Creative Writing: Snow at the Gazebo

I missed posting any of my own writing last week because I was away from my computer and wasn't up to the challenge of drafting something new in all the hectic pre-Christmas preparation. But this week I'll post something a little longer than usual. This is a piece of snow-bound prose I wrote a few years ago, that I spent this afternoon editing. I don't know who "she" is or what the rest of her story will be, but this scene is meant to show you a few things about her.

She walked across the park, her footsteps muffled by the thin layer of new snow. She felt almost stealthy in her silent tread. She had seen the gazebo in the distance, looking like an old postcard in its winter perfection. She wanted to watch the world from that gazebo, watch the snow and listen to the near-perfect stillness that surrounded the spot.

When she reached the gazebo, she took the first two steps with excitement. Too late, she realized the steps were metal, covered with ice and snow, and as slippery as any surface she’d encountered. She clutched at the railing as her feet slid out from under her. Barely staying upright, she half-walked, half-crawled up the last two steps to the safety of the covered gazebo. She yelled at herself for being careless as she looked around to be sure no one was watching. For a moment, her Jerry Lewis antics and resulting embarrassment broke the enchantment of the winter park, just as her curses and mutterings broke the silence. She resolved to go home to defeat. Defeat and hot chocolate.

But the next moment, she began to notice her surroundings again. And the view held her in that spot as well as any cage. Nearby, three lampposts with amber lights created a circle of light around the gazebo. In that yellowed light the falling snowflakes looked like gold dust sifting down from a treasure-filled sky. Gold falling in silence. In private. As each flake of gold settled to the ground, it turned white again, hiding its true nature and value, disguising itself as mere snow. But she knew. She had seen.

“This is mine,” she thought, at once greedy and reverent. “Mine alone.”

Quote of the Day, 12/31/06: New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve is upon us. I came across this first quote this evening, and liked it enough to share. Unfortunately, I could not track down a good attribution for it. If anyone knows, please holler, and I'll update the post. The others I have credited appropriately.

(Unattributed but used liberally)
Here we are in a month named after the Roman god Janus, an appropriate personification of the start of the new year. This particular Roman god had two faces so that he could look ahead toward the future and back at the past at the same time. As we get rid of an old year and look forward to a new one, we all try to be a little like Janus. We know through experience what we did wrong and what we did right, and hope to do better this year. Some people make ambitious new year’s resolutions; others just take a deep breath and hope for the best.

Charles Lamb
Of all sound of all bells... most solemn and touching is the peal which rings out the Old Year.

Brooks Atkinson
Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go.

Quote of the Day, 12/30/06: New Year Resolutions

I don't make New Year Resolutions. Not because I don't believe in them, but because I can never come up with an idea for something really worth the special attention and commitment that the turning of a year would seem to compel. Here are a few quotes about resolutions.

James Agate
New Year's Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time.

Leonard Bernstein
From New Year's on the outlook brightens; good humor lost in a mood of failure returns. I resolve to stop complaining.

Eric Zorn
Making resolutions is a cleansing ritual of self-assessment and repentance that demands personal honesty and, ultimately, reinforces humility. Breaking them is part of the cycle.

Helen Fielding
I do think New Year's resolutions can't technically be expected to begin on New Year's Day, don't you? Since, because it's an extension of New Year's Eve, smokers are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine in the system. Also dieting on New Year's Day isn't a good idea as you can't eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second.

A Little Poetry for You: Service

For Poetry Friday, here's a poem to ring in the new year.

The Passing of the Year
Robert W. Service

My glass is filled, my pipe is lit,
My den is all a cosy glow;
And snug before the fire I sit,
And wait to feel the old year go.
I dedicate to solemn thought
Amid my too-unthinking days,
This sober moment, sadly fraught
With much of blame, with little praise.

Old Year! upon the Stage of Time
You stand to bow your last adieu;
A moment, and the prompter's chime
Will ring the curtain down on you.
Your mien is sad, your step is slow;
You falter as a Sage in pain;
Yet turn, Old Year, before you go,
And face your audience again.

Go here for the rest of the poem.

And Happy New Year!

Quote of the Day, 12/29/06: New Year Verses

To add to my Poetry Friday selection (see next post above), here are a few more verses appropriate for New Year's.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

T. S. Eliot
For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.

Martin Luther
Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given;
While angels sing with tender mirth,
A glad new year to all the earth.

Featherbee's Snow-catching Photo - A Must See!

Seriously, this is an award-worthy picture from fellow-blogger Heather.

Go see.

Quote of the Day, 12/28/06: New Year's Wit

Some quotes about New Year's to make you smile.

P. J. O'Rourke
The proper behavior all through the holiday season is to be drunk. This drunkenness culminates on New Year's Eve, when you get so drunk you kiss the person you're married to.

Oscar Wilde
Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account.

Mark Twain
New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.

Words on Wednesday: Cryptoquotes

Here's a fun one for people who enjoy quote puzzles.

Try Cryptoquotes at east of the web wordgames.

Quote of the Day, 12/27/06: Auld Lang Syne

I should hold off and use this for Poetry Friday, but it sprang to mind today, so I've an urge to post it now.

Here's a bit of Auld Lang Syne (Old Long Ago), with translation:

And there's a hand my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o thine
And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.

And there is a hand my trusted friend
And give me a hand of yours
And we'll take a good drink/toast
For old long ago.

Here's a great site to read the entire song, the history of how it was written (some of it by Burns), and the translation of all the verses.

Quote of the Day, 12/26/06: New Year Approaches

As 2006 is seeing it's last waning days, I'll offer some New Year quotes over the next few days.

Bill Vaughn
An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.

Hal Borland
Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.

Hamilton Wright Mabie
New Year's eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights.

Edward Payson Powell
The Old Year has gone. Let the dead past bury its own dead. The New Year has taken possession of the clock of time. All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months!

Snowglobe of Doom

Via Brooklyn Arden, via Fuse #8, here's a bit more winter fun cooked up especially for those of you wondering ...

where

all

the

snow

is!

Interactive Snowglobe - Watch the People Fly, Fall and Scream!

Quote of the Day, 12/25/06: Tidings of Great Joy

Behold, I bring you tidings of great joy!

Luke 2:10

Lives in Letters: Telegram from Santa

One December night, when I was just 6 or 7 years old, there was a knock on the front door. My mother or father went to answer it, and came back bearing the most important piece of mail I had received. It was my first ever -- and last (so far) -- Santagram.

Apparently, Santa Claus occasionally answers the letters of good little boys and girls. But being pressed for time, and in such a remote location, he does not rely on the U.S. Postal Service. Instead, he sends special telegrams, via Western Union, called Santagrams. I'm sure Western Union cuts the big guy a break, holly in their hearts and all that, because otherwise, how could Santa afford to send telegrams at all?

Here is my Santagram, from 1974 or 1975.

Dear Nancy:

I recieved your letter telling me that you have been a
good girl. I'll be coming to your house on Christmas Eve. So
get to bed early.

Love
Santa

P.S. I'll try to bring you some suprises.

A few notes:

Santa wasn't the best speller. In 8th grade, I'd pay for Santa's mistake, and be forced to write the word "received" 500 times so that I'd stop transposing the I and E. Luckily, I never had a problem with the word "surprises." Well, perhaps it wasn't Santa, but the guy at Western Union, who was probably transcribing so many telegram messages so fast for the Man in Red that he couldn't keep up with his editing.

Santa signed his message with Love. Isn't that sweet?

My brothers never got Santagrams, to my knowledge. Of course, they weren't nearly as good as I was.

Harry Potter and the...

It's official. The title for book 7 will be Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Most of you already know this. But my mom doesn't, and she reads the blog, so MOM... it's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Tanga Puzzles: December 25 - December 31

Here are the daily clues for the Tanga puzzles this week. To see the hint, highlight the space to the right of the date.

I don't give away answers here, just a small hint each day to help get you started or past a rough patch. If you want stronger hints, you can check the blog on the Tanga site itself, which is chock full of spoilers.

While I avoid giving away the answers on this page, be warned that there may be spoilers in the comments to this post, so open those with care.

Good luck!

December 25: Pretty straightforward today. There's a pun involved.

December 26: There are 36 total letters and 6 clues.

December 27: When you answer all the clues on the bottom, write them down in order and see what you can see.

December 28: I struggled with this one. Do not try for brand names. Read each clue, then close your eyes and think about it.

December 29: If you look up framing square in wikipedia, and don't overthink things, this one should take shape pretty quickly.

December 30: I thought I'd get delayed by a winter storm today and not have time to Tanga, but it turns out we didn't have much more than a flurry.

December 31: The old puzzle that this one refers to was from September 20. I'll put the answer to that puzzle in the comments here. Also, one more hint that might help you see where the answers lie.

Quote of the Day, 12/24/06: It's a Wonderful Life

Christmas Eve, and the guests are all gone. Now's the time of night when I'll sit by the tree with my parents and talk about the same stories we've talked about for years. Stories woven into the fabric of our family, that bring us even more laughter and tears today than when they orginally happened.

Here are a few quotes for you from It's a Wonderful Life, which is my mother's favorite Christmas movie. The last one here is the one where I always cry.

George: Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about... they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn't think so. People were human beings to him. But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they're cattle. Well, in my book [my father] died a much richer man than you'll ever be.
...

George: What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey. That's a pretty good idea. I'll give you the moon, Mary.
...

Mary: Bread... that this house may never know hunger.... Salt... that life may always have flavor.

George: And wine... that joy and prosperity may reign forever.
...

Clarence: Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?
...

Ernie (reading telegram): Mr. Gower cabeled you need cash, stop. My office instructed to advance you up to twenty-five thousand dollars, stop. Hee Haw and Merry Christmas! Sam Wainwright.

Quote of the Day, 12/23/06: A Christmas Story

This 1983 movie became an instant Christmas classic, at least in my family. Here are just a few of the many great lines from A Christmas Story.

I have since heard of people under extreme duress speaking in strange tongues. I became conscious that a steady torrent of obscenities and swearing of all kinds was pouring out of me as I screamed.
...

Ralphie: I want an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!

Santa: You'll shoot your eye out kid.
...

In the heat of battle my father wove a tapestry of obscenities that as far as we know is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan.
...

Schwartz: I double-DOG-dare ya!

Narrator: NOW it was serious. A double-dog-dare. What else was there but a "triple dare ya"? And then, the coup de grace of all dares, the sinister triple-dog-dare.

Schwartz: I TRIPLE-dog-dare ya!

Narrator: Schwartz created a slight breach of etiquette by skipping the triple dare and going right for the throat!
...

Next to me in the blackness lay my oiled blue steel beauty. The greatest Christmas gift I had ever received, or would ever receive. Gradually, I drifted off to sleep, pringing ducks on the wing and getting off spectacular hip shots.

Christmas Eve Eve Wishes

Hello.

I'm visiting family this weekend, and entering into a frenzy of baking and wrapping impossible to believe. Anyhow, I'll be a little quiet for the next couple of days.

Best wishes to you for a wonderful holiday with those you love.

A Little Poetry for You: Charlie Brown Christmas Song

It's Poetry Friday already? I'm glad I had this one planned out!

From A Charlie Brown Christmas, this is the beautiful little song that the children sing as the story begins. The lyrics were written by Lee Mendelson, and the music by Vince Guaraldi.

If you want to listen to a bit of this to get the tune in your head, you can get a sample on the Amazon listing for the soundtrack.

Christmas Time is Here

Christmas time is here
Happiness and cheer
Fun for all, that children call
Their favorite time of year

Snowflakes in the air
Carols everywhere
Olden times and ancient rhymes
Of love and dreams to share

Go here for the rest of this song.

Quote of the Day, 12/22/06: Charlie Brown Christmas

My favorite Christmas cartoon is A Charlie Brown Christmas. From Snoopy's skating, to Sally's letter to Santa, to Charlie Brown's wonderful tree, to Linus's telling of the Christmas story... it's all good. If you agree, you might want to check out this book as well.

Sally: Dear Santa Claus, How have you been? Did you have a nice summer? How is your wife? I have been extra good this year, so I have a long list of presents that I want. Please note the size and color of each item, and send as many as possible. If it seems too complicated, make it easy on yourself: just send money. How about tens and twenties?
...

Sally: All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share.
...

Linus: Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you are the Charlie Browniest.
...

Lucy: What has Beethoven got to do with Christmas? Everyone talks about how "great" Beethoven was. Beethoven wasn't so great.

Schroeder: What do you mean Beethoven wasn't so great?

Lucy: He never got his picture on bubble gum cards, did he? Have you ever seen his picture on a bubble gum card? Hmmm? How can you say someone is great who's never had his picture on bubble gum cards?
...

Lucy: You DO think I'm beautiful, don't you, Charlie Brown? ... You didn't answer me right away. You had to think about it first, didn't you? If you really had thought I was beautiful, you would've spoken right up. I know when I've been insulted. I KNOW WHEN I'VE BEEN INSULTED.

Quote of the Day, 12/21/06: More Christmas Books

From my stack of Christmas books...

The Polar Express

I knew that I could have any gift I could imagine. But the thing I wanted most for Christmas was not inside Santa's giant bag. What I wanted more than anything was one silver bell from Santa's sleigh. When I asked, Santa smiled. Then he gave me a hug and told an elf to cut a bell from a reindeer's harness. The elf tossed it up to Santa. He stood, holding the bell high above him, and called out, "The first gift of Christmas!"

The Night Before Christmas

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads;

And Mamma in her kerchief and I in my cap

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap.

Eloise at Christmastime

It's Christmas Eve

with a blizzard outside

And four below zero

or more

But inside the Plaza

we're cozy and warm

in our rooms

on the tippy top floor

The Gift of the Magi

The magi, as you know, were wise men -- wonderfully wise men who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.

Simon Says Santa

Courtesy of Mary Lee over at A Year of Reading....

Simon Says Santa will do almost anything you can dream up. Including destroying the tree, singing bad bad bad music, and killing the reindeer. It's fun, in a grinchy sort of way.

Did You Forget to Get a Clue for Trixie Belden?

While you're doing your last-minute shopping, drop by Gottabook and check out the suggested gifts for your favorite children's book characters.

Words on Wednesday: Word Shoot

Via The Deblog, here's a word game that combines the tension and speed of Galaxa with the wordiness of Bookworm.

Have fun, you QWERTY Warriors!

Quote of the Day, 12/20/06: Christmas Thoughts

Just some general Christmas quotes today. My favorite is the last one. If you've the time, it's worth reading the entire editorial. In fact, I may have to read it again myself.

Calvin Coolidge
Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.

Larry Wilde
Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.

Bess Streeter Aldrich
Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart... filled it, too, with melody that would last forever.

Francis Church
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exists, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.

My Elf Myself

Oh my, this is too much fun.

On the advice of Liz over at A Chair, a Fireplace and a Tea Cozy, I have elfed myself. For these purposes I had to select a photo where I had an appropriately ridiculous smile. Otherwise, it just wouldn't have suited my elfin persona.

Be brave. Try it out.

Oh, and leave a comment over at A Year of Reading when you're done, so you can join our growing Elf family.

Quote of the Day, 12/19/06: Classic Christmas Cartoons

I might do this a couple times this week.... Here are a handful of quotes from classic Christmas cartoons.

The Year Without a Santa Claus
I'm Mister Green Christmas
I'm Mister Sun
I'm Mister Heat Blister
I'm Mister Hundred and One
They call me Heat Miser,
What ever I touch
Starts to melt in my clutch
I'm too much!

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
"I'b cuuuuuute! She said I'b cuuuuuuute!"

How the Grinch Stole Christmas
And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?
It came without ribbons. It came without tags.
It came without packages, boxes or bags.
And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
Burgermeister Meisterburger: "I hate toys! And toys hate me! Either they are going or I am going and I definitely am not going!"

Fearing Christmas

To the Seattle airport officials, who took down all the Christmas trees in fear of being sued by a Rabbi (who is, by the way, horrified that you did that)....

To the official in Riverside, California who halted a madrigal-group carol performance in fear of offending Sasha Cohen (who is, by the way, horrified that you did that)....

Christmas is not a 4-letter word.

I counted.

Tanga Puzzles: December 18 - December 24

Note: Tanga is soliciting puzzles. No payment, just fame and glory. But if you're so inclined, click here for details. Update - no deadline! They are going to keep accepting puzzle submissions. Smart on their part, as our brilliance makes their lives easier. Ha!

Here are the daily clues for the Tanga puzzles this week. To see the hint, highlight the space to the right of the date.

I don't give away answers here, just a small hint each day to help get you started or past a rough patch. If you want stronger hints, you can check the blog on the Tanga site itself, which is chock full of spoilers.

While I avoid giving away the answers on this page, be warned that there may be spoilers in the comments to this post, so open those with care.

Good luck!

December 18: Hmmmm, this one is almost too easy to clue. If you do need a clue, then start with the information that only 4 numbers are 4-letter words.

December 19: They're going easy on us the week before Christmas. One of these things is not like the other.

December 20: What are those pictures? No, not where... WHAT?

December 21: It wouldn't kill you to know a lot of words that start with a key letter.

December 22: TOUGH puzzle today. Hint 1 - start with the steak sauce, then make the others match it. For instance, you might smack yourself on the side of the head when you get the answer for beverage. Gee. Hint 2 - it's important to understand the dimensions of the letter grid.

December 23: This one is almost too easy to clue. The only sticky point is if you're thinking of zoo creatures, think about the ones outside the cages.

December 24: If you can solve the last three clues, then try saying them out loud, that might help make this one click.

Quote of the Day, 12/18/06: A Christmas Carol

Pre-Christmas quote posts, day 2. Today I'm going to the master of Christmas himself, Mr. Charles Dickens, and looking to his classic, A Christmas Carol.

Marley was dead: to begin with.
...

'I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!'
...

'Bah,' said Scrooge. 'Humbug!'
...

External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty.
...

'It's Christmas Day!' said Scrooge to himself. 'I haven't missed it. The Spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can. Of course they can.'

Lives in Letters: Postcard from the Erie Canal

I love this postcard for the front and the back. Both are so wonderfully dated!

Postcard

Canajoharie

Palatine Bridge, NY

July 27, 1913
.

.
Addressed to

Mr. G.H. S-
Haledon, N.J.

Pre-printed on Front:

.

Lots doing at Canajoharie
How would you like to be me.
I certainly like this job

.

Message:

Been working hard
lately coming thru
the canal. Have
5 more days or so of
it. 72 locks. This is
some place. They
make Beechnut
Bacon here.
Swede

Notes:

.

On the front, take a look at the outfits in the picture. They seem even older than 1913 somehow. The pose is classic as well, as the man helps the lady with her shoe.

.

Also, this is another of the postcards where the location on the front (in this case Canajoharie) can vary. You don't see a lot of those anymore.

.

I love that this message is from Swede. It's such a perfectly wonderful name for a young guy working on a canal-boat in northern NY.

.

A canal boat? Sure. Palatine Bridge and Canajoharie are right along the Mohawk River, and the Erie Canal follows the Mohawk River. The Erie Canal was built in the 19th century to connect the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, and it was instrumental in putting many New York towns on the map along the way. This, from eriecanal.org:

The Erie Canal, begun in 1817, was a triumph of early engineering in the United States and one of the most ambitious construction projects of nineteenth-century America. It was longer by far than any other canal previously built in Europe or America, crossing rivers and valleys, cutting through deep rock, and passing through marshes and forests in its 363-mile course across New York State.

In 1913, it was still the "old" Erie Canal, before a major new construction left much of the original abandoned for a wider and more modern structure in 1918. You can see some photos of the original Erie Canal here.

.

Note that for Swede, it was going to take another 5 days to get through the canal. That's because they had to go from lock to lock, wait in line at each one, get raised up in the lock and passed to the next section. 72 times.

.

Okay, and what's this about Beech-nut bacon? Bacon??? Yes, you read correctly. The makers of the well-known baby foods got their start in Canajoharie, NY, making ham and bacon. Check out this entry in Wikipedia for more info. Or even better, read this bit of 1920's Beech-Nut propoganda. Here's a highlight:

The story of Beech-Nut is a typical romance of American business. It is the story of several country boys in Canajohari, NY, "all going in together," to make fine and wholesome foods.

They started with hams; then bacon. The idea of a bacon with distinctive flavor just
seemed to come up naturally and grow naturally....

I especially liked this bit:

It starts way back with the natural foods. Only the best may pass the Beech-Nut Portals of Vigilance.

Creative Writing: Plunder

I wrote this poem 2 years ago. It started out being about an idea, but the first version, while sticking pretty faithfully to that idea, was terrible in its construction. (This happens to me a lot.) So then I played around with the form, and made it more about the words and sounds. The core idea is still there, but it's at least one layer down now; and while I wouldn't enter this poem in any contests, I'm satisfied with it.

Plunder

The last pirate pressed
close upon these shores,
drawing all that lived within
to a universal thrill.

Anticipating plunder,
they waited soft within,
willing to be drawn
to his overwhelming will.

The last pirate passed
these shores with sword un-drawn.
They waited trembling soft.
And wait there still.

In their world without wonder,
they never will sleep soft,
with dreams of hoards and whores
and a pirate’s last kill.

Quote of the Day, 12/17/06: White Christmas

With a week to go till Christmas Eve, I thought I'd offer Christmas quotes over the next several days. I'm starting with quotes from the stars of White Christmas.


Bing Crosby
Honestly, I think I've stretched a talent-which is so thick that it's almost opaque-over a quite unbelievable term of years.



Danny Kaye
Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.





Rosemary Clooney
I'll keep working as long as I live because singing has taken on the feeling of joy that I had when I started, when my only responsibility was to sing well.




Vera-Ellen
I don't remember if I liked [dancing] because I was good at it, or if I was good at it, because I liked it. Maybe a little of both.





Mary Wickes
Women like me. They think I'm wholesome or something.

What's a Girl to Do?

My TIVO died on Saturday. In the middle of sappy-Christmas-TV-movie-season!!

I may have to go out and replace it today, even though shopping for oneself the month before Christmas is verboten in my family. Well... I can hardly be expected to live like a savage, can I?

Nancy Drew (trailer) - Where are You?

I'm getting a lot of keyword hits recently from people searching for the trailer for the upcoming Nancy Drew movie.

First, thanks for dropping by. Hannah just baked some cookies, and you really should eat some to keep your strength. After all, this detective work you've been doing is hard work.

You can see the trailer for the 2007 NANCY DREW MOVIE here!

I have to say, Nancy Drew as a modern young-teenage valley girl does not work for me. I am hoping that this trailer is a red herring. (Update: I liked it better the second time.)

The movie starts Emma Roberts (Eric's daughter, Julia's neice). She looks like a Roberts. Also, I definitely approve of her wardrobe.

Good job following the clues and finding what you were looking for!

-- Nancy

Quote of the Day, 12/16/06: Churchill

Today's quotes are from the well-spoken Winston Churchill. I had trouble narrowing down to only 5.

I am prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.
...

A love for tradition has never weakened a nation, indeed it has strengthened nations in their hour of peril.
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It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required.
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We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire.... Give us the tools and we will finish the job.
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Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.