I hope you've had wonderful holiday memories and will continue to create them. I've had a few, but remembering two most especially, which occurred many years apart, I'll now be very happy to recall and recount, to wit:
 
The first special Christmas for me occurred when I was eight years old, in 1945. The document that ended all of World War Two was signed September 1st and everyone here in the U.S. and those populating our allied countries were in understandably very happy, grateful and celebratory moods. My mother was especially happy, because she had worked for the government's War Department during all of World War Two and was now able to pursue other work. (Family was comprised of just her and me during most of those 1940s years because my father left my mother and me when I was 16 months old. My mother and I lived in a Pittsburgh “project” apartment at that time, but she and I moved into my grandfather's apartment to begin living with him in 1948.)
 
Because she wasn't able to afford many presents during those war years, she told me to expect something "very special" for Christmas just a few days prior to that 1945 day. As is the case with any child, I eagerly wondered what could be labeled "very special" , especially since we were not exactly rich during those years. I also fervently believed in Santa Claus, even though we didn't have a chimney in the apartment. Regardless, when I awakened that Christmas morning, I couldn't believe my eyes when I walked into the living room. My mother had showered me with more board games than I could count, from Monopoly to Parcheesi to Chutes and Ladders and so many more, as well as an electric train (which I still have). I had never been deprived of any of the basics, but to then be treated to an overflow of gifts from my wonderful and very hard-working mother that Christmas made it a Christmas I'll never forget.
 
The second very special Christmas celebration occurred December 24th and December 25th, 1973. My two daughters, wife and I were all together for the first time in several years. We were living in a beautiful 12-room rented bottom half of a 24-room duplex in West St. Paul, Minnesota, during my KSTP-TV weathercasting days. Because my wife and I were deeply rooted in show business and especially Broadway musicals, one of our favorites was and is Mame. One of the more uplifting and memorable songs in Mame is "We need a little Christmas". As you might recall, it's entirely happy. Not only did we all hold hands and dance to it more than once in the living room Christmas Eve and Christmas morning (we almost wore out the 33-1/3 recording), but it was decided by my daughters and wife that their large Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls should get "married" Christmas morning. I performed the wedding ceremony and those two dolls have lived happily ever after! Smiling here. Indeed, that Christmas evokes many smiles.
 
Everyone at Ebenezer, including yours truly, of course, hopes you have the happiest and most blessed holidays ever.
 
Thank you for reading, as always.

This past November was the snowiest on record for the Twin Cities. Some who aren't fans of bad winter weather transport themselves to warmer climes each year. Florida, Arizona and the Caribbean seem to top the list of more desirable places for them to spend the winter months. Those of us who either don't mind our winters, or have resigned ourselves to endure them, regardless of the severity, are what used to be called "hardy folk". Fine, but (smiling here), the heck with hardy! Get me (or you) to Florida, Arizona or the Caribbean as soon as possible. This is going to be one of those cold “normal” winters here.
 
But, knowing I WON'T be in Florida, Arizona or on a Caribbean island, this or ANY winter, I offer some meteorological thoughts about the cold and how you can best prepare for it (if you haven't already), I'll share some personal cold weather history with you, to wit:
- The coldest air temperature I ever experienced (actual temperature, not wind chill) was 54 degrees below zero Fahrenheit in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, at 8 in the morning. It was in February, 1960. I was working at a television station there as their weatherman. I knew the night before, because of the extreme cold, I would have to plug in my car's headbolt heater to keep the engine warm and able to start in the garage. The next morning, knowing it was 54 degrees below zero, thanks to the radio weather report I heard that morning, I got into my car, turned the key and nothing happened except a grunting sound. I lifted the hood and found my engine covered in ice. The headbolt heater worked for part of the night, but the power went out during the night and froze the moisture on the engine. Long story shortened: A fellow broadcaster who lived a block away had no problems starting his little car and drove me to the TV station to start my shift. (For those who might not remember or know about headbolt heaters, they're a rod that fits into a spot normally reserved for one of the bolts that helps hold the car's engine together and actually reaches into a safe part of the engine itself, attached to an electric plug that, when plugged in, heats the rod that warms the engine, enabling a fast engine start-up on the coldest mornings, if the electric power doesn't shut down!)

Most important to know, in my opinion: That 54 degrees below zero morning was typical for sky conditions and atmospheric pressure. The sky was clear (with small ice crystals dancing in the air at the surface) and the barometric pressure very high. High pressure in winter ALWAYS means it's accompanied by colder air. High pressure, because of the heaviness of the colder air, moves away much slower than low pressure, thus, when we have high pressure dominating our part of the country during the winter, we can expect the cold air to remain for longer periods of time.
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- The coldest wind chill I ever experienced was 66 below zero while walking two blocks to the campus of The University of Minnesota in the early 1970s. I was the weatherman on KSTP-TV, on my way to give a class a "weather talk". I was walking to the class building from a parking garage, but forgot to bring or wear a hat and coat. I had forgotten my own forecast from the night before and had to keep my eyes open while the wind was coming straight at me. When I got to the classroom, it took the full hour of that weather talk to thaw myself out, then walked back to the parking garage, but with the wind at my back. Truthfully, what I did was potentially life-threatening, thus I never again forgot one of my forecasts.
 
For YOU: Common sense should prevail when dealing with winter weather conditions. One can actually freeze to death or experience hypothermia (reduced body temperature) if skin is exposed even five minutes in temperatures below 32 degrees above zero. IF you have to be outside in winter weather, please remember the following common sense:
- When driving, in your car's trunk should be at least one blanket, a flashlight, a box of matches, a shovel (preferably one that folds in half), rubber high-boots and a tightly-sealed one gallon can of gasoline. Obviously, you should be wearing the most protective winter clothing, too and have a fully-charged cell phone to make possible emergency calls.
- When not driving and you find it necessary to be outside, try to wear the warmest clothing possible, in layers. Outer coats should preferably be down-filled. Thermal underwear is also strongly recommended. Again, these are all common sense suggestions, but we can never be reminded too often about their importance.
 
In regard to this coming winter, late autumn has already provided a preview of what we can expect in Minnesota and Iowa this coming season. Best advice for this winter, in my opinion: Don't leave the comfort of your living quarters if you don’t have to. Keep safe and warm.
 
Thanks for reading, as always.