Some Christmas Viewing Recommendations...

Hello again everyone. Getting in the Christmas spirit yet? For those of us in Ohio we’ve been lucky enough to be treated to snow twice and may get lucky with a third dose later this week. If reading any of the books I suggested didn’t do it for you, here’s a list of movies, Christmas specials, and even an SNL sketch to bring you holiday cheer. 

Growing up my absolute favorite thing to watch every year were those Rankin Bass stop motion specials that date back to the 1960s. They still run them every year, though I noticed the absence of “The Year Without a Santa Claus” on the schedule this year. Probably not an oversight. With Covid I suppose we don’t want to take away that one last hope all children have every year. 

Last night I watched “A Charlie Brown Christmas” which was on loan from Apple who bought up the rights to the whole Peanuts TV specials franchise I guess. Anyway, I think this one is my favorite of the seasonal Charlie Brown specials, if nothing else because of Snoopy. He’s hilarious the way he decorates his doghouse (and takes 1^st place for his decorations), then skates with the children

and later kisses Lucy causing her to shriek. I also love the sentiment behind this special. Every year I feel exactly the same way as Charlie Brown as Christmas is definitely a whole different thing when you’re an adult, especially when you have all these extra added responsibilities and no Christmas vacation (well, just me I guess because most of my family are teachers and the rest use vacation time). Anyway, I love the happy ending and who doesn’t like a Charlie Brown tree? 

This year “Home Alone” is somewhat appropriate, but also somewhat improbable that a whole family would be flying anywhere. I love the feeling of freedom Kevin enjoys once he realizes he’s on his own and can get into his brother’s stuff without getting beaten up for it. Anyone who has siblings can appreciate that. I also love Kevin’s choice of dinner – pizza followed by a huge bowl of ice cream. For me it would pizza, then maybe a bowl of fritoes followed by chocolate ice cream. If you’re a fan of this movie, I hope you’ve seen the commercial with grown-up Kevin re-enacting scenes from the movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYcv3cg61b8  Okay, so Ferris did it first in his Honda commercial, grown up Kevin is still pretty funny too. You might also enjoy the behind-the-scenes look at this movie in the one-hour program as part of the Netflix series, “The Movies That Made Us.” 

You’re either from another planet or grew up Amish if you’ve never seen “Christmas Vacation.” I first saw it back when I was in college and was probably the inspiration for “The Great Christmas Light Fight” TV program (one I’ve recorded, but haven’t yet watched).

If you asked my cousin’s husband, Roman (a very talented electrical engineer), I suppose he’d say Clark Griswold was his inspiration when he first decided to decorate his house (and the adjacent neighbor’s houses) for the holiday every year. Kudos to you Roman for helping to spread holiday cheer every year (and they also collect canned goods for food pantries). 

My family has a personal connection to “A Christmas Story” as my uncle and his family were part of the vintage background that helped lend a sense of realism for a classic 1950s/1960s Christmas. My uncle was the proud owner of a pair of antique cars that were necessary for the dated background scenery needed to help set the scene.

My cousin told me she and her brother often joined him in downtown Cleveland for some of the filming. I am so jealous as that would have probably been an amazing experience, but I’m just glad my family was able to contribute to what has become an American Christmas classic. Anyway, even though I missed out on being there for that movie, I got to see another classic (though more of a B-movie) movie being filmed in my hometown. 

Back when I was in high school my friend and I found ourselves in downtown Madison (village) one Friday night, probably following a school event of some sort I imagine, and we accidentally wandered onto the film set for “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.” While exciting at the time, I admit it shattered one childhood myth I had about everything Hollywood being exotic. What we stood around and watched was the repetitive motion of a car being driven back and forth down Main Street. Actually, it was driven one direction, then reversed back into position, then driven forward again until the film crew was satisfied they had gotten some useable footage. 

I should probably add that the reason they were there in the first place was because we had snow (and I think it might have been like April or sometime after Christmas) and they needed that for the background scenery. I also remember they let us have a close-up look at the car which definitely sticks in my impressionable young mind because of all the photos of naked ladies glued to the interior of the car along with all manner of tacky décor. The car even had a name, “Dooby’s Taxiola.” To be honest, I’m not even sure if any of the footage actually made it into the movie, or whether it’s one of those, “you blink and you missed it” moments. For more info. on the car used in the movie:  http://www.i-mockery.com/minimocks/planes-trains-automobiles/ 

Another newer movie I’ve come to appreciate and enjoy watching every year is “Elf,” which is also analyzed in the Netflix series, “The Holiday Movies That Made Us.” There were three elements director, Jon Favreau was hoping to capture with the film including making it somewhat reminiscent of the old Rankin Bass specials, giving it a lot of heart and making it a family classic. He’s definitely successful incorporating all these elements. There’s so much to like about this movie from the excellent casting: Will Ferrell was spot on! and James “Jimmy the Dream” Caan in addition to my three other favorite actors, Bob Newhart, Ed Asner and Zoey Deschanal. Plus, I love movies set in NYC (though only part of it was filmed there). 

Bonus points if you know what actor "Elf" and "A Christmas Story" have in common (checking the credits is cheating).

Although most probably won’t want a repeat of Christmas this year (especially if you opt to spend it at home away from the rest of your family), one of my favorite movies (called “Christmas Every Day”) is all about reliving Christmas day over and over. Yes, “Ground Hog Day” was probably an inspiration. Young Billy apparently has a few lessons to learn before he can move on to Boxing Day (the day after Christmas which is a public holiday in the UK). I think I like it because of the cast and because it’s set in small town America. Plus, like all good holiday movies, it has a lot of heart (and is very Hallmark movie-ish). 

Although “Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone” (aka “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” for the American audience) isn’t a Christmas movie, I absolutely love the poignant scene where Harry is made to feel a like a part of Ron’s family when he is gifted with an ugly Christmas sweater knitted by Ron’s mom (everyone gets one!). Plus, you’ve got to love the really ornate decorations and coziness of the lounge at Hogwarts. This movie has heart in spades (not to make a gambling reference). 

If you’re looking for a little family drama set around Christmas, you can’t go wrong with “The Family Stone” or “Last Christmas.” One is set in an upper middle class family in Connecticut and the other in a Croatian family in London. Both have characters who are critically judged by their family (or their boyfriend’s family) and have issues that are resolved by the end. Both have fantastic scenery and a lot of warmth as one pair of characters drive the story in both, and both also have a little bit of a twist at the end. Warning: both are two tissue films. : ( 

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I love vintage things, which includes black and white movies. I think the draw is the way Hollywood portrays this exotic old timey world I’m not old enough to have experienced myself, but seems so idyllic. “Miracle on 34^th Street,” “Yes, Virginia There is a Santa Claus,” “Holiday Inn,” and “White Christmas” are some of my favorites. I also love the iconic “It’s a Wonderful Life” (see last week’s post for more about that). 

The last film on my list, which is definitely a must see, and definitely a two tissue film, is “Joyeux Noel.” This is based on the true story of the World War I treaty called on Christmas Eve when the soldiers left the trenches to share a meal and some good cheer while showing each other photos of their family and maybe sharing an impromptu gift or two. How they could go back to fighting after that is beyond me, but war is incomprehensible to me too. 

Probably the most appropriate selection for this untraditional Christmas this year is Bill Murray’s Christmas special (as suggested by my husband) called “A Very Murray Christmas.” Murray is stuck in a hotel for Christmas after getting snowed in, so he asks some of the guests (a few celebrities) to help him celebrate by singing something Christmassy. It’s only an hour, so not a bad length if you’re short on time or it’s a school night or something.  https://www.netflix.com/title/80042368 

I have my sister to thank for alerting us to this very funny Christmas sketch which has become a favorite tradition and added to my list of Christmas viewing: “The Best Christmas Ever” SNL (“Saturday Night Live”) sketch with Matt Damon  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WvwX18oMR4  Whether or not you have kids, I think everyone can relate on some level. This sketch is a nice compliment to “Christmas Vacation” as it definitely shares the same spirit. Thanks for bringing this to our attention Karen! 

Well, that should keep you pretty busy this week in the run up to Christmas. Stay safe and healthy everyone and have a happy Christmas!

A Little Light Holiday Reading...

Should you find yourself with any free time this holiday and are looking for some festive reading, allow me to make a few suggestions (most of these I own). 

The Joy of Peanuts is a compilation of Christmas-themed cartoons dating as far back as the 1950s up until the 1990s. Fans of Peanuts or vintage cartoons will enjoy this little Hallmark volume. Here’s an example of one of my favorites: 

The Greatest Gift, which is actually a short story published in book form, probably isn’t that well known, but I bet EVERYBODY has seen “It’s a Wonderful Life.” What do these two things have in common?

Well, The Greatest Gift is a short story written by Philip Van Doren Stern “privately printed as a Christmas card to the author’s friends in 1943,” and it’s what the iconic Christmas movie is based on. How would you like to be one of those friends and get that enclosure in your Christmas card? (probably worth a small fortune today). Even better, I would love to have him as a relative. That would be pretty cool too. : ) 

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is cute and sentimental and will feel familiar to anyone who has ever been in their church Christmas pageant (I never was, but I think my brother was a shepherd once). The plot revolves around the Herdman family and how they’re sort of the misfits (picture Cousin’s Eddie’s kids in “Christmas Vacation”) who don’t fit in because they’re poor, they’re dirty, and somewhat badly behaved. However, the adult in charge of the pageant takes pity on them and everyone ends up learning a lesson from the Herdmans.  (available on dvd too) 

A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote is a compilation of three holiday stories inspired by Capote’s childhood growing up in the South. According to the dust jacket, “A Christmas Memory” and “The Thanksgiving Visitor” were inspired by Capote’s early years with a family of distant relatives in rural Alabama. These two childhood tales pay loving tribute to an eccentric old-maid cousin, Miss Sook Faulk, who became Capote’s best friend. In “A Christmas Memory,” Miss Sook, Buddy (the narrator) and their dog, Queenie, celebrate the yuletide in a hilariously tipsy state. In the poignant reminiscence “One Christmas,” six-year-old Buddy journeys to New Orleans for a reunion with his estranged father that shatters many illusions. 

What I remember about “A Christmas Memory” is that they were very poor, so the only presents they got were homemade kites they made for each other (and young Buddy certainly wasn’t very happy about that).

The only other pleasure was homemade fruitcake. Speaking of fruitcake, in “One Christmas” young Buddy takes one to New Orleans and gives it to his father who is less than impressed, especially when Buddy tells him he helped make it. “One Christmas” is also a movie (streamable for $1.99 on Amazon Prime) starring Henry (“the Fonz”) Winkler, Swoosie Kurtz and Katherine Hepburn. 

The Christmas Sweater is an interesting and sentimental story with a twist. Don’t let who the author is put you off, because you would never know it if his name wasn’t on the dust jacket. I promise you this is definitely a memorable story, and not super long either, so take a chance and check it out. 

According to Google books, The Christmas Sweater is “the story of a young boy who finds the true meaning of Christmas in the most unlikely of places. Eddie wants a bicycle for Christmas, but his mother knits him a homemade sweater instead.” There’s a lot more to it than that, but like Mr. Capote’s story, it’s sentimental and might make you appreciate all the blessings we have, even with the pandemic this year. 

If you’re an animal lover I would direct you to The Dogs of Christmas, which has a bit of everything – a little mystery, lots of snow (it’s set in Colorado), puppies, and even a little romance, without being too overly sentimental or romantic. According to Google books, “While nursing a broken heart, Josh Michaels is outraged when a neighbor abandons his very pregnant dog, Lucy, at Josh's Colorado home.” 

If you’re like many of us around this time of year, you might not be feeling it, especially when listening to Christmas song after Christmas song and receiving Christmas cards with idyllic scenes - none of which actually matches reality for most of us. One way to maybe get more in the holiday spirit (perhaps while sipping a holiday spirit while reading it) is to pick up either A Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas or Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas Treasury. Both are chock full of heart-warming stories that will definitely restore your faith in humanity. After the year it’s been, I think everyone could benefit from a dose of Chicken Soup in book form (and perhaps the actual soup too). 

If those are too saccharine and sentimental for you, then check out David Sedaris’ Holidays on Ice, which, like Truman Capote’s book, is also a compilation of stories including the funniest elf story ever, “SantaLand Diaries.” The audio book is even better! If you’re never heard the true story of the Christmas Sedaris worked as an elf at Macy’s, then you definitely need to download or stream this book or audio recording. Warning: it’s somewhat R rated and perhaps not for little ears, so maybe wait until the offspring are in bed before listening to it if you opt for that version. 

The Christmas Train by David Baldacci is a much better version of “Murder on the Orient Express” set on Amtrak. Actually, I’m not sure if anyone gets murdered, but the journalist is there to investigate a mystery (it’s been a few years since I’ve read it). Here’s the summary on Amazon.com:

“Disillusioned journalist Tom Langdon must get from Washington to Los Angeles in time for Christmas. Forced to travel by train, he begins a journey of rude awakenings, thrilling adventures, and holiday magic. He has no idea that the locomotives pulling him across America will actually take him into the rugged terrain of his own heart, as he rediscovers people's essential goodness and someone very special he believed he had lost.”

Like many of the other books, this is also a (Hallmark) movie, so take your choice, though I always recommend reading the book first.

 

 

My Covid Bucket List

There are certain activities that were fairly universal this year as we all adjusted the way we live in reaction to the pandemic. This is my list of what we accomplished: 

Work @ home or do school at home – I already worked at home, but was soon joined by my husband. Although it was an adjustment, it was kind of nice since it can be lonely working at home by yourself with only a kitty to keep you company. My sister and her husband who are teachers also switched to online lessons and lots of emails to students. Although there were technological challenges and adjustments to make, I think my sister was quite happy with the arrangement. Her two teenage sons seem to have made the adjustment well (especially the younger one who already spent lots of time on his computer). 

Participate in a Zoom call. Though I had done Skype a couple times, Zoom was new to me, but quickly became the industry standard as families and companies were encouraged to utilize this app to communicate to others via a camera on your computer. So far I’ve only used it three times – twice for family phone calls and once for the Haiku class I took earlier this autumn. 

Make a mask. Before the market was flooded with them, we had to make our own. My husband actually got the ball rolling on this. A joint effort over a weekend produced masks we were proud to wear outside the house (until my company sent us some, so we set our homemade masks aside favoring the more comfortable ones from H-). 

Make banana bread. Not quite sure why the pandemic caused people to neglect their bananas, or maybe it’s the fact that banana bread is considered a comfort food. Either way, we joined in this tradition and enjoyed it for months to come (we always divide it up and freeze some). 

Stream a church service. I streamed the Easter service at St. Brendan’s. My uncle told me churches in California are still closed and having services online only. Whereas in Ohio we’ve been doing a hybrid (in person and also streamable services) of sorts since May with adjustments being made due to the pandemic. 

Have an e-appointment with your doctor. I had one back in the spring which was quick, though not stress-free as I had trouble downloading the app since the browsers on my computer didn’t want to accept that newcomer, so I was forced to use my phone. Then I had to wait about 20 minutes as apparently the previous appointment my doctor was on ran late, so I had a quick 10 minutes before I had to go back to work. It worked out though as my doctor gave me the prescription I needed. I’m just glad I was able to go into her office for my annual physical as I certainly didn’t fancy pricking myself for the required blood test (not sure my husband fancied doing that to me either : ) 

Assemble a puzzle. We actually did a couple. One had been sitting around gathering dust for a few years, the other was a newer purchase. My sister-in-law told me they did several, but kept missing a piece after one of their dogs absconded with it. My parents put together a puzzle we bought them back when I was still a child (so you know that was a long time ago). My mom recently commented, "We finally finished! Sorry it took a pandemic to get it done."

Stream a concert online. As more and more of our usual entertainment went online this year, we streamed several concerts by one of our favorite folk artists, Lucy Wainwright Roche. Just a few weeks ago we had the privilege of seeing her perform side-by-side with her mom (who is also a performer; their whole family are musicians). 

Cut / Color your hair at home. My husband and I started the process by gathering supplies via a trip to our local Sally’s Beauty Supply. Among other things, we purchased special scissors, hair clippers, and a cape (they were out of hair dye, so I later bought that at Target).

My husband pretty much did his hair himself, though I assisted with his neck area. Unlike the clippers my parents have, these are lightweight and not at all scary, so I had no problem running it up and down my husband’s neck and did a pretty good job at doing it evenly.

 

I confidently handed over the scissors to my husband and left him in charge of giving me a trim. Though I loved my long locks, I know you have to cut your hair occasionally to keep it growing healthy. Even though my husband took off a couple inches more than requested, I’ve never been vain, and I knew it would grow back (and I had to stay in his good graces since I needed him to later dye my hair). We did the haircut over Memorial Day weekend, and my husband dyed my hair over Labor Day. He did a fantastic job with both, so hopefully he won’t mind assisting me again next year until we all get our vaccinations. 

Learn a new skill or hobby. Though it wasn’t planned, after I bought a Mr. Coffee espresso machine (with the refund I received from the wonky Keurig I bought last Christmas), my husband and I needed to learn a few basic barista skills.

We started out with lattes and cappuccinos. I’m less of a fan of those, so I went to You Tube to learn how to make a mocha, which actually isn’t that difficult. I’ve had fun tweaking it and haven’t looked back since. Now when I go to a coffee shop I try to order something that isn’t a run-of-the-mill drink since we can do those ourselves. I still like the Cinnamon Toast latte or Jumpin’ Monkey (latte) coffees they do at my local, Colin’s Coffee.