lots of flavors out there so everyone can have a personal favorite. Just how many flavors? A lot more than I ever would have guessed.

In 1932, salesman Herman W. Lay opened a successful snack food operation in Nashville, Tennessee. A few years later he purchased a potato chip manufacturer and called it the "H. W. Lay Lingo & Company", later renamed simply "Lay's". This company bought the first TV commercials for snack food, "de-Lay-sious!", using Bert Lahr, the comedian who played the Cowdardly Lion of Oz.

Today Lay's controls 59% of the US savory snack-food market and sells chips around the world. Potato chip flavors are customized for each country - how many of the following flavors would sell in America?

Canada: Ketchup (My sister sent me some. They're good!), Wasabi, Smokey Bacon, Fries & Gravy

UK: Prawn Cocktail, German Bratwurst Sausage, Scottish Haggis (really?!!!), Yorkshire Pudding, Welsh Rarebit, Australian BBQ Kangaroo, Marmite

Australia: Vegemite
India: Massaman  (enjoyed this one!)

Greece and Cyprus: Feta cheese, Tzatziki, Oregano

Holland: Paprika, Bolognese, Balsamico

Belgium: Cucumber & Goats  (goats?)

Russia: Red Cariar, Shishkebab

Poland: Chilli and Knuckle of Pork

Argentina, Chile and Uruguay: Beef Carpaccio with Parmeggiano

Thailand: Bacon and Cheese with Seaweed, squid, French Mayonnaise, Garlic Soft Shelled Crab

China: Kiwi, Blueberry, Finger Licking Braised Pork

Vietnam: Peeking Duck

Egypt: Kebab on Charcoal

Bottom Line

204 chip flavors are listed at Now That's Nifty which closely match the flavors listed on Wikipedia for Lay's.

Last year my wife & I encountered a similar flavor explosion with mustard at the National Mustard Museum near Madison, Wisconsin. So many flavors to try, so many countries.

Walt Disney

"I don't make pictures just to make money. I make money to make more pictures."
-Walt Disney

On this day, Dec 15, 1966, Walt Disney passed away at age 65. This year also marks the 110th anniversary of Walt's birth on Dec 5, 1901. I was raised on everything Disney with Micky Mouse & friends on the wall, Disney records as Christmas gifts (I still love the soundtracks to Robin Hood and Aristocats), Disney story books, Wonderful World of Disney on TV, watching Jungle Book at the theater, visits to Walt Disney World, etc. This all seemed quite natural at the time but an article on PJ Media points out Disney was quite the innovator and "invented" many of the experiences I took for granted.

1. Animation

Steamboat Willie (1928), starring Mickey Mouse, is credited as the first animation synchronized with sound and music. Watch it on Youtube to see how clever it was and remember - sound was NEW! Four years later Disney produced Flowers And Trees (1932) in Technicolor and won the first Academy Award for animation. The Old Mill in 1937 was the first short film to use a multiplane camera and it also won an Oscar. [Multiplane means the sun/moon is painted an one cell layer, then middle ground, then foreground and then the "actors" on top. They are stacked with space between each layer and filmed together. The advantage is 3-D depth to the film; you can move in for a close up and the moon in the sky remains small while objects in the top cells get larger.]  1937 also saw the release of "Disney's Folly", a full length cartoon called  Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. To the surprise of everyone (but Disney) it was a smash success and won another Oscar for Walt (along with seven honorary dwarf Oscars presented by Shirley Temple).  Disney never stopped experimenting with Animation. Fantasia (1940) mixed classical music with dinosaurs & dancing hippos; Song of the South (1946) mixed live actors with animation.

2. Education

Disney "had a long history of commitment to artists’ training." He held regular classes taught by masters of various media. Zookeepers brought live animals in for the animators to learn how to replicate natural movement. Many animators that created companies to rival Disney were trained by Disney studios. Walt promoted the creation of the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and the school opened on land donated by the studio.

By the way, something to look for in recent Disney films; not content just to copy from the past, each film has a visual theme that motivates the animators. In Hercules look for Greek design with red/black colors, sharp angles, pottery & patterns. Look at the Asian animation style in Mulan, etc.

3. Merchandising

We expect toys from films today but Disney was a trailblazer in merchandising.  The studio earned 2.5 to 5% royalty on every item bearing the image of Mickey Mouse (and they are legion). Some of his movie/TV songs became hits like “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” and  Davy Crockett. You would think Hollywood had learned the power of merchandising from Disney but when George Lucas made Starwars, Hollywood saw little profit in it and let Lucas keep all the merchandising rights (big mistake).

4. TV

As early as the 1930's Disney refused to sell the rights to his films to others,

…everybody wanted to buy all our old product. We wouldn’t sell it. We wouldn’t hear of it. We wanted to handle it ourselves, make good use of it.

And indeed he did make "good use" of his films. He discovered he could release the films every 7 years to profitable runs. He made a TV Christmas special in 1950 on NBC and another the following year. In 1954 Disneyland the TV series debuted on ABC with a mix of B&W and color. A few years later he moved to full color back on NBC with  Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.  Walt reused films and created new content for his Wonderful World series. He also started another new hit show, The Mickey Mouse Club. Today we have an entire TV channel owned by and featuring Disney material.

5. Theme Parks
An entire park dedicated to cartoons? Who would have believed it? Since 1955, "Disney theme parks led the industry as the gold standard of excellence in amusement park entertainment."

Bottom Line

PJ Media sums it up nicely,

"Disney filled many roles in his 65 years: artist, husband and father, philanthropist, anti-Communist, filmmaker, and even the original voice of Mickey Mouse. But his greatest role was as an American innovator. From animation to television to theme parks Disney left his mark on our culture and enhanced our lives."

P.S.

The 1928 release of Steamboat Willie resounds to this very day. It's my personal theory that Disney Studios will do anything to keep the copyright from expiring on Mickey Mouse. In copyright law 1923 is a special date, all books and other works published before 1923 have expired copyrights and are in the public domain. Works from 1923-1963, published with notice and with copyright renewed, are protected for 95 years. In theory Mickey becomes public domain in 2023 but as has happened many times in the past century, US copyright keeps getting extended for longer and longer periods. In 1998 the Sonny Bono Act (also called the Mickey Mouse Protection Act by Lawrence Lessig) added 20 years of copyright protection keeping Mickey Mouse from entering the public domain in 2003.

Piper Piper Picks a Peck of Apples?

"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe."
-- Carl Sagan

The Consumerist notes that U-Pick Farms and Orchards are not always the best deal. As one reader writes,

my boyfriend and I went to [an Orchard], intending to do some apple picking. The website enticed us, and we dreamed of homemade apple pies. Only, when we got there, a greeter cheerily explained that there was an admittance fee to the orchards (a steep one, at that, $13.50 per person!) and a charge for apples picked (about $7 a small bag) Being the mathletes that we are, we figured we'd spend almost $40 between getting in and paying for our pickings.
So we didn't go in.

Years ago my wife & I decided to make apple cider using a cider press at a nearby nature center. We stopped at an orchard and saw that the price for a half a peck in the orchard store was better than if we picked it ourselves. So we bought instead of self-picking, then pressed the apples. We got a few cups of juice and figured it was the most expensive cider we ever drank. For some odd reason my wife still wants us to buy a cider press so we can do it again.

Beware of bait and switch, in the same Consumerist story, our math-smart couple called around and found a place with free admittance that said the cost for a peck was $9. When they arrived they learned that $9 was the store price but the orchard wanted $15 for a U-Pick peck-sized bag.

Bottom Line

What ever happened to the good ole days when you got a bargain buying direct from farmers and farm stands? We find now that farm markets prices match or exceed super-market prices.

Free Outdoor Fun

Rows and flows of angel hair,
And ice cream castles in the air,
And feather canyons everywhere,
I've looked at clouds that way.
- lyrics from Both Sides Now (one of my favorite songs)

Continuing my theme of FREE things to do, here are
50+ Ways to Have Free Outdoor Fun from Julie Rains at WiseBread.com.

Relax and Contemplate

1. Gaze at the stars. Learn how to spot a satellite.
2. Walk a labyrinth.
3. Relax on a park bench.
4. Look at the clouds.
5. Watch a sunrise, sunset, or both: sunrise-sunset website.
6. Compose a letter, record your thoughts in a journal, or create a blog post.
7. Read a book or eBook outside.
8. Listen to the night sounds.
9. Do yoga poses or Tai Chi outside.
10. Visit a nearby river or creek or fountain and listen to the water flowing.

Learn Something New

11. Study various architectural styles in your neighborhood.
12. Visit public gardens.
13. Go on a bird walk.
14. Visit a national monument.
15. Go to an air show.
16. Take walk with a Park Ranger.

Hang Out With Your Kids

17. Look for four-leaf clovers.
18. Climb a tree.
19. Play at the playground.
20. Build a sand castle at the beach or playground.
21. Play flashlight tag after dark.
22. Teach your kids how to play outdoor games (or let them teach you the games they play).
23. Collect rocks from your backyard.
24. Watch construction from the visitor’s side of the fence.
25. Play catch.
26. Toss a Frisbee.
27. Go to a parade (or walk in one).
28. Cool off by wading in a creek, river, or lake.
29. Catch and release fireflies after dark.
30. Build a snowman, make snow angels, or have a friendly snowball fight.
31. Go leaf viewing.
32. Walk around to see blooming flowers in the spring.

Hang Out With Friends

33. Attend free outdoor concerts or plays.
34. Go window shopping in historic downtowns.
35. Visit street festivals.
36. Watch people rock climbing, kayaking, or sailing, to see if you would like to start a new sport.
37. Take in a kids’ ballgame.
38. Sit on the grass outside the stadium (if allowed) for college or professional events.
39. Talk with friends outside.

Be Productive While Having Fun

40. Volunteer for a charity bike ride, triathlon, or road race, such as a 5K or marathon. Find events using Active.com.
41. Take photos of your family members for your annual holiday cards.
42. Exercise your dog (and yourself).
43. Get involved in a community gardening.
44. Participate in a community cleanup or river cleanup project.

Move Around and Get Fit or Faster

45. Hike. Check out Backpacker Magazine's community recommendations.
46. Go running at a steady pace.
47. Do interval training.
48. Swim in a lake, river, or ocean. Be careful.
49. Take a stroll in your neighborhood. Stop and talk with your neighbors.
50. Take a bike ride alone or with a bike club.
51. Enjoy a multi-use trail. See trail finder.

Enjoy Nature

52. Visit a National Park.
53. Take photos of nature. See tips for capturing images of birds, flowing water, and more.
54. Watch the moon go through its phases.

Bottom Line

My wife & I have enjoyed many free concerts this summer at West Point with the Army Jazz Knights and Orchestra. The final performance on Labor Day Sunday included the 1812 Overture with real canons and fireworks afterwards. The fireworks were amazing close and filled the sky overhead!

On Labor Day Monday we enjoyed a "free" BBQ at home. We could have paid to attend a cookout but had more fun inviting a friend to share meats and veggies cooked on our grill.

Things to do this Weekend

“Hey Boo Boo, let's go get us a pic-a-nic basket” -Yogi Bear

On weekends my wife & I often have this dialog,
"What do you want to do?"
"I don't know, what do you want to do?"
"I don't know ..."

If you're stuck in this same loop of indecision,
WiseBread.com suggests 47 low-cost ways to have fun this weekend.

1. Go to a local Park

2. Watch the Sunset

3. Pack a Picnic Lunch and find a Shady Spot to Enjoy
We saw one family having a picnic under a tree in the parking lot of a mall.

4. Play Board Games

5. Play Card Games
My grandparents used to invite a few friends over and have a card night. I've never done that.

6. Do a Road Rally With Friends

7. Go on a Digital Scavenger Hunt

8. Throw a Bring Your Own Everything Party

9. Have a Bonfire or Campfire in Your Backyard

10. Get Ice Cream

11. Make a Romantic Dinner at home

12. Grill Something New

13. Go to the Museum or Zoo
Take advantage of free or discount days.

14. Scan Your Old Photographs

15. Pretend You're a Tourist in Your Community

16. Organize a Neighborhood Cleanup

17. Go to the Farmers Market

18. Pick Strawberries or Other Fruit

19. Bake a Pie

20. Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen or Homeless Shelter

21. Invite Your Neighbors Over

22. Go Fishing

23. Go to the Beach

24. Go to the Library

25. Host a Classic Movie Marathon

26. Rearrange the Furniture in Your House

27. Write Out Your Bucket List and Pick One to Do

28. Put Together a Jigsaw Puzzle

29. Volunteer to Babysit for Someone Who "Needs a Break"

30. Clean Out Your Closet and Donate to a Thrift Store

31. Watch for Shooting Stars

32. Go on a Bike Ride

33. Take a Free Online Class

34. Write Out Your Life Plan

35. Set Three New Goals for Yourself

36. Find a Community Play to Attend

37. Help Someone in Need

38. Buy Food for the Homeless and Listen to Their Stories

39. Go Bowling

40. Visit Garage Sales and Look for Deals

41. Tour the Local Fire or Police Station and Thank Them for Their Service

42. Visit a Local Nursing Home and Engage With the Residents

43. Plant a Garden

44. Go Dancing

45. Walk Through the Craft Store and Start an Art Project

46. Host a "Minute to Win It" Party

47. Write a Letter to a Family Member You Haven't Talked to in a While

Bottom Line

There's lots to do! Get going!

Last Train to Hogwarts

This picture has been making the rounds on the internet...

Someone placed a 9 3/4 sticker over the defunct W line in honor of Harry Potter at the 14th St. Union Square station in New York City.

Amazing Halloween Pumpkins

An amazing carved pumpkin...

Happy Halloween!

Resources

A tutorial from artist Ray Villafane on how to carve like this. http://www.villafanestudios.com/pumpkins.htm

Villafane has worked for DC Comics from 2006, sculpting countless action figures and collectible statues over the years--and works around the world, creating masterpiece sand sculptures. Since 2007, Villafane has won the Food Network pumpkin carving challenge contest and remains defender of the top title.

Images of more Villafane pumpkins, http://www.mathimortician.com/2010/10/amazing-pumpkins-carved-by-artist-ray.html

P.S.
When my wife & I visited Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth recently, I noticed the "pilgrims" referred to pumpkins as "pumpions". That's odd I thought so I did some research and found this interesting site on the history of pumpkin pie, http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/PieHistory/PumpkinPie.htm

The name pumpkin originated from the Greek word for "large melon" which is "pepon." "Pepon" was changed by the French into "pompon."  In the 1600's the English termed it "pumpion" or "pompion."

In a 1796 cookbook it is called pompkin.  I'm not sure how the -kin got added. One dictionary mentions -kin meaning little, as in devilkin, so perhaps colonialists thought of this as a little melon? Ironic given the giant pump"kins" that are grown today.

A Safe Halloween

Hold on, man.  We don't go anywhere with "scary," "spooky," "haunted," or "forbidden" in the title.  ~From Scooby-Doo

Halloween can be fun and spooky but it can also be dangerous. While the "Razor in an Apple" story is an urban myth there are other dangers that careful parents should be aware of such as tripping, costumes catching on fire, being hit by a car on a dark street, etc. 

Bottom Line

Please see my post from last year on safety tips for a Happy Halloween.

Or this poster from the Red Cross of Westchester county, NY
http://westchestercounty.redcross.org/pdf/wcrcHalloweenSafety2010.pdf

Stay Safe but don't be Paranoid
“STRANGER DANGER” AND THE DECLINE OF HALLOWEEN: No child has ever been killed by poisoned candy. Ever.

Halloween taught marketers that parents are willing to be warned about anything, no matter how preposterous, and then they’re willing to be sold whatever solutions the market can come up with. Face paint so no mask will obscure a child’s vision. Purell, so no child touches a germ. And the biggest boondoggle of all: an adult-supervised party, so no child encounters anything exciting, er, “dangerous.”

Pencil Art

A weekend bonus...

Many artists use a pencil while creating art. But for Brazilian born, Connecticut based, Dalton Ghetti, the pencil is the art. He carves the graphite at the pencil tip into mini sculptures.

Bottom Line

Check out kronikle.kidrobot.com for more photos.

Feathered Dinosaurs

Here's a bonus feature for the weekend.

www.newscientist.com/ has a gallery of the latest finds on feathered dinosaurs from the last decade. Last I had heard there was just a handful of fossils hinting at wings and feathers. But since the mid-90s the Yixian formation in China has yielded dozens of species of feathered dinosaurs. The recent finds have also uncovered animals with four wings, with feathers on arms and legs.

The gallery begins here http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/finding-feathered-fossils/1

Crayola's Law

“We could learn a lot from crayons; some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others bright, some have weird names, but they all have learned to live together in the same box.”-unknown

I couldn't resist this charming chart of crayon colors over the years from MarginalRevolution.com. Wonderfully done!

Bottom Line

Crayola's Law: The number of colors doubles every 28 years.

Corollary: The taste however remains the same.

Music

"Twelve highlanders and a bagpipe make a rebellion."-Scottish Proverb

Have you ever been in a foreign country and felt so lost because you don't understand the language? I feel that way with music. It seems that everyone in my church is an excellent singer and/or piano player. Our 10-year-old cub scouts play better than I. Years ago in grade school I spent one year learning the violin but gave it up for art class the following year.

So to make amends I've been commuting while listening to lectures on music by Robert Greenberg of The Teaching Company. Some lecture series I've liked more than others:

great: Listening To Great Music
not so great: Great Masters: Beethoven—His Life and Music (too much life and too little music)

One series I had high hopes for was How to Listen to and Understand Opera. Opera inspired so much that we take for granted today like instrumental symphonies and modern orchestral musical instruments. But alas, I did not not learn to appreciate listening to people contort their voice in foreign languages.

A series that pleasantly surprised me was The Concerto. Lots of music was played and much of it I recognized and enjoy like the Bach Brandenburg Concertos. I'd love to find an online radio station that plays mostly concertos.

Bottom Line

While attempting to find Concertos online I stumbled upon free music theory lessons by the Scottish educational system called "Learn Listening Online". It looks like fun and includes bagpipes!

Other resource I found is Classical Online Radio with 160 classical radio station on the Internet. The first station I checked was Iceberg Radio (Canadian) which has a Soloist Instrumental channel that is mostly Concertos.

New Year Traditions

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?

The oldest known New Year’s Celebration was 4000 years ago when Babylon partied for eleven days every year at the start of spring. In 153 BC the Roman senate established January 1 as the official start of the New Year. BTW, January is named after the two-faced Roman god Janus who looks forward and back and presides over beginnings and endings, rather appropriate for New Year. The early Christian church from 567 AD through the Middle Ages condemned the celebration of New Year as pagan. Modern celebration resumed about 400 years ago.

The Babylonians also began the tradition of making New Year’s Resolutions. A common resolution 4000 years ago was to return borrowed items. The Greeks first associated a Baby with the New Year as part of the death and rebirth cycle of the god of fertility (and wine), Dionysus. In the fourteenth century the Germans added a sash to the baby with the year on it.

In many cultures the goal of the New Year’s Eve is to ensure LUCK throughout the New Year with the first day setting a pattern for those that follow. As the year starts, so may the year continue with friends, family and cheer amidst plenty of food.

In Great Britain the custom of first footing is practiced. The first visitor to the house after midnight represents the luck you will have. The dark haired man bringing a gift like money, bread, or coal will ensure the family has have plenty of these in the year to come. The first person must not be blond, red-haired, or a woman, as these are considered bad luck.

In Germany a bit of food eaten on New Year's Eve is left on their plate until after Midnight, as a way on ensuring a well stocked larder in the coming year.

Oftentimes the party food consists of symbols for luck. The Dutch believe rings are lucky (=wealth or completion) so they consume donuts. In the southern US black-eyed peas and ham (hog) are both considered lucky and consumed together. Cabbage is lucky because the leaves look like paper currency. Italians eat long spaghetti to symbolize long life. The Portuguese and Spanish eat twelve grapes as the clock strikes twelve on New Year’s Eve. The grapes ensure twelve happy months.

Bottom Line

The list here barely scratches the surface of New Year traditions. For instance, one of the most popular traditions in Ecuador is to wear yellow underwear to attract positive romantic energies for the New Year. Check out parentdish or worldbook or wikipedia for more traditions.

PS

A New Year’s tradition with the media is making predictions for what’s ahead. I like this site of 15 Failed Predictions. For example:

"It will be years --not in my time-- before a woman will become Prime Minister."--Margaret Thatcher in 1969, became Prime Minister in 1979

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”--Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943 (of course is was thinking of the room sized computers back then)

"Reagan doesn’t have that presidential look." --United Artists Executive rejecting Ronald Reagan as the lead in 1964 film, The Best Man

Christmas Traditions

Groucho: "That's in every contract, that's what you call a sanity clause."
Chico: "You can't a fool a me, there ain't no sanity clause"
- A Night at the Opera (the Marx brothers)

Merry Christmas Eve!
What are the Christmas traditions in your family? In our house we open the gifts on Christmas day and enjoy two holiday foods. First – Christmas Lasagna. My wife makes a great lasagna and loves spinach so we decided spinach lasagna is green, red and white – just the right colors for Christmas! Second - each year we try a different game meat – past holiday meals have included rabbit, boar, buffalo, emu, duck, quail, and venison.
In this blog I’d like to look at the American tradition of Santa Claus.

In many countries the time of giving was Saint Nicholas day (Dec 6) with a tall, skinny St. Nick dressed in the robes of a Catholic or Eastern Orthodox Bishop. The Dutch named him Sinterklaas, which was Americanized to “Santa Claus” by Washington Irving. Irving lampooned the Dutch culture of New Amsterdam and in his book, History of New York (1809), St. Nick lost his bishop’s apparel and was pictured as a thick-bellied Dutch sailor with a pipe in a green winter coat. This influenced Clement Moore in 1822 when he wrote the "Night before Christmas", originally titled “A visit from St. Nicholas”. Moore described St. Nick this way,

“He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!”

The poem was quite popular and 59 years later, on January 1, 1881, it inspired Thomas Nast to draw the jolly “elf” for Harper's Weekly magazine (shown above). It was Nast who gave Santa his North Pole home, originated the elves and workshop making toys, letter writing to Santa and he also conceived the idea of "bad" children not getting gifts! [Nast also created the image of Uncle Sam and first used the Donkey and Elephant for the American political parties.]

If you look at Nast’s Santa pictures you’ll see that his St. Nick has a mischievous air, perhaps a little dangerous. It was Norman Rockwell in the 1920s who softened the image of Santa Claus into the friendly and lovable figure we know today.

Bottom Line

Traditions can be fun for adults as well as children. What I’ve written here just scratches the surface of the tradition of “Santa Claus”. Check out Wikipedia and other sources for different Santa traditions around the world:

Papa Noel in Latin America, France and Spain,
Babbo Natale in Italy,
Father Christmas in England with Charles Dickens overtones,
Kris Kringle in America
Sinterklaas in Scandinavia with a Yule Goat

Old Tunes

“Music is what feelings sound like.”

Music has been around for thousands of years and some of the tunes we sing are much older than we realize.

While listening to a lecture series on Beethoven, the instructor played the opening of Wellington's Victory, an orchestral work to commemorate the Duke of Wellington's victory over Joseph Bonaparte's forces at the Battle of Vitoria in 1813. And just like the famous 1812 Overture, the work features live cannon blasts.

The Battle Symphony begins with theme songs for each army as they approach for battle. To my surprise the theme for the French Army was a song we sing in Cub Scouts, “The Bear Went Over the Mountain.” Back then the song was known as Marlbrough s'en va-t-en guerre (Marlborough Has Left for the War), one of the most popular folk songs in the French language. This tune would inspire two songs in English, “The Bear Went Over the Mountain” and “For He’s a Jolly Old Fellow”. Here’s highlights of the translated lyrics about a battle in 1709:

Marlborough the Prince of Commanders
Is gone to war in Flanders,
His fame is like Alexander's,
But when will he ever come home?
Mironton, mironton, mirontaine.
…
Milady in her watch-tower
Spends many a pensive hour,
Not knowing why or how her
Dear lord from England stays.
Mironton, etc
…
While sitting quite forlorn in
That tower, she spies returning
A page clad in deep mourning,
With fainting steps and slow.
...
He's dead! He's dead as a herring!
For I beheld his bearing,
And four officers transferring
His corpse away from the field.

According to Wikipedia, in 1785 a peasant nicknamed Madame Poitrine sang this song to an infant Louis XVII of France as she nursed him. The Queen was captivated by the tune and soon everyone in Versailles was singing it. It spread to Paris and became the rage of the town with the name of the song applied to fashions, carriages and soups. The battle scene was painted on fans, fire-screens, toys, and porcelains; woven into tapestries.

Bottom Line

Many popular songs have a forgotten history.

“The Star Spangled Banner” uses the tune of a popular British drinking song, "To Anacreon in Heaven".

“America the Beautiful” uses the tune of “O Mother Dear, Jerusalem” from 1882.

"My Country, 'Tis of Thee" is sung to the tune “God Save the Queen/King”. This tune has been used in the national anthems of Norway, Sweden, and Liechtenstein and is the official fanfare for British Royalty.

The Christmas song, “What Child Is This?” (1865), was reset to the tune of Greensleeves from 1580.

What is The Oldest Song in the World? From the lost city of Ugarit in Syria, linguists have discovered a song and tune 3200 years old on old clay tablets. (Picture at top)

The oldest recording of songs? Arias by tenor Enrico Caruso recorded in 1902 and available on iTunes 107 years later.

Happy Thanksgiving

A Happy Thanksgiving Day to all.

My wife and I plan to visit an old friend, a teacher who taught us how to Round Dance.
Round dancing is a bit like square dancing - the moves are choreographed and the dancers follow the instructions of the "Cuer". But instead of Western songs, round dancing uses ballroom music and the steps being followed are foxtrot, waltz, tango, etc. Think of Dancing with the Stars with a coach calling out the steps.

Update - I'm glad I took a moment to look at past posts. The danger of scheduling posts to publish automatically is forgetting to update them when something changes. Our trip to Virginia was canceled but we hope to get down there someday soon. Instead a wonderful family in our Church invited us to share Thanksgiving with them. We had a great time. Thanks to Swedish Mom who reads this blog and is the #1 commenter.