Holiday ePistle

...screaming into the Abyss she says...it's Thursday afternoon and I've just, somehow, erased all of the ePistle except the last laugh cartoon...

Famous First Words: Marley was dead, to begin with. --Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol

Hanukkah (14-22) You will know the Hanukkah Hippie by the dredellocks. /// Two menorahs are sitting in the window. One turns to the other and says, “Wow, it’s getting hot with all these candles.” The other looks back and says, “Whoa, a talking menorah!”

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. --Mother Teresa

..........Mi yimalel gevurot Yisrael.........Stereo Sinai ...Mi Yimalel (Who Can Retell)

These are the times that try men's souls. --Thomas Paine American Crisis.

It is frazzled Friday morning. I was up until nearly 3 patching this ePistle together. And I've only finished my last proof this morning. It is a clear, cold (19°F) morning. I am sorry it lacks the usual polish. I will take steps to not let this happen again. Thank you for your patience. Have a great weekend and a great holiday!

Hope your weekend is filled with whatever holiday spirit excites you, celebrants.

First Funniest Thing I Read of the Evening: My brain just logged me out due to inactivity and now I can't remember my password. --Submitted by Laughing Librarian

Miriam goes to the post office to buy stamps for her Hanukkah cards. She says to the cashier, "Please may I have 50 Hanukkah stamps?" The cashier asks, "What denomination?" Miriam says, "Oy vey, has it come to this? Okay, give me 6 Orthodox, 12 Conservative, and 32 Reform." /// Two menorahs are sitting in the window. One turns to the other and says, “Wow, it’s getting hot with all these candles.” The other looks back and says, “Whoa, a talking menorah!”

...make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. --Francis of Assisi

..........A yontef a sheyner.........Theodore Bikel …..Oy Khanike (Oh Chanukah)

Trivia Questions: Here we are in the midst of the Christmas Bird Count!

1. Who organizes the Christmas Bird Count (CBC)?

2. When did the CBC begin?

3. What scientific uses does the CBC have?

4. What were the numbers found at the first CBC?

5. What were last year's numbers?

Big Hello: Bavini kazɔɔ – Tem (Togo, Ghana, & Benin. Note the first backward c should have an acute (') over it, but I couldn't find that in my special characters font. https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm

Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Evening: The Pettysburg Address is over. --Kissing Fish Book

Seasonal Quote of the Evening: “Welcome, newcomers. The tradition of Festivus begins with the airing of grievances.” —Frank Costanza

Saturnalia (17/23): Macrobius is hilarious, have you read the one about the boy from the provinces, that was a lookalike to Augustus? The emperor summoned him, to confirm the resemblance, and then he asked "Tell me boy, did your mother came to Rome frequently?" And the boy answers: "No, but my dad came here a lot"

Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice. --Baruch Spinoza

..........There is no exit planet.........Marilyn Manson …..Saturnalia

Moonbeam: Cats are people, and the sooner the world accepts that fact, the better off the world will be. --H Allen Smith

Blasphemy of the Evening: Going on a reverse mission trip...headed to Utah to teach people the joys of sinning. --Submitted by Wittenburg Door

Coffee Joke of the Evening: I woke up because my coffee needed me.

Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Evening: I am both the problem and the troubleshooting guide. --Submitted by Club42

Today at the taberna I said, “Io Saturnalia” to the cashier. She said, “Merry Christmas, sire” back to me. I smiled and said “You don't have to be afraid any more. Emperor Julian has given us Saturnalia back” She started crying tear of joy and said, “Io Saturnalia” and then everyone in the taberna clapped. /// Caninius Rebilius was consul (supposedly a year-long post) for a single day. “We have a watchful consult in Caninius,” observed Cicero. “He didn’t see a moment’s sleep during his term.”

It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it. --Eleanor Roosevelt

..........Ev'ry man's a king and ev'ry king's a clown.........My Little Pony Cast …..Topsy Turvy

1) The Christmas Bird Count is a volunteer-conducted census organized by the National Audubon Society. Bird watchers in the Western Hemisphere, primarily North and South America participate.

Almanac: It is Friday, December 19, 2025. The moon will be new tomorrow and is in Sagittarius. Today is Look for an Evergreen Day and National Emo Day. Because it is the third Friday, it is also National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day and Underdog Day.

Among those born on this day were William Parry (1790), Thomas Andrews (1813), A. A. Michelson (1852), Walter Braunfels (1882), Ferdinando Liuzzi (1884), Oliver Le Farge (1901), H. Allen Smith (1906), Edith Piaf (1915), Jimmy Dickens (1920), Cicely Tyson (1922), Phil Ochs (1940), Tim Reid (1944), Richard Leakey (1944), Zal Yanovsky (1944), Marianne Faithful (1946), Daryl Hannah (1960), Reggie White (1961), and Jennifer Beals (1963).

On December nineteenth Henry II was crowned (1154), Robinson Crusoe left his island (1686), Regnard's Le Joueur premiered (1696), American Crisis by Thomas Paine was published (1776), Kentucky levied the first tax for road building (1795), A Christmas Carol was published (1843), the first black Catholic priest was ordained (1891), the first Believe It Or Not column appeared (1918), Giraudoux' La Folle de Chaillot premiered (1945), the Dalai Lama fled Tibet (1950), Zanzibar became independent (1963), Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange premiered (1971), Ron Wood joined the Rolling Stones (1975), and Boris Yeltsin took control of the Kremlin (1991).

Night Sky, 12/19: On December 19, 2025, the night sky features the rare interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS at its closest approach to Earth (though still far), visible with telescopes near the constellation Leo in the pre-dawn hours, alongside the New Moon, making for dark skies ideal for spotting faint Uranus and Neptune, plus bright Jupiter and Mercury low in the east before sunrise.

Fraternal Picture of the Evening: The ferry across Puget Sound

This Week: Saturday, December 20 – International Human Solidarity Day & Games Day & Poet Laureate Day

Sunday, December 21 – Crossword Puzzle Day & Go Caroling Day & World Basketball Day

Night Sky, 12/21: Winter begins at 9:03 am CST, as the Sun reaches the southern most point of its annual journey, directly above the Tropic of Capricorn. The Moon will return to the early evening sky later that day, as a thin 4-percent crescent low in SW at dusk.

Monday, December 22 – Be A Lover Of Silence Day & Forefathers Day

Tuesday, December 23 – Festivus & Human Light Celebration & Metric Conversion Day

Night Sky, 12/23 : The night sky will feature a lovely waxing crescent moon low in the west after sunset, perfect for spotting Earthshine, while bright planets like Jupiter and Saturn will dominate the evening, with Jupiter rising later for a nearly all-night show, plus Uranus and Neptune visible with binoculars near Saturn. Look for the crescent moon in the southwest, with Saturn and Uranus visible earlier, and Jupiter appearing later, promising a grand view of the gas giants and distant icy worlds

Wednesday, December 24 – Eggnog Day

Thursday, December 25 – Christmas & A'phabet or No “L” Day

Night Sky, 12/25: Sunrise: 7:38 am Sunset: 5:04 pm (9 hours and 26 minutes of daylight) Moonrise: 11:12 am Moon set: 10:46 pm

Yule (21-1/1): Solstice is when nature lays down for a long winter's nap. /// Winter Solstice is a special holiday for snow families. They throw cool gatherings and chillin parties. /// Today is the shortest day of the year, but don't worry, it'll pass quickly.

The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace. --Carlos Santana

..........The sun returns to light our way.........Bianca …..The Song Of Yule

2) Before the rise of the conservation movement, hunters participated in a Christmas day tradition known as a "side hunt," during which teams would compete to see who could kill the most birds. In 1900, ornithologist Frank Chapman, an officer in the fledgling Audubon Society, proposed a new Christmas tradition in which birds would be counted, not killed. And so the Christmas Bird Count was born.

Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Evening: Does he realize that putting his name on the Kennedy Center won't take it off the Epstein file?

Moonbeam: I, too, am convinced that our ancestors came from Africa. --Richard Leakey

Fun Fact of the Evening: Ugly Sweater Day is sponsored by tipsyelves. Got an important interview on Friday? Oops, tough luck. Worried the judge will increase your sentence if you show up to court in an ugly Christmas sweater? Sorry bud, no exceptions. https://www.nationaluglychristmassweaterday.org/

Video of the Evening: Phil Ochs: I Ain't Marchin' Anymore (3:00)

The summer soldier and and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. --Thomas Paine American Crisis

I do not want the peace which passeth understanding, I want the understanding which bringeth peace. --Helen Keller

Festivus (12/23): And at the Festivus dinner you gather your family around and tell them all the ways they have disappointed you over the past year. /// May your aluminum pole have an excellent strength-to-weight ratio. /// A Happy Festivus for the Rest of Us!

..........A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.........Hymnary …..O, Holy Night

3) The CBC tracks long-term trends in bird populations; i.e. the recovery of the Bald Eagle after the banning of DDT was traced. 2) It can also track dramatic short-term changes, i.e. it noted the biggest surge in the Snowy Owl population. And it follows the spread of invasive birds (Eurasian Collared-Dove).

Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Evening: Hear ye! Hear ye! Robin Hood has been hospitalized with a case of menintightus. --Submitted by The Grand Duchy of Medieval Merriment

Weird Word of the Evening: Sonder: The realization that each passerby has a life as complex as one's own. https://word-lists.com/word-lists/100-rare-words-with-beautiful-meanings/

Dragon of the Evening: Clearly this should have been in last week, Choco-ePistle, but it was saved in 1219 instead. Beautiful any day.

Wacky Uses for Common Products: Clean a toilet. Pour a can of Coca-Cola into your toilet, let it sit for one hour, brush and flush. The citric acid, ascorbic acid, and phosphoric acid in Coke remove stains from vitreous china. When a two-liter bottle of Coca-Cola goes flat in your refrigerator, don't throw it out. Use it to clean your toilet. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/cocacola.html

It is easier to lead men to combat, stirring up their passion, than to restrain them and direct them toward the patient labors of peace. --Andre Gide

Christmas (12/25): My cat ate several decorations right off of the tree. She got tinsilitis. /// Did you know that Rudolph's nose gets brighter when he backs up.

...........So hurry down the chimney tonight.........Eartha Kitt …..Santa Baby

4) For the original Christmas Bird Count, 25 surveys took place in locations ranging from Ontario to California. The 27 birders counted around 89 species—roughly 18,500 birds all told.

Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Evening: Parenthood turns you into a morning person the same way being chased by a bear makes you a runner. --Submitted by INRITH

Science Fiction Convention of the Evening: Geek Village (29-21, Hasselt, Belgium) ...be part of something magical... https://winter.geekvillage.be/

All we are saying is give peace a chance. --John Lennon

Christmas Pageant memories: Oh yes! Angels who decide they really don’t want to be in the play—and announce it; one little one who became entranced by the candles—and decided to count them over and over; a wise man (teenager) who showed up at the live nativity with an electric blanket and a very long cord, and the year we had a camel (stuffed) because that’s what the prop shop at the circus had to offer! — Patt Kauffman

..........Hope everybody's ringing on their own bell this fine morning.........Jethro Tull …..Another Christmas Song

5) The 125th Christmas Bird Count (2024-2025) saw record participation with over 83,000 volunteers, covering nearly 2,700 areas and tallying over 44 million birds across 2,500 species, with highlights including a Yellow-headed Caracara in Texas and a Steller's Sea-Eagle in Newfoundland.

Protest Sign of the Evening: Release The Naughty List

Quote of the Evening: Everybody talks about wanting to change things and help and fix, but ultimately all you can do is fix yourself. And that's a lot. Because if you can fix yourself, it has a ripple effect.” ― Rob Reiner”

Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Evening: You make a tissue dance by putting a little boogie in it.

Today's Peace of History: December 19, 1940: Civilian Public Service (CPS) camps were established for conscientious objectors following the institution of the first peacetime draft (a year before the attack on Pearl Harbor). It was the first time members of peace-oriented religious groups (e.g., Quakers, Mennonites, Church of the Brethren) could legally avoid military conscription.

The true and solid peace of nations consists not in equality of arms, but in mutual trust alone. --Pope John XXIII

Kwanzaa (26-1/1): I can't seem to find the jokes I had in the earlier version. One was about people always interrupting to ask “what is Kwanzaa”. But what I found tonight was outright racist or had a level of sophistication of a chicken crossing the road riddle. I'm so sorry. ~~It's 2:30 in the morning and I don't know how to fix it.

..........Feel the joy as we sing.........Teddy Pendergrass …..Happy Kwanzaa

Masthead of the Evening: Friday ePistle, December 19, 2025: Holiday ePistle . Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.

Moonbeam: I have fought against white domination. --William Perry

Cost of War:

As of 12/18/25 State Department Costs: $282,365,859,671

As of 12/11/25 State Department Costs: $281,755,871,046

As of 12/18/25 Homeland Security: $1,218,414,677,411

As of 12/11/25 Homeland Security: $1,217,752,249689

As of 12/18/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,347,780,685,731

As of 12/11/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,346,077,483,812

As of 12/18/25 Military Costs: $3,183,000,227,865

As of 12/11/25 Military Costs: $3,181,707,128,253

As of 12/18/25 Veterans Care: $4,641,783,448,346

As of 12/11/25 Veterans Care: $4,628,874,166,840

As of 12/18/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,673,346,267,140

As of 12/11/25 Total Cost of Wars: , $10,656,169,679,787

https://www.nationalpriorities.org/cost-of/

“Tis surprising to see how rapidly a panic will sometimes run through a country. --Thomas Paine American Crisis

Famous Last Words: The sun is God. --J M W Turner who died of cholera 12/19/1851

..........All that we touch is more beautiful..........Sweet Honey In The Rock …..Seven Principles

Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal. --Martin Luther King, Jr

New Years Day: 1/1: Calendar makers get the most excited by the New Year's countdown. /// 2024 sure went by in a blur. My resolution must've been too low.

May Peace warm your heart

And Joy comfort your soul

prairie mama

christine

Last Laugh:

Choco-ePistle

Famous First Words: We were in study-hall... Gustave Flaubert Madame Bovary

I like my fireplace warm and my cocoa warmer. Welcome to National Cocoa Day! I didn't choose the mug life; the mug life chose me.

Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. --Desmond Tutu

..........Let's keep the party polite..........Frank Sinatra …..Luck Be A Lady

It is too true, however disgraceful it may be to human nature, that nations in general will make war whenever they have a prospect of getting anything by it; nay, that absolute monarchs will often make war when their nations are to get nothing by it, but for purposes and objects merely personal, such as, a thirst for military glory, revenge for personal affronts, ambition, or private compacts to aggrandize or support their particular families, or partisans. --John Jay

It is a cold (27°F) Friday morning. The sky is laced with thin white clouds against a very pale blue. A north wind gusts at 6 mph insisting that we recognize the cold. Willow branches are now bare of leaves; so as the dance about, it is easy to see the squirrels scurrying up the truck and the birds perching on the thin waving twigs. Ah, the cool December sun brightens the world; it radiates from the southeast. Trees and powerlines and feeders are filled with birds who also fill the air with birdsong and caws and chirps. Puck was out before it was even light and Veronica checked the outdoors from the door frame and went back into the warmth. I am sipping decaf, breathing in the aroma and humidity of it, testing it for heat and enjoying the swallow. Best of all, I get to write to you. Great morning...

Here's hoping your weekend is sweet, warm, and delicious, Choco-philes

First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: If you want breakfast in bed, sleep in the kitchen. --Submitted by Club42

Wake me up before you cocoa. Ü Cocoa is the answer...who cares what the question is?

Courage is like love; it must have hope for nourishment. --Napoleon Bonaparte

..........Mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all..........Frank Sinatra …..I Get A Kick Out Of You

Trivia Questions: Happy Poinsettia Day!

1. Where do poinsettias come from – originally?

2. Are poinsettias poisonous?

3. What part of the poinsettia plant turns into those wonderful colors?

4. Which US state grows the most poinsettia plants?

5. How popular is the poinsettia as potted plants go?

Big Hello: Namaskārām – Telugu (classical Dravidian language spoken in India) https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm

Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: A church in Chicago replaced Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus in their Nativity scene with a sign that says Due to ICE activity in our community the Holy Family is in hiding. --Submitted by Feminist News

Image of the Week: Lawrence, KS 12/6/25

Seasonal Joke of the Week: Remember, Christmas Day always ends with a y.

I am NOT self-medicating with cocoa. The lady in the shop wrote me a prescription which she called a receipt. Ü Yes, depression is an internal struggle but drinking cocoa on a cold winter's night is an internal snuggle.

Be careful to leave your children well instructed rather than rich, for the hopes of the instructed are better than the wealth of the ignorant. --Epictetus

..........Let's float down to Peru..........Frank Sinatra …..Come Fly With Me

Moonbeam: The level of communication you can achieve with an infant is really profound. --Mayim Bialik

Blasphemy of the Week: Santa Claus converted to Calvinism and moved everybody to the Naughty List.

Coffee Joke of the Week: The IT lady said she was coming to install java on my computer. I think I'd rather just drink the coffee.

Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: New Poll Finds 86 Percent of Americans Don't Want To Have A Country Anymore. --Submitted by the Onion

I think my partner may be addicted to cocoa; he certainly likes choc-a-lot. Ü Myself, my brother, and my cousin can't go anywhere without hot chocolate. We've been diagnosed as cocoa-dependent.

Hope is like peace. It is not a gift from God. It is a gift only we can give one another. --Elie Wiesel

..........And although I know it's strictly taboo..........Frank Sinatra …..Witchcraft

1) Poinsettias are native to Mexico. The ancient Aztecs used poinsettias to make red dye, and they turned to poinsettia sap to control fevers. ~~The ePistle is NOT recommending that you eat this flower for your fever. See a doctor.

Almanac: It is Friday, December 12, 2025. The moon entered its last quarter yesterday (12/11) and is in Virgo. Today is Gingerbread House Day, International Day of Heavy Metal Music, International Day of Neutrality, National 12-hour Fresh Breath Day, National Ding-a-Ling Day, National Cocoa Day, Official Lost & Found Day, and Poinsettia Day. Because it is the second Friday it is also National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, and Official Lost and Found Day.

Among those born on this day were John Jay (1745), Henry Wells (Wells-Fargo, 1805), William Lloyd Garrison (1805), Gustave Flaubert (1821), Georges Jean Pfeiffer (1835), Sherburne Burnham (1838), Edvard Munch (1863), Edward G. Robinson (1893), Howard Koch (1902), Jesse Owens (1913), Frank Sinatra (1915), Edward I Koch (1924), John Osborne (1929), Connie Francis (1938), Dionne Warwick (1940), Mike Pinder (1942), Mike Smith (1943), Karl Edward Wagner (1945), and Mayim Winkelman Bialik (1975).

On December twelfth the barebone-parliament ended (1653), Pennsylvania ratified the US Constitution (2nd, 1787), the Bank of the US opened (1791), the first Canadian coins were circulated (1858), Washington, DC established as the capital (1800), Pulitzer began by publishing the St. Louis Dispatch (1878), first Katzenjammer strip appeared (1897), the Mona Lisa was recovered (1913), the UN was given 6 blocks on Manhattan as a gift from John D. Rockefeller, Jr. (1946), Tide was first sold (1946),

Joe DiMaggio retired (1951), Yeager reached 2.43 Mach (1953), Martin Luther King, Jr was arrested in Albany, GA (1961), Gale Sayers (Bears) scored 6 touchdowns (1965), and NBA referees returned to work after the strike (1995),

Night Sky, 12/12: You can catch the minor Sigma (σ) Hydrids meteor shower as it peaks then, though it offers low rates (around 1 per hour) from its radiant in Hydra, near Procyon, best seen after midnight, with the brighter Geminids also active. Makes it a great night for a mix of faint Sigma Hydrids and potentially bright Geminids in dark skies.

Fraternal Picture of the Week: Boys and Dinosaurs

This Week: Saturday, December 13 – National Day of the Horse & National Wreaths Across America Day & Pick A Pathologist Pal Day

Sunday, December 14 – Hanukkah begins & Monkey Day & Worldwide Candle Lighting Day

Night Sky, : Sunrise: 7:32 am Sunset: 4:58 pm {Total daylight: 9 hours, 27 minutes, 23 seconds) Moonrise: 2:34 am Moonset: 1:32 pm

Monday, December 15 – Bill Of Rights Day & National Cupcake Day & Cat Herders Day

Tuesday, December 16 – National Chocolate Covered Anything Day & Posadas

Night Sky, 12/16: The Comae Berenicids meteor shower in December 2025 peaks around December 16th, active from Dec 12-23, with the best views in the pre-dawn hours as its radiant (in Leo) rises highest, offering short trails near the constellation for dark sky viewers. ...a good, moonlit-free chance to see meteors near the year's end.

Wednesday, December 17 – Clean Air Day & National Say It Now Day & Wright Brothers Day

Night Sky, 12/17: The night sky features Saturn with its nearly edge-on rings visible in the south, while Jupiter shines brightly in the east near Gemini's bright stars, and the waning crescent Moon rises just before dawn, offering great views of lunar features and challenging Mercury low in the east.

Thursday, December 18 – Answer the Telephone Like Buddy the Elf Day & International Migrants Day

Please come over here and help me. I have a killer jigsaw puzzle, and I can’t figure out how to put it together or how to get it started.” Her friend asked, “What is it supposed to be when it’s finished?” “According to the picture on the box, it’s a tiger.” She decided to go over and help with the puzzle. When he showed her the puzzle spread out all over the table. She studied the pieces for a moment, looked at the box, then turned to him and said, “First of all I want you to relax. Let’s have a nice cup of hot chocolate and then.......”she sighed, ..... “Let’s put all of these Cocoa Puffs back into the box.”

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul – and sings the tunes without the words – and never stops at all. --Emily Dickinson

..........She loves the free, cool wind in her hair..........Frank Sinatra …..The Lady Is A Tramp

2) Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are not poisonous. While some humans and pets are sensitive to the plant’s milky white sap, which contains latex, it is not toxic. It can, however, cause irritation to the skin, eyes, mucus membranes or digestive system (if consumed).

Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: On the Upside, all this bad shit could lead to a resurgence in the Blues. --Submitted by kb of ??

Moonbeam: I'm one of those people that makes a better adult than I did a kid. --Mayim Bialik

Fun Facts of the Week: (Re Sneaky ePistle 11/28/25) When I read that the solar system spins anti-clockwise, wouldn’t that depend on which side of the “disc” of the solar system is viewed from? When I look down at a plate in my hand and spin it anti-clockwise, it does that, but to someone lying on the floor under the plate, the plate spins counterclockwise … doesn’t it? Maybe I’m confused --ab of ks Here's the answer: Yes, the perceived spin direction (clockwise/counter-clockwise) flips depending on your viewpoint, just like a spinning top or clock hands seen from the back; if you view the Milky Way from "above" the galactic north pole, it's counter-clockwise, but from "below" the south pole, it appears clockwise, but since "up" and "down" are arbitrary in space, the direction is defined by convention (our solar system's orientation). The counter=clockwise motion describes the solar system from the viewpoint of the sun's agreed upon north pole.

Video of the Week: Pot In The Latkes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2GOrdxCm6Q

But the safety of the people of America against dangers from foreign forces depends not only on their forbearing to give just causes for war to other nations, but also on their placing and continuing themselves in such a situation as not to invite hostility or insult... --John Jay

Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future. --Robert H Schuller

One day, a woman's doorbell rang. The weather was very bad. The woman opened the door, and there stood a young girl, a Jehovah's Witness, soaking wet. The woman felt sorry for her, so she asked the young woman into the house for a cup of cocoa and to dry off. The woman wanted to make conversation as the two drank their hot chocolate, so she asked the Jehovah's Witness, "So, what's the message you're passing along?'" The girl stuttered and said, "I'm not sure. I never got this far."

..........When we said our first hello..........Frank Sinatra …..Strangers In The Night

3) The showy, colorful part of the poinsettia isn’t a flower – it’s a modified leaf. The poinsettia’s modified leaves (called bracts) are often mistaken for the flower. Actually, the small yellow flowers (called cyathium) can be found clustered in the center of the bracts.

FYI of the Week: Poinsettias come in many colors beyond the classic red, including natural shades like pink, white, peach, cream, salmon, and yellow, plus unique bi-colors, marbled patterns (like 'Jingle Bells'), and even novelty colors like purple or orange, though intense colors like blue are often dyed or glittered. You'll find everything from deep crimsons to pale whites, speckled varieties, and newer types like 'Winter Rose' or 'Peppermint Twist', offering a wide palette for holiday decorating.

Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: A society full of sinners judging sinners for sinning differently. --Submitted by Wittenburg Door

Weird Word of the Week: Acersecomicke – one whose hair was never cut. https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/beautiful-useless-obscure-words

Dragon of the Week:

Wacky Uses for Common Products: Create traction for a car or truck stuck in snow or on ice. Pour a little Clorox Bleach directly from the jug over the affected tire, wait one minute, and then try to move the car. The bleach chemically reacts with the rubber tire, making it stickier, increasing the traction. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/clorox4.html

Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope? --Barack Obama

Cocoa is actually envious of coffee which is brewtally popular. But secretly cocoa drinks coffee to get a buzz. Ü I could actually hear the marshmallows saying “you complete me” to the cup of cocoa.

...........It's an illusion..........Frank Sinatra …..Love And Marriage

4) California is the top poinsettia-producing state. Poinsettias are commercially grown in all 50 states. Other top poinsettia-producing states include North Carolina, Texas, Florida and Ohio.

Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: No more handing the keys to our future to those who have the longest commutes from their heads to their hearts. --Andrea Gibson

Quote of the Week: You cannot buy the revolution. You cannot make the revolution. You can only be the revolution. It is in your spirit, or it is nowhere. --Ursula K LeGuin

Science Fiction Convention of the Week: Permian Basin Comic Con 2025 (13-14, Midland, TX) Get Ready for PBCCX https://pbcomicconx.com/

Seasonal Philosophy of the Week: A gingerbread man sits inside a gingerbread house. Is the house made of flesh or is he made of house? He screams for he does not know. --Submitted by MMS

Spark of Joy of the Week: It's A Wonderful Life is a Democratic-Socialist movie.

Hope will never be silent. --Harvey Milk

Hot chocolate is so fine on a winter's night; it's snowy – delicious, at Christmas - Jingle Juice, when it cold - Frosty Sipper; and in a blizzard it's a Warm Escape. It's got a creamy charm and with a little chili, it's a sassy sip. Ü Marshmallows always rise to the occasion.

..........'Cause this fine old world, it keeps spinnin' around..........Frank Sinatra …..That's Life

5) In fact, poinsettias are America’s No. 1 selling potted plant, contributing a whopping $250 million to our nation’s economy annually – even though the market for them is only about six weeks long.

Protest Sign of the Week: Release The Naughty List

'Nother Quote of the Week: If you walk through life and don't help anybody, you haven't had much of a life. --Fred Hampton ~~ On December 4, 1969, Hampton was shot and killed in his bed during a pre-dawn raid at his Chicago apartment by a tactical unit of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, who received aid from the Chicago Police Department and the FBI leading up to the attack.

Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: We must believe in free will; we have no choice. --Submitted by Philosopher Games

Today's Peace of History: December 12, 1870: Joseph H. Rainey (R-South Carolina) took his seat in the US House of Representatives, becoming the first African-American Member of Congress.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. --Albert Einstein

If cocoa had a motto it should be “Sip happens”. Ü Cocoa is a liquid sweater for your soul. Ü Carl Cocoa ran away and joined a rock band called The Rolling Scones.

..........I've lived a life that's full..........Frank Sinatra …..My Way

Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle, December 12, 2025: Choco-ePistle . Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.

Moonbeam: Well, I mean, I'm still a scientist, you know, I think once a scientist, always a scientist. --Mayim Bialik

Cost of War:

As of 12/11/25 State Department Costs: $281,755,871,046

As of 12/04/25 State Department Costs: $281,200,637,877

As of 12/11/25 Homeland Security: $1,217,752,249689

As of 12/04/25 Homeland Security: $1,217,149,032,217

As of 12/11/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,346,077,483,812

As of 12/04/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,344,526,225,376

As of 12/11/25 Military Costs: $3,181,707,128,253

As of 12/04/25 Military Costs: $3,180,529,289,840

As of 12/11/25 Veterans Care: $4,628,874,166,840

As of 12/04/25 Veterans Care: $4,617,114,895,992

As of 12/11/25 Total Cost of Wars: , $10,656,169,679,787

As of 12/04/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,640,522,362,781

https://www.nationalpriorities.org/cost-of/

In action be primitive; in foresight, a strategist. --Ed Koch

Famous Last Words: Codeine...bourbon --Tallulah Bankhead ~~Fitting her notorious, hard-partying image uttered before she died of pneumonia, December 12, 1968

..........You'll hear voices by starlight singing a yuletide hymn..........Frank Sinatra …..Mistletoe And Holly

Hopeful thinking can get you out of your fear zone and into your appreciation zone. --Martha Beck

You can't buy happiness but you can buy cocoa. Ü Cocoa is winter's way of saying “Cheer Up!” Ü Never stir up drama...just cocoa.

May Peace warm your heart

And Joy cool your brain

prairie mama

christine

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