by Jane Neal on December 5th, 2008
This is my time. Yuletide. Noel. The Holiday Season. Long, long ago, I adopted this time as mine. I live, eat, drink, breathe, hear, watch and wear this time. I enter it early and eagerly, and exit it reluctantly. I give it much thought. It gives me much joy. There’s not enough time in this time. I never waste this time.
1 Do you have any traditions (personal or shared) for the holidays without which, the holidays would not seem right?
2 There are lots of local holiday shows coming up: Central Wisconsin School of Ballet’s Nutcracker, Wausau Community Theatre’s A Christmas Carol, Wausau Lyric Choir’s Messiah. Do you partake of holiday shows? Are you in any?
3 Do you listen to holiday tunes or despise them? What are the greatest and worst holiday tunes ever? (I love holiday music, secular and non, but I truly wish never to hear The Waitresses’ “Holiday Wrapping,” or Elmo & Patsy’s “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer,” again. “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas,” makes me smile and I am often moved by a well-done version of “O Holy Night,” but the more obscure “The Holy and the Ivy,” is probably my fave.
4 It’s probably true that there’s no such thing as a bad baseball movie, but how about holiday movies? What do you consider notable faves or flops? I love the classics — It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street (the first one), A Christmas Carol (1951 version is best), but am most partial to The Bishop’s Wife.
5 What’s your most treasured holiday memory?
6 What is your “Rosebud”?
by Andy Laub on December 4th, 2008
Citizen Wausau is proud to announce Citizen Wausau Loves…, a collection of items that we at CW can’t get enough of. CW♥ is a partnership with Amazon.com, which means that purchases are still through Amazon directly, but Citizen Wausau will receive a tiny bit of each purchase. It’s an easy way to help keep us going, all by doing what you were already doing!
And even if you don’t see anything there that interests you, you can use this link to shop on the main Amazon.com site while still using our referral code.
Thanks, and happy shopping!
by Cheryl Mathis on December 3rd, 2008
Almost every morning, I spend a good deal of time on my laptop. I check my email, write something nice to my mom, start plurking, and read all of the updated local blogs on my list. I don’t “twitter” every single blog that updates, but nearly all of them. If you don’t have time to check out all of the links I find for you every day, here’s your alternative. Blogs You Should Know will let you know the best blog posts from the last few days.
Dr Rent thinks the speed trailer on Franklin St is poorly placed.
I have a hard time finding sympathy for people who speed in residential zones, but even I agree with him on the “going uphill” struggle. But again…. Please don’t speed in residential areas. Children make stupid decisions sometimes… like running out between parked cars. Be prepared for the unexpected, and it’s impossible to do that if you are going 40 in a 25.
Jayna Hintz at Woodson Wanderings has lots of little moments of joy in her life at work.
I had joy when I pulled the brownies out of the oven and when my daughter squealed at the Christmas lights. Later on, I had a laughter party with my kids while we were driving to the store. Laughter for the sake of noise, followed by a myriad peal of giggles and guffaws at the silliness of our laughter.
It reminds me of random acts of kindness and the thrill that gives. One year, I felt bad for a bell ringer outside of Fleet Farm on a night when it was near or below zero. I brought him a hot chocolate from McDonalds. I felt like I had won the lottery. So it is when you pull out bits of joy from the tapestry of your day.
Ann Liebmann shares a couple of her fallback recipes.
Once again, I feel stymied by my limited pantry. Someday I’ll have the funds to keep sun-dried tomato pesto in my cupboard. My fallback recipes usually include cream of mushroom soup and noodles. Let’s also not forget the constant “surprise” of scrambled eggs and hashbrowns on my dinner table more than once a week.
Do you have fallback recipes? My mom makes a concoction she calls American spaghetti. Or chipped beef on toast. Or a chicken casserole. Or a beef stew. Some days, it’s as basic as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with our house.
Katie Rosenberg gives a melange of political tales, from a hunting Joe McCarthy to a pithy ad campaign.
The grandma story is my favorite. I think I’d spit out my cranberry sauce if my relative started spouting off memories like those.
It reminds me of some of my favorite college professors who would go on tangents about random events in their lives. All of a sudden they are name-dropping or describing something really spectacular. I’m left stunned and a little depressed at the ordinary-ness of my own life sometimes.
MsMamma transforms an innocent-looking child into a flying monkey.
Adorable… and more than a little creepy. A must-see photo again from this first-class photographer and blogger. Flying monkeys are cute, but come on. That’s scary! I love her photos, though. You should really add MsMamma to your blog reader.
428CJ describes the result of an ethics study of today’s teenagers.
Hmmm. It leads into fuzzy territory. I’m relatively certain I never cheated on a test in high school, but I lied to my parents lots. Stealing is absolutely wrong, cheating is abhorrent. Lying is unfortunate in the best of times.
What are you opinions on these issues? Where do you fall on the ethical fence?
Growing up, my cardinal rule was that I shouldn’t do anything I could get in trouble for. Add hormones and teenage drama to the mix, and that cardinal rule only held in certain academic situations, but it’s still something that comes back to me. The still small voice.
Chris Conley rebuts Mercutio’s diatribe against WSAU’s programming choices.
If you want an alternative to NPR, you listen to conservative talk radio. I personally love Catholic radio. It’s a delicious palate cleanser. I listened to a lot of Rush Limbaugh growing up in my parents’ house, and I still turn him on once in a while. Maybe it’s a matter of knowing what the opposition is talking about.
Keith U thinks that bike booties are the bestest things ever.
They certainly are … um … cute. But whatever works. Those serial-killer full face masks are also ridiculous looking, but so necessary. I enjoyed a lot of winter activities a lot more after I got one in high school. I don’t have one now because I fear it would frighten my children.
Speaking of which, I saw the dear bird girl walking down the street this morning, and she was wearing one of those face masks. See? It’s not just downhill skiers, and there is very little excuse for not walking when it’s cold outside.
by Lisa Shilts on December 2nd, 2008
I may be a few days late – as the big shopping weekend has come and gone – but I would like to mention the “Buy Local” campaign that City Pages has been promoting the past few weeks. Having worked on this for the past month, I am very excited about reminding everyone about the huge impact we can have on our local economy.
Although the idea came from a national organization that City Pages is a part of, the idea of spending money at independent, locally owned stores is a simple one that is growing.
When spending your money at a big box chain store, some of the money does stay in the community. However, the percentage of money spent that stays in the community is so much more if spent at a locally owned retailer.
Here are some of the ideas I would promote that we all think about during the holiday season, and throughout the rest of the year. And let’s not confuse “Buying Local” with shopping only downtown, as one person I spoke with believed. There are downtown shops that have lead the way for years, such as Evolutions and Janke’s.
But gift shops are abundant in our area, from Ambiance and LPG in Mosinee, up to Gifted Sisters, Treasure Mill, or the String Bead. Two of the best places to shop for gifts are All About Art on 3rd Avenue, and the CVA downtown – filled with jewelry, pottery, scarves, woodworking as well as watercolors, photography and other art.
Most of the jewelers in town are independent – except for the chain stores in the mall.
Speaking of the mall, there are a few independently owned stores, such as Packerland Plus – are there others?
I admit there are some items I feel I had to buy at a chain store because they weren’t available at independent retailers – a digital camera, or career clothes for my college age son – gotta go to Penney’s!
When Christmas is over, I challenge you to continue to buy local. Getting your hair cut – local or chain? And if you need a snow blower, Grebe’s or Menards? (and I’ll tell you that Grebe’s delivers for free – with a full tank of gas! When ours needed a slight repair and was still under warranty, Grebe’s came to my garage and fixed the snow blower for free! Remember that when you feel like you need might get a better deal at a box store). For light bulbs and other hardware, Home Depot or the locally owned ACE Hardware in Weston. (Is Charlie’s Hardware in Mosinee locally owned?)
Needing a picture framed? I challenge you to check out Cheryl’s Framing or Wausau Art & Framing (just re-opened last week under new owners) or Picture Perfect at Cedar Creek; I know you think you’re getting a great deal with that 50% off coupon for Michael’s – but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised if you give an independent framing shop a chance.
I encourage each of you to let us know other local stores you would like us to visit.
And if you go to www.thecitypages.com/pledge and pledge to spend at least $100 locally this season, you will be in a drawing for almost $2,000 in gift certificates that area merchants have donated. You must enter by Wed. Dec. 3. BUY LOCAL!
by Dino Corvino on December 1st, 2008
The Commission for a Greener Tomorrow has been kind enough to provide us with the agenda for their upcoming meeting on December 8, 2008 as well as their minutes from their last meeting. I encourage all of you to get involved if you feel you could make a useful contribution to this team of noble citizens.
December Agenda
November Minutes
