It's a Wonderful Life Facts

1.  Sesame Street characters Bert & Ernie were not named after the police officers Bert and Ernie in "It's a Wonderful Life".

2.  The Charleston scene where Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed's characters dance was filmed in a Beverly Hills high school.  The gym floor really did open up to reveal a swimming pool.

3.  Usually painted snowflakes were used as snow for movies.  However they were too noisy.  For "It's a Wonderful Life" the crew used a combination of ice, gypsum plaster and formite-soap-water mixture.

4.  Jimmy Stewart's daughter, named Zuzu, brought home a flower from school, its petals falling off.  Zuzu's Petals became the name of a rock band, a character in the movie The Adventures of Ford Fairlane and a Far Side comic.

5.  In 1943, writer Philip Van Doren penned the story "The Greatest Gift" as a Christmas card to family and friends.  Frank Capra renamed the tale "It's a Wonderful Life".

6.  RKO bought the movie rights to "It's a Wonderful Life" for $10,000 in 1946.

7.  Little Rascal "Alfafa", Carl Dean Switzer, played the ill-fated dance partner of Donna Reed's character.

8.  The bridge scenes were actually filmed during a California heat wave.  As Jimmy Stewart contemplates jumping off the snow covered bridge, he is actually sweating.

9.  "It's a Wonderful Life" was actually a box office bomb, costing 3.7 million to make, but generating only 3.3 million in sales.  It wasn't until the movie was replayed on television in the 1970's that it developped a true following.

10.  Ginger Rogers, Olivia de Havilland and Jean Arthur all turned down the starring role of Mary Bailey because it was too "bland".

For more information visit http://www.families.com/blog/10-fun-facts-about-its-a-wonderful-life.

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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

My Favourite Christmas Decoration

My Mom loves Christmas.  She has always done an excellent job decorating her house to celebrate the season.  When I was growing up, Mom would put up a large artificial tree in the living room (later rec room).  She would put a medium sized silver tree (circa 1960's) on top of the grand piano. She would hang our monogrammed red and white stockings above the fireplace.  She wrapped garland around the staircase leading up to the bedrooms.  She hung a large wreath on our front door.

But my favourite Christmas decoration was the manger scene that sat on our television set.  It came in a rectangular box which said MADE IN ITALY on the bottom.  The roof folded up to fit inside the box as did the stable.  Plastic figurines lay under the roof.  Mom would set up the stable, open up the roof to go on top, and place the figurines carefully in their spots.  Mary and Joseph sat on either side of baby Jesus, sleeping on what looked like a tiny stool lined with hay.  The donkey, ox and lamb gazed at the baby Jesus from a distance. The three wise men, their gifts in their hands, waited in a single file line to see the newborn king. The angel hung from a nail at the peak of the roof.  And the best part of all was the miniature light bulb poking through the back of the stable to serve as the Star over Bethlehem.  

There was something so peaceful about that creche.  When Rob and I bought our house we tried to find a nativity scene just like it, but to no avail.  It was one of a kind.  For more information, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativity_scene.

Christmas: The Sweetest Word

As Kirk Cameron says, the most important thing about Christmas is the first six letters.  Here are ten businesses that dare to use the sweet, yet politically incorrect, word.



1.  Canadian Tire, Canada's Christmas Store, courtesy airshiop37.com.

     

2.  Walmart:  Christmas Comes Together for Less.

3.  Home Depot says "Merry Christmas"

4.  Macy's, the home of the Thanksgiving Day Parade, says "Merry Christmas".

5.  Lowe's is like Christmas city, according to one blogger.  

qpolitical.com

6.  Toys R Us advertises a Christmas catalogue.  

7.  Brantford busses say Merry Christmas on the front.

8.  JC Penney's Merry Christmas America commercial.

9.  Hobby Lobby celebrates Christmas.

10.  Nordstrom says Merry Christmas.

Thomas, Take the Wheel!

We arrived at the Driving Centre at 4:15 pm.  There was a line up and we had to take a number.  Shortly after we sat down, Thomas school friend arrived and took a number.  We chatted while we waited our turn.  Thomas was well prepared:  he already finished eight in class driving lessons and he completed several practice tests online.

The lady finally called our number.  Thomas filled out some paperwork, then completed a vision test, calling out the numbers he saw on a contraption that looked like a giant viewfinder.  The lady announced:  "That will be $146.00 please," and my jaw dropped.  I think it cost $10.00 when I wrote the test 31 years ago.  Nevertheless, driving is a necessary skill.  I paid the fee.

Thomas took the test paper into the exam room while I waited in the waiting area.  The minutes ticked by.  I watched as the other teenagers returned their test one by one and were called to the front one by one.  "Congratulations!" said the lady behind the desk.  Three people in a row passed the test.  We were on a roll.  I prayed that Thomas would make it four.

At 5 pm, the worker behind the desk asked another worker to take the exam papers away from the remaining test writers.  I prayed that Thomas was just about to finish.  "Did you get a chance to finish?" I asked him as he walked out of the exam room.  "Just," he said.  "Thomas Jonasson" called the worker behind the desk.  "You passed!" she announced.  "Congratulations, Thomas" I said, high fiving my son.  Thomas smiled, both joy and relief spreading across his face.

"This calls for a pizza to celebrate," I said, as we drove out of the parking lot.  We ordered a pizza at the neighbourhood pizzeria.  There's nothing like seizing the day.  While we waited for it to bake, I let Thomas get behind the wheel and he drove us down a back street to Lynden Park Mall.  Then he circled the back parking lot and returned down the back street to the pizzeria.  Then he drove us up Brantwood Park Road to our house.  Congratulations, Thomas!

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Christmas Cookie Collection

In honour of my Grandma Tufts who used to bake 13 different kinds of Christmas cookies each year, here are 13 recipes for you to try this Christmas.

1.  Chocolaty Melting Snowmen at http://www.bhg.com/recipe/chocolaty-melting-snowmen/

2.  Christmas Sugar Cookies at http://www.bhg.com/christmas/cookies/christmas-sugar-cookies/

3.  Snowflake cookies at http://cakewhiz.com/snowflake-cookies/

4.  Chocolate Mint Thumbprints at http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/chocolate-mint-thumbprints/84c09832-5f0e-4590-8416-83aea0e4e972

5.  Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies at http://www.365daysofbakingandmore.com/2011/11/day-276-day-5-of-the-12-days-of-cookies-peanut-butter-reindeer-cookies/

6.  Candy Cane Cookies at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/133208101452294158/

7.  Peanut Butter Snowballs at 

http://www.kraftcanada.com/recipes/peanut-butter-snowballs-85618

8.  Date Pinwheels at 

http://www.southernliving.com/food/holidays-occasions/best-cookies-recipes/best-date-pinwheel-cookies-recipes

9.  Gingerbread Cookies at http://www.annies-eats.com/2009/12/16/gingerbread-cookies/

10.  Christmas Shortbread Stars at http://www.mumsnet.com/food/recipe/341-Christmas-shortbread-stars

11.  Peanut Butter Bites at http://baking.food.com/recipe/peanut-butter-bites-238937?ic1=obnetwork

12.  Cherry Pinwheels at http://www.bhg.com/christmas/cookies/christmas-cookies/#page=19

13.  Mint Meringue Kisses at http://www.bhg.com/christmas/cookies/christmas-cookies/#page=25

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.

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