Christmas Chickadee

James E. Faust (1920-2007) told of growing up during the great depression. Like much of the country, his dad was out of work. He recalled one particular Christmas spent on his grandfather’s farm in Millard County. He remembered Christmas dinner, bountiful because everything on the table had been produced on the farm. He spoke of the carols they sang, and the story of Christ’s birth read from the book of Luke. He didn’t remember presents. “Presents are wonderful,” he said, “but they aren’t essential to our happiness.” He went on to describe the difference between presents and gifts. “We had the gift of boundless love. We knew God loved us. We all loved each other. We could not have been happier. We all enjoy giving and receiving presents. But true gifts—giving of the riches of the heart and mind—are more enduring and of far greater worth than presents bought at the store.”

Peppermint Pinwheels

Here are the answers to yesterday’s quiz. How did you do?

1. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner (or Donder) and Blitzen.

2. "It could be that his head wasn’t screwed on quite right. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. But I think that the most likely reason of all may have been that his heart was two sizes too small."

3. The Cricket on the Hearth.

4. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

5. Christmas through Twelfth Night (December 25 through January 5).

6. The Little Saint Nick.

7. The Christmas Song.

8. Tchaikovsky.

9. Miracle on 34^th Street.

10. Neptune’s Daughter and Elf.

11. "If it seems too complicated, make it easy on yourself. Just send money. How about tens and twenties?"
12. Meet Me in St. Louis.

Bookworm

Just for fun, I'm sharing a short quiz about Christmas music, movies and books. I'll post the answers tomorrow:

1. A Visit from St. Nicholas names Santa’s eight reindeer. Can you?

2. Name the three possible reasons why the Grinch hated Christmas.

3. What was Charles Dickens’ second most famous Christmas story?

4. In which C. S. Lewis book does Father Christmas visit Lucy, Susan and Peter?

5. When do the twelve days of Christmas begin and end?

6. What Beach Boys hit was a holiday rewrite of Little Deuce Coupe?

7. What’s the REAL name of Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire?

8. Who wrote the ballet The Nutcracker?

9. Edmund Gwenn won an Oscar for his role as Santa in which movie?

10. Name two movies featuring the song, “Baby It’s Cold Outside”

11. What does Charlie Brown’s sister Sally want for Christmas?

12. In which movie did Judy Garland first sing, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas?”

Zee Cross

Getting a good night’s sleep isn’t rocket science. It's a matter of establishing good sleep habits. First you need to set a regular schedule and to maintain it regardless of weekends and holidays. This means if you work nights five times a week, you should sleep during the day seven times a week. Shun caffeine, alcohol, nicotine and other substances that interfere with your body’s rhythm. Make your room a relaxing place; dark and quiet, cool and well ventilated. Try not to do anything there but sleep. Invest in a good mattress. Get enough exercise, food and drink, but not too much or too close to bedtime. Set up a calming pre-sleep routine. Remember when you were very young, your mother gave you a warm bath, soft pajamas, a drink of water and a bedtime story? As it happens, she was right all along.