Happy New 2014

Some things I don't understand!

With a title like that - this could be a very long post......

I don't understand signs that say,
                       
                            BANK HOLIDAY OPENING HOURS    
    DECEMBER 25TH ..................................................CLOSED
    DECEMBER 26TH...................................................CLOSED
    JANUARY 1ST........................................................CLOSED

Yes all bank holidays but opening hours, looks more like closing hours to me! 
I also don't understand that it was in a bank. Thought it was in the title, bank holiday?

I don't understand why we are all supposed to go and buy sofas on Boxing Day and in the January sales, even if I did understand that I would not understand the cost of them, and who really falls for that half price, four years interest free rubbish?

I don't understand Midnight Mass - 11.30pm. 

Holiday advertising that starts on Boxing Day, hang on yes good idea but we have't paid for Christmas yet, I don't understand that.

I don't understand cyclists who use bridle paths when there is a path for them and walkers. Maybe it's some kind of off road experience or does it just mean that even horses and their riders can hate them as well. 

I don't understand why we make New Year resolutions that we blatantly have no intention of keeping or trying to keep and why do we publish and are so proud of our failures when we fail!

Finally, for the moment..... I don't understand The Simpsons, never have and never will!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FOLKS!! 

Happy Christmas Everybody

To all the lonely people....

Real Wilko News!!

There is no doubt that for instant news and constant update Twitter and Facebook have it all wrapped up.
This blog did used to be a monthly, hard copy family newsletter - I kid you not!!
However blogs like this still play an important part in the transmission of news and however grateful I am for the ease of today's social networks, I still like the more relaxed way of news reporting for families that is offered by blogs such as this one. After all it is in the title... Wilko News Two.

Let's cut to the chase then!!

19th December in Disney World resort in Florida, right in front of the castle my younger son Matt got on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend Sarah! A more idyllic location I'm not sure even exists, especially because Disney Land Paris is where the two of them met. So I could just let you click one of the numerous Facebook links yourself and that would be that. Here though you don't have to be friends with somebody and allow on timeline or have text notifications. If I want you to see it as it happened then you can see it here! Along with what was waiting back at the hotel room when they returned for their last night before flying back to the UK!

So by the time the happy couple arrived back in the UK it was another major event for this family.

This time the second birthday of my other son, Tim's daughter. Well what fun we had at the finger food party! Again well documented on the social networks but this is my blog for my family and this was a busy old 48 hours, so here's a couple of pictures that you don't need permission from A.N.Other network to see of my beautiful princess, Elise.

Happy Birthday Elise and 

Congratulations Matt and Sarah

RUDOLPH - TRUE STORY?

THE TRUE STORY OF RUDOLPH

A man named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night. His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bob's wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer.
Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?" Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears. Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been the story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob.
Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in sports. He was often called names he'd rather not remember. From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in. Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little girl. But it was all short-lived.

Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicagoslums. Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.

Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if  he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined to make one - a storybook!

Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope. Again and again Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling.

Who was the character? What was the story all about?

The story Bob May created was his own autobiography in fable form. The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The name of the character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose. Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't end there. 

The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book. Wards went on to print, “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores.

By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph. That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book.

In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob May. The book became a best seller. Many toy and marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter. But the story doesn't end there either.
Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and DinahShore , it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry. "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas." 

The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad. In fact, being different can be a blessing.

The story above is the one we'd all love it to be.

The real story is not that different, although it was a little more commercialised, what do you expect it is to do with Christmas after all!

Robert L May's wife did die of cancer in 1939 and a slightly different version can be found on this site,

http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/rudolph.asp

This is so cool! Well done Westjet.

How to wrap a cat for Christmas!!

Mayor of Toronto?

Many thanks to my mate Tom for this......

A country preacher had a teenage son,  and it was getting time the boy should give some thought to choosing a profession.

Like many young men,  the boy didn't really know what he  wanted to do,  and he didn't seem too concerned about it . 

One day,  while the boy was away to school,  his father decided to try an experiment.   He went into the boy's room and placed on his study table four objects: 

A Bible
A Silver Dollar
A bottle of Jack Daniels
And a Playboy magazine. 

'I'll just hide behind the door, the preacher said to himself,   'and when he comes home from school this afternoon,   I'll see which object he picks up.'

'If it's the Bible,  he's going to be a preacher like me,   and what a blessing that would be!

'If he picks up the dollar,  he's going to be a business man, and that would be okay,  too. 

'But, if he picks up the bottle,  he's going to be a no-good drunkard,  and Lord,  what a shame that would be. 

'And worst of all,  if he picks up that magazine,  he's going to be a skirt-chasing bum.'

The old man waited anxiously,  and soon heard his son's footsteps as he entered the house whistling and headed for his room.

The boy tossed his books on the bed,  and as he turned to leave the room,  he spotted the objects on the table.   With curiosity in his eye, he walked over to inspect them. 

Finally, he picked up the Bible and placed it under his arm.
He picked up the Silver Dollar and dropped it into his pocket.
He uncorked the bottle and took a big drink while he admired this month's centerfold.

'Lord have mercy,'  the old preacher disgustedly whispered, 'He's going to be the next mayor of Toronto!'

Hotel California?

I JUST LOVE THE STORY OF THE COVER TO THE EAGLES ALBUM "HOTEL CALIFORNIA", DON'T YOU?

All coffee is grown within 1,000 miles of the equator and almost all the coffee in the world consumed comes from two species of coffee plants: Arabica and Robusta. Arabica produces superior quality coffees has roughly half the amount of caffeine and a more mellow taste. Robusta has more caffeine and higher acidic content which creates a significantly more bitter flavour.

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Music.....