FIVE SECOND STORIES

Buddy, C and I hope all had a pleasant holiday! 

On Christmas night, there was a bun couple out in the Back 40. Hopefully, there was some corn and sunflower seeds left for them on the buffet.

Later, around 2am, C was up and saw a doe at the Diner.

12/26-it was warming up and the snow was going fast.

A nutkin was the main visitor to the Diner. I think it is a female. 

Our friend Chana came over for supper celebrating her birthday and Hanukkah which began this year on 12/25. I made cottage pie and challah, a traditional Jewish braided bread.

12/28-already in the 40's as the sun rose. The snow is gone.

Mid-morning the turkeys were out and about. I have picked up on a pattern of theirs as they are making their rounds of neighborhood Diners: while they were leaving Benny's on their way across the street, they sent a scout over to our Diner to see if there are any goodies left-like corn.
 

Alas, no corn so they moved on.

In the afternoon, the sun peeked out frequently. The temps were pushing the middle 50's and it felt like mid-March.
 

12/29-it was raining in the morning.

Buddy was snoozing on the couch.
 

12/30-beautiful sunny day with temps in the high 40's-again, it felt like mid-March. In the afternoon, I could hear someone in the neighborhood mowing over their leaves.

12/31-old man Winter returns. He's been particularly bi-polar this season even by Michigan standards. Sheesh.

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We were watching "Lifeboat", a 1944 film directed by Hitchcock based on a novella by John Steinbeck concerning survivors of a U-boat attack in a lifeboat. The phrase "good lord Harry" was used which neither C or I had heard before. From what I can glean, "Harry" is a euphemism for Satan. The origins are sketchy but seem to point to one of England's monarchs and here, Harry is often used in lieu of Henry particularly Henry IV or Henry VIII.

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The US Fish and Wildlife Service recently purposed that the Monarch butterfly be placed on the endangered species list.

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You pass the anniversary of your death every year. 

I'll be seeing you, one of these days.

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I'm often terrified when driving on campus because of this!

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The mysterious Ksar of Draa in Timimoun-Located in central Algeria, a Ksar is a fortified village consisting of granaries and houses. Little had been recorded about this place although a Jewish symbol is found on one of the walls. One thought is that it was built 12th-14 Century by Jewish merchants as a Caravanserai were roadside inns providing lodging, food and water for travelers. They were also centers for the exchange of goods and culture.

Abuna Yemata Guh-located in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, it is one of the most inaccessible places of worship in the world. Perched 650 feet above a cliff and created in the 5th Century, the interior is adorned with frescos.

 

Uyuni salt flats, Bolivia:

Nordic wild ice skating:

New pictures of Jupiter from NASA:

 

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Midlake, a curious alt folk rock band from Texas founded in 1999. Here's a cut "Roscoe" from the 2006 album "The Trials of Van Occupanther" with a wonderfully surreal cover:

The inimitable Tom Waits: "Jockey Full of Bourbon" featured on Jim Jarmusch 1986 film "Down By Law":

Edna Million in a drop dead suit
Dutch Pink on a downtown train
Two-dollar pistol but the gun won't shoot
I'm in the corner on the pouring rain
Sixteen men on a dead man's chest
And I've been drinking from a broken cup
Two pairs of pants and a mohair vest
I'm full of bourbon, I can't stand up

Hey little bird, fly away home
Your house is on fire, your children alone
Hey little bird, fly away home
Your house is on fire, your children alone

Schiffer broke a bottle on Morgan's head
And I've been stepping on the devil's tail
Across the stripes of a full moon's head
through the bars of a Cuban jail
Bloody fingers on a purple knife
Flamingo drinking from a cocktail glass
I'm on the lawn with someone else's wife
Admire the view from the top of the mast

Hey little bird, fly away home
House is on fire, your children alone
Hey little bird, fly away home
House is on fire, your children alone

I said hey little bird, fly away home
Your house is on fire, your children alone
Hey little bird, fly away home
House is on fire, your children alone

Yellow sheets on a Hong Kong bed
Stazybo horn and a Slingerland ride
"To the carnival" is what she said
A hundred dollars makes it dark inside
Edna Million in a drop dead suit
Dutch Pink on a downtown train
Two-dollar pistol but the gun won't shoot
I'm in the corner on the pouring rain

Hey little bird, fly away home
Your house is on fire, your children alone
Hey little bird, fly away home
Your house is on fire, your children alone

Danny Elfman, the prolific composer for film and TV, notably creating The Simpsons theme, began with a music theater group called The Mystic Knights of Oingo Boingo in the early 70's. In 1979, he reformed the group into Oingo Boingo, a new wave band. In 1976, The Mystic Knights appeared on the Gong Show talent contest and won. The Gong Show was strange for the time with host Chuck Barris. Here is that segment just as gonzo as it's host: whoa!

I stumbled across this original gem: The Pink Floyds performing a 1950s jazz version of "Wish You Were Here":

It's an interesting concept especially when you consider the Pink Floyd name came from an amalgam of Pink Anderson and Floyd Council-both Piedmont style bluesmen whose albums were in Syd Barrett's collection.

 

ADVENT

It had been a hard year for the old man. His wife of 68 years had passed in the Spring and now he was facing his first Christmas without her. In mid-December, he was being awakened by the mewing of a cat outside his front door. This was happening on a regular basis and he was worried the poor thing was cold and starving. He and his wife were cat people and had several over the years until she started to get sick. He remembered talking to a neighbor’s wife about the people living on the other side of his house who routinely locked their cat out overnight and that cat had visited. The neighbor’s wife, who had volunteered at a cat rescue, bought them a warming hut to help out. They were cat people as well and in fact adopted a stray the old man named Blackie, whom he fed after the kitty was abandoned by people down the street.

The old man had saved the warming hut and brought it up from the basement. He installed it outside next to his front door along with a bowl for kibble. But despite hearing the nighttime mewing, he never caught sight of the cat.

His neighbor who adopted Blackie visited, bringing empanadas, one of old man’s favorite holiday treats. He noticed the warming hut and inquired. The old man wondered if his visitor was the new cat the couple adopted two years earlier. His neighbor was doubtful-his cat rarely mewed to come in and while the cat visited the old man's house repeatedly, he usually investigated the small shed around back for a chance to grab a mouse. He related how the folks across the street recently found a dead young cardinal on their doorstep. They had wondered if it was the work of his predator cat too but this would be out of the cat’s usual behavior: he usually brought his kills inside as gifts to his humans. The neighbor suggested to the old man that it might be the work of the mysterious kitty, trying hard to find a home.

Christmas Eve night before he turned in, the old man heard the mewing again. He quietly opened the door and peered out. Sitting on his porch opposite the warming hut was a small black and white cat, perhaps a female. It was quite cold-in the teens-and the creature was shivering. The old man gently opened the storm door, crouched down and invited the little cat in. She was tempted but wary, its eyes big and bright. The old man had a brainstorm and murmured that he would be right back and closed the storm. He went into the kitchen, opened a can of tuna and placed a healthy dollop into a small bowl. He returned and opened the door again. She was still there and when he showed her the bowl, the cat let out a squeak and took a half-step. The old man decided to invite the kitty in. The day before he had thought about this event and brought up a small litter box he had saved in the basement. There even was a half container of litter and he placed the box in the kitchen. He found another dish with two bowls for food and water and put that in the kitchen as well.

So, with the cold air streaming in, the old man bent over again and speaking in a low voice to entice the kitty inside, she finally decided to take a chance and came in. She followed the old man (and the tuna) into the warm kitchen and sat down to one of the best meals she had had in many days. The old man watched her eat, a smile on his face. When she finished and sat up licking her whiskers, the old man pointed out the litter box if she needed it and invited her to join him on the couch to watch some TV. Evidently, she was familiar with all this and did not hesitate to follow him. The old man turned on some show and pulled up a quilt around him. He often watched TV late at night when he had trouble  sleeping. She jumped and curled up next to him and the old man could hear a soft belly rumble. He stroked her ears and remembered how he and his wife would share the same couch with their cats. He was pleasantly surprised that these memories did not make him sad, more wistful of times gone past. It is the way of things, he thought and put out a prayer of gratitude for the blessing they had received. They fell asleep together on the couch that night, both inwardly joyful that they were no longer alone thanks to a small gift bestowed by a smiling and merciful universe.

JOHN LEWIS HOLIDAY ADS

John Lewis & Partners is a department store in the UK known for unique and heartwarming holiday ads.

Man on the Moon

Unexpected Guest

Give a Little Love

 

Monty the Penguin

 Snapper: The Perfect Tree

 

TWO GUYS TALKIN'

Jeff
Dad

These words slowly worked into my consciousness and I woke up. Buddy was next to me on the couch in his bastet pose. The fireplace was still well-lit and crackling.

J-Is that you talking?

B-Yep. Tis after midnight. You fell asleep.

My eyes began to focus. On the coffee table was a bottle of liqueur, two empty glasses, and napkin with crumbs.

J-What’s up?

B-Well, quite a bit. Somehow, that Catholic notion that all creatures speak English at midnight has become reality, whatever that is. (Chuckling) I thought you would enjoy talking considering I don’t speak as a matter of course.

Fully awake now, I sat up.

J-How do you know it’s midnight?

B-Oh, all of us have internal clocks Plus when I discovered I could speak to the big guy with the white beard and red suit-that was a clue. Your friend Nick sends his greetings and well wishes for the new year. I suggested that he help himself to the “mother’s milk” which he did so with great pleasure. In return, he conjured up a scrumptious snack for me like last year and we chatted. He said to tell you that all your former cats are well and happy. I offered to wake you up but he thought it was a good idea for you to rest. “He’s an old boy like me” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “And, he worries too much.” He gave me a scritch and told me that I was a great tonic for both you and Mum. I replied that I felt the same. He didn’t stay long citing lousy weather over Idaho had put him behind schedule.

J-Thanks for extending the hospitality of our home to him. Mum and I appreciate you in so many ways.

B-I appreciate you and mum very much as well. You have provided me a home I never would have imagined. Never in my cycles have I had it so good.

He sat down next to me and put his head on my thigh.

B-Sorry about bringing in my kills. It is our way to show gratitude and thanks. Sorry about the bloodstains on your carpet. I heard you complain about the bunnies eating your plants so I thought I would help out. I’ll try and be more restrained.

J-Oh man, that was thoughtful of you and I understand you want to help but it does bother Mum-she feels sad for the prey. It’s just a difference between our species.

Every day you repay us by being here with us. You’re family, Buddy-roo, We’re not going to send you away.
 
I gently stoked his ears.  We both dozed and we heard the frig door open. C was up to get a drink of water. She came in and sat next to Buddy.

C-What are you boys doing up at this hour? she asked smiling.
J-Doing what we’ve always done on xmas eve: the night watch for Nick.

C-Well, I can see that he has visited. I’m going back to bed. Don’t stay up too late. See you both in the morning.

She got up and Buddy jumped down and followed her.  I heard her say to him how about another midnight snack? I won’t say no. he chirped. I secured the fireplace door, turned off the votive and tree lights, picked up the bottle, glasses and napkin. Looks like we’re going to have a white xmas I said as I entered the kitchen and placed everything on the counter. Buddy had already snarfled his snack and was licking his whiskers. C picked him up and we gathered for a group hug that we often do. We were standing under a sprig of mistletoe I had put up on the ceiling fan.

Happy Christmas to all I said and gave C and Buddy a kiss which they returned in kind. C continued on with the venerable quote and murmured in her Buddy voice-and to all a good night. We went to our beds, Buddy to his basket-to dream and hope of a good new year.

FIVE SECOND STORIES

12/19-snow started late in the afternoon and came down at a pretty good clip.

It was as beautiful of an evening one can have when you live in snow country. For a time, it was snowing lightly and with barely a light wind, the flakes fell lazily. Inside, the fireplace, candles and tree were aglow. Good music, good food and drink and good company!

12/20-by morning we had received 3-4" of snow. The wind had picked up and was blowing out of the North.

I bought cracked corn for the turkey bros and it turns out many birds like it as well. By 10am, the Diner was hopping-squirrels and a variety of avians-redbirds, jays, titmice, sparrows, finches, chick-a-dees, nuthatches and juncos were visiting. It continued to snow on and off all day.

12/21-Solstice. The cold front arrived bringing a bright, sunny day for the first day of Winter.

Yay Solstice! We're headin' for Spring! 

12/22-It got down to +7° overnight but the day was sunny. At the Diner, a turkey and a squirrel visited the buffet.

Inside, it was snug. Buddy enjoyed the sunlight streaming into the library.

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Some holiday fun facts:

Iceland's Yule cat

LeksaArt

 

 

From Wiki: The Yule cat, also called Jólaköttur and Christmas cat is a huge and vicious cat from Icelandic Christmas folklore that is said to lurk in the snowy countryside during the Christmas season and eat people who do not receive new clothing before Christmas Eve. In other versions of the story, the cat just eats the food of people without new clothes. Jólakötturinn is closely associated with other figures from Icelandic folklore, considered the pet of the ogress Gryla  and her sons, the Yule Lads.

The first definitive mention of the Yule cat is from an 1862 collection of folklore by Jon Arnason, who was an Icelandic  author, librarian, and museum director who made the first collection of Icelandic folktales. It was described as an evil beast that would either eat those who did not get new clothes fo rChristmas, or eat their "Christmas bit" (an extra portion of food given to residents of a farm). Jón gave no source for either story.

The Yule cat was traditionally used as a threat and incentive for farmworkers to finish processing the wool collected in the autumn before Christmas. Those who took part in the work were rewarded with new clothes, but those who did not would get nothing and thus would be prey for the Yule cat.

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Singer Mariah Carey receives an estimated $2.5-3 million in royalties annually for her 1996 song "All I Want For Christmas Is You". A rare lottery winner in the entertainment world. Good on her!

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The song "Jingle Bells" was originally a Thanksgiving tune. James Lord Pierpont composed the song in 1850 for his Thanksgiving Sunday School class. Its first title was "One Horse Open Sleigh" referring to New England sleigh races that were popular at the time.

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Apples were among the first Christmas tree decorations:

Since the 1600's, the Catholic Church has celebrated the feast day of Adam and Eve on December 24th.  The Church considers Adam and Eve to be saints who repented of their sins and lived holy lives. The feast day of Adam and Eve was celebrated alongside the Paradise Play, which depicted the story of creation and the fall of man. A "Paradise Tree" was central to the play, and people would hang apples on the tree to symbolize the forbidden fruit. The Paradise Tree is thought to be the origin of the Christmas tree. The Roman Church discontinued the Feast of Adam and Eve and the practice of the Paradise Tree, which was renamed the Christbaum or Christ Tree in Germany.

 

 

HAPPY SOLSTICE!

 

                       The Longest Night of the Year          

 

 

               

FIVE SECOND STORIES

Ah, the Winter holidays-times of rejoicing, silliness, melancholy, reflection; feasting and drink toasting the coming new year; gathering with friends and family, memories of past times and those no longer with us; steeling oneself to the coming days of cold and wan sunlight yet hope of the coming Spring and return of life. Some favorite songs of the season from the past:

 "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by Jimmy Boyd

"The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) by Alvin and The Chipmunks

"The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole

From Charlie Brown Christmas "Christmas Time is Here" by Vince Guaraldi

 

"Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" by Elmo & Patsy

 

Bach's Keyboard Concerto No. 5 in F Minor, BWV 1056: II. Largo by Glenn Gould and Columbia Symphony Orchestra

"River" by Joni Mitchell

"Santa Claus and His Old Lady" by Cheech and Chong

"Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues

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A lovely short from Disney-"Paperman" 2012

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Lake effect snow began in the early evening of 12/10 and we had perhaps a couple of inches by the next morning. Very cold, 19° but sunny.

That evening, I built a fire. This is the last week of the term so C has been putting in long hours meeting with her students. Buddy enjoyed hanging out by the tree.

All our cats have enjoyed the hearth and the space heaters but our big guy loves to get v close. He'll have his back next to me or C with his head towards the heat. "It has to do with my tabby ancestry being more closely related to the desert cats than the others" Buddy explained. I joked that part of his Longfellow clan is a obscure Scottish side of MacSynge pronounced "mac"+"sin"+"jee" (unlike the Irish writer J.M. Synge-"sing").

12/16-We've had snow, ice and rain over the past few days-typical of Michigan. Today it's rainy and pushing 50° but snow is returning by mid-week.

Yesterday, C had cleaned out the department frig and had set out some hummus and pita bread at the Diner. Evidently, a squirrely dragged some bread up into Father Birch for safekeeping.

Odd that it is still there today. Maybe it was a bit stale and chewy so he is letting it moisten up a bit.

PS. 12/17,18-it's still up there!

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Adventures in baking:

This year's vegan kolache turned out different from past years. What became problematic were two untried ingredients: both the cream cheese and butter were the Trader Joe's brand and the issue was that they contain more water than non-vegan versions. The result was that the enriched dough took triple the normal baking time just to brown! Meanwhile, the marzipan over-baked and discolored. I was bummed until I tasted one: very chewy due to the caramelization of the marzipan which created a new flavor tone to the pastry. Damn good with any hot beverage!

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A Word From Bernie Sanders:

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Every couple of years or so, C volunteers to represent her department at commencement ceremonies. This year, she was joined with two other senior colleagues. What struck them all were a couple of things: a) the new U president was v adept at smiling with a graduate while pix are made-hundreds of times! b) except for a few cases, the graduates after receiving their diploma, pausing for a smiley pic with the pres, as they exited the stage, would make some kind of motion or sign with hands, arms, torso. C and her crew found this fascinating, wondering if some documentation and translation of these signals could turn into some study. These motions were more than simply a wave to the crowd-there was some message, created by the individual. They wondered if this was the result of this generations involvement with social media-personalized physical taglines for Instagram or Tic Tok? And to take it a step further, part of their influencer persona?

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One of my gifts to my Watergirl this year (and last) was booking a night at a nearby hotel that has a nice warm pool so she could take a lengthy dip. The visit was set for her final day of the term, where her last act was to send the grades into the registrar. We had a pleasant dinner out before going back to the hotel. She practically had the pool and hot tub to herself. In the morning, we had breakfast and headed back to the house. I had some errands to run and when I returned, she was on the couch with Buddy watching a movie that she had been wanting to see.

The day got even better: she received notification that one of her Spring classes had been cancelled due to lack of students. She was able to negotiate with the department to take a class reduction and spend the term working with colleagues on a special project. So, full pay, only 2 classes/50 students next term. Woot Woot!

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Life with His Lordship:

Yesterday afternoon, in accordance to his wishes, I put down treats in the Einstein and set his main course in the kitchen. He ate the treats and joined me on the couch, putting his back to my thigh as he did his toilette before settling down for a rest. After a bit, I rose to get a refill and he jumped down and went over to the slider-his usual indication they he might want out. After getting a face full of cold air, he opted to stay outside. He followed me to the kitchen and sat down even though I pointed to his main course. I ignored him and went back to the couch. He wanted more treats and lay down pointing to the Einstein.

My response was to remind him that I had followed protocol (line 4a, section 1-7) and that there was food in the kitchen, if he is hungry. "You can always talk to Mom about this when she comes out after yoga. Me, I am done." After five minutes, he is back at the slider and this time he goes out. He stays on the deck where it is drier and surveys his realm, sitting in his Bastet pose, sniffing the air with his ears moving around like radar. Eventually, he came back in, mewing and twining Mom who wisely gave his main course a stir and His Lordship finally sat down for a meal. 

 

Now, there is a variant scenario: I've noticed that after asking to be let out and catching some cold air on his face, he will proceed back to the kitchen. In a bit, he will be back at the slider and then go out. It occurred to me that our smart lad figured he needed some fortification in his tum before venturing on patrol. He's like a frontiersman and this is part of his survival skill set learned growing up in the wild.

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I was across the street delivering a home-baked gift. They were delighted and as we chatted, I saw the wife look down at my feet and gasped: there's a dead cardinal! Now, I am generally not a superstitious person-I don't throw salt over my shoulder or worry about black cats. But my immediate reaction was a wave of superstitious feelings: ohhh, a dead cardinal on your porch during the Winter holidays-bad luck in some form for sure! There was no gore nor has Buddy ever brought anyone outside our family the gift of one of his kills. We agreed that what probably happened was that the poor fellow had flown hard into their door and that is what killed him. I did not share my feelings of bad tidings with my friends. No sense planting an unwanted and unsubstantiated seed.

Matt Plyler

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We've been watching some original Twilight Zone episodes and I've noticed several ideas that were picked up and used later by writers. For example, there was one (You Drive from 1964) where a man runs over a kid on a bike and doesn't fess up-not even when a work colleague is mistakenly blamed for the crime. However, the man's car takes issue with this lack of conscience and begins to harass him. Stephen King takes up the idea of a vengeful auto in Christine. 

 

In another (Number 12 Looks Just Like You-1964), a culture prizes beauty in both men and women. When young people turn 18, they are strongly encouraged to engage in a transformation into state-approved beautiful people. However, the number of choices are limited and basically, everyone looks the same. The heroine in this story is rebellious due to the influence of her father who felt this transformation was anti-individual and wrong. When she objects, feeling that she has her own kind of beauty, the pushback is severe. Her father is labelled a subversive and she is too. I got a very strong whiff of counter-culture, with it's beginnings with the Beats and in '64, the Beatles had arrived and gasp, males were growing their hair long.

 

The male doctor in this story had a odd habit of extending his pinky and bringing it up to his lips. I immediately thought of the Mike Myers character Dr. Evil in the film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery from 1997.

Left-Richard Long, Right-Mike Myers

I researched this and sho-nuff-Myers credited this Twilight Zone as the inspiration for this peculiar trait. 

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Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been on the ISS since June because of issues with their return capsule are going to be stuck up there for a while longer-the end of March 2025 at the earliest. NASA and SpaceX announced that they need more time "to complete processing on a new Dragon spacecraft for the mission" to pick them up. Merry Christmas.

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Goofy vid for Blue Oyster Cult's "Godzilla":

It struck me that Japanese people are always fleeing in terror-whether it be A bombs, tsunamis or crazy sea monsters. 

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From Attenborough's BBC Earth-humpback whale mating dance:

When I offered this as a viewing choice to C-a whale mating dance, she replied "I don't mind if they don't".