Memories of Disney

Do you remember the first time you went to Disneyland? If you were a kid at the time, you probably remember it as being larger than life . . . the big castle in the middle of the park, the rides that made you feel like you were in another world, characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, no longer in a cartoon but right there, alive and in person, walking around and posing for photos.

Mike and I had a chance to return to Disneyland in July for the first time in about 20 years for both of us. I have to credit our fantastic experience to good friends we visited before we went, who gave us two-day passes and mapped out everything we needed to do and see before we got there . . . everything down to indulging in the HUGE piece of chocolate cake at the Golden Horseshoe Saloon in Frontierland.

The first thing that struck me was that everything at Disney is so much smaller than I remembered it . . . the castle in the middle is actually pretty small, the rides are still fun but not quite as scary, and the park itself is contained in a much smaller space than I thought it was.

Here are some other impressions . . .

. . . My favorite attractions were in California Adventure, the park next to Disneyland -- the Toy Story ride, Screamin' California, Soarin' and the Aladdin show. The Aladdin show alone was worth the trip. It's a shortened version (45 minutes) of the Broadway show. Very well done with a genie who, no kidding, outdoes Robin Williams' humor in the movie.

. . . Many of the oldies at Disneyland are still the goodies. Pirates of the Caribbean, for one, is still pretty cool. I remember being freaked out by this ride as a kid. When I was little, I hated anything remotely dark or scary. The ride now has Captain Jack Sparrow (a very realistic image of Johnny Depp) in several places along the way. I think this one will remain one of my favorite rides at Disney. An oldie that is NOT a goodie, though, is the Jungle Cruise. I have fond memories of that when I was a kid, and those fond memories will stay in my "kid" brain. The Jungle Cruise experience as a grown-up wasn't quite the same.

. . . Space Mountain is also still quite the thrilling ride. It's hard to believe this ride is so old. It opened in the 60s and has since gone through several updates. It remains the most unique roller coaster I've ever been on.

. . . Fantasyland (it was called Storybookland when I was little) transported me back to my childhood, with Alice in Wonderland, Dumbo, Peter Pan, Small World and more. We didn't go on any rides in this part of the park (the lines were amazingly long with no Fast Pass option--see below). But we walked around, took lots of photos and recalled a lot of memories from when we were kids.

. . . Some of the newer and most popular rides weren't as big of a deal as I thought they would be. The special effects that went into the Indiana Jones ride are amazing, but the ride itself was too short, really jerky (it mimicks an off-road jeep ride) and left me feeling like, "That was it?" I was glad we did this one early in the morning and only waited about 15 minutes.

. . . Disney has really done its guests a huge favor with the Fast Passes. These free passes reserve you a time to get in line and cut down on the wait time by a lot in some cases, especially with the popular rides like Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, etc.

. . . There is something to be said for just strolling around, people-watching and otherwise just taking it all in. Disney is an amazing place. When you leave, you really feel like you've spent the entire day transported to another world. That was Walt Disney's purpose in creating the park. He called it the "happiest place on earth" and wanted it to be a place where children and parents would enjoy being together.

I have to say our trip turned us into even bigger Disney fans. We've loved Disney movies for years. We went a little crazy and bought too many Disney stuffed animals while were at Disneyland. (We have plans to put up a shelf to display them all.) Now we are talking about going to Disneyworld, where there are even more theme parks to enjoy. We'll get there, I'm sure.

Why teach journalism if newspapers are dying?

I found this (cut and pasted below) on salon.com today. This is a question I've pondered myself as a journalism instructor -- and my students have been asking themselves why they're studying journalism in this present age of layoffs and media outlets shutting their doors.

This question became more relevant for all of us in Denver a couple of weeks ago when the almost 150-year-old Rocky Mountain News closed. I have several friends who worked there, and many of my students looked to the News for internships and dreamed of working there full time someday. Seeing it close makes them fearful their investment in a journalism education has quickly become foolish and irrelevant.

How do I answer those fears? I tell them that the market for news and for solid reporting is not dead. The old business model that many news outlets have operated under is certainly in question . . . but the need for news will never go away. Would we tell young business school students that going into banking is worthless because of what's happened to banks as of late? That would be ridiculous. Or would we tell people skilled in making cars that the need for cars is dead because of what GM is going through?

This economic crisis is challenging everyone. Every industry is having to take a hard look at itself and how it has operated. Frankly, newspapers have been ailing for a lot longer than a lot of people realize, way longer than this economic crisis has lasted. Newspapers have needed to respond to the challenge of the Internet for years -- and some have responded and responded well. But now many are being forced to figure out how they're going to change to meet the needs of a new world.

Some have closed, like the Rocky Mountain News. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is converting to an online-only format next week. Bigger dailies are feeling the most pressure to change and change quickly. I believe we'll see more and more newspapers doing some drastic things in the coming months.

But I tell my students not to give up on journalism. I actually think it's an exciting time to be entering the field. Scary, yes. Jobs are hard to get, and those who get them must be sharper and better than their peers. But the possibilities of what journalism will become are still wide open, and people like my students get to be part of creating something new. Their generation will be on the cutting edge of what journalism will be in five, 10, 15 years.

Case in point: Yesterday, a little more than two weeks after the Rocky Mountain News closed its doors, several former Rocky staffers and a few entrepreneurs announced the creation of In Denver Times, an online-only news source. Will it work? A lot of people have their doubts. The founders are looking to raise something like $3 million in capital by April 23 through people pledging to pay $60 a year to subscribe to the online publication. In today's economic climate, will people really pay that much for news, when other news sites on the Internet are "free?" It may not pan out, but this is the direction that news is heading. It will take some trial and error before someone figures out how to make this online-only thing work -- and make it profitable.

But I believe it will happen, and all of a sudden people will begin to see the possibilities . . . and journalists will realize that their job and their passion is not tied to a particular medium. It's about gathering information and telling stories. That's what this field is all about.

Here's the article from salon.com:

Why teach journalism if newspapers are dying?
I feel guilty training kids in a trade for which the market is disappearing.
By Cary Tennis (www.salon.com)

March 17, 2009 | Dear Cary,

I am a college journalism professor. When I got into this field a half dozen or so years ago, after 17 years as a journalist, I was excited to enlighten young minds and inspire them. And I have, and hope I still do.

The problem is this: I feel like I'm teaching them something that will be as useful as Sanskrit when they graduate. I am trying to get them involved in learning the latest technology as well as teaching them important writing and life skills, so they will be employable. But every morning I read stories about how huge, venerable newspapers will likely be shuttered by the end of the year, and it absolutely freaks me out.

What the heck am I doing? I feel like I'm a participant in the theater of the absurd.

I feel horribly guilty, wondering what will become of them. I'm already hearing from former students how they've been laid off and are aimlessly trying to pursue anything to survive.

I know it's tough all over, but how can I get past the guilt and continue feeling good about what I do? I still firmly believe there will be journalism -- it has to survive -- but what about all these poor kids who are caught in this awful transitional period?

Feeling Existential

Dear Existential,

Journalists find things out and tell people about it.

If you are teaching your students how to do that, you are not only doing your job, you are giving them the gift of a lifetime.

It is not your job to guarantee them stable employment.

I'm not even sure that stable employment is good for young journalists.

Journalists exercise power. Ideally, they exercise that power on behalf of the powerless. If they know nothing about what it is like to be powerless themselves, they may come to exercise their considerable power on behalf of the already powerful.

As to the conventions of story form and lingo that are often taught in journalism school, and as to the many artifacts and customs that make up our lore, we are tradespeople and we are proud of what we know how to do. We like our tools and our lingo. But we must be smart and nimble, and if we remain sentimentally attached to the artifacts of our trade in the face of massive technological change, then we are no better than GM.

So I do not think it is such a terrible thing that your journalism students are entering an uncertain world. It's the kind of world that is ripe for enterprising journalists. It is the kind of world that needs to be reported on and explained.

Where information is kept hasn't changed all that much. The information is still in people's heads and in official records. How to get it remains much the same.

Leave it to your students to create new modes for the buying and selling of this information. Their generation will do this. I feel confident about that.

Teach them how to find out what is true and what is hidden, and how to say it so others can understand what it means and why it is important. Then you will have done your job and given them the gift of a lifetime.

Window to another world

Yesterday I had the joy of opening my students' eyes to a new world -- for the second time this semester. We took a "field trip" to the Colorado State Capitol to see a legislative hearing and talk to a lobbyist. We're going back on Wednesday for a legislative tour. Then we'll go back again next week for a meeting with the speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives.

I teach college students who have been exposed to a lot of political ideas, but their knowledge of how politics actually happen is limited to sound bites on TV. By and large, they're more in tune with what's going on nationally, and they have little clue that what happens at the state and local levels actually has more of an impact on their daily lives than anything in Washington. They are all journalism students, and part of my job is to introduce them to the "real stuff" they'll be covering as journalists.

The course I'm teaching is called Contemporary Issues. The course description is vague, and it's been passed around a lot from instructor to instructor through the years. I wanted to teach it, in part, for the challenge of taking something undefined and not only giving it legs to stand on, but making it cool and memorable. I chose to look in-depth at two topics: Religion and politics. Why those two? Because they evoke passion, commitment and controversy. And if journalists don't know how to cover these, they don't know how to cover anything.

For the first part of the semester, we looked at issues of faith and spirituality. I have some expertise in this area because I covered faith issues for seven years. I brought in guest speakers who had some sort of faith story to tell -- a Vietnamese Catholic priest who escaped from Vietnam in the early 1980s, a friend whose brother died in the worst terrorist attack on U.S. citizens until 9/11 (the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland), a representative from a church on campus that feeds the homeless on a daily basis, a woman involved in a fatal shooting at a church.

Too often the media cover faith and religion only during a crisis. (Case in point: How many of us knew much about Islam before 9/11?) I brought these people into my class to show my students that faith happens every day, not just during "big" events. Many of my students have little if no faith background at all, and they were amazed at the stories they heard. They had emotional connections to the guest speakers' stories. Their eyes were opened to things they'd never considered before -- certainly things they're usually not asked to think about for a college class.

Their eyes were opened again yesterday for our first trip to the Colorado State Capitol, which is mere blocks from our campus. I learned from asking them to look up some information related to politics and government that their knowledge of the political process goes about as deep as their knowledge of faith and religion. I'm no expert, either, but I was surprised to find out that I need to go back and cover things they should have learned in middle school social studies -- things like what's in the U.S. Constitution, why there are only two senators from each state and what legislators actually do.

My students aren't alone, however. Much of the adult population in the United States has little knowledge of appreciation of the political process in this country. I know the reasons are varied, and much of it boils down to a distrust in government. It's understandable. So we tune out, criticize, draw sweeping conclusions and forfeit our right to be involved. We depend on political ads to make decisions about what and who we vote for . . . or we don't vote at all because we've decided the system is "screwed up" and our vote doesn't matter anyway.

But our perceptions aren't always right, and frankly, I think we give up too easily. We've become what I call "opinionators," willing to spout off our complaints and what we think, only to those who don't have any part in changing anything. Instead of becoming part of the process, we embrace negativity and pessimism and feel justified in it.

Yesterday I and my students attended a legislative hearing for a bill that involved the college where I teach. The hearing wasn't long, and nothing surprising happened during it. What did surprise me, though, was to find out that average, everyday citizens rarely show up or speak at hearings like that, even though they have every right to. Since I nor my students have ever attended a hearing at the State Capitol, we had no idea that our presence there was . . . unique. The lobbyist we talked to later said, "Did you see the legislators' eyes light up when they realized you were there? They're not used to seeing citizens. Usually people don't care. Government happens because of those who show up."

And who shows up? The reporters are there to cover what happens. The lobbyists are there to defend their clients' interests.

And that's about it.

I'd venture to guess most people don't even know that anyone has the right to attend a legislative hearing -- or a court hearing for that matter. That's what it means to have an open government -- you can show up and be heard and have more of an influence than you think you'll ever have, not just for yourself, but for your neighbor and your community. Yes, you elect people to represent you, but there's also a place for you. It's what our forefathers and mothers more than 200 years ago sacrificed to give us. And many of us, sadly, are too self-involved to care.

I walked away yesterday with a meaningful reminder that we live in a great country. Our political system has its problems. I've complained about it like all of us have. But I shudder to think of what it would be like to live in a system where decisions are made behind closed doors, where there is no consideration for the well-being of the people, where average, everyday citizens cannot just "show up," listen in and speak.

My students weren't the only ones whose eyes were opened yesterday. Mine were, too.

The year in photos

Happy New Year!

I thought I'd share some photos from 2008 -- they are ones Mike and I took at various places throughout the year.

Hope you have a wonderful 2009.

Hanging Lake, near Glenwood Springs, CO -- August

Fall in Colorado -- September and October (Left: Abandoned cabin near Telluride. Next two photos: A woman and her dog relaxing at the Maroon Bells; Anne on Kebler Pass, near Crested Butte, CO.


Nature photographers line up to capture the Maroon Bells outside Aspen on a beautiful fall morning.
New York City -- July (Left: Statue of Liberty. Below: A dad and his daughter enjoy a moment outside the carousel at Central Park)

Going to see The Lion King on Broadway
Fife and drum corps at Williamsburg, VA. in May
The Washington Monument -- view from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. -- May
Under a a BIG magnolia tree in Winston Salem, NC -- May
With George (Washington) at a Washington Nationals game in May
A Vietnam veteran finds a friend's name at the Vietnam Memorial -- Washington, D.C. in May
Bailey's Chapel -- outside Winston-Salem, NC in May
Kayaking on Grand Lake, CO in July
Grand Lake, CO
At frozen Boulder Falls outside Boulder in March
View from the top of Copper Mountain Ski Area in January

Ringing in the New Year

I think most of us hope the coming year is better than 2008, for a variety of reasons. Many have had a rough year in more ways than one. I Googled "prayer for the new year" today and came up with the following thoughts (below) from www.appleseed.org.

The reality is that more rough times may be ahead, but one thing I've always liked about the new year is the opportunity to reflect on what I've taken away from the past 12 months and to look ahead to new things to come.

Some things I've taken from the past year include a deeper appreciation for time spent with family and friends. I don't know who came up with the idea that quality is more important than quantity when it comes to time. I've learned this year that quantity counts. One other thing I've learned this year, through of a series of difficult situations with students and classes, is that it's more important to me that I do what's right than to be liked. Let's just say I wouldn't get the award for most popular professor of the year. But I realized doing what's right is all worth it when you see the fruit of it.

No matter what comes, we always have reason to hope, not a worldly hope in material things or outward appearances, but a spiritual hope in what God will do in us through -- and sometimes despite -- outward circumstances.

May God fill you will that hope this week as we ring in 2009.

Recipe for a Happy New Year (Anonymous)

Take twelve fine, full-grown months; see that these are thoroughly free from old memories of bitterness, rancor and hate, cleanse them completely from every clinging spite; pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness; in short, see that these months are freed from all the past—have them fresh and clean as when they first came from the great storehouse of Time. Cut these months into thirty or thirty-one equal parts. Do not attempt to make up the whole batch at one time (so many persons spoil the entire lot this way) but prepare one day at a time.

Into each day put equal parts of faith, patience, courage, work (some people omit this ingredient and so spoil the flavor of the rest), hope, fidelity, liberality, kindness, rest (leaving this out is like leaving the oil out of the salad dressing— don’t do it), prayer, meditation, and one well-selected resolution. Put in about one teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor.


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I Am the New Year (Bible Illustrator)

I am the new year. I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.

I am your next chance at the art of living. I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about life during the last twelve months.

All that you sought and didn’t find is hidden in me, waiting for you to search it but with more determination.

All the good that you tried for and didn’t achieve is mine to grant when you have fewer conflicting desires.

All that you dreamed but didn’t dare to do, all that you hoped but did not will, all the faith that you claimed but did not have—these slumber lightly, waiting to be awakened by the touch of a strong purpose.

I am your opportunity to renew your allegiance to Him who said, "Behold, I make all things new."


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A Year of Time (Steven B. Cloud, Pulpit Helps, Vol. 14, # 2)

Though even thinking on the subject of time may prove discomforting, it is not a bad idea—especially at the beginning of a new year.

As we look into we look at a block of time. We see 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, 31,536,000 seconds. And all is a gift from God. We have done nothing to deserve it, earn it, or purchased it. Like the air we breathe, time comes to us as a part of life.

The gift of time is not ours alone. It is given equally to each person. Rich and poor, educated and ignorant, strong and weak—every man, woman and child has the same twenty-four hours every day.

Another important thing about time is that you cannot stop it. There is no way to slow it down, turn it off, or adjust it. Time marches on.

And you cannot bring back time. Once it is gone, it is gone. Yesterday is lost forever. If yesterday is lost, tomorrow is uncertain. We may look ahead at a full year’s block of time, but we really have no guarantee that we will experience any of it.

Obviously, time is one of our most precious possessions. We can waste it. We can worry over it. We can spend it on ourselves. Or, as good stewards, we can invest it in the kingdom of God.

The new year is full of time. As the seconds tick away, will you be tossing time out the window, or will you make every minute count?


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Time for New Beginnings (Taylor Addison, Blue Mountain Arts, 1989)

This is a time for reflection as well as celebration.

As you look back on the past year and all that has taken place in your life,

Remember each experience for the good that has come of it
and for the knowledge you have gained.

Remember the efforts you have made and the goals you have reached.

Remember the love you have shared and the happiness you have brought.

Remember the laughter, the joy, the hard work, and the tears.

And as you reflect on the past year, also be thinking of the new one to come.

Because most importantly, this is a time of new beginnings
and the celebration of life."


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A New Year’s Prayer (Anonymous)

Dear Lord, please give me…
A few friends who understand me and remain my friends;
A work to do which has real value,
without which the world would be the poorer;
A mind unafraid to travel, even though the trail be not blazed;
An understanding heart;
A sense of humor;
Time for quiet, silent meditation;
A feeling of the presence of God;
The patience to wait for the coming of these things,
With the wisdom to recognize them when they come. Amen.


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A New Year (William Arthur Ward)

Another fresh new year is here …
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest …
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!


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A New Year’s Prayer

May God make your year a happy one!
Not by shielding you from all sorrows and pain,
But by strengthening you to bear it, as it comes;
Not by making your path easy,
But by making you sturdy to travel any path;
Not by taking hardships from you,
But by taking fear from your heart;
Not by granting you unbroken sunshine,
But by keeping your face bright, even in the shadows;
Not by making your life always pleasant,
But by showing you when people and their causes need you most,
and by making you anxious to be there to help.
God’s love, peace, hope and joy to you for the year ahead.


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A Prayer for the New Year

Come, Holy Spirit,
Spirit of the Risen Christ, be with us today and always.
Be our Light, our Guide, and our Comforter.
Be our Strength, our Courage, and our Sanctifier.
May this new year be a time of deep spiritual growth for us,
A time of welcoming your graces and gifts,
A time for forgiving freely and unconditionally,
A time for growing in virtue and goodness.

Come, Holy Spirit,
Be with us today and always. Amen.


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A Morning Wish (W.R. Hunt)

"The sun is just rising on the morning of another day, the first day of the new year. What can I wish that this day, that this year, may bring to me?

Nothing that shall make the world of others poorer, nothing at the expense of others; but just those few things which in their coming do not stop with me but touch me rather, as they pass and gather strength:

A few friends who understand me, and yet remain my friends.
A work to do which has real value without which the world would feel the poorer.
A return for such work small enough not to tax unduly anyone who pays.
A mind unafraid to travel, even though the trail be not blazed.
An understanding heart.
A sight of the eternal hills and unbelting sea, and of something beautiful the individual hand has made.
A sense of humor and the power to laugh.
A little leisure with nothing to do.
A few moments of quiet, silent meditation. The sense of the presence of God.
And the patience to wait for the coming of these things, with the wisdom to know them when they come."

Guide words: An Anthology of Inspiration and Humor, p. 13

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New Year’s Message

"I asked the New Year for some message sweet,
Some rule of life with which to guide my feet;
I asked, and paused: it answered soft and low,
‘God’s will to know.’

‘Will knowledge then suffice, New Year?’ Aloud I cried.
And, ere the question into silence died,
The answer came, ‘Nay, but remember, too
God’s will to do.’

Once more I asked, ‘Is there no more to tell?’
And once again the answer sweetly fell,
‘Yes! this thing, all other things above:
God’s will to love.’"

Guidewords: An Anthology of Inspiration and Humor

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New Year’s Prayer (Anonymous)

"Heavenly Father, for this coming year
Just one request I bring.

I do not pray for happiness or any earthly thing.
I do not ask to understand the way you lead me;
But this I ask—teach me to do the thing that pleases You.
I want to know Your guiding voice,
To walk with you each day.

Heavenly Father,
Make me swift to hear and ready to obey;
And thus the year I now begin
A happy year will be,

If I am seeking just to do
The thing that pleases You."


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A Prayer for the New Year
Come, Holy Spirit,
Spirit of the Risen Christ,
Be with us today and always.
Be our Light, our Guide,
And our Comforter.
Be our Strength, our Courage,
And our Sanctifier.

May this new year be a time
Of deep spiritual growth for us,
A time of welcoming
Your graces and gifts,
A time for forgiving freely
And unconditionally,
A time for growing
In virtue and goodness.

Come, Holy Spirit,
Be with us today and always.
Amen.

Christmas cartoons and a quiz

I thought these cartoons and Christmas carol quiz were kind of fun, certainly something you could share with friends and family around the holiday party or dinner table this holiday season. Thought I'd share them with you.

Enjoy,
Anne


What are the names of these famous (and not so famous) Christmas carols? (The first one has been done for you as an example.)

1. Quadruped with crimson proboscis - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

2. 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. without noise

3. Miniscule hamlet in the far east

4. Ancient benevolent despot

5. Adorn the vestibule

6. Exuberance directed to the planet

7. Listen, aerial spirits harmonizing

8. Monarchial trio

9. Yonder in the haystack

10. Assemble, everyone who believes

11. Hallowed post meridian

12. Fantasies of a colorless December 25th

13. Tin tintinnabulums

14. A dozen 24-hour Yule periods

15. Befell during the transparent bewitching hour

16. Homo sapien of crystallized vapor

17. I merely desire a pair of incisors

18. I spied my maternal parent osculating a fat man in red

19. Perambulating through a December solstice fantasy

20. Aloft on the acme of the abode

21. Slumber in ethereal quiet.

22. Hey there! The announcing celestial beings carol.

23. O greetings of ease and happiness.

24. On commencement of Yuletide my honey bestowed upon me.

25. Decorate the passage with branches of evergreen sprigs.

26. Once upon a misty night prior to Christ's birthday.

27. Ooh, celestial body of marvel, celestial body of strength.

28. With a vegetable stem smoker and clothes fastening snout.

29. It's a fluff-ball sphere in the cold season.

30. Come on, come on, come on, get moving.

31. O scared darkness, the asterisks are brilliantly shimmering.

32. It's fixin' to appear extremely similar to December 25th.

33. Small children with their optical aids entirely illuminated.

34. Loyal buddies that are important to ourselves collect closely to ourselves again.

35. Boppin' while circling the tannenbaum...

36. Royalty of royalties always and always...

37. O approach, y'all devoted happy and victorious...

38. Urban walkways, congested walkways, trimmed in a festive manner...

39. Ah! The atmospheric condition beyond is terrific...

40. Percussion instruments jingle, are you harking...

41. Remarked the evening breeze to the tiny sheep...

42. Wishing your dates be gleeful and intelligent...

43. Harmony on the planet, kindness to Homo sapiens...

44. Hop in the sack, hide your noggin, since the fat man comes this evening...

45. Ourselves bid yourselves a joyous Noel and a cheerful neoteric 365 days...

Holiday yummies

I've been collecting holiday recipes for a project I'm putting together this holiday season. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you here. These come from a variety of sources -- the Hershey's and Nestle Web sites, a cookbook my church put together several years ago, a crockpot cookbook and the Kraft Food Web site.

Happy holiday eating!

Savory Parmesan Bites
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 cup chopped red peppers
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
HEAT oven to 350°F. Beat cream cheese and 3/4 cup Parmesan with mixer until well blended.
SEPARATE crescent rolls into 8 rectangles; press perforations together to seal. Spread each with 3 Tbsp. cream cheese mixture. Top with peppers and parsley. Fold 1 long side of each dough rectangle over filling to center; fold again to enclose filling. Cut each into 4 squares. Place, seam-sides down, on baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.
BAKE 13 to 15 min. or until golden brown.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
A great casual holiday meal.

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 can (4 ounces) chopped mild green chiles, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cans (15 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
½ to 1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh, chopped cilantro
4 corn tortillas, sliced into ¼ inch strips
½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese to top soup
Put chicken thighs in bottom of crockpot
Combine chiles, garlic, onion, tomatoes,
½ cup broth and cumin in small bowl. Pour mixture over chicken.
Cover, cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours until chicken is tender. Remove chicken; use two forks to shred the meat and return to crockpot. Adjust seasonings and add more broth if necessary.
Just before serving, add tortillas and cilantro to crockpot. Stir to blend.

Overnight Egg Bake
Mike's and my favorite brunch main dish -- perfect for Christmas morning.

3 (12 oz.) cups shredded cheddar
2 (12 oz.) cups shredded mozzarella
6 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 oz. cooked turkey sausage, cooked
½ cup flour
1 ¾ cup milk
2 tablespoons snipped parsley
8 eggs, beaten

In large bowl, lightly toss cheeses together. Sprinkle half of cheese mixture in ungreased 13-by-9 baking dish. In medium skillet, cook mushrooms, bell peppers and onion in olive oil until vegetables are tender. Arrange vegetables over cheese. Arrange sausage over vegetables. Sprinkle remaining cheese over sausage. (Tip: To make ahead, prepare to this point; cover and refrigerate overnight.)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl using wire wisk, blend flour, milk, parsley and eggs. Pour over layers in baking dish. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until mixture is set and top is lightly browned. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.


Candy Cane Blossoms
These are the cookies pictured above.

• 48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Candy Cane Mint Candies
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons milk
• Red or green sugar crystals, granulated sugar or powdered sugar
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Remove wrappers from candies.

2. Beat butter, granulated sugar, egg and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternately with milk to butter mixture, beating until well blended.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in red sugar, granulated sugar, powdered sugar or a combination of any of the sugars. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cookie is set. Remove from oven; cool 2 to 3 minutes. Press a candy piece into center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

Rich Raspberry Swirl Brownies
I started making these several years ago. Very rich, so cut them into small pieces. They are soooo good!

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup seedless red raspberry jam
• 1 2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® SWIRLED™ Semi-Sweet & Premier White Morsels, divided
Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease 9-inch-square baking pan.

COMBINE cocoa, flour and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Spread 1 cup batter into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle pecans over batter. Stir jam until smooth. Drizzle over pecans. Beat remaining batter and egg in same large bowl until light in color. Stir in 1 cup Swirled Morsels. Spread evenly over raspberry jam. Top with remaining Swirled Morsels.

BAKE for 30 to 33 minutes or until center is set.

Rich Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars
Another holiday favorite. Can you tell I like rich desserts? Another treat to cut into small pieces.

2 1/3 cups flour
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup butter or margarine
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 cups (12 oz. package) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 cup chopped nuts
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1¾ cup (10 oz package) English toffee bits, divided

Heat oven to 350. Grease 9x13-inch baking pan. Stir together flour and brown sugar in large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles course crumbs. Add egg; mix well. Stir in half of chocolate chips and all of nuts. Reserve 1½ cups of mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of pan.
Bake 10 minutes. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over hot crust. Top with half of toffee bits. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture and remaining chocolate chips over top.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining toffee bits. Cool completely. Cut into bars.