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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
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OP
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
A thought for christmas (I hope its true):
"According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December. Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring.
Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, every single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen- had to be a girl.
We should've known. Only women, while pregnant, would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost."
Best wishes to you all, David.
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
<Grin>! Thank you, Dearest! And the same to you.
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189 |
Thanks, David! And that's a fine name, if I must say so myself!...and it has become something of an AWAD tradition...almost a dozen of us, now, I think!Merry Christmas! Happy Solstice! and Happy New Year!TO ALL!
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 742
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 742 |
> of an AWAD tradition...almost a dozen of us, now, I think!
"The Twelve Dayvids of Christmas"?
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189 |
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204 |
Hmmm! serendichronocipity rules OK! I have just posted a reply to AnnaS implying the pregnancy of Santa's reindeer. Then I find this!
Anyway, to everyone who will not be around until after the festivities have been and gorn,
MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR !
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
"The Twelve Dayvids of Christmas"? Oh, no--no, no, no! There is only one Day-vid; I instituted that indication long ago, and I hereby establish my patent, trademark, et. al., and claim sole right to its usage in perpetuity. (In case anyone thinks I'm joking, I am not. Special names are very important to me.)
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
This morning, I sang in our choir's Christmas cantata at church. As it is a fairly long piece, the pastor gave only a brief message. It occurred to me that, although I really wanted to do the cantata, that it was kind of a shame the people weren't going to get the traditional last-Sunday-before-Christmas readings. We weren't completely ready; we'd missed a rehearsal due to snow, and this is the most difficult work we'd attempted in years. And sure enough, it wasn't perfect, but overall it went really well, even the stratospheric places for the sopranos. As we got into it, I was listening--really listening--to the narration, plus the words we were singing, and realized that the people WERE in fact getting the traditional Christmas story. I felt very privileged to get to be a part of delivering that. At times, the enormity of it all overwhelms me. This has been a part of me for my entire life; and for the people who brought me up; for the people who brought them up; and on back, and on back. I am a part of history: it is in me. I have seen my children absorb it all through the years, and now am watching the tiniest ones start to take it all in. Think, just think, of what a wonderful world we live in!
This afternoon, listening to more music, I began to think of all kinds of privileges that I have--they are truly numerous and many are magnificent. I have more than adequate food, clothing, and shelter; I have transportation whenever I want it. I have good health and a loving family that includes two healthy children--that alone would be enough, but I have much more, including the privilege of interacting here with you fine people; some of you I have met in person, even. I hold each of my friends very dear, for reasons that vary with each one. In a little while, I'm going to join a group to go caroling to shut-ins: this will remind me that, although I moan and groan about various aches and pains, I don't really have anything to complain about, in that regard. I suppose it must be part of human nature, to have both stress and enjoyment, whatever our situation. I am now (mostly) beyond focusing on what was lost to me last August the 7th. Yet, I persist in having all this physical and mental lethargy. I have a plan, to begin next month, that I hope will "kickstart" me into throwing it off. All of us, for better or for worse, play a part in how this world is; we ALL have some kind of influence on others, whether we set out to or not. If you have traditions you want to keep, I hope you are doing so. If you haven't any that you are able or want to keep, I hope that you start new ones--even if it is only for you alone. I don't mean necessarily centered around Christmas; I know there are several here for whom that would be inappropriate. But I think it is important; traditions help define who we are, and it seems to me that most people need that.
Please forgive this long personal monologue; I hope I haven't offended anyone. I'm frankly taking advantage of the fact that this kind of thing has been done here before on occasion, and hoping that I won't be called on the carpet for it! :-) I suppose that something I wrote above could fairly well be said about this post, this board, and my life in general: And sure enough, it wasn't perfect, but overall it went really well. Thanks, everybody--I love you!
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 555
addict
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addict
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 555 |
Lovely Posts, David and Jackie. Thank you! One of the best things that happened to me this last month or so, is this board. Luddite that I am, I never got on the board despite being an 'Awader' for some three odd years now!!! I now log on every morning before I start work, and its always with that warm blend of eagerness and anticipation. It never fails in tingling the grey cells into action; but its not just that, its a lot more. Its not just the words, its the people too. Its also made me more vocal about the maddening inadequacies of e-mail in transliterating tone and sentiment since I have been here. But, of course, that might also be due to a deficeiency of 'the' vocabulary, eh?? MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES HAPPY HOLIDAYS
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 122
member
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member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 122 |
"As the much-emailed account goes, male reindeer generally shed their antlers long before December 25, whereas the females retain theirs until at least January. The reindeer are always depicted as having antlers, so Santa's outriders must all be females. But is there a scientific basis to this theory? A hard look at the evidence suggests that at least some of Santa's reindeer were females (the ones giving the directions, no doubt), some may have been young bulls, and some may have been neutered males. And Rudolph got to be the lead guy because he had a snout full of parasites." merry christmas to you all and happy happy new year :))))))
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