With thanks to Johanna:
Hey, cats, meet the REAL ‘Santa Claus’. Tons of information here!
- The truth about ‘Santa Claus’
- Saint Nicholas fought injustice
- The real Saint Nicholas was a man to emulate!
Tags: Christmas, Christmas Trees
Caturday meets Santa Claus
by 1389AD ( 80 Comments › )Filed under Caturday, Open thread at December 15th, 2012 - 7:00 pm
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We're not easily offended and don't want people to think they have to walk on eggshells around here (like at another place that shall remain nameless) but of course, there is a limit to everything.
Play nice!
Cats are the reason we have a small artificial tree with minimal lights, and NO tinsel. (I LOVE, well LOVED tinsel.)
I got tired of Mrs. Brick during the holidays, “Honey -- what’s that sticking out of the cats’ butts?”
Me: “It’s tinsel, dear.”
Her: “Shouldn’t we do something?!”
Me: “I can set out a strand of lights for them to eat and we could plug ‘em in. That would look a LOT more festive than just tinsel, wouldn’t it?”
Her: “You’re an [insert playful derogatory noun here.]”
Me: “Santa doesn’t like it when you talk like that, bebbe.”
@ Brick:
it’s good you eliminated the tinsel. it can kill the kitties!
I’m baking Lavender Lemon Cookies. They smell fantastic. I bet Santa leaves me the best presents after tasting these delicious little treasures.
Kirly wrote:
I’ll bet if we’d have gotten Dobermans like I wanted instead of kittens like SHE wanted -- we’d still be buying real trees, with real tinsel.
Kirly wrote:
Hopefully, they’re better than the presents our kitties leave after eating tinsel.
@ Brick:
LOL probably!
@ Brick:
hahah! yes, having had three kitties at once, i can definitely say these cookies are better than those other kinds of treasures!
I went to see The Hobbit yesterday. It was fantastic. Can’t imagine a better first part of the prequel to Lord of the Rings.
Kirly wrote:
Sounds like natural selection in action…
//
@ lobo91:
naw, i don’t think tinsel is naturally occuring and if it does occur in nature, i don’t believe it’s terribly common -- and by tinsel i mean tiny, sharp, threads of metal.
btw, these Lavender Lemon Cookies are quite good. Santa will love my house! I got the Lactose free milk too.
Miracle on 34th Street on AMC
Where is everybody??
@ 12 1389AD: on and off tonight.
We grew up poor and would cut our own tree. Then decorate it with cranberries and popcorn. We had some tinsel we recycled every year that grandma gave us. Pine cone ornaments with ribbons. However every christmas seemed like a rich experience. Full of love and excitement and carols and church and snow and such. Toboggan runs at midnight under moon light with hot chocolate.
Plates of cookies and milk mysteriously disappearing on Christmas night.
My mom was telling that in the depression the government would send out boxes of peaches and the paper used to wrap them was a luxury item everywhere. People used it as an upgrade to coarse TP.
Christmas in Germany is different than here. Less commercial. The trees only have white lights which were candles at one time I think. I have a good luck pickle ornament.
@ darkwords:
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Our Christmases were very similar.
Kirly wrote:
I just got back from seeing it this evening. I couldn’t agree with you more!
@ Macker:
excellent! glad you liked it. I saw it at the Cine Capri. I figure if it’s worth it to see it in a theatre, go big. Biggest screen in the state and an unbelievable sound system.
AZfederalist wrote:
I’m glad you both shared too. my siblings tell me that our Xmas was nice when i was really little. everything kind of went to hell at our house after i was about 4 or 5 and that’s exactly how i remember it. i do remember the aluminum tree tho. hated it then. wish i had it now.
@ Kirly:
May your current and future Christmases be merry and filled with good memories Kirly.
AZfederalist wrote:
thank you! may yours as well. these days i go visit the last remaining relative on my dad’s side, my 85 year old uncle. it’s not fun but someone has to make sure the geezers are looked after. we’re having honey baked ham this year. yummy.
@ Macker:
We’ll be seeing ‘Hobbit’ next Sat. in IMax. A friend is the projectionist at our local theater.
No Christmas tree for us, fake or real. We’ve got WAY too many furballs that’d send it through the front window with one of their mad dash-and-leap moves.
Actually, I’m not certain you can even buy real metal tinsel any more in the US. I sure haven’t seen any in decades. The old stuff was mostly lead. The new crap is mylar, and doesn’t hang right without a lot of fussing with each individual strand. Never use it.
As for “flocking” I use Barbasol.
Lasts about as long as the Christmas party does.
The first christmas tree in Vienna was arranged 1814 by Fanny von Arnstein a Jewish society lady.
Today christmas trees keep up with the latest fashion in colors and decoration. I like the traditional rural christmas trees decorated with real candles (only outdoors), real small red apples, golden and silver nuts, gingerbread and straw stars most.
Germans invented the christmas tree in the U.S.A. First was prof. Karl Follen in Harvard.
Traditional Christmas song. The pictures you see are from Salzburg/Austria.
Salzburg -- a town well worth a visit, IMHO.
Advent in Salzburg
Mike C. wrote:
Yup, did you visit “Schloß Hellbrunn” the summer residence of the archbishops (Salzburg had been governed by archbishops till 1815)
Why yes, we did. Lots to see in that town.
Mike C. wrote:
Not only in the town but in the countryside too. The old city with her Celtic origins but also the landscape surrounding Salzburg (county of Salzburg) with natural wonders like the “Eisriesenwelt” the largest ice cave in the world to reach only one hour (or less) from the city (btw: this is also a great area for skiing)
Werfen with the “Eisriesenwelt”
Not very far from the “Eagle’s Nest” across the border, either. And I think it was only about an hour and a half drive fom Munchen, too.
I really like Bill Whittle
Mike C. wrote:
You are correct that it’s not metal and doesn’t hang right at all but it’s still dangerous to the kitties.
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2012/12/new-army-manual-orders-soldiers-not-to-criticize-taliban/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
A society in decline chooses not to defend itself.
I will be surprised if soldiers re-enlist in the future if that idiocy stands.
@ Kirly:
We don’t use tinsel, and we only uses plastic, shatter-resistant ornaments. We decorate the trees and the cats undecorate them. We have one cat (Hope) that likes to climb the trees. This would be bad enough, but she is a fat cat. She weighs 13 1/2 pounds. The tree branches weren’t made to take that much weight, so they bend. BUt we love out kitties! It wouldn’t be the same without them.
@ Iron Fist:
Sounds like my house back in the day of three young cats and a Xmas tree!
I was working in my basement a few weeks ago and
had the door open when a cat wondered in. told the
cat you best get outa here before the dogs figure
out you’re down here.
mawskrat wrote:
so, did the cat look up at you with disdain and then flop on the nearest soft surface like s/he owned the place?
the commenting seems exceptionally light this weekend. where is everyone? are they all at hanukah events? where are the rest? did i miss something??
@ Kirly:
Been doing my Kwanzaa shopping/
mawskrat wrote:
omg. i’m on the Diversity Council at work. i volunteered to do it so i could see if they really are a bunch of damn racists (they are but they are in deep denial). i usually go to all of the events that any of the groups organize but i just couldn’t bring myself to go to the kwanzaa thing. it’s FAKE. and we know who made it up and when! i can’t believe these otherwise intelligent people fall for this crap! oh well. i’m deep undercover and will remain there until i can’t tolerate it any longer -- they almost got me with “La Raza”/The Race idiocy.
Kirly wrote:
I’m at a gun show all weekend.
Huge crowds.
The sunrise is exceptionally beautiful in the Sonoran Desert after a long (by our standards a day or two) rain. that was this morning. the mountains behind my house (they are about 1 mile away, if that) had their peaks shrouded in clouds this morning while the rest of the sky was clear. it was quite beautiful. i took pix. will see if they did it justice. if so i’m blowing it up huge and hanging it on the wall with the rest of my pix.
tip for the holiday cookie baker -- put a hunk of bread in the container with the cookies. it’ll keep the cookies soft. any old bread will do. it will get harder and more crunchy but the cookies will stay soft.
lobo91 wrote:
good. the more the better. seriously. the more hands in the weapons of the Normals, the better off we all are.
i’m literally on the verge of withdrawing from all this awful news about the economy, sequestration, the state of things in the world, racism and hate, and the shooting. i just want to curl up with The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and such much like I did when I was a sickly child and my only available activity was reading stories. the world is just too ugly right now.
Now they sell gloves for smartphones and tablet pcs.
Off to the show
Guggi wrote:
are the gloves worn by the people or are they put on the gadgets?
so, Lavender Lemon Cookies are done. Pumpkin Milk Chocolate Chip are within 2 cookies sheets of being done. Next, Coconut Macaroons. Santa is gonna leave me the best presents!
Good morning.
Holder lecturing about gun control is hypocrisy in the extreme.
He has never really explained Fast & Furious.
Sigh, what we all knew was going to happen, is indeed happening already. The Usual Fifth Column Treasonous Media Marxist propagandist talking heads are screaming for more Gun Restriction. They seem utterly incapable of grasping or even considering that what is at issue is personal responsibility, not Guns.
yes, the anti-gun parade started about 2 nanoseconds after the phrase “school shooting” were uttered the other day. seriously, i do. obhama and his fake tears -- he’s not nearly as good at that as BJClinton.
Kirly wrote:
<
He needs to bite his lower lip and squint his eyes.
Boehner didn’t cave. He continued on with what he wants; higher taxes
Before making guns illegal how about making divorce with children illegal and parents letting their kids feed on filth illegal
waldensianspirit wrote:
what about getting rid of no-fault divorce? what do folks think about that?
@ Kirly:
read about the Lanza family? People knew but there was no way to correct the course of events
Obama administration, Congress quietly let school security funds lapse
waldensianspirit wrote:
no. in fact, i’ve quite deliberately avoided the news all weekend. i’m just tired of it. it’s hideous.
i have been told that i make a rather good coconut macaroon cookie. i must say that the batch i just made are by far my very best. they’re incredibly good. and the coconut, on the outside is toasted just perfectly. i’ve never accomplished that before. i don’t have a clue what i did differently either.
Santa is gonna leave me the BEST presents!
@ doriangrey: Just some sarcastic suggestions for the left but half serious.
1. legislate that only women can own guns since none of them committ mass slayings.
2. legislate first that all criminals may not own guns. Then once all the criminals are disarmed, legislate that the police no longer need to carry guns. a taser will be fine. Then once all the police are disarmed, ask me if I want to give up my gun. Trust me to make the wise decision.
In this lanza case the kid needed a father. Someone who could control and direct him better. The gun ownership here just seems like a bad idea. The hockey mask seems to suggest that the kid modeled himself after Hollywood horror movies in his mind. Auspergers kids are each OCD in their own particular way. But Hollywood horror is mass marketed to kids like these. The unconsciousness emotional impact of slasher films makes a huge emotional dent into the consciousness of these TV bred loners. They identify with the rejection and lack of love the villian examples.
An aspergers child does better making a community relationship in a church. The relationship between good and evil is explained to them in a community setting they need.
In general an aspsergers child can initially only relate to life as a set of direct nouns. Pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs mean nothing to them until after repeated modeling they wire themselves for understanding. School system are horrible at recognizing this in aspergers kids and continually try to mainstream the kid and force them into the institutional view of a student. Where they actually need a lot of individual attention. Expensive individual attention.
aspergers isn’t even in the spell check here.
MAlkin makes a good point.
And it doesn’t have to be just a Christian faith. It could be telos. It could be Jung’s collective unconsciousness.
Thinking about the Newtown massacre of the innocents,
I am convinced that this is all the fault of Chris Matthews
and other hate spewing left wingers.
This kid listened to them & it triggered something in his
left wing mind.
Of course there is absolutely nothing to suggest that,
but it didn’t stop them from blaming right wing talk
for the shooting of Gabbie Giffords & the others.
The fault in both cases was the shooter.
@ 66 RIX:
The above is a lefty politician.
@ 66 RIX: Look at the consistent news media coverage of excusing union members for using violence to vent a frustration.
darkwords wrote:
Oh sure a D before your name or a union card gets you a
special dispensation.
Here is a huffpo article from a mom What is interesting to me is her support system does not include a father and does not include any type of church as far as I can tell. Or she is afraid to mention that to huffpo readers.
darkwords wrote:
The unions have morphed into a thugocracy.
Not all of the rank & file, but enough & the
leadership is out of control.
In the Age of Obama & Holder they know that
they have carte blanche.
If I was that kids father I would have taken him to a prostitute when he was 15. That will change his focus in life. I would also also have had a TV free environment for him and regular church attendance. All designed to create a productive environment for him.
What I see causing this is a form of neglect and letting him grow up like a weed. Weeds have too many rights.
@ 71 RIX: And it becomes a mob situation for them. Making them all guilty by association. That is the problem with Unions they have no internal checks and balances except for a pair of cement shoes.
As I get older I find the diversity of psychology in people astounding. At age 17, I thought I would have a wife, 2 kids, a dog, a station wagon, and a mortgage. Reality was quite different. A lot of it was illusions on my part. Reality taught me where my assumptions were wrong. I still think it is a good ideal. But I had to adjust my thinking.
darkwords wrote:
The problem has become that any means are justified.
Card Check is a good example.
Who needs a secret ballot?
Eric Holder thought policeman Anonymous should start seeding his database with noise.
@ 75 RIX: I have a relative who is a union member of that type. nice guy but I dislike him for his rabidity to any non union process. He thinks unions are the bedrock of modern america. I think he is an unpatriotic SOB. and it what is bad for the country. He could be a modern taliban easily if we had it here. Anything inside his scheme is god driven, anything outside is evil.
@ darkwords:
The unions have changed & the rules of a free society are just
brushed aside.
They have destroyed companies and cost jobs.
Their growth is in the Public Sector and that isn’t
healthy.
@ 78 RIX:and teachers dont need unions. they need merit evaluations. kids are important. In government the leaders advocate for groups like teachers.
darkwords wrote:
Kids do not factor into union deliberations.