Design Crafters

Not many people can brag about sending out Christmas cards with pictures of themselves and their 103 year old twin.   I don’t know if the Clifford twins actually sent out photo greeting cards, but nevertheless, they certainly are remarkable. Living to 103 is amazing to begin with, but both twins living that long…wow.

Lilly and Marie Clifford were born on Christmas Day in 1904 and were only recently parted when Lily passed away. But believe it or not, they’re not the oldest twins. The Guinness Book of World Records recently recorded 105 year old Canadian-born twins, Ellen Robertson and Sarah Jeanmougin to be the eldest.

Certainly many people wonder what the Clifford twins secret is to such a long and relatively healthy life. They claimed there is no secret, but Marie did once say “We just lived and enjoyed each day.” Perhaps that’s the trick…be happy, enjoy life, have a good outlook on life. Or perhaps it was the fact that they literally lived for one another. Not only through their love, but also for necessity. Between Marie’s poor eyesight and Lilly’s failing hearing, they relied on each other to be the others eyes or ears, to “get a full sense of the world around them”.  Whatever the secret is, their love for one another will go on forever.

The original article about the Clifford twins can be found at:
http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=71716&section=news&freebie

_check&CFID=19978920&CFTOKEN=51645659&jsessionid=88305fb0eca318e22375

Anyone that went to the San Francisco Zoo on Christmas Day, may have gotten more than they bargained for in their photos. Zoos can offer great hands on experience, but I don’t know if you’d really like of an unleashed, untamed tiger right behind you, with no barrier in between.

On Christmas day a 350 pound Siberian tiger decided to get some exercise when it somehow escaped and began attacking and stalking people after being taunted. (I guess the tiger got fed up with the taunting). Many onlookers say it actually jumped the over the 15 ft moat and 20ft high fence that surrounded the enclosure. (Apparently they can jump higher than expected, when provoked to do so).

According to witnesses, many people were completely unaware of the hiding and lurking tiger around them. So if you were there Christmas Day, I recommend taking a close look at the pictures you took, for you may see a tiger peering from behind a tree.

At the time of the attack, the zoo was understaffed and many employees initially believed the claim of a loose tiger was a hoax. On top of that, the employees couldn’t get into the safe with the gun.

Now this is a very rare situation and zoos are still a wonderful place to visit and take your photo Christmas cards at. Since this situation, this zoo and many others have amped up there safety measures. So don’t let it scare you away.

An article about the escaped tiger, can be found at:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/19/BAL8VM6RR.DTL

According to Christmas.com, less than 3% of the population is Christian so Christmas is a day that is barely noticed by most of it’s inhabitants. Because of our military involvement over there, I thought it might be interesting to know how the Christian Iraqis celebrate Christmas.

According to Christmas.com, Christians in Iraq celebrate Christmas in a special way. On Christmas Eve, the family gathers together and one of the children reads about the birth of Jesus while other family members hold lighted candles. After the reading, a bonfire made of thorn bushes is lit in the yard. If the thorns burn to ashes, it means good luck. While the fire burns, everyone sings and when it dies, everyone jumps over the ashes three times. Each person makes a wish.

On Christmas Day, another bonfire is lit. This one is in the churchyard and the signals the beginning of the service. The bishop comes in carrying a figure of the Christ child on a red pillow. After the service, the bishop blesses one person with a touch. Then that person touches the person next to him or her. Everyone touches the next person in turn. Finally everyone has the "touch of peace" on Christmas Day. There is no mention as to whether on not these Iraqis send Christmas cards