of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #46 Nov. 13th 2017
of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #53 Dec. 28th 2020
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TIDBITS® PLAYS NAME THAT GAME
by Janet Spencer Come along with Tidbits as we learn about how our favorite games were invented! • A SWEET LITTLE GAME • In 1948 a retired school teacher named Eleanor Abbott came down with polio. While she recovered in the hospital, she passed the time with the children in her ward, and designed a game for them to play. • It was a simple, colorful board game that required no reading. Children as young as three could play. All that’s required is the ability to follow a rainbow path by matching colors on cards drawn from the pile. Everyone encouraged her to take the game to Milton Bradley. She did, presenting a rough outline of the game drawn on butcher paper. • Milton Bradley decided to produce it on a temporary basis. They sold it for $1, using the slogan, ‘A sweet little game, for sweet little folks’, and it featured peppermint candy canes on the front of the box. The game quickly took off and became a permanent fixture at Milton Bradley. • Eleanor donated her royalties back to the children, buying equipment for schools. More than 40 million copies of the game have been sold since this “temporary” game was released. About 90% of American homes own a copy. Name it. Answer: Candy Land. (cont)
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TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #53 Dec. 28th 2020
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Evelyn Bevacqua Howe 212. W. Ironwood Dr., Suite D,# 224, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814 Cell: 208.755.9120 Email: Tidbitscda@gmail.com www.tidbitscda.com Facebook/tidbitscda
CRISS-CROSS WORDS • Alfred Butts was an architect who lost his job during the Great Depression. Attempting to make ends meet, he invented a board game, a process that involved studying the daily papers and carefully tracking the number of times each letter of the alphabet was used. He dubbed the resulting game “Lexico” and took it to all of the major game manufacturers, who all turned him down. • Butts revised the game, re-named it “CrissCross Words” and continued his search for a buyer, until he met up with game lover and entrepreneur James Brunot. James bought all rights to the game, giving Butts a royalty on each unit sold. James changed the game a bit more and gave it yet another name, a word meaning to scratch or scrape. • In 1949 while working out of a factory set up in an abandoned schoolhouse, James sold only 2,400 sets and lost money. Then the chairman of Macy’s department store played it while on vacation and liked it so much he ordered every Macy’s in the country to stock it. Orders flooded in. By 1954 James and his new company sold over 3.8 million sets. • Today one out of every four homes in America has one of these games. Alfred Butts died in 1993 at the age of 93 after seeing his invention become a beloved pastime. Name the game. Answer: Scrabble. DICEY DICE • In the 1950s a Canadian couple played a dice game regularly aboard their yacht. They called it “the yacht game” since they played it so often while at sea. The object of the game was to score the most points by rolling five dice to try to make a total of 13 different combinations, essentially trying to roll poker hands of a full house, a large straight, four of a kind, etc. All of their friends wanted copies of the game. (cont)
• 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 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. • 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. • “To keep melting snow, mud and leaves out of your house and off of your floors, line a wide, shallow box bottom with plastic wrap or a kitchen-size garbage bag. Place the lined box near the front door to hold dirty shoes.” -- R.I. in Ohio • 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 Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. (c) 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #53 Dec. 28th 2020 DICEY DICE (cont) • The Canadian couple approached Edwin Lowe, who had made a fortune by selling boxed Bingo game sets. They asked him if he could produce some copies of their game so they could hand them out to friends. Lowe liked the game so much that he agreed to give them a thousand copies of the game in exchange for all rights. He incorporated the game’s nautical background into the name and he began to market it. • Things went slowly at first, until he began to organize parties where the game was played. Word of mouth did the trick, and soon the game was selling well. He sold over 40 million sets around the world. Milton Bradley bought the game from Edwin Lowe in 1973, and this popular dice game has been a favorite ever since, selling about 50 million sets annually. Name it. Answer: Yahtzee. COLORFUL DOTS • In the 1960s the Johnson Shoe Polish company was looking for promotional ideas. They wanted to run ads in newspapers and comic books with coupons that people would clip out and send in along with $1 in order to get a free prize, but they needed a good idea for a prize, so they approached a promotional design company for help. The firm came up with the idea for a new game: the game board was a large sheet of plastic with big colored dots, which was laid on the floor, a spinner dial dictated the moves around the game board, and the game pieces were the bodies of the players themselves. They named the game “Pretzel.” When employees of the firm tested it out, it was so much fun that everyone dissolved into hysterical laughter. (cont)
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® of Idaho TIDBITS of Kootenai Issue #53 Dec. 28th 2020 TidbitsCounty, Dallas County COLORFUL DOTS (cont) • That all changed when Johnny Carson played the game on “The Tonight Show” in 1966, along with Eva Gabor, who was the star of the popular show “Green Acres.” It didn’t hurt that Eva was wearing a low-cut gown and the game involved lots of bending. The next day, toy stores all over the nation were flooded with requests. Three million sold by the end of that year, and it still remains one of the most popular party games in America. What’s it called? Answer: Twister. TOWERING TOWER • Leslie Scott spent much of her childhood in Africa. She and the other children played a simple game using wooden blocks. They would build a tower out of the blocks, then take turns pulling blocks out of the bottom of the tower and placing them on top, without tipping the tower over. • When Leslie went to England to attend college at Oxford University in the 1980s, she brought the game with her. Her classmates enjoyed playing it, and urged her to begin selling the game. She copyrighted the rules, and named the game for the Swahili word meaning “build it.” • An American entrepreneur named Robert Grebler discovered the game in England and began importing it to the U.S. He drew much attention to it by organizing fund-raising tournaments. He even holds the world record with a tower 41 blocks tall. • In 1987 Milton Bradley picked up the rights to the game and began selling it all over the world. In Israel the game is called “Mapolet” which is Hebrew for avalanche; the Danish name for it is “Klodsmajor” meaning klutz; in Brazil it’s called “Torremoto” meaning earthquake tower, but in the U.S. it still carries Leslie’s original Swahili name meaning ‘build it’. What’s it called? Answer: Jenga. •
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TRANGE BUT TRUE By Lucie Winborne • Snakes can help predict earthquakes. They can sense a coming earthquake from 75 miles away, up to five days before it happens. • Pure cocoa can help prevent tooth decay. • According to Roger Highfield, author of “The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynamics of Turkey,” Rudolph’s red nose is probably the result of a parasitic infection of his respiratory system. • 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. • There are no muscles in your fingers. Their function is controlled by the muscles in your palms and arms. • No one ever called “The Lion King” a documentary, but one hyena researcher was so incensed by the film’s inaccuracies that he sued Disney for defamation on behalf of hyenas everywhere. • The Eiffel Tower was originally supposed to be erected in Barcelona, but the project was rejected because citizens considered it an eyesore. • * It’s illegal in New Zealand to name your child Sex Fruit, Fat Boy, 4Real, Cinderella Beauty Blossom, or Fish and Chips. • If you could use your nose in space, you’d discover it smells like a mixture of hot metal, diesel fumes and barbecue, thanks to compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that emanate from dying stars.
Thought for the Day:
“Not only must we be good, but we must also be good for something.” -- Henry David Thoreau (c) 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue 505-0674 #53 Dec. 28th 2020 For Advertising Call (334)
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TIDBITS ofTidbits Kootenai® County, Idaho Issue #53 Dec. 28th 2020 of Dallas County
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By Dr. Holly Carling
ELIMINATE THE FATNESS OF THE HOLIDAYS
If you’re one of the average Americans that consumed nearly 7000 calories on Christmas Day, or consumed excess calories during the holidays in general, you are probably anxious to get that excess paunch off. If you were fairly good during the holidays, but are confused about why you have excess weight to start with, you may be relieved to know that there are more reasons why you gain weight than just over eating. While the excess consumption of foods in general (quantity), and the quality of foods you eat have a great impact on your waistline, there are other imbalances that cause you to gain weight, or prevent you from easily losing weight. Weakened thyroid function, for instance, is one reason. Thyroid disorders are often confusing. You may have many thyroid-related symptoms, but are told your thyroid is “fine”. Thyroid health is determined medically based on a few lab numbers that are either abnormal or “within reference range”. These are not good indicators of a healthy functioning thyroid, but are better at revealing a thyroid that is in medical crisis. So one day your “numbers” show your thyroid is great, the next day it’s not because of the drop of 1/10 th ? What about a thyroid that’s function is diminishing day by day over time? Not “diseased” yet, but not healthy either! This is true of other endocrine disorders such as sex hormone imbalances, adrenal health, liver health, digestion, sugar handling mechanisms,
and many other systems involved in healthy weight management. Emotional/mental, physiological and other stresses can cause you to gain weight either because of emotional eating, or cortisol release. There are different types of body fat, some good, some bad. Fat can harbor a variety of toxins, heavy metals, bacteria, and viruses, plus the plethora of environmental toxins found in our foods, air and water. Good fat is needed for healthy brain and hormone functioning as well as ti ssue health. Certain deficiencies contribute to unhealthy weight. Essential fatty acids, minerals and protein, as well as the ability to metabolize them have a tremendous impact on healthy weight. Unfortunately, many people try to make up the deficiencies by taking lousy supplements that are made from chemicals, in the hopes that it will suffice. Most times it doesn’t. They are lured by marketing claims and desperation. I’ve never heard a company yet not declare they’re the best! How can they all be the best? Sleep, exercise, water intake, medications, menopause, certain medical conditions, environmental toxins, happy home life, umami (the sensation of satisfaction on the tongue), life contentedness or achievement, etc. all have impact on healthy weight. There are multiple underlying factors contributing to weight gain and the inability to lose weight. Learn more in my upcoming health class, 5 Key Obstacles to Eliminating Excess Weight. Go to vitalhealthcda. com/health-classes/ to register.
Dr. Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist and Master Herbologist with over three decades of experience. Dr. Carling is currently accepting new patients and offers natural health care services and whole food nutritional supplements in her Coeur d’ Alene clinic. Visit Dr. Carling’s website at www.vitalhealthcda.com to learn more about Dr. Carling, view a list of upcoming health classes and read other informative articles. Dr. Carling can be reached at 208-7651994 and would be happy to answer any questions regarding this topic.
TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Issue505-0674 #53 Dec. 28th 2020 For Advertising CallIdaho (334)
“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.
TRIVIA TEST By Fifi Rodriguez --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? 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 (c) 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
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® ofIdaho TIDBITS of Kootenai County, IssueCounty #53 Dec. 28th 2020 Tidbits Dallas
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ForofAdvertising 505-0674 TIDBITS Kootenai County,Call Idaho(334) Issue #53 Dec. 28th 2020 COUCH THEATER VIDEO/DVD PREVIEWS
PHOTO: Will Ferrell in “Elf” Photo Credit: Warner Bros.
One outstanding benefit of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic is an increased interest in cooking -- in particular, baking. My inner fat girl -- and my outer fat girl, if I’m being honest -- is excited for all the holiday goodies being roasted and rolled, proofed and powdered, sprinkled and sauteed out there. What activity pairs best with these kinds of culinary delights? Christmas movies, of course. Bake and watch the day away with these four classics! “Elf” -- Director Jon Favreau helms a wholesome family story of Buddy the Elf (Will Ferrell), who was raised by elves in the North Pole but always felt a little ... different. When he finds out that he’s not actually an elf, he sets off for Manhattan in search of his real dad, Walter (James Caan), a book publisher whose heart is a size too small. While Walter’s busy resisting the fact that childlike Buddy is his son, Buddy gets to work spreading holiday cheer -- to Walter’s family, at the local department store and in the heart of delightful store clerk Jovie (Zooey Deschanel). “Die Hard” -- Can an action movie also be an iconic Christmas movie? Yippee-kai-yes! Bruce Willis stars as John McClane, a NY cop who flies out to sunny California to attend the office Christmas party of his mildly estranged wife at Nakatomi Plaza. When a group of German terrorists headed by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) takes over the tower, McClane goes into overdrive to free the hostages and take out the bad guys one by one before they can steal $640 million in bearer bonds. The resulting cat and mouse action hatched a series of “Die Hard” films. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” -- Ron Howard directs the classic Dr. Seuss tale with a larger-than-life Jim Carrey in the role of the great green meanie. Looking down on all the Whos in Whoville at their joyous celebration of the season, the Grinch is seized by a terrible idea: steal Christmas so he won’t have to hear all that infernal exuberance. All he needs is the right red suit, a sizable sleigh pulled by a questionable reindeer and the cold-heartedness to take every present and bow. It doesn’t work out the way he plans. “A Christmas Story” -- An American staple that’s been enjoyed by generations, this is the story of Ralphie, a 9-year-old boy who wants nothing more than a Red Ryder BB gun. Rebuffed with excuses from his mother and teacher, he appeals to the local department store Santa, but the message is the same: You’ll shoot your eye out. But will he? Along the way to the answer, Ralphie, his family and friends will face down neighborhood bullies, battle some dogs, win a major award and have a very memorable Christmas dinner. (c) 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
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® of Idaho TIDBITS of Kootenai IssueCounty #51 Dec. 16th 2019 TidbitsCounty, Dallas
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For ofAdvertising Call (334) 505-0674 TIDBITS Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #51 Dec. 16th 2019
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® ofIdaho TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Issue County #53 Dec. 28th 2020 Tidbits Dallas
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MOMENTS IN TIME The History Channel --• On Jan. 7, 1789, Congress sets today as the date by which states are required to choose electors for the country’s first-ever presidential election. A month later, on Feb. 4, George Washington was elected president by state electors and sworn into office April 30. • On Jan. 10, 1901, a drilling derrick at Spindletop Hill near Beaumont, Texas, produces an enormous gusher of crude oil, signaling the advent of the American oil industry. The geyser flowed at an initial rate of 100,000 barrels a day. Today, only a few oil wells still operate in the area. • On Jan. 5, 1920, the New York Yankees announce the purchase of heavy-hitting outfielder George Herman “Babe” Ruth from the Boston Red Sox for $125,000. Ruth had played six seasons with the Red Sox, leading them to three World Series titles. • On Jan. 6, 1936, Porky Pig makes his world debut in a Warner Brothers cartoon, “Gold Diggers of ‘49.” When Mel Blanc joined Warner Brothers the following year, he became the famous voice behind Porky as well as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester and Tweety. • On Jan. 8, 1966, ABC’s rock and roll TV variety show “Shindig” airs its last episode. The show had debuted in September 1964, featuring acts including the Everly Brothers, the Rolling Stones and The Beach Boys. • On Jan. 9, 1972, a fire breaks out aboard the lavish Queen Elizabeth, and by the next morning the world’s largest passenger ship lies in a wreck on the bottom of Hong Kong harbor. Launched in 1938, the Queen Elizabeth steamed across the ocean as a troop transport during World War II. • On Jan. 4, 1999, 11 nations adopt a single currency, the euro, and “locked in” their exchange rates relative to each other and to the euro. At midnight, their currencies officially ceased to exist. (c) 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved
TIDBITS Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #53 Dec. 28th 2020 ForofAdvertising Call (334) 505-0674
By Matilda Charles
Make Getting Fit Your Yearlong Goal
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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In the “A Place For Mom” newsletter, there is a wonderful article by Nancy Shepherd which was posted on September 27, 2017, entitled “Helping New Residents Fit In”. Nancy writes: ‘Will my Mom fit in?’ I imagine anyone who works with families considering moving their loved one into a community has heard this question. Our natural instinct is to assure the family that YES, of course they will! In my experience, most often times they do. However, finding ways to help make that acclimatization happen more quickly for new residents can mean the difference between them becoming a long-term resident or quickly moving out. Coming from the perspective of not only someone who has helped other families in this situation, but also as the adult daughter of parents who recently moved into senior living, I want to share some ideas on how to assist new residents to quickly make new friends and adapt to their new life in a community… I found in my experience, the personal touch makes the difference. By working just as hard to learn the likes/dislikes of a senior as you did about their care needs, you have a great chance of knowing how you can help bring them joy! Spend time asking questions like ‘Prior to retiring, how did your Mom spend her spare time?’, ‘When you were growing up did your Dad belong to any civic or community groups?’, ‘After retiring, what did your loved one do during the day?’, ‘What’s your Mom’s favorite topic of conversation?’ You will get to know the ‘person’ not just the ‘patient’ and will hopefully get ideas on what is meaningful to them… Nancy has aptly described our driving philosophy as we create a family of caregivers and residents in each of our homes!! If you know someone who would like to join our circle of caregivers in one of our homes, please contact Linda at 208-755-3637 or linda@lodgeliving.net. We even have gorgeous onsite studio apartments which include meals and all utilities as a part of our employment package. We are delighted to schedule around school commitments for our employees who are reaching ever upward. Call us!!
LindaDavis Director of building relationships. 208.457.3403 www.LodgeLiving.net
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® of Idaho TIDBITS of Kootenai County, IssueCounty #53 Dec. 28th 2020 Tidbits Dallas
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FLASHBACK By Mick Harper 1. What duo released “Playboy”? 2. Who released “Easier Said Than Done” in 1963? 3. In which Stevie Nicks music video is she seen holding a baby dressed in white? 4. “Great Gig in the Sky” appeared on what album? 5. Name the song that contains this lyric: “Don’t want your love anymore, Don’t want your kisses, that’s for sure, I die each time I hear this sound, Here he comes ...” Answers 1. Pop and country duo Gene and Debbe, in 1968. Songwriter Gene Thomas also created music for numerous singers. 2. The Essex, a group of five Marines stationed at Camp LeJeune. The song went to the top of the Billboard chart, even though it was released as the b-side to their first single. 3. “Rooms on Fire,” 1989. Nicks is the only woman to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, once as an individual singer and once as a member of the band Fleetwood Mac. 4. Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon,” in 1973. The song began as an organ instrumental. 5. “Cathy’s Clown,” by The Everly Brothers, in 1960. The song is odd in that it has no verses and starts with a chorus. (c) 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #53 Dec. 28th 2020
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TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #25 June 15th 2020
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