It’s getting closer to Christmas. Menus are being planned, last minute gifts purchased, people getting ready to travel back home, etc.. It’s easy to get lost in the chaos. As Bob Dylan said, “Chaos is a friend of mine”. I’m going to approach the count down that way. I’m going to enjoy it. Who knows how many of them I have left? Christmas is still in the future and I’m in December 19, 2019. It’s Holly Day, Evergreen Day, National Oatmeal Muffin Day, National Hard Candy Day and National Re-gifting Day. The choice is obvious: Oatmeal Muffins which I would make and eat if I wasn’t doing the low carb thing. Onto the history of this date: in 1686 Robinson Crusoe leaves his island after 28 years. At the time the book was published, many thought he was a real person who was marooned on an island off the coast of Venezuela. In 1732 Benjamin Franklin under the name Richard Saunders begins publication of “Poor Richard’s Almanack”. In 1843 “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens is published and 6,000 copies sold. A first edition is worth several thousand dollars today. In 1917 on this date, the 1st NHL game played on artificial ice in Toronto. in 1922 Theresa Vaughn, 24, confesses in court in Sheffield, England, to being married 61 times over 5 years in 50 cities in three countries. Wow. There’s only 60 months in 5 years. Finally, in 1950 on this date the Dali Lama fled Tibet ahead of the Chinese invasion. This historical fact gives me the opportunity to finish this post with a few quotes by the Dali Lama: “The purpose of our lives is to be happy”. “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” And “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible”. Seems like a good way to end this post and start my day. Be happy, be compassionate, be kind and Abide.
