Of "Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!"~~~~

Hello Darklings,

And Merry Christmas to all of you!

Right now NORAD is tracking the jolly old elf on his journey around the world,  and eventually all little children will have put out milk and cookies to help sustain him on his trip.

In a few minutes family and a few friends will be coming by to have some savory noshes, and hot mulled cider and wishing everyone a Happy New Year.

For some reason the children want to watch "A Muppet Christmas Carol"  instead of the Alister Sim version, which is fine.   We need a few chuckles while old Scrooge has the Christmas Spirit awaken in him.

On one of my side bar articles I wrote "More on Yes Virginia"  I was going to re-print it here but it is far easier for you to click on that article that I wrote.

So for now I wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year.

Later Darklings

Of Santa and NORAD~~~~

Well Darklings,

Soon some of the family will be over, my cousin and her friend, of course Sis and her room mate Brian.

We are going to have a simple dinner in about an hour, then to watch Mae West in "Everyday is a Holiday", then relax a bit with Peach Pie then to go to Midnight Mass.

The dogs are all nice and warm in their Christmas Sweaters and it is getting very chilly tonight.

Earlier today Coralline called me and although she knows Santa is really the Spirit of giving and caring, his legend based upon an old Bishop and Clement Moore's Poem "The Night Before Christmas".

But she asked me an interesting question, how come NORAD {U.S.-Canada North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)} tracks Santa's progress all over the world.

My sister provided me with the answer because she had to deal with this same question with her grandchildren a few years ago.

Back in the early to mid-1950's NORAD's predecessor  was  the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD).

CONAD's main office was based in Colorado, and back then the local branch of the Department Store Sears and Roebuck was running an ad that said Call Santa any time day or night and Santa will talk to you. 

Now you have to remember back in the 1950's our telephone numbers were a combination of name exchanges and numbers such as KEllogg 2-5554  The Exchange being Kellogg or Neptune or Cherry Hill or something like that and followed by numbers, there was no thing as area codes back then.  And everything was run through a human operator.

Well it seems that the ad had mis-printed the phone number and instead with one digit difference put hundreds upon hundreds of children in touch with this defense agency.

Fortunately the commander at that time at first upset but then understanding, assigned  airmen to answer the phone as Santa Claus around the clock.

After that first encounter CONAD (later NORAD in 1958) decided to set aside a specific phone number every Christmas Season and advertise it as a direct link to Santa's North Pole State so various military volunteer elves could tell little children where Santa was on his travels.  

And from that happy accident a tradition was born.

So if any one with little children are reading this just google NORAD Santa Tracker and you will find out where Santa has been and is going.  

And I hope in a few hours all the children will be snug in their "wee little beds with visions of Sugar Plums dancing in their wee little heads".

Merry Christmas Darklings and to all A good Night!

 

Of Merry Christmas 2014!!!~~~~

Hello My Darklings,

I have not been posting much, but that's because I've been putting in the final touches for the Christmas holidays!

We're having the Christmas dinner here at my home tomorrow, with my O'Keffe and Merritt Stove doing "yeoman" duty cooking the turkey.

A lot of it will be pot luck but fortunately all co-ordinated, so that it's not all salads or desserts.

The old refrigerator is chilling the sparkling cider and soft drinks, Doyle has selected the wines, the house is sparkling and decorated for the Holiday fun, Christmas movies have been selected and ready to play in the downstairs spare bedroom, for the children to watch in case they are bored with the adults talking, I do have games for them to play as well.

But it's more than just it being Christmas, it's a time to celebrate being family and friends, being there for each other in good times and in bad.  

Both my sister and Doyle are going to call family members today, to their children and grandchildren,  I will be alone this coming weekend as they both travel to see them.  But not really alone, just glad for the feeling of happiness that seems to be filling this house, and which I hope invades other houses as well.

It's not a happy time for those with family members overseas, or in hospitals, or those who are displaced or homeless, that is why I and Doyle and Sis made extra efforts to donate to those charities that will be helping those in need, it really is something that should be done year round, but most importantly during the holidays.

Christmas always come here in the Northern hemisphere when the days are short and the nights are long, when fear of the darkness is at its worse. In the Southern Hemispheres its at Mid-Summer so strange really, but this is the time to drive back the Darkness and bring in light of reason, truth, compassion and love into the world.

Tonight we'll be going to midnight mass and during this darkest, coldest time we will remember the light that was brought into the world.

MERRY CHRISTMAS Dear Darklings and may all your Christmas Wishes come true.

Of Christmas Eve and Santa Claus~~~

Hello Darklings,

It's Christmas Eve, and everyone I know are making final preparations for the Festivities.  Little Children are excited that Santa Claus is coming, parents are still wrapping and trying to hide presents, Daddy's are trying to put together bikes and other large items and trying to descipher incoherent instructions.   Mother's are running to the stores for last minute items of food and batteries (for toys).

Others are relaxing and planning to go to church tonight, volunteers are trying to get ready shelters and food for the homeless, those who work in jobs that does not reconize holidays are working tonight at firestations, police cars, hospitals and military bases to keep people safe.

Some of the elderly are receiving phone calls from family members far away, and some of the lonely are trying to find a way to not be alone.

Little miracles happen here and there, some big, some small.

Tonight my Sister will be in Sacramento with her family and grandchildren, Doyle, Brian, Cousin Louise and I will have a simple dinner at my home, then we'll go to a Christmas Tree Lane to enjoy the holiday lights, and then to Church for Midnight Mass.  Even though Brian is not Catholic and Louise is not much of a church goer they feel that for tonight it is only right.

Louise will be spending the night at my house and tomorrow we'll all go to my Brother's house for Christmas dinner and festivities, my brother said to bring them along, no sense they being alone.

For many in foreign lands Christmas is not well understood as a Christian Celebration but for us it is a time for caring and compassion during these difficult times.

Of late there has been a debate of "Is Santa white?"   How silly I think,  traditionally Santa Claus started in the Northern climes, typical of European locations, but he is an almalgamation of old Odin a norse god, and St. Nicholas a Catholic Bishop from Turkey who is also pictured with a long white beard and red and white robes, the Dutch children many centuries ago called him SinterKlaus for St. Nicholas, the Victorian era made him into a "jolly old elf" and thanks to a poem "A Visit from St. Nicolas" he gained a sligh and 8 tiny reindeer and a lot of magical properties.  The Coca-Cola ads from the 1930's, 40's and 50's gave us a final image of this magical being, and a toy book about Rudolf gave Santa a reindeer with a bright red nose,  later on in the 1960's NORAD got into the magical belief and started tracking Santa so parents could encourage their children to get to bed.  Television programs would have christmas episodes about Christmas events, further imprinting the magic of the season.

But is Santa white?  Well traditionally he started that way, but really Francis P. Church's editorial gave us the final explaintion of Santa. Santa is a speical compassionate spirit that dwells within each and everyone of us who take the time to help others in need.

Santa is of any gender, ethic background, of any level of society, and of any religious or non-religious belief, to use the name "Santa Claus" is to focus this spirit of compassion and love into action to help others who are less fortunate.   We tend to make him male but Santa can be female,  this spirit is with us always and is a earthly reflection of the "Light of the World" that came onto earth to teach us to love our fellow human being, no matter who they are.

If you give of yourself, your wealth, your earthly goods to help others you are "Santa Claus", just look into the mirror and you will see a reflection of that "jolly old elf", and I know you will say "But I have faults!"  Who doesn't, but to take time to help inspite of your faults also reflects "The Light of the World" during this darkest of times.

I know that people from all over the world read my blog, Russia, China, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Ukraine, India, Poland, Israel, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Phillipines, Australia and many European Countries as well as in North and South America.

And I have particular friends who post here as well, Lucritia, Underground for Tea, Trisha (pale lady), Rebecca and others.

I want to wish ALL of you a Very Merry Christmas and the Brightest and Happiest of New Years.

All the Best to you My Darklings