December 13, 2024

REMINDER: YOUR SUBMISSIONS ARE ENCOURAGED

Now the Lemon Tree is fruiting.

Overview for this week.

1. I'm starting this week with the fourth installment in my Holiday Travel series. This week I have travel guides for celebrating the Christmas season in Boston, Québec City, and Reykjavik.

2. In Around Town, I have my annual listing of holiday light displays around Tucson.

3. Snoop Dogg is back with a much-praised recipe for his 'Rolls Royce' cookie recipe for the holidays

4. The last full moon of 2024, the Cold Moon, will rise Sunday night. The Cold moon appears higher in the sky than usual due to the season. I have more on this and other celestial objects to look for this weekend in The Heavens.

5. In The Next Gen, I'm catching up with The Flock's roving reporter and shipping data analyst, William George and the contributions he makes to investigative journalists.

6. I ran across an interesting article this week on how to use and interpret silence when communicating.

7. I want to send out a special Happy Birthday to Dick Van Dyke who turns 99 today and is still dancing!

8. In Wellness I have an excerpt on cancer screening from the latest issue of Sensitive & Specific: The Testing Newsletter.

9. In the Pet's Corner we get a holiday visit from Little Rosie, the Miksta's Coton de Tulear who as tiny when we first met her last April, Now Rosie is eight months old and has grown quite a bit.

Now, to this week's Flock.

Tap to view past issues.

In this week’s Holiday Travel installment, I'm starting with Québec City, a North American city with the storybook charm of old Europe and viewed a s the top holiday destination in Canada. Then I'll travel a bit south to Boston Massachusetts before heading far north to the magical winter wonderland, Reykjavik, Iceland.

From: Québec Cité

Québec City’s holiday season is simply magical! Lights, decorations, and snow create an enchanting setting like no other within Old Québec. Starting at the end of November, Old Québec is transformed into a real Christmas village, just like out of Charles Dickens's novel « A Christmas Carol ». No wonder American media outlet CNN ranks Québec City among the best places in the world to celebrate the holiday season year after year.

From: Boston Discovery Guide

Christmas in Boston turns the city into a festive wonderland of lights, spectacular decorations, special holiday music and shows, and plenty of good cheer. 

The winter holiday season is a wonderful time to visit!

Stop by Boston Common for a round of ice skating, or walk over to Columbus Park to see 50,000 dazzling blue and white holiday lights glowing from the trellis and nearby trees. 

Enjoy a spectacular performance of The Nutcracker or Black Nativity . . . sing along at a Holiday Pops concert at Symphony Hall . . . or attend Christmas Eve midnight mass or church services . . . enjoy hot mulled wine and holiday shopping at one of Boston's holiday markets.

Or, just walk around and enjoy all the gorgeous lighted trees, serenading carolers, and maybe even snow that make Christmas in Boston so special.

From: Perlan

What does a Reykjavik Christmas look like? If you love spending the festive season away from home, a cute European capital close to the Arctic is a good bet. 

During the Christmas season, Reykjavik transforms into a magical winter wonderland with an array of seasonal activities to indulge in. From ice skating on frozen ponds to exploring the Christmas markets adorned with twinkling fairy lights, there's an abundance of ways to immerse yourself in the local holiday spirit.

Imagine waking up on Christmas morning to a soft blanket of snow covering the city, transforming it into a pristine white landscape. The city's quaint architecture, decked with festive lights, adds to the dreamlike setting. And if you're lucky, you might witness the Northern Lights painting the sky with its ethereal hues. This surreal display is a common sight during the winter months in Reykjavik, and it could add an extra layer of magic to your Christmas celebrations.

The Holiday lights displays are under way in Tucson. We are lucky to have several options, that have all become local traditions to help get into the holiday spirit. In the last two issues, I covered Zoo Lights at Reid Park Zoo and Holiday Nights at Tohono Chul Gardens. This week, I'm Featuring LiIghts Up! at the Tucson Botanical Gardens and the Winterhaven Festival of Lights.

From: Winterhaven Festival of Lights

The Diamond Anniversary!

Since 1949 the Winterhaven Festival of Lights has grown to become a Tucson Tradition. This year, for the 75th time, we welcome the community of Tucson to come enjoy the lights and celebrate the holiday season.

See the lights on the move

Enjoy a hayride, a bus trolley, or a pedal-powered group bike! Rides are popular ways to see the lights. 

From: Allrecipes, By: Annie Campbell, December 7, 2024

Once upon a time, Snoop Dogg was known exclusively in the music scene. But these days, he’s just as much a culinary icon as he is a music legend. From co-hosting a cooking show with Martha Stewart to promoting products like the Solo Stove and collaborating on crave-worthy ice cream flavors, Snoop has established his place in the kitchen, and it doesn’t look like he’s leaving anytime soon.

What Makes Snoop Dogg’s Chocolate Chip Cookies Special?

Snoop Dogg has a knack for elevating flavors with the smallest ingredient enhancements like the signature spread on his fried bologna sandwich that takes it over the top. The same goes for his chocolate chip cookies. Snoop somehow wraps up an irresistible flavor and texture in a deceptively simple dough.

His secret? Peanut butter...

The peanut butter doesn’t just add flavor—it also doubles up on the fat, making the cookies incredibly tender and buttery. And thanks to the combination of white and brown sugars, the cookies end up with delicately crisp edges, a soft, chewy center, and a melt-in-your-mouth finish. It’s no wonder Snoop Dogg calls them the “Rolls Royce PB-Chocolate Chip Cookies.”

The next full moon, the Cold Moon is the last full moon of 2024. Be sure to check out the moon and do a little star gazing while out enjoying the holiday light displays, you might also catch a celestial display as a bonus.

From: Forbes, By: Jamie Carter, December 9, 2024

The Night Sky This Week: Dec. 9-15, 2024

There’s much to see in the night sky this week, from a rising full moon to a powerful meteor shower. However, take some time to look around after dark because there are so many celestial sights to see. Look west after dark for bright Venus, then swivel to the west to see Jupiter — just a few days past its annual opposition — among the star of Taurus, with the Pleiades, a spectacular open cluster of seven bright stars, above it and visible to the naked eye. Add a rising Mars and the scene is set for a planet parade — and much more.

Why The ‘Cold Moon’ Is The Highest Full Moon Of The Year

The “Cold Moon” will be the highest-hanging of the year, as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. The moon mirrors the sun’s path across the sky. Since the sun is at its lowest in the sky this month, as seen from the northern hemisphere, the full moon — which is always directly opposite the sun — must be at its highest. It will also be in the night sky for longer than any other full moon of the year.

I haven't posted on The Flock's favorite roving reporter and data analyst William George in a while, so it's time to catch up with him. William has had a busy fall contributing his research on international shipping to articles from a range of outlets including the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Swiss media SRF Group, the Dutch Broadcasting Foundation NOS, and the BBC. In the following article from CNBC, his research helps clarify the economic effects of October's port strike on a major U.S. retailer.

From: CNBC, By; Lori Ann la Rocco, November 21, 2024

After its biggest earnings miss in two years and stock plunge, Target

 laid some of the blame on the recent U.S. ports strike, citing higher freight costs it absorbed as a result of preemptive action to move more product into the U.S. ahead of October. But cargo container trade data reviewed by CNBC tells a more nuanced tale.

The port strikes, which stretched from New England to Texas, wound up lasting only a few days, but many companies, including Target, had rerouted and pulled forward shipments, loading up on inventory to make sure they had the merchandise needed for the holiday season.

On a call with reporters, Target CEO Brian Cornell said “lingering softness in discretionary categories” and costs associated with rushing shipments and preparing for the short-lived port strike in October hurt the company’s quarterly performance. 

... But the trade data does not show a surge that would equate to a major pull forward of imports in relation to the strike as compared with last year. Target’s peak season imports for 2024 compared with 2023 were flat to down, according to cargo container volumes data pulled and analyzed by ImportGenius.

“The nearly even volume of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) between June and September 2023 compared to that same period in 2024 is striking,” said William George, director of research at ImportGenius. “We would expect to see a clear uptick due to pre-ILA strike front-loading. This is a situation where flat really means down, as we’re seeing,” he said, referencing the stock’s decline, which reached 21% on Wednesday.

I ran across an interesting and well-reasoned article this week on how to use and interpret silence when communicating, so I thought that I would share it here.

From: Workplace Hero, By: Awareness Hero, November 25, 2023

In a world where communication is constant and responses are expected, we often forget the power of silence. We have become accustomed to receiving immediate replies and have come to associate silence with indifference or lack of interest. However, the truth is that no response is also a response, and it can hold just as much weight, if not more, than a verbal or written reply. In this article, we will explore the concept of no response and why it is important to pay attention to what is left unsaid. So, let's take a moment to hear the unheard and uncover the significance of silence in our communication.

Understanding the Meaning of Silence

Silence is often overlooked in our fast-paced and noise-filled world. We live in a society where communication is constant and responses are expected instantaneously. In this whirlwind of chatter and rapid-fire replies, we have forgotten the power of silence and the significance it holds in our interactions.

But what does silence really mean? It is important to understand that silence is not always a sign of indifference or lack of interest. It can have various meanings and can convey emotions, thoughts, and intentions that words cannot fully capture. Silence can be a form of contemplation, a pause for reflection, or a way to convey respect. It can also be a sign of discomfort, disapproval, or disagreement.

In our increasingly digital world, silence has taken on new dimensions. It can be seen as a lack of engagement in online conversations, a refusal to respond to messages, or even an intentional form of ghosting. It can also be used strategically as a way to exert power or control in relationships or negotiations.

To truly understand the meaning of silence, we must be mindful and observant. We must pay attention not only to the words that are spoken, but also to the spaces between them. Silence is a language of its own, and it is important that we learn to listen and interpret its messages.

Happy Birthday, Dick Van Dyke! Today, December 13th, is his 99th birthday. In the video below, he shares some of the wisdom he’s garnered over the past century and shows off a few dance moves.

From: Open Culture, December, 10, 2024

There’s one thing right with our world, and it’s Dick Van Dyke. Appearing in a new Coldplay music video, Mr. Van Dyke dances barefoot and sings knowingly a little off-key—before reflecting on a century of life on this planet. What is love? Is he afraid of dying? What does luck look like? He knows the answers. Mr. Van Dyke turns 99 this week. And we’ll be rooting him on when he turns 100 next year. Enjoy the director’s cut of the touching new music video, “All My Love,” directed by Spike Jonze.

Coldplay - ALL MY LOVE (Official Video)

The latest issue of sensitive & Specific: The Testing Newsletter is out. each issue is always packed with a wealth of important health information. I am sharing an article on the relationship between cancer rates and screening from this issue. Be sure to click through and read the whole issue. It could be a life saver.

From: Sensitive & Specific: The Testing Newsletter, Volume 100, Issue 20, By Mara G. Aspinall and Liz Ruark, december 12, 2024

A splashy headline in Medpage Today caught our eyes. “Nearly Six Million Deaths From Five Major Cancer Types Averted Since 1975 — Prevention and screening efforts accounted for 80% of those averted deaths,” it read. Sounds like great news, but let’s look deeper.

The statement is based on a paper in JAMA Oncology (paywall for full article), which looked at 1975 practices and mortality rates for lung, breast, cervix, prostate, and colorectal cancer and compared them to actual mortality from 1975 - 2020. The calculations were based on “published models developed by the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network.” What gets the most credit for the win? Is it prevention, screening, or treatment?

The headline gives away the study’s answer, but we wanted to see what the research had to say about screening. Before we do that, though, let’s give credit where it’s due. The star was prevention – specifically for lung cancer, where education about smoking and the resulting drop in cigarette use led to 98% of the reduction in deaths. (The second major prevention program now in place is HPV vaccination, but it is too new to have had much impact during the paper’s time frame.) However effective we become at finding and treating early disease, prevention will always be Plan A.

The Miksta's Coton de Tulear Little Rosie has grown quite a bit since we first met her back in April. Here we see her with her best friend, Ayla.

Little Rosie ready for Christmas

photo: The Butterfly Nebula from NASA Hubble Telescope

These Flock regulars are always here for you:

Cita Scott for paintings, photography, and culinary art. Cita will be in and out of town all summer. Don't hesitate to give her a jingle. (520) 404-1551

Kimberly GomER, MS, RD/LDN

Registered and licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist. Find me on my website at KimberlyGomer.com for information about nutrition coaching.

Sarah Smallhouse & Make Elections Fair ArIzona

– Sign the petition here

Sensitive & Specific: The Testing Newsletter by Mara G. Aspinall and Liz Ruark. Mara is always here to help in understanding testing knowledge and how it's being applied.

Kyria Sabin of Fletcher Pilates,

she's the best. (520) 323-7070

Where in the World is Zoe

Zoe is back in Colordo helping launch the 2024 Aspen Tennis programs with sister Ana and mother Petra.

The Fabric Jeanie!

Tap to learn more. 

(520) 245-0589

Linda Collazo, mezzo-soprano

for piano and voice lessons

Andres Valbuena, drum selection, drum basics, and more.

Dr. Hayward M. Fox, Ph.D.

The institute of Personal andTranspersonal Knowledge

Tucson Village Farm:

Vegetaable growing in the summer heat.

In coming weeks: we'll be sharing more investigative articles from our roving reporter William George, original writing from Flock favorite Dino DeConcini.

Don't Be Shy: Share Your Stories!

I'm looking forward to sharing more of your personal stories - oral, written, or otherwise, as we enter our third year. I'd so love to present them to The Flock, hit a mailbox below to share your story.

Holualoa Ed Fit Wellness & Culture 2

520-818-4433

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