39ers Aging with ATTitude December 2023

 39ers’ December Word of the Month: Nostalgia   

Happy UN-Birthday DECEMBER 39ers! Along with Sagittarians and Capricorns, we celebrate the month’s Holidays in humility and rumination. Oh, heck no, it isn’t as serious as it sounds! Just a friendly reminder to take some time for yourself to reflect … rejuvenate … rejoice!

֎ Celebrating DECEMBER 39ers ~ And More! 
While we feature the month’s 39ers, we know there’s more to the December than parties … here, we find days and ways for everyone to enjoy and celebrate together or solo …

Bingo anyone? It’s Bingo’s Birthday Month! If you haven’t been to a casino bingo room or a local bingo “hall” lately, you may not know it has grown well beyond your grandmother’s “grayhair” game. Casinos pay real dollars for you gambling that you’ll win the pot, and even community organizations play for big prizes to donate dollars to their fave charities. Yep, Bingo is lively and fun these days—even at home, you can make it a rowdy Holiday pastime. Though there is no official link, WIKI can tell you all about its origin as a game, and the claims to how it got its current name. B-4 … BINGO!

December 12^th: Thanks to the folks at Creating My Happiness, their National Ding-a-Ling Day dredged up a great 39er memory! 39ers “of a certain age” will remember when telephones sat on a desk or hung on a wall and rang loudly with glee during the Holidays. We also recall the vintage Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In TV show that gave us the best telephone memory ever … “One ringy-dingy, two ringy-dingy … Is this the party to whom I’m speaking?” Lily Tomlin as “Ernestine” the telephone operator with the 1940s hairnet hairstyle, still makes me laugh—and then guffaw at her rude snorts. But seriously, m’dears, as the host site says, “What’s that, you say? National Ding-A-Ling Day is a day to reconnect with loved ones you have lost contact with … ” So this Holiday, if there is someone you’ve meant to talk with all year, but didn’t … give them a ring now and have a wonderful chat!

December 12^th: As always during the days of the New Moon, we urge you to breathe deep and award yourself new beginnings with New Moon Musings. It’s your monthly fresh start, never needed more than in December. Self-review helps strengthen your inner spirit and bolster your resolve to move forward with purpose for the New Year.

December 14^th: And you thought December was all about the Holidays. Welcome to Monkey Day! Yep, you read right and the only link associated with it is on WIKI. So, here’s the origin scoop: Created and popularized by a couple of Michigan State University art student dudes back in 2000, as a joke, it stayed on campus until the quirky fun of creating monkey art, wearing primate costumes and imitating their behavior caught on to others. Monkey Day has likely slipped by the wayside for the students, Casey Sorrow, now an internationally published illustrator and printmaker, and Pulitzer Prize winning Eric Millikin (known for occult and artificial intelligence art). Here’s a thought … you could create a great monkey Christmas sweater and wear it for …

December 15^th: National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day … why not add a monkey to it and combine the spec
ial days?! Now that sounds like fun …

December 24^th-25^th: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day … If you don’t know what you’re doing on these days by now, give it up and just sip your Hot Toddy while you sing “Jingle Bell Rock” off-key and wait for Santa. Whether a religious experience or a jolly holly time, or both, enjoy!

December 26^th: It’s time for Full Moon Magic! What’s more magical than a full moon over Christmas? This month’s almanac name for it is Full Cold Moon. With the First Day of Winter just a few days before, the nights seem to close in ever earlier and makes ya shiver just thinking about it. The Anishinaabe still call it “Little Spirit Moon,” and the Mohican aptly named it the “Long Night Moon.” It’ll be plenty full during your Holiday celebrations, so remember to take a few minutes and look up … it’ll give you new perspective. 

December 27^th: Another special day with no link and absolutely nothing to do with Holidays! It’s Howdy Doody Day! Raise your hands, 39ers … who remembers “Buffalo Bob” on your old black-and-white TV exclaiming, "Say, kids, what time is it?” And we shouted back, “It’s Howdy Doody Time”! Of course this pertains only to the oldsters of 39ers, but honey, there are still some of us around and we ain’t dead yet! Take a peek at the Smithsonian Museum of American History’s account of the impressive marionette and enjoy some blatant nostalgia singing along Buffalo Bob and an audience of excited kids.

 December 31^st: No surprise, it’s New Year’s Eve! But a welcome addition to your revelry would be a few minutes spent on World Peace Meditation Day. There is no official link and references can be politically or religiously motivated, but I think it’s a worthwhile personal endeavor to end a tumultuous year and send forth positive thoughts into the New Year, don’t you? If nothing else, meditate and be at peace with yourself.

֎ Monthly Song of Note ♪

If we gave each month a defining word, December’s would surely be “nostalgia.” This month’s 50 Years Ago Song of Note personifies the word. It’s the time of year when we miss those we can’t be with, for whatever reason. “Me and Baby Brother” by War—an incongruous group name for a jazzy yet poignant song—was starting a steady descent on its way down WKKO/Cocoa Beach, Florida’s, Top 35 music chart, for week ending December 23^rd at #13, from #6 previous week. Although it was personal for founding member/songwriter, Lonnie Jordan, its broad meaning reminds us to rely on our family and friends to overcome life’s obstacles. It’s better than trying to go it alone, but when you must, your inner strength is no slouch, either. Persevere.

♪ … Come back, baby brother | You’re my baby brother | Love my baby brother | Come back, baby brother … ♪  More tuneful tidbits to manifest your memories of 1973, and keep the Rock Rockin’ from 50 Years Ago this Month!  

֎ For 39ers who Follow the Stars

Did you gasp when you saw your Sagittarius 39er friend (11/22-12/21) wearing purple in a decidedly red and green month? It’s okay. They’re probably feeling frisky and colorful. Besides, you know the Archers usually do what they darn well want to … and that’s what you love about them. Known to be free-spirited, Sags are often the light of the party, introducing people to each other and watching the sparks fly. Enjoy the show, but remember, one of you needs to keep a level head. This month, beginning with the New Moon on the 12^th, you Sagittarians will do a lot of introspection for the New Year. Go ahead … you’ll feel refreshed and rejuvenated.

If you’re a Capricorn 39er (12/22-01/19) watching your friends throw caution to the wind, no problem! You’re more than happy to take over and make sure everything goes as planned, ensuring those you care about are safe and sound. Watching you take command, your friends know their Sea Goat 39er doesn’t strive to excel just for the moment … it’s their natural way of life. December may not go as planned though, especially in the latter half, but by the New Year, Sagittarians will be back on game and looking for fun, with a cheery sigh of relief.

֎ Aging with ATT-i-tude Platitude 
If you’re 39 and Holding, the Holidays—and life—hold more meaning. Reflect … rejuvenate … rejoice. ~ L. Rochelle

Happy UN-Birthday 39ers ~ DECEMBER 2023 ~ Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
       This one’s for you, kids – Linda, Patricia, Ken and Kevin!  

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And dear readers, I just want you to know that I try my best to create an informative, aesthetically creative article for you each month. However, Blogger is not a professional hosting site—but they’re free through Google. So we’re stuck with their crummy platform that doesn’t work well to manipulate images with writing, if you aren’t a techie who knows HTML. Trust me, I’ve tried for years to write articles without gaps between paragraphs and even between sentences. Sigh. Maybe I’ll win the lottery and be able to afford a professional hosting site someday. Cheers!

LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published two books (of three) in her Blast from Your Past series, available on Amazon (eBook and print): Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959; and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties. Coming soon … The Psychedelic Seventies!

*Important Message: Any data, links, or opinions in this site are for your information only and does not constitute legal or medical expertise of any kind. My proficiency is writing and sensible reporting. Period. Please use all data, links, or my skewed opinions at your own risk.

Are you a 39er this month? Welcome to the 39 and Holding Club! Feel free to share your UN-birthday comments below (click on Comments or if it says No Comments, click that to be the first) and tell us how you really feel about your age and aging. Keep the stories coming!

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