This may be the most wonderful season of all, but it is not my favorite time of the year. I do not enjoy these months with less and less daylight. I always think of descending into a dark pit until we finally reach December 21st or 22nd, the winter solstice.
Q. How many gifts are given in the song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas"?
A. 364
It's not 78, as some people say. It's 364 because it's an accumulative song with each verse building on the last. The first verse has 1 gift; the second verse has 2 + 1 gifts. The third verse has 3 + 2 + 1 gifts, etc. until the last verse, which has 12 + 11 + 10 + 9 + 8 + 7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 gifts.
If you received all of the gifts as stated in the song for each day, you would actually have 364 gifts:
Tired of the same old traditional Christmas food? Try having an ethnic food Christmas!
My husband’s family has a tradition of making different ethnic food for Christmas dinner. Each person is responsible for bringing a dish. One year we did Chinese food, and I tried sticky rice for the first time. We were also able to invite some Chinese foreign exchange students. Another year we did German food, and I will never forget the delicious German chocolate cake and spicy potato salad. The next year we did French food, my personal favorite!
Do you like guessing games? Do you also like books?
If the answer is yes, stop by the indoor return bin at Blue Springs South and see if you can figure out the title of the book in the jar!
This is our first try at shredding a book and stuffing it in a jar, and it’s not what we usually do with our books. Sometimes, books are worn out and we need to discard them.
When I travel, whether near or far, I always try to find the local library.
During a recent trip to Turkey, I visited the ancient city of Ephesus. Excavation of this 5,000 year old city began in 1869 and is still going on today. They estimate that only 10% of the city, which was once home to over 250,000 people, has been unearthed. The Celsus Library is one of the most beautiful structures in Ephesus.
All busy families require quick and easy meals, and a slow cooker may actually help. These appliances have long been a favorite for preparing satisfying, nutritious meals that don’t require a lot of attention. Toss in a few ingredients, turn it on, and forget about it until dinnertime. They really are the ultimate no-fuss way to cook.
