Gifts

Early Christmas Present

Not long after my beloved Kansas City Royals won the 2015 World Series, I ordered this poster from The Highland Mint. It just arrived yesterday.

I features a photo of the actual World Series championship trophy, plus reproductions of the signatures of all of the players and coaches.





I haven't figured out where in my apartment to hang it yet, but the championship it celebrates was one of the peak experiences of my life, and was the best early Christmas present a Royals fan could have hoped for.

Now, if I can just get my beloved Kansas City Chiefs to give me an early birthday present (the 50th Super Bowl will be played on February 7, just 11 days before my birthday)...

"You want a Super Bowl win too? Greedy much?"

You know it has been nearly 46 years since the last time the Chiefs won one, right?

Cookie Master

Why yes, they do taste as good as they look. Thanks for asking!

I was pleased with the results of my first attempt at using flaked coconut in my famous drop cookie recipe.

If you're very, very complimentary to me,
I might just make you
a batch of these coconut pecan delights some day. Maybe...

"Can you make some with ant sprinkles?"

Not for all the tea in China...

There's Always a Catch

From the comic strip B.C., now being produced by creator Johnny Hart's daughter Perri and grandsons Mason and Mick Mastroianni.

Until Next Time...

One of the most popular Christmas carols of recent vintage is "Away in a Manger," which dates back to the late 19th century. It originated as a poem published in a Christian periodical, and has been paired with several dozen different melodies over the years.

The most popular version of the carol in America is the so-called "Mueller" version, which uses music composed by James R. Murray based on a waltz written by Johann Strauss, Jr. The most popular version in Great Britain is the so-called "Cradle Song" version, which pairs the poem with a song written by William J. Kirkpatrick, which
in turn was based on a melody by Jonathan E. Spilman. (You can listen to a splendid rendition of the "Cradle Song" version of the carol by clicking here.)

A large percentage of the students
I coached for contest speech events and directed in plays were also active in vocal music. For those kids, the appearance of the TV show Glee in 2009 was a Really Big Deal. And that meant that I had to pay attention to it, in order to have some idea what my students were obsessively discussing the day after each episode aired.




Today's send-off is the Glee cast's heartfelt production of the "Mueller" version of the carol, which was included in the episode "Previously Unaired Christmas," originally broadcast on December 5, 2013. Enjoy...