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Santa Spotted In Micronesia

The good people of Norad are tracking the jolly fat man and spotted him in Micronesia, here.

The Turleys are again celebrating Christmas in Chicago with the entire Turley clan. (Or kids actually double dip and get to celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas). Tonight I will make our traditional Cioppino soup before going to midnight mass to listen to my 82-year-old mother sing with the choir at St. Mary’s of the Lake. I remain on call, of course, for any Christmas torts that may occur.

49 thoughts on “Santa Spotted In Micronesia”

  3. That is a beautiful and sad song pardon me. Christmas Eve Mass is canceled for my family as it is snowing and blowing too much in Texas.

  5. JT:

    The best to you and yours this holiday season. We are finishing up the linguine ai frutti di mare, and preparing for the trek to St. Mary’s for midnight Mass. Even an ol’ skeptic can bask in the sentiment.

  8. I thought this might interest people. KFC has cornered the christmas meal in Japan!!!

    “You might think in a country that’s 99% non-Christian that Christmas would just blow on by and you’d never even realize it. But once again, you’d be completely wrong. Japanese department stores have decked-out trees as colourful as anything in the west, and many streets have colourful displays and wreathes all lined up for blocks. Still, it’s time to set the record straight — it’s most certainly NOT as some dewey-eyed western writers put it “one day out of the year when all Japanese become Christians”. Christmas in Japan has nothing to do with religion at all. Then why is it popular? For one, exchanging gifts is a well recognized cultural trait and Xmas fits in nicely here. For another, the lights and glitter are pretty. But behind that you’ll find very little else. In fact, when it comes to celebration, think Valentine’s Day. Christmas in Japan is more than anything a time to take an important date out to dinner, and for some even to book an expensive hotel room for the night.

    Do you keep passing along to one of your “friends” those fossilized 15 year-old cakes in the mail every year? Well, they eat those “Christmas Cakes” in Japan. But there is no big Xmas feast. Turkey is nowhere to be found, unless you want to pay a fortune to a mail-order company or one of the few department stores that carry them. Not much you could do even if you did have one, since for nearly all Japanese the only oven they have is a microwave or a toaster. So given a choice of a turkey sandwich at Subway’s in Tokyo or Osaka, many Japanese go to Kentucky Fried Chicken, where there are always some special Christmas chicken dishes. Expect to see a very long line into every KFC on Christmas Eve. Almost no Japanese have any Christmas trees either; their homes being cramped enough as it is.

    December 25th is still a work day in Japan. There are quite a few parties though. Tis the season for the “Bo-nenkai”, or “Forget the Year Party”, where many Japanese drink and forget the year’s problems (and more than a few drink enough to forget more than that). There is also writing Nenga-jo or New Year’s Cards for Jan. 1st. And a few give chocolates or small gifts to boyfriends and such, however hark the herald angels sing won’t be something you’ll be feeling here. But if you like drinking a few glasses of Christmas cheer, Japan is certainly the place to be. The beer companies are extremely thankful for Christmas.”

    http://www.thejapanfaq.com/celebrations.html

    May your meal be as good and a very Merry Christmas to all!!!

  10. And peace, peace on earth, goodwill to all.

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocj87hWJq8Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

  11. No “Carol of the Bells”? Where are the traditionalists? All of the selections are excellent and I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday.

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKZvksIYmZE&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

  14. FF LEO–

    Why don’t ya jess ask the “Fesser” yerself? I will tell ya that I heard tell that JT had them crazy dancin’ feet and more rhythm than a swing band.

  15. Ms. EM, that weren’t really ‘Fesser T doin’ that dancin’, were it?

  17. Although I will say it’s a tough call with the Orbison/Nelson combo though. I’d like to hear that, FFLEO. I bet that is really good. Roy had an iconic voice and Willie is just a great song writer and I’d be Crazy to claim otherwise.

  19. No offense to the other fine nominees, but that Strayhorn arrangement of The Nutcracker Suite that Gyges provided gets my vote so far by a long shot.

    That’s just right, tight and outta sight.

  20. Next to Ol’ Hank, Jim Reeves is the best male vocalist I have ever heard.

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