Door 25: Stars of Wonder

Here at TBATC we wish you a Most Merry Christmas!

Since the star is the last decoration one puts on the Christmas tree, it follows that the last Advent post we offer you is of a star. Via my earlier post about the Hubble Space Telescope Advent Calendar, here, tucked behind Door 25, is the final, stunning picture of the heavens. It is the "deepest visible-light image of the Universe" and "2.4 arcminutes wide." I don't know really what that means, even after cursory research on Wikipedia, but it seems like a measurement both angels and men might comprehend.

Door 24: Peace in War

With the ongoing war in Afghanistan and our troops spending the holidays without their families and with sand dunes instead of snowbanks, it's worth remembering the famous, generous "Christmas Truce" of World War I that happened between British and German troops at many places along the Front. For an armistice that lasted for 48 hours, together they buried their dead, played football, opened mail from home, and supped.

As recorded in Barnes & Noble's ever-fascinating Daybook, which quotes the "famous British soldier-cartoonist of trench life, Bruce Bairnsfather"—he drew the picture to the left—within Silent Night by Stanley Weintraub,

Even after the extraordinary Christmas Eve, soldiers were astonished by what they saw at daylight on Christmas Day. "I awoke at dawn," Bruce Bairnsfather recalled, "and on emerging on all fours from my dugout, became aware that the trench was practically empty. I stood upright in the mud and looked over the parapet. No Man's Land was full of clusters ... of khaki and gray ... pleasantly chatting together.

This is a modern image of peace that seems to fit within the catalog of animal rivals at peace within Isaiah 11, starting at verse six:

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain. ...

Should you wish to read more about the brief Christmas armistice—and in the penciled handwriting of Captain Robert Hamilton, of the 1st battalion Royal Warwickshire regiment—click the following image, which I found via this Daily Mail article. (Image will enlarge once you click it.) His last sentence, including the detail of "some jolly good cigars," is particularly charming.

Doors 22 and 23: Be Hatted

It's likely you and yours have seen many festive people wearing Santa hats. You've probably seen a few other people, usually those who adore animals (myself included), donning plush antlers. (If you don't want to buy a pair at CVS, you can make your own out of construction paper, as this little boy shows.)

Today a faithful friend of TBATC told us that you can buy antlers for your car this year. Take a peek at this latest wonder in automobile decoration behind Door 22. They sure are more fun that car bows and car wreaths.

In searching the Internet for antler pictures just now, I found what might be my favorite holiday picture of 2009. But really, I expected no less from Our Lady of Perpetual Astonishment, looking as lost as a deer behind Door 23.

Door 21: What's in Your Glass?

On a cold December night, I settled on the perfect drink to go with the little black dress: bourbon on the rocks in a wee cut-crystal glass. That warm amber hue, glinting inside crystal, looks terrific against black. It also goes very well with menswear (which, I know, is often black).

But sometimes, especially in the deep cold of December, we prefer bourbon not on the rocks or neat but with hot water. Try this recipe for a bourbon hot toddy behind Door 21.

A related, lesser known option is the Rock & Rye hot toddy. You can read about the background for this drink here in one of Eric Felten's terrific WSJ articles and find a recipe for the hot toddy version here.

Door 20: Way Up North

If you haven't visited the North Pole yet, you should. Whether you're still snowed in or just experiencing a slow holiday week in cubicle-dom, this Santa-central website will bring you some entertainment (well, we were amused). It's worth a visit, if only to see what's behind Door 20. And just in case you'd rather visit the North Pole in person this holiday season check out a little bonus door.

Door 19: Make a Path

Here at TBATC, we've been thinking a lot about the clearing of massive amounts of snow. So, here is a helpful, educational door from us to you.

Door 18: Magic Hat

As a humdinger of a snowscape is gathering in Washington, DC, K'Barbic and I are thinking about how we'll stay warm when necessity bids us leave our homes. For me, necessity comes in the shape of my dog Daisy, and she will want to go for a few good romps. When we go romping, there is a very good chance that I will wear my beret pulled down to my ears. It will not be a day for wearing the beret as if it is a plate-sized pancake.

The thought of hats in the snow reminds me of Frosty the Snowman, who came to life only when his friend Karen put that "old silk hat" with the daisy on top of his head.



And if that doesn't make you believe in the power of hats, open Door 18! (Opening this door will also help get the lyrics of Frosty the Snowman out of your head.)

Door 17: Happy Feet

Sometimes Christmas inspires us to buy ridiculous things.

That happened a few days ago when, while standing next to K'Barbic at Filene's Basement, I saw something I (kind of) needed to buy: reindeer slipper socks with grippers, stubby legs, and poofy bellies, as pictured to the left. I never have understood why adults would need socks with grippers, but these didn't come in the non-gripper format. Lucky for this sock company, I find the idea of holiday animals on my feet irresistable.

Door 17 features a four-legged creature wearing very similar adornments.

Door 16: Dashing Through the Snow...

Not all of our Christmas associations are innately linked to this holiday season. So it is with Door 16. Call it the effects of marketing, but whenever I see those famous Clydesdales, I think of the holidays (probably because of a familiar holiday greetings ad in which they star). These magnificent animals have a rich history, however, extending beyond their current "celebrity spokeshorse" status.

Originally developed as agricultural "beasts of burden" in early 19th century Scotland by farmers along the River Clyde, Clydesdales are now mostly seen in draft horse shows or agricultural exhibitions. And of course, the best-known to the general populace are the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales. (The original team was presented as a gift to August A. Busch Sr., to celebrate the repeal of prohibition.) The horses were quickly promoted to a "celebrity" status and sent out "on tour" representing their company. So now, what beast of burden doesn't dream of being a Clydesdale?

Door 15: 'For Pleasant Occasions'

I saw a new movie, Invictus, the other day. There's a scene in it where Morgan Freeman, who plays Nelson Mandela, pours some tea for Matt Damon, the head of the rugby team of South Africa. And Freeman says that afternoon tea is the greatest gift the Brits gave us. It's a great line, and the tea he pours for Matt Damon steams in flawless, lanky tendrils in the sunlight. They look great on camera, and you come to think Freeman's line is right-on. You want to rush out of your plush theater seat and get tea, and then you remember that it's not for sale among the enomorous sodas, wide straws, and Milk Duds. It would have been too expensive there anyway. Double the price of a Starbucks custom latte, probably.

But here at TBATC you can open Door 15 and prepare yourself for afternoon Advent tea! I've also found this one to be superb—a red with the round, vowely scent of vanilla rolling throughout its itty bitty rooibos leaves. And ...those leaves happens to come from South Africa! A little pricey, yes, but a tin of this just costs you four lattes. Or five, with shipping.

Door 14: Burgers and Joy

On this second day of Christmas, TBATC gives to you a special "double" treat. Perhaps, playing off the old German pickle ornament tradition, a new one could be started. The first one to find a cheeseburger in the tree...

Door 13: Santa Paws

Hooray! Today is the first day of the 12 Days of Christmas, and, no, we are not going to say that the confused partridge to the left is your Door 13. That would be too easy.

Instead, we'd like to highlight a very special, wooferrific offering on the Washington Humane Society's blog. Check it out here.

Door 12: The "Michelangelo of Snow"

Behind Door 12, we have a work of art and a winter treat all rolled into one.

To see the work of another great snow artist, enjoy the Calvin and Hobbes snowman gallery.

Calvin & Hobbes Snow Art Gallery

View more presentations from hosss.

Door 11: Tinsel in the Sky

Open Door 11, sit back, and enjoy the sport and spectacle of the heavens, one day at a time.

(Should you wish to sift through the heavens frame by frame on your computer, click here.)

Door 10: Tree Skirt

Bored with the usual tree trimming? NYT features designer trees from Madison Avenue, and our favorite tree can be found behind Door 10. Of course it's no Charlie Brown tree...

Door 9: Houses of Mirth

Most gingerbread houses are all about the candy: the Necco wafer roofs, the Zebra gum siding, the gum drop shrubberies, and so on. But here at TBATC we just spied some houses of a different kind.

The Chicago Tribune asked the region's four top architectural firms to create their own sugary edifices. The results are in and waiting for you to ooh! and ahh! and mmm! at behind Door 9. (Our favorite is Sweet Mies.) Should you wish to make your own version of the firms' creations, the blueprints are here.

Doors 7 & 8: "Better Watch Out ..."

Advent is passing more quickly than we expected this season, and we now rush to open two more doors with Christmas a mere 17 days away. So as you're rushing here and there, from store to store and party to party, we bring you two helpful reminders: Door 7 and Door 8.

Door 6: Cue Snow and Music

Today, Door 6 is opened a day late. With the weekend snowstorm in DC, we now find ourselves dreaming of a White Christmas. Such Christmases, however, are not "like the ones I used to know" (growing up in California). Still the melancholy classic, with its universal appeal, is one I love to hear come over the radio. To increase your appreciation of the classic Christmas tune, the WSJ features the story behind the song. Read the history and then watch the original with renewed appreciation.

Al Gore, Poet Laureate ...of Climate Change?

As storm clouds gather and foment in the Climategate crisis (aka "The CRUtape Letters"), there is still one ray of sunshine, and it comes from the pen of Al Gore.

Mark Hertsgaard, author of the forthcoming Living Through the Storm: Our Future Under Global Warming, writes on VF's Power & Politics Blog that

with the publication of his new book, Our Choice, Gore has unveiled a fresh and most unexpected talent: the book’s opening chapter concludes with a poem he wrote—21 lines of verse that are equal parts beautiful, evocative, and disturbing.

Remember those three fawning adjectives. Now read a portion of the poem that makes Hertsgaard eager to crown Gore the "Poet Laureate of Climate Change":

One thin September soon
A floating continent disappears
In midnight sun

Vapors rise as
Fever settles on an acid sea

Soareagle in the comments section reacts, "Algore, the poetic, literary genius. What a twit." BernardL says, "oh barf!" Indeed, there are better nature poets out there. One gets the sense that Hertsgaard cares simply for what the poem is all too patently about.

What also confounds me is the illustration paired with Hertsgaard's post: Al Gore in a photoshopped black beret. Why? Why are berets here associated with poetry? Is this an instance of the hat being used as a sort of crown-in-disguise, or a wreath of Apollonian laurels? Is Hertsgaard hinting that Gore is an artist, too?

Who knows. But outside my window yesterday's snow is melting, and it still seems appropriate to think of the wavering climate. But I prefer to say goodnight to Gore's verses, pick up a book of Horace's Odes, and read 4.7, Diffugere nives ("the snows have fled"). I would invite you to share a pot of tea with me as I read, but the Internet is not advanced enough to allow that. I can provide the Latin, however, which is here, and William Maxwell reading A.E. Housman's still unmatched translation here. As Housman writes, Feast then, thy heart!

Door 5: Sealed with a Pixel

Yesterday, TBATC's most stylish friend told me about the next best thing after Evite. And now it is here for you to enjoy as well. Here it is, behind Door 5.

O National Tree

O National Tree, O National Tree,

How unprecedented are Thy branches,

You are so green, and oh so bright;
Your GE LED bulbs light up the night.
O National Tree, O National Tree,
You are a big blue spru-uce.

Last night we decided to make our first, unprecedented appearance at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Here at TBATC we believe it is important to go see history in the making, whenever we are given the opportunity (in this case courtesy free tickets from a friend).

The crowds were cheery and anxious for their first glimpse of the First Family, and we were excited to learn all sorts of fun facts about the National Tree (thus inspiring my verses above).

If you haven't heard how energy efficient this White House Christmas will be, don't worry, you will. Rather than regurgitate glowing reports of the tree's wonders, we send you to the good people at the National Park Service where you too can learn the history of this holiday treasure and check out the schedule for nightly performances at the Ellipse.

Door 4: LED the Halls

After checking out what we've got for you behind Door 4, learn all about the technology behind this bright Christmas tradition.

Door 3: A Spot of Joy

On this third day of Advent season, K'Barbic and I have found for you a holiday treat with a squeak. It's waiting for you behind Door 3.

Door 2: The Gift of Whimsy

There are 23 days left in the official Christmas countdown which means it's time for Day 2 on our Advent Calendar. Today brings an image that has lit up our faces here at TBATC this holiday season. Presenting the Neiman Marcus Christmas fantasy gift that tops our list this season. If you haven't yet perused the Christmas Book, check it out. Happy shopping!

A Door in the Corner

Over here at TBATC, K'Barbic and I are going to give you a small door—that is, a little link—to open every day, starting today, December 1. Why? Because we are upon the season of Advent, and we are fond of Advent calendars, whether they're plush or made of colored cardboard or, in our case, of pixels. Let's be festive.

K'Barbic and I will have more holiday specials for you, so stay tuned!

Here's your first December door to open. Enjoy!

(P.S. The image to the left is an illustration of a December hunt, with a starry blue calendar at the top, there in the hemisphere. This artwork illustrates the month of December in the early 15th-century Très Riches Heures of the Duc de Berry. Read more here! I guess I just gave you two doors to open. Oh well. Choose your own adventure!)