Let it Go!

Frozen's Elsa singing "Let it Go!" courtesy ytimg.com.

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change." (Reinhold Niebuhr)

As we head into a new year, I find myself anxious.  What does the new year hold for me?  While I had many blessings in 2014, I also faced a major disappointment.  Try as I might, it is hard to put it out of my head.  It lingers there, raising its ugly head in my nightmares.

I need to follow the advice of the character Elsa in the movie Frozen as she stands on top of a mountain, hiding her secret power from the outside world, and belts out:  "Let It Go!".  Three words that can do wonders.  Three words that can lift the burden.  Three words that can liberate the spirit.

Let it go.  Let go of the past.  Let go of the disappointment.  Let go of the hurt.  Trust in God that it will be alright.  Trust in God that He will carry me through.  Trust in God that He has plans for me to prosper.

Let it go.

Here is a link to the full Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Neibuhr:
http://www.lords-prayer-words.com/famous_prayers/god_grant_me_the_serenity.html.

A $35,800 Christmas Card

1.  Sir Henry Cole commissioned the first Christmas card in London, England, featuring artwork by Callcott Horsley, in 1843.  The hand coloured card read:  "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You."

2.  Postmen in Victorian England were called "robins" due to their red uniforms.  Many Christmas cards at the time depicted a robin delivering Christmas mail.

3.  The Christmas card designed by Horsley evoked controversy due to the people on the front drinking wine during a Holy holiday.  In 2001, it became the world's most expensive Christmas card when it was auctioned for $35,800.

4.  The first official White House Christmas card was issued by President Eisenhower in 1953.

5.  In 1962, the first official Christmas postage stamp was issued by the United States Post Office.

6.  Over 200 billion Christmas cards are sent in the United States each year.  Fifteen percent of these are purchased by men.

7.  About 500 million e-cards are sent each year.

8.  Fifty three percent of Christmas card purchasers prefer the greeting "Merry Christmas".

9.  Canada Post released the first Christmas stamp in 1898.

10,  Licensed properties like Thomas Kinkade, Peanuts and Disney's "Frozen" are featured on this year's Christmas cards.

Source:  hubspot.net

Frozen Facts

After seeing the Frozen production at Hollywood Studios in Disney World, Rob and I decided it was high time we watched the movie.  We loved the story and the music, especially the song "Let it Go", which was written in only one day.  Here are ten facts you may not know about the runaway hit from last Christmas.

1.  Elsa, the queen of Arondale, was originally supposed to be a villain.

2.  The names Hans, Kristoff, Anna and Sven are a tribute to The Snow Queen author Hans Christian Andersen.

3.  Walt Disney wanted to make a movie based on the short  The Snow Queen, which inspired Frozen, since the 1940's.

4.  Since the movie frozen was released, Elsa and Anna have become popular baby names for girls.

5.  Fifty different animators worked on the scene in which the ice palace is built.  The production team visited a hotel made of ice for inspiration.

6.  In March of 2014, two Boston firemen sang "Let it Go" to a little girl trapped in an elevator to calm her down.

7.  The painting in the palace gallery is a representation of Jean Honore Fragonard's The Swing.

8.  Limited edition Frozen Anna and Elsa dolls have been selling for $10,000 on eBay.

9.  Olaf references Bert's penguin dance from Mary Poppins when he performs "The Summer Song".

10.  Online searches for flights to Norway have increased by 153% and tourism in Norway has drastically increased since Frozen premiered.

11.  Frozen is the highest grossing animated film of all time.

12.  Because of her braid, Elsa has 420,000 CGI strands of hair, 10 times the amount of Rapunzel.

13.  An actual reindeer visited the studio to serve as inspiration for the character of Sven.

14.  The longest single frame in the movie took 132 hours to complete.

15.  The animation team created a snowflake generator program to build 2,000 different snowflake designs.

Source:  "54 Things You Never Knew About Frozen"
at http://www.buzzfeed.com/javiermoreno/frozen-is-awesome#.xpKQDjJqw.

blackberryempire.com

Nobody Does Christmas like Disney

Nobody does Christmas like Disney.  This past week we travelled to Florida for a vacation.  When we arrived at our Mayan-themed resort Coronado Springs, it was decorated with giant poinsettias, native to Mexico.  Garland hung from the ceiling as we walked down the hallway.  A giant Christmas tree laden with ornaments and topped with an angel, stood proudly in the front entrance.  The Mayan-themed hotel had a profound effect on my husband Rob who transformed from a boisterous German into a quiet Mexican who couldn't stop saying the word "Casitas".  

tripadvisor.com

On our first full day in Florida, we travelled to EPCOT.  At the entrance to the pavilions was another large Christmas tree, this one with messages like JOYEUX NOEL, FELIZ NAVIDAD and FROHE WEIHNACHTEN hanging from it.  Poinsettia trees stood in front of the giant golf ball at the front entrance.  

photos.burnsland.com

Hollywood Studios didn't disappoint.  We celebrated Thomas' 16th birthday there.  I had seen a girl with a birthday pin on her shirt the day before so I asked at Coronado Springs about one for Thomas. We stopped at the ABC Commissary for lunch.  While Jacqueline and I were in the washroom, an employee spotted Thomas' pin.  He shouted into the microphone:  "Attention ABC Commissary!  We have a birthday in the house.  Everyone sing Happy Birthday to Thomas!"  The whole cafeteria erupted in song.  That night we were dazzled by the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights.  We were happy to get back to the Casitas that night after a busy day.  

cheapskateprincess.com

Our third park was Animal Kingdom where we dared to ride on the Rapids.  Thomas stayed dry, but I got wet and Jacqueline was drenched from head to toe.  We tried drying off with the hand dryer in the washroom, but it didn't work.  Jacqueline said her shoes felt like sponges.  Normally, when we go on a trip I buy a couple of outfits ahead of time, but this year I didn't.  So, it was the perfect opportunity to shop.  Jacqueline and I got Minnie Mouse outfits.  Jacqueline's favourite item was the sparkly Minnie ears.  What a relief to be in dry clothes again!   

Mickey, Minnie & Goofy in front of the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom courtesy www.diszine.com.

Last but not least, we feasted our eyes on yet another giant Christmas tree when we arrived at the Magic Kingdom, our fourth and final park.  Thomas was thrilled to meet Ariel and get a picture taken with her.  Jacqueline enjoyed the carousel, even though she is getting older now.  And my quiet Mexican husband turned back into a boisterous German during a traffic jam at the "It's a Small World Ride".  We all enjoyed a sing along performance of the movie "Frozen".  I didn't understand all of the jokes, but the kids did because they have seen the movie.  The piece de resistance was the Cinderella castle brilliantly lit up for Christmas.  That night Rob took Jacqueline to the Coronado Springs gift shop while I worked out at the hotel gym.  When I returned, Jacqueline was hiding something under her blanket -- a forbidden stuffy!  It was Olaf the Snowman from "Frozen".   

dailydisneyphoto.com

We spent our final day at the Casitas playing volleyball, ping pong and swimming in the pool. Jacqueline loved the water slide built inside a giant Mayan pyramid.  Thomas tried to beat Rob at ping pong.  Later in the afternoon we headed to Downtown Disney for supper at the Rainforest Cafe and shopping.  The Christmas store had so many beautiful ornaments.  Rob purchased a DVD about the Disney Parks.

Downtown Disney courtesy wdwfanzone.com.

We were sad to say goodbye to the Casitas.  Merry Christmas, Disney World!

  

Farewell to Autumn

It was only a couple of weeks ago that Jacqueline and her two girlfriends went trick or treating, orange sacs under their arms, leaves swirling around them down the moonlit streets.  This morning, Thomas cleaned snow and ice off the car. Jacqueline's door was frozen shut.  My teenager even wore a coat! When I dropped Jacqueline off at school, she went directly into the portable because the temperature was so low.

I came home and browsed on Facebook to find a photograph of a ripe red apple still hanging from the tree surrounded by a winter wonderland in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia.  I feel like that apple.  I still want to cling to the tree and hang on to autumn.  I'm not ready for the fierce winter winds, the frigid temperatures, the icy roads.

I want autumn to last forever.  I want to enjoy the coloured leaves on the trees, the flocks of birds soaring through the clear blue sky as they fly south, the gold chrysanthemums in the garden.  I want to rake leaves and bake pumpkin Bundt cake and watch the harvest moon rise over the horizon.  I want to enjoy the stillness of the season.  

As the ripe red apple still clings to the tree, snowflakes fall.  Farewell to autumn.

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