RenoVous

  The poem is actually titled, "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clark Moore. I hadn't read this for a long time, but my nephew has been asking for it lately.  I usually see him on Wednesdays and I read him a bedtime story before I leave.  I think he likes the rhythm of it, which I do too. Poetry Foundation Written and published anonymously in 1823, Moore took credit in 1837. It was put to music in 1942 by composer Ken Darby and recorded by Fred Waring. So I'm here today and gone tomorrow, back on Friday. Happy Christmas to all!!!!!

It's one of those days at work, and not a lot of inspiration from "this day" sites, so I'm using a Burning Man designation and throwing out a classic.   I remember seeing this on stage here at the old MGM, Bally's at the time, when I was pretty young.

  Save Ferris!! They opened the show with a Kinks cover, but they have a couple seasonal songs of their own as well. But it wasn't all Christmas! Good times.

  The Silver Belle, from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest here in Nevada. "Starry skies to neon lights." For 55 years, a tree from American public land has been selected for the Capitol.  This is the first time one has come from Nevada.  The red fir was blessed by the Washoe tribes before it was harvested. As it travels across the country, it stops for various parades and events.  The Kenworth truck carrying it has a tracker. Almost There! Once in D.C. it will be adorned with 10,000 handmade ornaments. Lighting will take place December 3rd.

From the Christmas Camper! We're not going anywhere this week though, just off tomorrow. Read-Along I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and I'll see you back on Thursday!

 The Christmas Market in Zagreb, Croatia has been voted the best in Europe. Above, Zrinjevac Park. There's a ski hill nearby, as well as an ice rink at King Tomislav Square. The Gric Tunnel is transformed. The seasonal treats are highly regarded, such as sarma - boiled or brined cabbage leaves stuffed with a combination of beef and pork, rice and assorted spices. Fritule - little balls of dough laced with brandy, flash fried, and dusted with powdered sugar. Rakija - Croatia's national drink, a clear spirit made from distilled fruits and herbs, sweetened with sugar or honey.  Plum is the most popular flavor. The heart of the event is in Ban Jelacic Square, where you can shop for handmade gifts and listen to live performances around the Grand Christmas Tree. Ante Gelo is one of the artists set to perform, along with his band. Here's a taste.

  It is sooo foggy this morning. Since I'll be off on Monday, I thought we'd touch on some science but mostly leave this for an open thread. The water vapor in fog comes from nearby sources, such as a large body of water or a moist ground.  Fog forms when water evaporates from a surface and is added to the air.  As the water vapor rises, it bonds with aerosols called condensation nuclei, (such as dust particles), to form water droplets, which then condense. Fog usually develops when humidity is near 100% and when the air temperature and dew point temperature are less than 4 degrees apart.  At this point, the air is saturated and cannot hold any more water vapor. From AccuWeather: In any case, it does make for a white Christmas! Happy Holidays everyone, enjoy your weekend!!

  Partly a celebration of finding a Christmas tree, and partly to appreciate the forests around us. Above is Tahoe National Forest, from Yuba Pass. The Douglas Fir is most popular for Christmas, but this year at Rockefeller Center they chose a Norway Spruce.  White Pine is considered most traditional.  Balsam Fir is said to be the most fragrant. Also in the spirit of Christmas, holly is an evergreen, and previously associated with Saturnalia. More from the Sierra Nevadas: Sequoia Evergreens have played an important role in many societies throughout the ages, selected for "their seemingly eternal nature even in a season of death." I've long loved that contrast of cold and white, life and green.

  These days you can find many pre-fab options to piece together and decorate. According to French legend, gingerbread was brought to Europe in 992 AD by the Armenian monk, and later saint, Gregory of Nicopolis.  Figurines date back to the 15th century, and baking human-shaped biscuits was done in the 16th century. The tradition of making houses started in Germany in the early 1800's, possibly inspired by the story of Hansel and Gretel. And now, we go all out.  The 31st Annual National Gingerbread Competition recently took place, and here are the winners: Grand Prize Adult 2nd Place Teen 1st Place Teen 3rd Place Youth 1st Place Youth 3rd Place Child 1st Place Omni Grove Park Make your own dough and prepare your own pieces! Here

  Last year, Donna Eberle set up a wildlife cam and an outdoor Christmas tree. The raccoons came. A deer too. But the foxes seemed to enjoy it most. This year, she used some other props, which the raccoons especially liked. So cute!

  In the beginning of the month we mentioned  The Velveteen Rabbit  for a short read-along. I'm sure I read this once before a long time ago, but this time I cried more.  The sadness and the sweetness, it's different as an adult.  So today I'm looking for other short stories to finish out the year. I came across "A Child's Christmas in Wales" and since we've been traveling around some for the Christmas topics, I thought that would fit in nicely. Online Here's a classic.

  The sun set about an hour ago in the UK - the Winter Solstice at Stonehenge. Today also marks the beginning of Yule.  Many of our Christmas traditions were borrowed from the Viking's celebration of Odin, Father Christmas. With a long white beard and hooded fur coat, Odin would lead the Wild Hunt across the world on his flying horse, Sleipnir.  Children would leave their boots by the fireplace with sugar and hay for the horse and Odin would refill them with gifts. The people would also decorate evergreen trees with carvings and food for the spirits.  Holly and mistletoe were hung to ward off evil ones. The Yule Log was a whole tree meant to burn for 12 days and was to be lit with the remains of last year's log.  They would carve runes into the bark to wish for the protection of the gods and the return of the sun. Keep yourself warm on this longest night!

  An old friend of mine brought this Nativity scene from Mexico for me, and even though I'm not religious, I always set it up for the holiday. December 16-24 is the celebration of Las Posadas - posada meaning lodging, or accommodation.  There is a procession to various family homes to re-enact Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem. This has been a Mexican tradition for over 400 years and has always included dramatizations, a tradition which has its roots in Bible plays, used to teach religious doctrine to largely illiterate populations. People will dress up and play the parts of Mary and Joseph as well as the angels and shepherds, or will just carry images of holy personages.  Children carry poinsettias and musicians follow along singing traditional songs, such as: Each night, children smash star-shaped clay piñatas and everyone will feast. Prayer is also heavily involved at each posada stop, and of course, leading up to Mass.

  There was an open house holiday at a new condo park, calling itself the Reno Experience District. I know it's a little fuzzy, but still. Home decor for Pa. Gingerbread Village with Seester. And the snow.  ^_^ Hubby's grandparents cleaned out a closet and gave us their old records, which included Bing Crosby's Christmas album.

  I had so many sweet treats at my sister's last night. I'll be getting off early today and I'm off tomorrow for the holiday. It's been many years now, but I have fond memories of seeing The Nutcracker around Christmas, so I found a few sources for us. First, the ballet. This  is a pdf of the ballet script. This  is a link to the book itself, written by E.T.A. Hoffmann.

  Gingerbread Village with Seester. The treehouse is mine - as is the Hamm's. We're in the slow process of moving this month and next, so setting up a Christmas tree seems like a silly thing to do.  But I stopped at my mom's house. My first Christmas ornament. And she said this one was my dad's. Feel free to share some of your festive photos!