The bell tower at a beautiful stone church in Lynchburg, Virginia.

© 2009 D L Ennis, All rights reserved.

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Cleveland has many attractions that sparkle during the holidays. Visit the Cleveland Play House Festival of Trees, Winterfest at Public Square or famous venues like Tower City Center and the Arcade to see the lights, décor and majesty of the holiday season. Catch it all by taking a Holiday Lights Ride on a Lolly the Trolley tour.

“Our Holiday Lights Rides have become an annual family tradition for thousands of Clevelanders,” says Sherrill Paul Witt, president of Trolley Tours. “This is our 25th holiday season and people never seem to tire of riding comfortably on a heated and enclosed trolley to see the city lights and to learn about our wonderful city.”

Will Ferrell's costume from "Elf" at Hollywood Christmas Movieland

When it comes to city explorations, the Trolley Tours of Cleveland and its famous cheery red Lolly the Trolley cars specialize in locating great local destinations, especially during the holidays. Take the Tinsel Tales and Trees Tour or the Silver Bells Tour (the two most popular) and enjoy great narrated, one-hour city sightseeing journeys featuring the past, present and future of Cleveland while viewing the area’s brilliant lights displays. Sign up for the Mark Klaus’ Hollywood Christmas Movieland Tour and enjoy the area’s coolest, new film museum of authentic props, costumes and production-still photographs from your favorite Christmas films.

And if you really like movies, consider “A Christmas Story” Tour too, visiting the famous house in Tremont where parts of the movie were filmed. Year-round, Lolly the Trolley navigates the nooks and crannies of Cleveland, touring downtown, North Coast Harbor, the Warehouse District, Ohio City, PlayhouseSquare, University Circle and nearly all of Cleveland’s must-see attractions. Public Holiday Lights Rides run from December 4 to the 27.  Prices vary for each tour, but range from $14-$22 according to the public tour chosen. Private charters are also available. Just call Lolly the Trolley at 216.771.4484 or go online to www.lollytrolley.com. –Submitted by Keith Gribbins

On March 28th, 1854, Britain and France declared war on Russia, bringing those countries into the Crimean War. The largest numbers of troops fighting the war came from Russia, France, Britain, and Turkey.

On this day in 1930, the city of Constantinople was given the more Turkish name Istanbul. The change inspired a popular song, “Istanbul (Not Constantinople),” which was a hit for the Four Lads in 1953.

Songwriter Jay Livingston had many hit tunes in the ’50s, including “Mona Lisa,” “Que Sera Sera” and “Silver Bells.” He was born March 28th, 1915.

TRACK LIST
1- Silver Bells
2- The Christmas Song
3- Coventry Carol
4- God Rest Ye
5- What Child is This¿
6- O Little Town of Bethlehem
7- Jolly Old St.Nicholas
8- I Wonder as I Wander
9- O Holy Night
10- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
11- Silent Night

Rockwellian (Norman)

When we were kids there was nothing better than “staying over night” at Nannie’s. At Nannie’s we could eat cereal for dinner and watch cartoons in the living room and watch Creature Double Feature in the basement. And we could listen to all of Nannie’s old fashioned records in the spare bedroom.

You see, kids… Records are giant plastic CDs that wear out very quickly, and get scratches on them when you glance at them. They sound good at first, but quickly degrade to only hissing and pops. And you listen to them with a needle! They rock!

Nannie had all sorts of great records, like Anne Murray and some country guy and some other country guy. She also had great kids records, like Peter Pan. But my very favorite, the one record I would listen to over and over again, was a recording of Silver Bells, by I-don’t-remember. On the cover was a painting of a 1950’s city street toy store, at night, at Christmas. I remember looking at that painting and deciding which toy I wanted. I loved that record.

And Lo, the second track from my Christmas album…
Silver Bells

The previous track: Here

By Dirty Dan

So, last night, on my walk to the train, I had to detour through one of those tunnels that go under construction sites.  There is this huge hotel being built, so they make pedestrians walk under the construction so that in the event that something falls (lately, cranes in New York City tend to collapse when God farts).  Anyway, I was walking through, and all of a sudden, I heard this whistling.  I rounded a corner to find a- what seemed to be homeless- man sitting next to his worldly possessions, whistling the song ‘Silver Bells’.  

Now, seeing how this is more than two weeks after Christmas, I figured that this guy was a little off kilt.  So naturally, the whistling got to me.  I started whistling too.  ’Silver Bells’.  Equally as loud as I walked by.  He didn’t even flinch.  I was not scared, but rather apprehensive to look and see his reaction, so I didn’t.  But as I walked on, the strangest thing happened.  Someone else joined in.  And then two more people.  Almost everyone who was walking under this site, for that split second, joined in a (mediocre at best) rendition of some old Christmas song.  In January.

I don’t know why I felt the need to share this, but it was strange, and fascinating.  It was also very cheesy.  Not so much dirty, well, other than the homeless man who looked rather scuffed up.  I recommend trying it out sometime.  The next time you hear someone whistling, or humming; even if it is a homeless man, or a crack whore.  Do it to connect with someone you wouldn’t normally connect with.  We’re all people, and we’re all in this together.

Speaking of crack whores.  I came across this RANDOM blog yesterday while I was bored and googling random words and phrases.  I don’t know why I do that, but I guess it keeps more of my interest than news media and celebrity crotch shots.  Apparently, this guy who lives in Washington D.C. was looking out his window into the alley behind his apartment, and he came across two crack heads engaging in all sorts of sex, drugs, and sloppy holes.  Very, VERY Dirty!

Another one from the artist with many talents, Breezy.

Silver Bells

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style
In the air there’s a feeling
Of Christmas.

Children laughing,
People passing,
Meeting smile after smile
And on every street corner you’ll hear.

Obama won! Obama won!
It’s election time for the Country.
Ring-a-ling, hear them sing.
Soon it’s Inaugural day.

So let’s dance

Christmas Mixes just aren’t the same without the classics.
These are my [mostly] classic christmas mixtapes.
And I have too many classics for just one mix… so enjoy both volumes.

Vol. 1

001 | WHAT A NIGHT! :: Harry Connick, Jr.
002 | I’VE GOT MY LOVE TO KEEP ME WARM :: Dean Martin
003 | IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR :: Frank Sinatra
004 | CHRISTMAS TIME ALL OVER THE WORLD :: Sammy Davis, Jr.
005 | BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE :: Leon Redbone & Zooey Deschanel
006 | MISTLETOE AND HOLLY :: Frank Sinatra
007 | GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN :: Glad
008 | ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH :: Josh Groban
009 | LET IT SNOW :: Michael Buble
010 | WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND :: Bing Crosby
011 | I BELIEVE :: Frank Sinatra
012 | JINGLE BELLS :: Jim Reeves
013 | O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM :: Sarah McLachlan
014 | SILENT NIGHT :: Priscilla Ahn
015 | AWAY IN A MANGER :: Casting Crowns
016 | IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR :: Harry Connick, Jr.
017 | THE CHRISTMAS SONG :: Michael Buble
018 | I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS :: Diana Krall
019 | SLEIGH RIDE :: Denver & the Mile High Orchestra
020 | LITTLE SAINT NICK :: The Beach Boys
021 | MELE KALIKIMAKA (HAWAIIAN CHRISTMAS) :: Bing Crosby
022 | ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE :: Brenda Lee
023 | HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS :: Ella Fitzgerald

Christmas Classics Vol 1.zip

Vol. 2

001 | IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS :: Harry Connick, Jr.
002 | WHITE CHRISTMAS :: Dean Martin
003 | THE CHRISTMAS WALTZ :: Frank Sinatra
004 | WHAT CHILD IS THIS? :: Josh Groban
005 | MARY’S BOY CHILD :: Jim Reeves
006 | DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR :: Bing Crosby
007 | O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL :: Enya
008 | HAVE A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS :: Harry Connick, Jr.
009 | HAPPY CHRISTMAS :: Rebecca St. James
010 | HERE COMES SANTA CLAUSE :: Bing Crosby
011 | RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER :: Dean Martin
012 | LITTLE ALTAR BOY :: Andy Williams
013 | O HOLY NIGHT :: Celine Dion
014 | PEACE ON EARTH / SILENT NIGHT :: Dean Martin
015 | TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS :: Bing Crosby
016 | FROSTY THE SNOWMAN :: Nat King Cole
017 | ‘ZAT YOU, SANTA CLAUS? :: Louis Armstrong
018 | WINTER WONDERLAND :: Dean Martin
019 | CAROL OF THE BELLS :: The Bird and the Bee
020 | BLUE CHRISTMAS :: Nicole Atkins
021 | SILVER BELLS :: Jim Reeves
022 | WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS :: Bing Crosby

Christmas Classics Vol 2.zip

Three Pair Fun Christmas Earrings

 Notes from the artist :

For those of us who don’t always have to be sophisticated… it’s perfectly okay to look a little goofy sometimes, or to jingle… ya know? From left: jingle bells with fun red and green glass beads, dyed river shell beads with “pearl” dangles (I love how these turned out!), and white Mother of Pearl circles with red bone beads and green mother of pearl beads. Silver plated surgical steel earwires.

Originating in Europe, the tradition has been for the bride and groom to kiss when guests clink their glasses with silverware. But this tradition has become tiresome for most brides, not to mention, many venues don’t allow you to tap their dishes anymore. For fun, new ways to get the bride and groom to kiss during their reception check out a few of our  ideas below:

1. A kissing jar- Guests would deposit money in a jar located on the Bride and Groom’s Table and then they would have to kiss for each monetary deposit.
2. Silver Bells- Guests would have bells located at each of their seats or just located on each table and each time the bell rang, the lucky couple would have to kiss.
3. A large Kissing Dice-  Two sides of the dice have lips on them and if it lands on that the bride & groom kiss.

We would love to hear your comments or ideas on the kissing game.

As you know, Mary is tired this week. Tired, tired, tired. I have all sorts of terrific post ideas in my head. Well, I’m sure they’re in there, because lord only knows they’re not appearing on this screen. And stuff has been happening. Lots of stuff. Stuff is always happening around here. I recall laughing at least six times this morning, but can I remember why?

No, I can not. Because I am tired, tired, tired.

Which has me wondering if I’m scaring the children by bursting into sudden, unexplained fits of laughter at irregular intervals. Maybe that’s why they’ve been so exceedingly well-behaved today…

Poor little buggers.

I cannot tell you what happened this morning, so I will tell you about my plans. Or my plans to make plans. Because really, I’m too tired to plan this week. But I am planning to!!

I have gotten so far as to gather some Christmas craft supplies. See?

I know just what I’m going to do with some of that stuff. The egg cartons? Cut them into cups, smoosh squares of tin foil around each one, poke a thread through the top, and Christmas bells! Easy. I have four egg cartons so far. That’s one dozen bells for each of the three-year-olds, and a cup or two for the one-year-olds to gnaw on and leave in sodden lumps on the dining table.

At the left, you can see two variation of the pipecleaner candycane, which they can do. The older kids can push beads onto pipecleaners. The younger two can moosh pipecleaners in their pudgy hands prior to stuffing them in their mouths.

On the blue plate are my faves, the foamy stickers. No idea what I’ll do with those. Nor the glitter (in the white box), or the metallic, 10-cm twist ties. The Christmas balls are entirely shatterproof. When you press them, they bend.

The silver doilies are going to be angels, of course.

What else?

Brainstorm with me, oh parents-of-teenies. What would you do with these things? More to the point, what would you like to see coming home from daycare with your kid?

Take as a given that I have all the accessories: scissors, hole punch, tape (masking, scotch, and duct), glue (sticks, white, and hot melt), string… I also have the standard craft supplies: construction paper in a rainbow of colours, white paper, crayons, markers, foam sheets, stickers, toilet paper tubes, envelopes, card stock… If it’s basic and I don’t have it, it’s likely only because we’ve run out, and I’m totally prepared to buy more.

Help my weary brain. What can I do with this stuff?

Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas . Collins is an ace at song history, dispensing compendiums of song backstories that are nothing if not tasty–quite a feat, given the saccharinity of popular-music commentators in general. His custom is to tell how a song came to be written and popularized, capping the resultant article with a snippet about its commercial track record, if appropriate; quite often in this book, it isn’t. Many a Christmas song peaked in popularity long before Bing Crosby or Judy Garland could have had a first-time chart-topper with them. Of course, Bing did make “Silver Bells” a hit, Judy scored with “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and Collins is fully in his element with those and other twentieth-century entrants into the Christmas canon. Not that he doesn’t tell a good tale about each of the 31 entries in this book. It’s just that, with the old songs, he can’t impart facts such as the one he drops about “Silver Bells”–to wit, as Der Bingle moaned about many other things, Hope did it first.