Thursday, December 24, 2020
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Volume 67 | Number 17
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CELEBRATING THE RESIDENTIAL PARK COMMUNITIES AND DESERT AREA FOR 65 YEARS
Virtually celebrate the holidays with friends and family
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he 2020 holiday season figures to be vastly different than seasons past. The novel coronavirus COVID-19 has transformed daily life in many ways. The public has become accustomed to wearing masks while shopping, limiting the number of people in public venues and keeping their distance from friends and loved ones. Many events have been reimagined as virtual celebrations because of social distancing protocols. For those with large families or people with inherent risk factors that make them more susceptible to illness, sharing the holidays over video conferencing apps may be the safest way to go in 2020. The following tips can help holiday hosts make the most of a virtual holiday experience. Pick a bright, festive spot Set up your tablet, smartphone or computer in a bright area with a festive backdrop. You’ll want others who join the virtual hangout to be able to see you clearly. A Christmas tree or a decorated fireplace in the background can set the scene. Choose the right conferencing app Certain programs may work better than others depending on your
Tune into virtual worship While some places of worship have reopened to some capacity, others may still be offering hybrid services. If your place of worship offers services via YouTube or another video platform, gather around and watch together and participate just as if you were there in person. Better yet, share the link with other family and friends so they can tune in as well. needs. For example, if everyone has the same operating system platform (iOS or Android), you may be able to use an app inherent to that system, which won’t require a separate download or login. Apps also may be chosen depending on how many people can be invited in, as some set limits. Do your homework and conduct a test run prior to the holidays. Keep props nearby If the goal is to open gifts virtually, be sure to have everyone gathered and gifts nearby so no one is scrambling in and out of view. Position the camera at eye level Try to set up the camera so you’re not looking up or down. Practice looking straight into the camera instead of at yourself in the minimized window or even others on the screen. This way you’ll appear engaged.
ics of Turkey,” Rudolph’s red nose is probably the result of a parasitic infection of his respiratory system.
• Snakes can help predict earthquakes. They can sense a coming earthquake from 75 miles away, up to five days before it happens. • According to Roger Highfield, author of “The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynam-
• The original game of Clue, patented in 1947 by a British man who invented it to pass time during World War II air-raid blackouts, included a lead pipe token made of real lead (it was eventually replaced by steel, then pewter). The original version also included slightly more exotic weapons like a hypodermic syringe and an Irish walking stick.
Use mute when not speaking Muting yourself (and encouraging others to do the same) when you are not speaking will limit the amount of background noise. As the host, serve as the moderator and encourage everyone to speak one at a time. Choose a visual cue to signal when someone has the floor to speak, such as raising a hand or even showing a festive picture. Share dinner ‘together’ Set up your camera source so it captures the holiday table. All parties gathering virtually can then sit down to the holiday meal as one and enjoy one of the season’s more endearing traditions. Virtual celebrations may continue through the holiday season. Adapting with some video conferencing tips can ensure everyone enjoys the festivities.
• Your tonsils can grow back if there was tissue left behind during the removal process. • There are no muscles in your fingers. Their function is controlled by the muscles in your palms and arms. • There’s a town called “Big Ugly” in West Virginia. • Pure cocoa can help prevent tooth decay. (c) 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
In This Issue
Senior News.........................................2 Why is Christmas Red & Green?............3 Drive-In Christmas Eve Service............5 Christmas caroling Origins....................8
1. MOVIES: In how many movies did Sean Connery play the character James Bond? 2. ADVERTISING SLOGANS: What product is touted as “the fabric of our lives”? 3. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: How many laps do drivers have to complete in the Indianapolis 500 race? 4. HISTORY: How many Pyramids of Giza (Eqypt) were constructed? 5. MUSIC: Which pop song repeats the chorus, “Why can’t you see? You belong with me”? 6. LITERATURE: What kind of novel is written in a series of letters? 7. MEASUREMENTS: How many cups are in 1 pint? 8. MYTHOLOGY: What is the home of the Greek gods? 9. ANATOMY: How much of the adult human body is made up of water? 10. GEOGRAPHY: What is the most densely populated continent on Earth? © 2020 King Features Synd., Inc. ANSWER TO TRIVIA ON PAGE 6
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Staff Cindy Melland Publisher Kimberly Brucks Advertising Manager KBrucks@desertentertainer.com
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Serving 110 Mobile Manufactured Home and RV Parks in the Coachella, Morongo and Yucca Valley for 65 years. The Mobile Home News is a household tradition for the 55+ manufactured home park and RV Park population. Available at clubhouses and racks in manufactured home parks. Also available in many area businesses and senior centers. Businesses or private parties interested in advertising to the 55+ community please call 760-365-3315. Published Thursdays by Hi-Desert Publishing Company. News, photos or editorial submissions or story ideas should be sent to news@desertmobilehomenews.com All delivery issues should be directed to Ahkto Distribution at distribution@ahkto.com or call 760-459-4204
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Where do you want your fitness level to be a year from now? To get to that point, we need to take the first step. For most of us, that’s going to mean exercising at home. Here are some resources: Sit and Be Fit (www.sitandbefit. org) can be found on your PBS station (if it’s not, call the station and ask for it) and on the internet on YouTube. All Sit and Be Fit exercises are done sitting in a chair. SilverSneakers (silversneakers.com), sometimes covered by Medicare plans, holds classes in gyms across the country, but at this point few people are going to gyms. Do a location search and find a facility near you. Ask
whether they have video or online classes and see whether your Medicare plan covers it. Look for “Growing Stronger,” the free 126-page strength-training book for seniors, on the website cdc.gov. Follow the suggested timeline, starting with reading the book and setting goals. Leave a message for your doctor and ask if it’s OK for you to start this or any program, especially if you have heart, bone or blood pressure conditions. Remember what being physically fit can do for us: reduce our risk of falls, maintain independence, build strength and keep bones strong. That’s a goal worth striving for. (c) 2020 King Features Synd., Inc
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Why are Christmas colors red and green?
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ANSWER ON PAGE 6
any people may not get in the holiday spirit without decorations and all the trimmings. Chances are strong that if you have containers full of items just waiting to see the light of day again this holiday season, those items are red or green or some combination thereof. Red and green have become the traditional colors of Christmas, just as blue and white symbolizes Chanukah. But how did this color palette come to evolve? Just like many traditions of Christmas, the red and green scheme has origins that pre-date the Christian celebration. Christmas has borrowed from many of the customs of winter solstice celebrations of ancient peoples, including the Celts. Ancient Celtic people revered holly plants, believing they brought beauty and good fortune in the middle of winter — a time when the landscape is normally bleak and holly plants thrive and stand out. Celts would regularly bring in sprigs of holly and decorate their homes with the plants, which feature shiny, serrated leaves and bright, red berries, as a way to guarantee a prosperous new year. Holly also came to be associated with the crown of thorns Jesus Christ was forced to wear during his crucifixion. The custom of using red and green continued into the 14th century. Dr. Spike Bucklow, a research scientist at the University of Cambridge, says red and green also were used to paint medieval rood screens, which were partitions installed in churches to separate the congregation from the priest and altar. Dr. Bucklow notes that Victorians also extended the association of these colors as a physical boundary to another boundary: the marking of the end of the old year and the
beginning of a new one at Christmastime. While red and green had associations with Christmas in early times through holly and other sources, the connection was perhaps best solidified thanks to a man named Haddon Sundblom. Sundblom was an artist commissioned in 1931 by the Coca-Cola company to create an image of Santa Claus for the company’s upcoming holiday ads. Until this point, versions of Santa were rarely consistent, with his clothing vacillating between green, blue and red. He also wasn’t the plump, jolly fellow associated with Christmas as we know him today, but rather thin and elflike. Sundblom portrayed him as a chubby man wearing red robes, likely as a nod to Coca-Cola’s own red logo, even though the company denies the connection. Santa was featured in front of a green background. The ads proved popular and Sundblom’s Santa became the preferred depiction. Santa’s red robes perfectly complemented the green background and other green components of the holiday, such as Christmas trees and holly, that already had been solidified as Christmas imagery. Color plays a strong role in creating Christmas nostalgia. Red and green are put on vivid display throughout the season.
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CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1. Partner to “oohed” 6. Relaxing places 10. Humorous monologue 14. Simple elegance 15. Bearable 17. Disobedience 19. Express delight 20. Gov’t attorneys 21. Wake up 22. A type of band 23. Remain as is 24. Turfs 26. Battle-ax 29. Volcanic crater 31. The mother of Jesus 32. One’s life history 34. “Rule, Britannia” composer
ANSWER TO PUZZLE ON PAGE 6 35. Doubles 59. Greek war god 60. 2,000 lbs. 37. Jacob __, 61. Helps escape American journalist 38. House pet DOWN 39. S. African river 1. Currency 40. Broad sashes exchange charge 41. Establish as a 2. River in Tuscany foundation 3. Breakfast dish 43. KGB double agent Aldrich __ 4. Defunct European 45. Part of a book currency 46. Taxi 5. Upper class 47. Pancakes made young woman from buckwheat 6. Part of a purse flour 7. Self-contained 49. Train group units (abbr.) 8. Boxing’s GOAT 50. Frames per 9. Legislators second 10. Flightless birds 53. Have surgery 11. U. of Miami’s 57. Formal mascot is one withdrawal from 12. Floating ice a federation 58. Guitarist sounds 13. Low, marshy land
16. Seldom 18. Lyric poems 22. Law enforcement agency (abbr.) 23. Full extent of something 24. __ Claus 25. Naturally occurring solid material 27. Acquired brain injury behavior science (abbr.) 28. Thirteen 29. Partner to cheese 30. Member of a Semitic people 31. One thousandth of an inch 33. Former CIA 35. Most lemony 36. Engage in 37. Small Eurasian deer 39. Provisions 42. All humans have them 43. Swiss river 44. Storage term (abbr.) 46. Famed Broadway lyricist Sammy 47. Dutch colonist 48. Full-grown pike fish 49. Egyptian sun god 50. Flute 51. Flew off! 52. Scottish tax 53. Young women’s association 54. Populous Brazilian city 55. Malaysian Isthmus 56. Pointed end of a pen
SUDOKU
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crisper drawer. Some items need to be stored separately. For example, keep apples and carrots in different compartments. The apples give off a gas that can give the carrots a bitter taste.
• Candles will burn more evenly if you refrigerate them for a few hours before lighting. • “I have drafty windows. I took a plastic shower curtain and cut it to fit the windows. Then I secured it with tape. It’s worked well to keep out the drafts, and I just remove it once a week and clean the windows with vinegar to discourage any mold from growing. It will work until next spring, anyway.” — P.S. in Michigan • There is a reason that most refrigerators have more than one
• A great tip from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars. They can be injured or even killed by the starting of the motor. Before you start your car in the morning (or any time of day, really) give your hood a nice loud rap to give the cat a chance to escape. • Mix some salt with a little bit of water and rub the mixture over your hands for a few minutes to get rid of the smell of garlic or onions from cooking. Rinse under cold water.” — J.J. in Nevada (c) 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
The ‘hug bubble’ COVID-19 is particularly frustrating for those whose loved ones are in care facilities; safe distancing while wearing facemasks when visiting them is not the same as a good cuddle. Leave it to the French to find a way overcome such an emotional challenge, says the Association of Mature American Citizens. At least one patient care facility there is using what it calls the “hug bubble” to allow visitors to hug and even kiss their confined family member. They walk into an inflatable plastic tunnel where the resident is behind a hermetically
sealed plastic sheet, put their arms through built in plastic sleeves and embrace. They are even able to safely give each other kisses. The Association of Mature American Citizens [www.amac.us] provides the Filler Files as a service on issues of concern to Americans over 50.
ANSWER TO SUDOKU ON PAGE6
Brain Teaser
I come with many colors, so beautiful and bright, I turn so many houses into a beautiful sight. What am I? See Answer on page 6
ANSWER ON PAGE 6
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Bloom in the Desert Ministries to host community drive-in Christmas Eve service
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oin Bloom In The Desert Ministries United Church Of Christ and the Palm Springs Cultural Center (PSCC) Thursday, December 24 at 7 p.m. for a “Community Drive-In Christmas Eve Service” with social distancing and mandatory mask wearing. In a drive-in style evening of virtual celebration and worship this unique experience is open to people of all faiths and congregations. This faith filled community gathering will showcase some of the most recognizable and revered local musicians, familiar carols, Bible stories, and the luminaria display, which will fill everyone with joy this holiday season. “On past Christmas Eve’s, our congregation typically set out luminaria to connect with the holiday tradition shared around the world. This year, our social action and missions ministry group will place at the Palm Springs Cultural Center more than 650 luminaria representing the children who
were separated at the U.S. southern border from their parents. We hope this display will be a reminder for us to honor them and recognize the strife of all children who are suffering around the world,” said Rev. Dr. Kevin A. Johnson. A joint collaboration between Bloom in the Desert Ministries UCC and the Palm Springs Cultural Center requires registration as this FREE evening of glorious song and worship has limited vehicle availability. Donations of all sizes are welcome on a freewill basis and are gratefully accepted. This socially distanced, masked and nostalgic event will be held at the PSCC, 2300 East Baristo Road, Palm Springs with the drive-in lot opening at 5:30p.m. with Christmas Eve service beginning at 7 p.m. To register for the drive-in service visit eventbrite.com/e/drive-in-freecommunity-christmas-eve-servicetickets-130304539385
Did you know?
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hristmas Day is the most popular day to get engaged. According to the 2020 WeddingWire Newlywed Report, more couples who were married in 2019 got engaged on Christmas Day than any other day during the year. Christmas Eve was the second most popular day to pop the question, while the Sunday before Christmas Eve came in fourth (New Year’s Day rounded out the top three). The appeal of Christmastime proposals helped make December the most popu-
lar month to get engaged, as more than 19 percent of couples who married in 2019 got engaged in the final month of the year. July proved the second most popular month to pop the question, as 9 percent of couples who wed in 2019 reported getting engaged in July. Tradition still has a place in wedding proposals, as 84 percent of proposers reported asking on bended knee, while 65 percent acknowledged asking parents’ permission prior to popping the question.
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WordSearch Answer
CryptoQuote Answer
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December 24, 2020
Crossword Answer
Lately, the farmer is worrying a lot more often. He has many growing concerns.
Stickelers Answer
Inspirational Quote ““Want to keep Christ in Christmas? Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies, and do unto others as you would have done unto you.”
Sudoku Answer
Steve Maraboli
Go Figure Answer
Trivia Answers 1. Seven 2. Cotton 3. 200 4. Three 5. “You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift
6. Epistolary 7. 2 cups 8. Olympus 9. About 60% 10. Asia
Hitori Answer (c) 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
Brain Teaser Answer Christmas lights.
“Unbanked” Veterans They call them “the unbanked,” people who don’t use banks for any reason. At this point there are 250,000 veterans without bank accounts. Without one, they can receive their benefits only through a prepaid debit card or a paper check. Last year, the Department of Veterans Affairs established the Veterans Benefits Banking Program, and 25,000 veterans so far have signed up, mostly because of the convenience, safety and
money-saving aspects. Having a bank account can save you a trip to the convenience store to buy a money order ... as well as the fee to pay for it. Just sit at home and write a check at your leisure. Pop it in the mail and off it goes. Once a bank knows you for a little while, you’ll be in a better position to apply for a loan or a credit card. If you sign up for automatic deposit at one of the VBBP financial institutions, your benefits won’t have to get to you in the mail. You won’t have to pay check-cashing fees either. And paying a bill by check is proof that you paid it. Go online to the VA site veteransbenefitsbanking.org/ and click on Find A Bank/Credit Union. Scroll down and see what
looks good and fits your needs. Maybe you have a special affinity to a certain bank or credit union because of where you served. You’ll find Kirtland Federal, Fort Hood National, Andrews Federal and dozens more. (A small plug here: I’ve done business with USAA for many years, as did my father, and they’ve always treated me well, through loans, credit card accounts, auto insurance and more.) Click around the site for more information. Once you have a bank account (be sure to tell them about VBBP when you sign up), you’ll want direct deposit of your benefits. To arrange that, call 800-827-1000 Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST. (c) 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
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The origins of Christmas caroling
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he festive nature of the holiday season makes it an ideal time to sing, especially in groups. Perhaps it’s no surprise then that caroling, a tradition that dates back many centuries, ultimately collided with Christmas. Caroling and Christmas caroling are two different things. According to History.org, the origins of modern Christmas caroling can be traced to wassailing, a term that has evolved for more than a millenium. What started as a simple greeting gradually became part of a toast made during ritualized drinking. Time magazine notes that the word “wassail,” which appeared in English literature as early as the eighth century, eventually came to mean the wishing of good fortune on one’s neighbors, though no one can say for certain when this particular development occurred. During medieval times, farmers in certain parts of Britain would drink a beverage to toast the health of their crops and encourage the fertility of their animals. By 1600, farmers in some parts of Britain were still engaging in this ritual, and some were by now taking a wassail bowl filled with a toasting
beverage around the streets. These wassailers would stop by neighboring homes and offer a warm drink, all the while wishing good fortune on their neighbors. During this period, wassailing had nothing to do with Christmas, but that began to change in Victorian England, when Christmas became more commercialized and popular. It was during this time when publishers began circulating carols, forever linking the tradition of wassailing with Christmas. Christmas caroling as Victorian Englanders knew it might have fallen by the wayside. But while carolers may no longer go doorto-door singing Christmas songs and wishing their neighbors good fortune, those intent on seeing the modern manifestation of this tradition that dates back more than a millenium may be able to find some carolers at their local mall or church.
Come fly with me From the folks who gave us the coronavirus comes a suggestion on how commercial flight crews can avoid getting infected while on the job. The Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] reports that the Chinese civil aviation authorities have issued this precautionary directive: “It is recommended that cabin crew
members wear disposable diapers and avoid using the lavatories barring special circumstances to avoid infection risks.” The Association of Mature American Citizens [www.amac.us] provides the Filler Files as a service on issues of concern to Americans over 50.
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