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!
Where do poinsettias come from – originally?
Are poinsettias poisonous?
What part of the poinsettia plant turns into those wonderful colors?
Which US state grows the most poinsettia plants?
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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