Happy New Year, everyone!!!  What a bizarre 365 days 2021 proved to be, eh!  Let’s hope 2022 is more normal.  Here’s a fun video about New Year’s Celebrations from around the world.

If you have any resolutions or hopes for 2022, please do share ’em!

This evening we present a 1967 episode of The Avengers called Epic.

Your most epic tips of the past while would be most appreciated!

Tonight we enjoy the comedic stylings of John Pinette.

Your funniest tips of the past day would be much appreciated.

I’m rather fond of this rendition of The Corrs’ Breathless, performed by a group called “imy2”. The young woman, Annalise Mahanes, definitely has musical chops. Here she is singing the U.S. National Anthem without any accompaniment.

Your musical, or other tips would be much appreciated!

Ronin is a superb crime thriller which seems to have slipped below the radar of most people. I’ve seen it at least 10 times and enjoyed every viewing! Here’s a great car chase scene in it through the streets of Paris.

Your most exhilarating tips of the past day are much appreciated!

Hoping this finds you in a good state of mind, having enjoyed a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones. As this Boxing Day begins, we travel back to simpler times and enjoy these commercials from the 1940’s.

Feel free to leave some tips or just share how you spent your Christmas and what the main topics of conversation were.

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

In the spirit of Henry Livingston’s famous poem, this evening we learn how to build a sleigh.  And from our families here at SDA to yours, we heartily wish you all a Very Merry Christmas!

Don’t worry about sharing any tips this weekend.  Instead, paint a word picture of how you are are enjoying this special time of the year!

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

In the spirit of Henry Livingston’s famous poem, this evening we get tips about how to stuff stockings for men and also how to prevent our chimneys from smoking.

Your tips of the past day are much appreciated!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

In the spirit of Henry Livingston’s famous poem, this evening we present a sit down rendition of Jolly Old Elf and also learn how to smile with our eyes.

Your tips of the past day are much appreciated!

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.

In the spirit of Henry Livingston’s famous poem, this evening we learn how to smoke a pipe and something about sculpting one’s side belly (after all you eat this Christmas season).

Your tips of the past day are much appreciated!

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;

In the spirit of Henry Livingston’s famous poem, this evening we learn how to make chocolate cherry cake & cherry Gluhwein.  Plus, we learn how men can tinker with the appearance of their beards.

Your tips of the past day are much appreciated!

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.

In the spirit of Henry Livingston’s famous poem, this evening we learn what fur fashions were like in 1963 and a short clip about toymakers from Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

Your tips of the past day are much appreciated!

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

In the spirit of Henry Livingston’s famous poem, this evening we learn about what not to do when being a roofer and a scientific experiment that proves how Santa can slide down a chimney.

Your tips of the past day are much appreciated!

As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the housetop the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too–

In the spirit of Henry LIvingston’s famous poem, this evening we learn more about coursers and what it might be like from Santa’s POV.

Your tips of the past day are much appreciated!

Stop the presses! Insert record screech here. A controversy has erupted here in Reader Tips, Christmas edition!

SDA follower Anita has brought to Kate’s attention that Clement Clarke Moore may not be the actual author of the poem I’ve been quoting from. The actual author may very well be Henry Livingston! Apparently, in this book, Don Foster makes a solid argument in favour of Livingston being the actual author of the poem.

So . . .

“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”

In the spirit of Henry Livingston or Clement Clarke Moore’s famous poem, this evening we learn more about reindeer and enjoy this classic song by Gene Autry.

Your tips of the past day are much appreciated!

With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

In the spirit of Clement Clarke Moore’s famous poem, this evening we present you the true story of St. Nicholas, plus Doris Day’s rendition of Ol’ Saint Nicholas.

Your tips of the past day are much appreciated!

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer,

In the spirit of Clement Clarke Moore’s famous poem, this evening we present you with a video showing flying reindeer and then another that teaches you how to draw them.

Your tips of the past day are much appreciated!

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

In the spirit of Clement Clarke Moore’s famous poem, this evening we present you with several ideas on how to decorate your windows in the Christmas spirit.

Your tips of the past day are much appreciated!

The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,

In the spirit of Clement Clarke Moore’s famous poem, tonight we learn how to make sugar plums.

Your tips of the past day are much appreciated!