SANTA'S REINDEER

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December.

Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring. Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, EVERY single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a girl.

We should have known... ONLY women would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost.

Thanks to Ann.

Sooo, is the above story no more than an urban legend? Here's what About.com has to say:

Analysis: Well, look. If we're really going to let science be our guide in this matter, the first thing we have to admit is that reindeer don't fly, let alone haul a jolly fat elf around in an airborne sleigh. And if we start down that slippery slope, there's only one conclusion we can possibly reach: Santa Claus doesn't exist. That way lies madness.

LOL!

It is true that most male reindeer lose their antlers in early December, and the females lose theirs in the spring.

Image from Project Gutenburg. At the link is the complete text with illustrations of the 1862 edition of A Visit From Saint Nicholas by Clement Clark Moore, illustrated by F.O.C. Darley.

Just in case you'd want to know, I was told that I learned to recite the entire poem when I was 3 years old. I don't remember that far back, but I've known the poem ever since I can remember.

PLEASE PRAY FOR MRS MADPRIEST'S MOTHER AND FATHER

First there was this a few days ago from MadPriest:

We've just got back from an unexpected, two day visit to Norfolk, made necessary by Mrs MP's parents having a fire in their home and her mum ending up in hospital. Things were bad but not as bad as they could have been and, although it's going to take a few months, their bungalow will be cleaned, repaired and redecorated courtesy of their insurers. Some other stuff that needed sorting out also went surprisingly well.

And then today:

Having only just got back from Norfolk I received a phone call earlier today in which I was told that police had broken into my father in law's house this morning and found him lying comatose on the floor. So he is now in the same hospital as my mother in law and we are back on the road again tomorrow, travelling all the way back to Norfolk.

Pray for Mrs MadPriest and MadPriest for safe travels.

O God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers: Mercifully accept our prayers, and grant to your servants Alan and Pam the help of your power, that their sicknesses may be turned into health, and our sorrow into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A TALE FROM THE COUNTRY

Going to bed the other night, I noticed some people in my shed stealing things. I phoned the police but was told no one was in the area to help. They said they would send someone over as soon as possible.

I hung up.

A minute later I rang again: "Hello, I called you a minute ago because there were some people in my shed, but you don't have to worry now. I shot them."

Within minutes there were half a dozen police cars in the area, plus a helicopter and an armed tactical response unit. They caught the burglars red-handed.

One of the offices said: "I thought you said you'd shot them!"

To which I replied: "I thought you said there was no one available!"


Cheers,

Paul (A.)

Oh that Paul (A.)! He's baaad.

Do not try this at home!

PLEASE PRAY FOR LOLA AND KATHERINE

From Ann:

Please pray for my friend Lola -- healing from her cancer and relief from the side effects from the medications that are supposed to be killing off the cancer cells.

Lola is a rock for her church--time to be a rock for her.

Amen.

Update from Doxy:

My grandmother (Katherine) has had a stroke. I’ve just spoken with my cousin, who is with her at the hospital, but I’m waiting to hear directly from the doctor to find out how bad it is.

(She went down to Georgia for Thanksgiving with her sister, my cousin, and her family. She wasn’t feeling well before she went, but she insisted on going. Sigh.)

More later….prayers would be appreciated.

O God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers: Mercifully accept our prayers, and grant to your servants Lola and Katherine the help of your power, that their sicknesses may be turned into health, and our sorrow into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALLELUIA SING TO JESUS

Just because I wanted to sing along.

BUT WHAT IS THE QUESTION?

Is it Christmas?

Print and post in a handy location in your house for use in close encounters with young children for the next few weeks. Save your voice, and point to the sign.

Thanks to Canon Itchy.

PADRE MICKEY - A SAD END TO 12 YEARS OF MISSIONARY SERVICE

Please read Padre Mickey's A Big Honkin' Announcement post.

So, I guess I might as well finally give this news to all fifty-three of my Faithful Readers here at Padre Mickey's Dance Party, as I already announced it on Facebook and yesterday at Parroquia San Cristóbal: on Tuesday, November 22, 2011, I submitted my resignation as Rector of St. Christopher's Parish, effective December 18, 2011. I've been trying to find a position in the U.S.A. and have been unsuccessful, to say the least.
....

So, keep us in yer prayers and stuff. Personally, I find this a rather anti-climatic ending to twelve years of service as missionaries, but one never knows what God has in mind.

Padre Mickey's difficulty in finding a position in the church brings tears to my eyes. I simply can't believe that an Episcopal priest, who served sacrificially with his wife, the Lovely Mona, as missionaries in Panama for 12 years with low pay, is now having difficulty finding a job. They want to be in California, where both sets of aging parents live. Padre speaks Spanish and plays the electric bass, as you see him pictured above. Why wouldn't a number of parishes in California want to snap him up as their rector? I don't understand. Truly, I don't. I realize that not every parish considers playing the electric bass a priority, and Padre doesn't have a full head of hair, but still....

All joking aside, Padre and Mona will have no source of income once he is gone from St Christopher's in Panama, so if you'd like to help them, here's the contact information:

Nathaniel Lim
St. Francis Episcopal Church
1205 Pine Ave.
San Jose, CA 95125
408-292-7090.

Padre says:

Please feel free to check St. Francis' web site, which includes an archive of our letters and pictures of our mission.

BOROWITZ REPORTS...

Poll: 28% Think Cain Had Affair; 28% Don’t Think Cain Had Affair; 44% Having Affair with Cain Right Now

Millions of Exes Could Spell Trouble for Candidate

Read it all at The Borowitz Report.

I can't stop laughing at this gem from Andy.

LIFTING THE BAN

From the AP via The Huffington Post:

Marine Gen. James F. Amos, the face of opposition in the military to lifting the ban on gays serving openly, now acknowledges his concern has proven unfounded that repeal would undermine the war effort. In fact, he says, Marines have embraced the change.

In an Associated Press interview, Amos called the repeal in September "a non-event."

That is in contrast to his cautionary words to Congress in December 2010, shortly before President Barack Obama signed the repeal legislation. The ban was not lifted until this year to allow the Pentagon to prepare troops for the change.

"Successfully implementing repeal and assimilating openly homosexual Marines into the tightly woven fabric of our combat units has strong potential for disruption at the small unit level as it will no doubt divert leadership attention away from an almost singular focus on preparing units for combat," Amos testified. Still, he said at the time that if the law were changed, it would be faithfully followed by Marines.

He now sees no sign of disruption in the ranks – even on the front lines.

"I'm very pleased with how it has gone," Amos said during a weeklong trip that included four days in Afghanistan, where he heard nary a word of worry about gays. During give-and-take sessions with Marines serving on in Helmand province, he was asked about a range of issues, including the future of the Corps – but not one about gays.

Jim Naughton at The Lead says:

You have lived to see the day on which the commander of the U. S. Marine Corps sounds more irenic about the future of LGBT people within his organization that the Archbishop of Canterbury does about the future of LGBT people within his.

What an embarrassment! Are you embarrased? I know I am.

The Church of England and the Anglican Communion have experimented with 'Don't ask; don't tell' for ages now. Isn't the time ripe to move forward?

Note to the Archbishop of Canterbury: Tell it to the Commandant of the Marines.

CLASH OF THE TITANS OR FRIENDS MEETING?

The answer to the question in the headline is the occasion was very much friends meeting. Pictured above are Tim Chesterton and Erika Baker. The longtime online friends met in England where Tim and his wife Marci are visiting to celebrate Tim's father's 80th birthday.

My title refers to the fact that Tim and Erika enjoy engaging in debate, sometimes on the opposite side of the matter under discussion and occasionally on the same side. Although the discussions are, at times, intensely partisan, Erika and Tim always take the path of civility, and, once the discussion is over, no one is left with hard feelings. I sometimes join in their debates, but since Erika and Tim are both loaded with stamina, I usually wear out and bow out before them.

Pictured above are Erika and her wife Susan.

Above at Hampton Court is Tim's better half, Marci.

Now you've seen the quartet who did lunch. I'm sure a good time was had by all, and I'm jealous. I wish I had been there to meet Marci and Tim and to see my good friends Susan and Erika again.

The pictures are courtesy of Tim, and you must visit his blog, Faith, Folk and Charity, to see his splendid pictures of Peterborough Cathedral. They're gorgeous. Browse through Tim's other posts to see more of their photos of the places they've visited during their time in England.