Podcasts about scrooges

For this first episode of 2025, RSC co-artistic directors Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor discuss how Austin plays the "Alternate Scrooge" in the Goodman Theatre production of A Christmas Carol for the third year in a row. Austin reveals how he threads the needle of honoring the Scrooges he alternates with (Larry Yando and Christopher Donahue) while still making the character his own; the difference between being an alternate and an understudy; how he inherited the role from previous alternate and now current Scrooge Allen Gilmore; the secrets to flying, including massive shout-outs to ZFX Flying, who makes the magic happen (not "VFX," as misidentified by Austin); what it's like to work with young performers; the danger of running out of mental bandwidth during the holidays; and the privilege of jumping from reduced productions to the Goodman's massive annual extravaganza. (Length 38:46) The post Threading The Needle appeared first on Reduced Shakespeare Company.

On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss the beauty of a Christmas well spent before introducing Dr. Dwight Lindley. By taking this course, you'll learn profound lessons from the Ghosts of Christmas, explore the true meaning of Christmas through Scrooge's surprising encounters, and discover how to open yourself to life's many joys and blessings. Scrooges' conversion is complete. He has learned that at the heart of Christmas is the ability to open oneself up like a child to the joy of the smallest things and the love and charity toward our fellow man.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss the beauty of a Christmas well spent before introducing Dr. Dwight Lindley. By taking this course, you'll learn profound lessons from the Ghosts of Christmas, explore the true meaning of Christmas through Scrooge's surprising encounters, and discover how to open yourself to life's many joys and blessings. Scrooges' conversion is complete. He has learned that at the heart of Christmas is the ability to open oneself up like a child to the joy of the smallest things and the love and charity toward our fellow man.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2017 film The Man Who Invented Christmas, starring human treasure Dan Stevens as Charles Dickens, is a lovely bit of an anachronistic historical revisionism (though, to be fair, it gets a number of things right both in fact and in, pardon the pun, spirit). But it also perpetuates an increasingly popular myth - that Charles Dickens...well...invented Christmas. At least, that is, Christmas as we think of it today. There are a lot of reasons why this seems true, and, yes, Dicken's A Christmas Carol played an enormous role in a Victorian revival and redefining of Christmas - but that revival was happening with him or without him. So we decided to take a closer look at Victorian society in the 1940s and exam how religious - or not - Dickens and A Christmas Carol actually were. Kelly and John invited Victorianist Kristen Hanley Cardozo to share some of her expertise and talk about spirits, Scrooges, and the real reasons for the season.

Come in and know him better, man! Instead of another Christmas Definitive Ranking, this year we're bringing you The Bah Humbug Bracket: 32 Scrooges facing off in a battle royale to see who will be the final Scrooge standing. Join our Patreon!What's included?$1/month = YDAFT Punks Access to the YDAFT Discord $4/month = YDAFT Giants Access to the YDAFT Discord 20% off all merch (coming soon!) And exclusive access to our new monthly bonus episodes..."Opps! All Tangents!" "Oops! All Tangents" is a shorter, question-free episode dropped on the first Friday of every month. We'll tell longer stories, take deep dives into specific topics, and do all sorts other fun things we can't fit into our regular episodes. Join us!Go to https://www.patreon.com/youdidntaskforthis to become a member! We're on TikTok now! Go see our dumb faces!Submit your least pressing questions, local legends, definitive rankings, neighborhood group drama, and whatever else you want us to cover at youdidntaskforthis@gmail.com or @udidntaskpod on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.You can also leave us a voicemail on The Thoughtline at (410) 929-5329 and we might just play it on the show!...

Don't you love Christmas? You know, except for a few Scrooges, I would say that most people in our culture, in our country, love Christmas. And why is that? If you find benefit from these devotions we'd encourage you to support our ministry. You can donate by visiting: https://peacedevotions.com/donate Connect with us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeaceDevotions/ Website: https://peacedevotions.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2pFo5lJV46gKmztGwnT3vA Twitter: https://twitter.com/peacedevotions Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peace_devotions/ Email List: https://peacedevotions.com/email --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/peace-devotions/support

A Ghostly Plea For Appreciation.Based on a post by SandyMarl, in 4 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.  A Christmas Ghost Story For ScroogeDana got ready to roll the movie as The Chix settled in. "What's the movie?" asked McNally."A Christmas Carol, it's the classic tale by Charles Dickens.""Damn. Not a Christmas movie? Did I ever mention that I am so over Christmas right now? Bah Humbug!"Annie snorted, "McNally, you make a better Scrooge than Patrick Stewart.""I'll drink to that," McNally said as she tipped her stemware to wash down a handful of popcorn. "Let me say it again, Merry Fucking Christmas, because I am so done with Christmas.""Merry Fucking Christmas" was echoed around the room, followed by giggles among gathered good friends as the opening scene played.Annie was dabbing at her eyes as Tiny Tim cried out in the movie's final scene, "God bless us, everyone!"As the credits rolled, Annie turned to McNally, "Well, Ebenezer Scrooge, do you still hate Christmas? Or did the ghost of Christmas Future shake you from your Bah Humbug! ways?""I don't hate Christmas; I just get worn out by this time of year. Christmas has been going on since before Halloween and that's way too long, even for a vibrant spirit like me," replied McNally."Are you still so entrenched in your 'Bah Humbug' world-weary ways Ebenezer McNally or is it possible that visitations of the cinematic Ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Future have softened your hardened holiday heart?" pried Patricia."Don't be picking on McNally, she's just been more emotionally honest. I have heard Scrooge speaking through all of you. Chix, take a look inside and tell me if Christmas hasn't lost its magic for all of us this year, or for that matter, several years running." Dana's call for introspection brought the room to silence.Dana continued, "Let me play Ghost of Christmas Past; let me take us back to time when we were young, and Sander and I stretched our budget and bought this cabin and had The Chix and their boys up here around Christmas time? Remember those times?""Those were the good days," recalled McNally. "I remember Orlando mixing exotic cocktails for everyone to try. The guys kept making sweet drinks and urging us girls to taste one new one after another. I'm sure they were in cahoots, working on the theory that 'Christmas candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.'"Patricia chimed in, "Yeah, I remember that year, I remember laughing a lot of silly laughs and being chased around the cabin and out into the snow by three horny abominable snowmen until I finally let one catch me and haul me off to his lair where he threw me on the bed and ravaged me.""I sort of remember that too - only I think I enjoyed Orlando's cocktails too much too soon to fully remember every detail. But I have a vague memory of laughing on my way to a strange bed as I hung over Nelson's shoulder as I pounded on his back as a captured maiden, but not really feeling much distress. I remember trying to help Nelson undress me, but I was too giggly, so he just ripped my clothes off."Dana reminisced, "Anybody remember the year we all wore those sexy Santa's Naughty Elf costumes?""I still have mine in a closet somewhere I think," snickered McNally. "We put on a pretty good show for the guys that one year when we performed in those outfits. Thanks to Annie for sewing them," McNally tipped her glass toward Annie."It was your choreography McNally, and your audacious moves that gave me the confidence to bump and grind along with the rest of the Chix. I'd never have been able to even think of doing something so feminine and sexy if it weren't for you McNally," complimented Patricia."I still get wet every time I hear Eartha Kitt sing 'Santa Baby' and I think of how hot we Chix looked and how mercilessly we teased those boys," chuckled McNally."Speaking for me," said Patricia, "I'd say all of that dance practice and the sexy dance tips from everyone else showing me how to strut my wares. Our sexy little routine was well worth it a little later that night." All The Chix giggled and nodded with Patricia, each recalling the thrill of having their men rush the stage and cart off the four costumed naughty little helper elves for a roll in the sheets."Dana are you sure you're alright with us bringing up these memories?" asked Annie in a cautious tone."Annie, I've already told you that good memories and present friends are what are important to me tonight.""Allow me to play the Ghost of Christmas Present," said Dana in a soft voice. "If the Ghost of Christmas Past has drawn for you scenes of past holiday lovers, good times and Christmas cheer; what do you see when the Ghost of Christmas Present hovers above your lives tonight and points to your actions and attitudes of this present Christmas?"The Chix again sat thinking in silence.McNally answered Dana's challenge first, "Well, I've already told everyone my grim view of this present Christmas. There is a poverty of spirit where I operate; Christmas has become nothing but joyless deadlines for me. I'll confess, 'Bah Humbug!' is truly what the Ghost of Christmas Present is pointing at in my life.""Or would Scrooge use a more contemporary phrase, maybe something like 'Merry Fucking Christmas?" needled Patricia."Yeah but..." Annie joined in, "...Those really were Merry Fucking Christmases in the past - literally. Those years when we all used to come up here with our hubbies and enjoy playing games and cooking together, remember? And it seems like every night ended in a night of passionate love making," she added wistfully. "Why did we let that slip away? Where did the holiday love magic go?"I have a confession too, McNally has nothing on me, I'm just as much of a Bah Humbug personality as McNally - if not more so. Only I'm just a Scrooge still in the closet. I guess it's time I came out to my friends. It was me who first suggested that I'd be ready to exchange Nelson for someone to clean my house. Honestly, how Scrooge-like is that?"The Ghost of Christmas Past showed that Scrooge rejected his old flame, Belle, to pursue a respectable wealthy status above love. Like Scrooge, I've let the passion for my old flame, Nelson dim, and for what? A respectable status of a well cleaned house? I've been saying 'Bah Humbug!' from inside my Scrooge closet."I chided McNally for her poor attitude when we first drove up this afternoon," recalled Patricia. "But then I fell right in with her complaining about my grueling holiday schedule and all I had endured. So, I guess that makes me not only a Scrooge, but a hypocrite as well. How's that for a bare-bones confession to the Ghost of Christmas Present?" Dana's Christmas Ghost"Excuse me," declared a mildly irritated McNally, "enough indulging in this group psychotherapy playing with literary ghosts. I can't stand it any longer, I've gotta find out from Dana if Sander's ghost is really visiting us here."McNally's abrupt demand brought a heavy hush to the room.All eyes were locked on Dana. "All I can say is that I came up to our cabin for the first time since the accident. I hoped I was ready, but I wasn't sure. The real reason that I invited everyone to join me was so I couldn't back out, even if I wanted to, since I had extended an invitation to The Chix. Patricia, Annie, McNally; you're my insurance as I forced myself to be a brave widow."I came two days ago for solitude. I thought I would be alone up here. I hoped I'd be brave enough to finally be alone with my thoughts. I was going to force myself to stay here until reinforcements arrived in the form of a carload of wild, raucous and fun-loving Chix."To my surprise, I had it all wrong. I was not alone here. Sander was waiting for me. It was good to find him here; he has been a comfort for me. I told him I was sorry for making him wait. He let me know that he understood why I waited. He assured me that it was alright for me to wait, coming only after I was ready."When Sander came to me the first night, he comforted me, bringing good memories of us in this place, like the Ghost of Christmas Past. He reacquainted me with faded memories of Patricia and Will, Annie and Nelson and McNally and Orlando all gathered in this place with me and Sander back in those days at the beginning. The images he brought to me made me feel grateful for all of you."I told Sander that those were lovely, warm memories, some of the best; but that they were far in the dim past. When Sander wrapped those memories around me; I felt warmth and saw a radiating brightness, happy for what we had once shared together. He said that that is why he had to brighten them for me; otherwise, neither I nor anyone else in those images would be able to clearly see them as they once were."I began to cry as those bright images of our past passions and fellowship with our friends began to fade before my eyes. I cried even more at the fear of losing him and everything good once again."He warned me that squandered time, tyranny of the mundane and careless love will steal from the human soul, draining the treasures of passion and good memories, leaving murky, pathetic sketches in place of those forgotten treasures. Sander let me know that I still had all of you wrapped around me to shield me with love. He was pleased that The Chix had taken such good care of me after he was taken from me."Sander told me he could not keep the past images bright, the power to do so was only given to the realm of the living."I cried in my grief and in my fresh fear of loss. I tried to hold him, but of course, I could not. I pleaded, 'How can I keep those memories of you and warm feelings bright?' I didn't know how to find the power to keep from losing all that was meaningful to me. I cried, 'Please Sander, show me, show me how not to lose you and everything again. Don't let me drain away into the murky darkness where all warmth and love have been stolen from the human soul.'"I cried, kneeling on the floor. Sander said nothing as he stood close to me as a kind and gentle spirit with a comforting patience waiting for me to finish my hot tears. When I wiped away my tears and looked into his face, he pointed and guided me to look for my answer. I saw The Chix checking their messages, returning calls, checking their calendars trying to squeeze in a meeting, an appointment and a Christmas cookie exchange. I saw that we were rushing to the shopping mall, ordering online, checking our phones and returning home exhausted, drained of warmth and love, leaving nothing for those around us."I was shown Will, Nelson and Orlando taking the cars in for servicing because it was time. I saw these men checking their messages and making out-of-the way runs to pick up store items and a few groceries because their wives had sent them a text message. I witnessed The Dix on their own initiative coming home with a takeout meal that they served to their exhausted wives and then taking out the trash the night before pickup without a reminder. The guys were up late at night, opening the bills and writing the household checks and balancing the accounts, toiling like the loyal Bob Cratchit, Scrooge's unappreciated clerk. I had been shown Christmas Present. I was sad to have seen that exhausted misery spread to all of our present lives."I cried, 'Oh Sander, where is the joy and the love for our friends? Everyone looks so exhausted and joyless and without hope or purpose. Tell me Sander, what is going to happen to them?' Sander looked sad and did not answer me."He began to fade into the darkness, and I begged with renewed tears, 'Sander please don't go, please don't leave me alone again.' But he was gone.I crawled off the floor, lifting myself into bed and cried myself to sleep. I remembered his words, 'Squandered time, tyranny of the mundane and careless love will steal from the human soul, draining the treasures of passion and good memories and leaving murky, pathetic sketches in place of those forgotten treasures.'"When Sander slipped away from me that night, I understood that he had shown me that the same was happening to Orlando and McNally, Will and Patricia and also to Nelson and Annie. His visit was a warning. Just as I lost Sander, everyone here is facing a Christmas Future where you will discover that you've lost all that really matters in life."Sander came again the next night. I was glad to see him. I wanted to know if it was too late for our friends to rekindle the love that had somehow drained away. 'Please, Sander, tell me that there is yet hope for them this Christmas Season,' I begged."He showed me some bright and warm memories from long ago, some personal and some with The Chix. He showed me those visions to let me know that I still had love and support from you guys. But I was haunted by those visions of Christmas Present that I'd been shown the night before. He was happy that I was so well cared for now. And yes, he was happy to know that I got surprised by some needed loving attention from a partridge, a turtle dove hunter and an old barnyard rooster who had a few tricks to make a French hen cackle. Yet, the peril of the bleak Christmas Present remains, unless friendship and love is cherished and attended, it too will soon perish, and I'll see my friends fade away into murky darkness as Sander had."Again, I looked into his gentle eyes and asked, 'There is still time isn't there? We haven't squandered our time, it's not too late, tell me sweetheart, there are warm and bright memories of love and affection still to be made, nourished and cherished.' Sander smiled his warm smile of assurance that I had missed so much, and I was happy."I woke, realizing that the sun was shining off a fresh morning snowfall and I threw off my heavy quilt. I sat up in bed, remembering that on our last morning together; Sander had been working on something secret that morning before the accident. I remembered asking him, 'Sweetie buns, what are you working on the hill behind the cabin?'"He smiled that warm, smug smile of mischief on that last morning that we were together and told me, 'I've got a Christmas surprise to show you tonight, it has to be revealed once it is dark. So, you'll have to wait until we finish a few runs on the slopes this afternoon.'"Of course, we never came back here together. I had forgotten about Sander's promised secret Christmas surprise until yesterday morning. When Sander told me he had a Christmas gift waiting for me after dark, he was holding an electrical extension cord behind his back with his mischievous smile stretched across his ski slope tanned face. 'I'll plug this in to brighten your night tonight, as a token of how you have brightened my life,' he said. Recalling some of his last words, I jumped out of bed and checked this morning; that cord is still lying on the deck where Sander left it last year.Annie was crying, as usual, but so were Patricia and McNally.Dana reached for her purse and pulled out her phone and looked at her messages and began to text, as The Chix took a few moments to rein in their emotions and check their composure before speaking or asking Dana any questions.Annie brushed her cheeks, "Oh Dana, that is the sweetest, saddest story I've ever heard... Excuse me, I can't stop weeping... I don't even know if these are tears of joy or grief... excuse me, I don't know what to feel or say," she said as the flood gates reopened.Patricia felt it was her role to wade in and tidy things up and drain the emotional swamp in which they all found themselves wallowing in. "Dana, it sounds like you've started to find some peace after last year's events. I am glad that you shared with us how you are coping with Sander's passing...""Patricia, Jesus Christ on a bicycle! Don't be such a cold and analytical mother hen all the time for us Chix. Dana's story is not about coping, it's about us - all of us and all that we once had and what we might lose, including Will, Nelson and yes, Orlando too. Dana, your conversation with Sander really got to me there..." McNally paused, looking emotionally rattled."I guess everyone can tell, your story about Sander got to me also," said Annie after managing to dry out enough. "I feel like McNally. Dana, what you said really touched me; I don't know what to say... Yes, I actually do, I want to say that what Sander said is right; my joy has been stolen from my soul, I feel drained inside, I have let the things I hold most dear fade away. I am Scrooge - and I'm sorry, but so are all of you."Turning to Patricia, Annie asked, "Don't you feel what McNally and I feel? Don't you feel that you and I and McNally, and certainly Dana, have lost something precious? Together as The Chix, we are a sum greater the whole - and that has, or should, include our husbands. I believe Sander told Dana to warn us all before it is too late. Patricia, don't you feel like me that we should do something before the Ghost of Christmas Future makes the vision of an estranged and murky end to all that we enjoy a grim reality?"Patricia teared up and nodded silently. Then lifting her head, she asked Dana, "Is there hope? Did Sander give you hope for us?""There is hope. There is still love here, and where there is love, there is hope. Sander showed me that the future can be changed by what we do now. Sander showed me that there is hope for us, hope for The Chix.""And... And... What is that hope?" asked McNally. "And... And... And I got lots of questions about you and Sander up here in this cabin, but first - that was a gripping Christmas ghost story with Sander, but it seemed kind of weird that as soon as you finished driving your emotional steamroller full speed over our sympathies that you then broke character, ignoring us to check your phone. Isn't checking your messages part of that tyranny of the mundane that Sander warned you about? Who is so important that you were texting them rather than dealing with us in this room and our emotions?""The Ghost or the Ghosts of Christmas Future," was Dana's curt, cryptic reply."You asked about our future, you asked about hope; I don't know exactly how to answer those questions," said a thoughtful Dana. "But I know where I want to look for starters. There is Sander's unrevealed Christmas surprise waiting for me - or us, on top of the hill behind the cabin. It was Sander's last gift. Everyone, dress in your ugliest Christmas sweater and pull on some holiday woolies and come with me to see what's up there."What do you think it is, Dana?" asked Annie."I think it is wonderful and special, Sander was so good at that kind of thing. Other than that, as I said, I only remembered it this morning. I think that it's fitting that it happened to be left there to be revealed to me in the future. I think it's a sign." Bright Angel On High - The Gift Of The Ghost Of Christmas FutureThe four Chix marched up the trail behind the cabin, following in the footprints Dana pressed into the fresh, moonlit snow that was smooth and crisp and even. All the ladies came to the brow of the hill, ready to mount the crest, expecting to view Sander's waiting surprise. Dana let out an exasperated half sight, half scream. "Ah! I forgot - or didn't think to remember that I needed to plug in the cord that Sander had run up the hill to his surprise gift." Dana broke down crying, "Everything is ruined. I wanted to see Sander's last gift and now the surprise is ruined." Dana buried her head in her mittens as her shoulders shook in choking sobs of disappointment and grief. "I failed Sander and his memory," she wailed.Annie, McNally, and Patricia swarmed around Dana, throwing their arms around her to console her. Patricia was about to explain to Dana that the problem could be solved, she would just go back down and plug the cord into the electrical socket and fix the oversight. Simple. No need for tears. Patricia's unhelpful words pointing out the simple fix to Dana's overwrought emotions never passed her lips."Ooh, look!" gasped Annie. "There it is! Look Dana, it's beautiful. Look up in that big Christmas tree, it is so magical. It's from heaven." Annie was hopping and pointing into a spruce on the other side of the dark clearing. Dana looked up, her legs turned to jelly, her heart shot out of her chest, taking with it every last oxygen molecule from her lungs. Dana stood in silence surrounded by her friends but felt as if she were floating to the stars as she marveled at Sander's creation.The figure of a magnificent, bright angel glowed from the boughs with a million tiny, warm lights. Dana threw her hands to her cheeks in stunned amazement, feeling a wash of warm blessings surge through her body."Absolutely amazing," marveled McNally. "Oh Dana, this is so inspiring. Sander sure had an innovative spirit combined with his refined talent to create such a masterful surprise. It's the most gorgeous, stunning angel I've ever seen. I know this is quite meaningful to you."The Chix huddled tight in the brisk night air, spellbound in wonder under the illuminated gaze of the angel on high. A Wild Ride DownThey jumped in unison with a startled twitch as the crystalline silence was shattered by a male voice ringing out from the dark woods behind the spruce where the angel floated.The voice made a short, "Ho!" sound. Followed by a second male voice, echoing the same "Ho!" and then another mysterious "Ho!" was spoken by another man.The women stared into the gloom beyond the angel. Was it a sound effect by Sander's angel or was someone watching them from the woods? "Hello. Who's there?" shouted Patricia.Her question was answered by three quick 'Ho, Ho Ho's' from three hidden men. Three dark figures rushed from the shadows toward the women, pushing three toboggans in front of them. Annie, McNally, and Patricia clustered close in around Dana in a scared, defensive move.In an instant Nelson, Orlando and Will burst into recognizable range of their wives, scooping them up and depositing each of them onto the toboggans. Orlando gave Dana a tug, throwing her behind McNally. With a whoosh before any of the ladies knew what was happening, they found themselves careening downhill in the darkness along the path which they had climbed a few minutes earlier. The night air was filled with screams and laughs as The Chix and their Dix flew with abandon down the wooded slope. The Chix shrieked like young schoolgirls at their quick abduction and wild ride.At the base of the slope, to avoid hitting the cabin, the men had to tip the toboggans, spilling everyone into the snow. Still in a breathless uproar, the ladies scrambled to their knees and feet and began to dump snow on the guys as they continued in a giddy, frolicking mood.The men rose from their vulnerable positions and the women ran. The men chased and the women got caught and tackled into the snow, where there was a flurry of rolling and tumbling bodies amid whoops and high spirits. The Chix all ended up getting pinned beneath their man and enjoying it before they were extracted and lifted to their feet."C'mon inside everybody!" shout a gleeful Dana. Nelson wrapped one arm around Annie and one around Dana as he ushered the two toward the cabin's deck."Wait! The gifts, damn it, we've got to recover the gifts," moaned Will."Are they at the bottom of the hill with the sleds, or did they fall off back uphill?" asked Orlando."Hell, I don't know Orlando. Send the women folk inside, we'll have to bring 'em in once we find them," replied a less than gracious Will."There're gifts for us?" asked Annie as she broke out from under her husband's arm and led the way to look for her lost gift in the snow drifts. McNally and Patricia were joined by Dana as they turned to search for their gifts too."I found one," announced Will as he stooped to dig it out of the snow. "I think this one belongs to..."Patricia gave him a boot in the bum, forcing a frozen face plant into a snowbank. She whooped with delight at her playful stunt and then turned on her heels as Will chased her and brought her down into the snow on top of him where he copped a feel and rolled his wife over and gave her a spank with his gloved hand.Dana found a wrapped gift, "I found one! Who wants this present?"McNally raced over and said, "I'll take that mystery gift," snatching it from Dana's upheld arms.Nelson looked and said, "Oh no you don't McNally, that is supposed to be Annie's." He gave chase and McNally tucked her box under her jacket and ran.Nelson quickly caught up to McNally in the drifts and swooped down on her, rummaging under her jacket feeling for the stolen box. McNally shifted and made sure that Nelson got to squeeze a couple of wrapped wonders in his search before he found Annie's intended present."Hey Nelson, what are you doing with my wife?" asked Orlando in a mock menacing tone as he strode over to McNally. He pulled her out of Nelson's clutches, grabbing her hand and lifting her up."Come with me young lady, I got something better for you. Help me find a lost partridge parcel and I'll make sure he finds a nice nest in your pear tree."McNally turned her head to Nelson, "Sorry Nelly-boy, it was fun while it lasted, but I just got a better offer." She pecked Orlando on the cheek as they went off arm-in-arm in search of the last spilled Christmas package."All presents, present and accounted for!" announce Orlando as he plucked a gift box from beneath an overturned toboggan."Y'all c'mon, my offer still stands, everyone inside," yelled Dana. Nelson rushed back to put his arm around Dana and escort her inside as the rest of the reunited Chix and Dix tramped through the snow following them into the cabin.Inside, Dana announced, "I'm going to be making a batch of my rich hot chocolate, the traditional drink for ski cabin gathering of The Chix and The Dix." Everyone cheered as Dana stepped into her kitchen.Orlando opened the cupboard, "Hey Dana, what happened to the bottle of peppermint schnapps that used to be here?"Dana tipped her head and pointed her finger into the hollow of her cheek, giving Orlando a ditzy look; "I wonder, who around here would remember that old bottle of peppermint schnapps you gave to us after all these years?"McNally, right on cue, "I've got a good memory for things like that - in fact that 'old bottle' that we gave you and Sander has just come out of the closet and has already made his presence felt. He's right here." McNally lifted the schnapps bottle off the coffee table and showed it to her inquiring husband. "It's like this old bottle is helping rekindle memories of good times past and maybe a talisman for reigniting passions that have faded.""That old bottle holds the Ghost of Christmas Past, out of it pours hope - it's not too late for us!" surmised Patricia. The Chix all yelled an enthusiastic cheer at Patricia's words, which Orlando, Will and Nelson found puzzling."But he is almost used up I am sad to say," informed McNally as she shook the schnapps bottle."Not to fear, I packed his younger brother," mentioned Orlando, "it's in with my stuff where we parked down the road, waiting for Dana's 'all clear' text. I'll bring it up later - unless we need him to rescue us right now.""The new bottle comes with the Ghost of Christmas Future inside," proclaimed Annie, "I feel that out of that bottle will pour a bright and renewed future for all of us." Annie's thoughts brought another hearty cheer from all of the ladies. The men were mystified by the response, but pleased the girls were getting worked up over some spirits in a schnapps bottle."Hey guys, when do we get to open our presents?" asked Annie.The men all looked over to Dana. Dana exploded into a sweet, sly smile. "Here's the plan y'all; I'm making a double batch of traditional hot chocolate, the first round we drink to Christmas Past and use up the old bottle. The second round, we drink to Christmas Future, and we break out the new bottle. Orlando, you are excused to go get that bottle right now. But don't tarry, there are a bunch of eager beavers waiting to open up their gifts." She gave a salacious, knowing wink to each man. "Now git, Mr. Partridge, the night is young, and we can't start the festivities without you."Orlando drove the car up to the cabin from its hiding place where they waited for Dana's text to tell them they should get in place at the top of the hill to surprise their wives. He came waltzing in with the unopened peppermint schnapps bottle. The women served the steaming mugs to their men, McNally distributed an even pour from the old bottle into each cup so that there was enough of the elixir to go around before the last drop dripped into her foaming mug.Dana lifted her stein, "A toast to the fond and wonderful memories of good times past!""I'll drink to that," said Patricia with a laugh. "There, I beat you to it, McNally." Everyone laughed.When the second round was poured and fortified, Dana offered a second toast, "A toast to fond memories of old, may they only serve as a foundation for the many bright and wonderful memories to come, bringing a future filled with hope and passion for all!"The Chix were eyeing the wrapped packages in the center of the room, and after some reminiscing and conversations, Annie again asked, "When are we going to get to open those packages?"The men deferred to Dana. Dana put her stein down and surveyed the room with a sweet and sly smile that had reemerged. "First, I know I invited Patricia, Annie and McNally up here on the pretense that I would tell you girls in person how much I enjoyed being on your naughty list. I want to thank you for turning our Christmas cookie exchange into a hubby exchange. There is no way to really find the words to say how special and loved and deliciously naughty the gift of your men made me feel on this dread holiday without Sander. Each of the guys was special, tender, loving and fun and fulfilling. And since there is no way to tell you how it felt, I took the advice from an old writer's adage; show, don't tell."I know in some circles re-gifting is considered a social faux pas, but in this case, I feel it is a wonderful, shared secret among the best of friends. I ask you to open up your packages and enjoy. As it has oft been said around here lately, Merry Fucking Christmas."McNally, Annie, and Patricia tore into their boxes, squealing in an excited tempered with shy embarrassment at the contents that had come back their way. McNally's box contained a couple of fresh, juicy pears, a bottle of lubricant that Orlando had artfully relabeled 'Partridge Oil' with instructions that said, 'pairs well with pecker and pussy'. Annie's box had a rich assortment of dark chocolate candy turtles, a small bottle of chocolate syrup and a little note instructing the owner to apply a liberal amount on her 'doves' as bait if she wanted to be a 'master baiter' and charm a fabulous trouser snake. Patricia was delighted to find a vibrating egg in her box, curious beyond belief and surprised by the fast-rising tide of wetness under her longjanes."Oh! Dana, you didn't get a gift," sympathized Annie."Oh, but I did. I've already peeked inside all of your packages - if you know what I mean, and I think you do; that's why I know everyone is in for a wonderful night on this Fourth Day of Christmas. My gift is to enjoy being the one to transform all of us Scrooges and bring the joy back into our lives, like Christmas Past. My hope has been fulfilled; I see that Christmas Future is now bright."God bless us, everyone!" cheered Patricia, repeating Tiny Tim's final line of Dickens's Christmas Carol.All seven joined in, repeating the blessing, "God bless us, everyone!""But still. Dana," Annie persisted, "I feel that it's not the same for you or for us without Sander. If Sander is still alright with it, I think maybe sometimes I can put my ol' goat Nelson here, out to pasture. That's if you need or want some intimate care now and then. Just ask." Annie blushed, put her hand on Nelson's leg and looked at her husband before lunging to hug him tight as she shed a tear."McNally are you going to match Annie's and my offer to our lonely friend?" asked Patricia with a playful smirk."As I said after The Chix cookie exchange, 'It's three or it's zero when it comes to The Chix hubby exchange. Of course, I'm in and I'll speak for Orlando on this as well.""This is only the Fourth Day of Christmas," figured Nelson, "what are we going to do for the remaining eight days?""There are seven of us here, it seems fitting that I heat up the hot tub, it seems like the perfect place to find 'Seven swans a swimming'. I'm game if the rest of us are," offered Will. Will's idea was greeted with hearty laughs of ascent."I can't wait to find out what someone will do with 'five golden rings,''' said McNally, giving a sexy little shimmy shake."I like the idea of 'maids a milking'" contributed Orlando as he licked his lips in an overtly sensual manner and flexed his fingers in a breast-milking motion."Not before we all get to have our 'lords a leaping,' that includes Dana," negotiated Patricia."Dana are you alright with this?" asked Annie, not sure if their widowed friend was feeling excluded."Annie, I'm fine, I really am. But I'm feeling a little bit shy about participating in the hubby exchange. But I'm also excited to sample the spicy variety now and again with what you Chix are willing to share with me. I love The Chix and The Dix."McNally plucked the pair of pears from the box in her lap, holding them by their stems and dangling them in front of her nipples which were showing through her top. "Orlando here has some low-hanging fruit to pick, if you'll excuse us," she mentioned in a husky voice."I've got a new egg, and I'm in the mood to get laid," Patricia said as she held up her vibrator.Nelson stood and took Annie's hand to escort her to their room. Annie paused, "Dana, are you going to be lonely and sad tonight?""I don't think so. I'm quite happy right now. You kids run along and have fun, I think I'll go back up the hill and be with my Sander Angel."Dana, put on her hat and gloves, turning to everyone in the room, "Who do I have to thank for remembering to plug in Sander's bright angel gift?" She looked from face to face to face. No one acknowledged the deed."Dana, we were all with you at the top of the dark hill, you know that" said Patricia after a long silence."We were hiding in the woods for about ten minutes after you texted us, Dana. We were waiting for you to show up, we didn't know what to expect," offered Will. "It couldn't have been anyone in this room."Annie let out a gasp and covered her mouth, gaping in surprise. "Do you think it could have been...""I'm sure of it. It's a sign," said Dana with a beaming smile. "Excuse me, I think Sander is waiting for me, I don't want to keep him waiting," as she closed the door behind her. A Merry Fucking ChristmasDana slipped back into the cabin after spending some time with Sander's angel. There were quiet moans and soft purrs seeping out from under closed doors when she tip-toed down the hall. In an understated, but audible voice, she called out, "Merry fucking Christmas, and to all a naughty good night."Dana heard laughs and giggles coming softly from behind three closed doors. "Merry fucking Christmas," came the response called back to her from behind three closed doors. She slipped under her covers, warmed by sweet memories and hopes for the future while visions of sugar plums danced in her head.Based on a post by SandyMarl, for Literotica. 

A Ghostly Plea For Appreciation.Based on a post by SandyMarl, in 4 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.  A Christmas Ghost Story For ScroogeDana got ready to roll the movie as The Chix settled in. "What's the movie?" asked McNally."A Christmas Carol, it's the classic tale by Charles Dickens.""Damn. Not a Christmas movie? Did I ever mention that I am so over Christmas right now? Bah Humbug!"Annie snorted, "McNally, you make a better Scrooge than Patrick Stewart.""I'll drink to that," McNally said as she tipped her stemware to wash down a handful of popcorn. "Let me say it again, Merry Fucking Christmas, because I am so done with Christmas.""Merry Fucking Christmas" was echoed around the room, followed by giggles among gathered good friends as the opening scene played.Annie was dabbing at her eyes as Tiny Tim cried out in the movie's final scene, "God bless us, everyone!"As the credits rolled, Annie turned to McNally, "Well, Ebenezer Scrooge, do you still hate Christmas? Or did the ghost of Christmas Future shake you from your Bah Humbug! ways?""I don't hate Christmas; I just get worn out by this time of year. Christmas has been going on since before Halloween and that's way too long, even for a vibrant spirit like me," replied McNally."Are you still so entrenched in your 'Bah Humbug' world-weary ways Ebenezer McNally or is it possible that visitations of the cinematic Ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Future have softened your hardened holiday heart?" pried Patricia."Don't be picking on McNally, she's just been more emotionally honest. I have heard Scrooge speaking through all of you. Chix, take a look inside and tell me if Christmas hasn't lost its magic for all of us this year, or for that matter, several years running." Dana's call for introspection brought the room to silence.Dana continued, "Let me play Ghost of Christmas Past; let me take us back to time when we were young, and Sander and I stretched our budget and bought this cabin and had The Chix and their boys up here around Christmas time? Remember those times?""Those were the good days," recalled McNally. "I remember Orlando mixing exotic cocktails for everyone to try. The guys kept making sweet drinks and urging us girls to taste one new one after another. I'm sure they were in cahoots, working on the theory that 'Christmas candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.'"Patricia chimed in, "Yeah, I remember that year, I remember laughing a lot of silly laughs and being chased around the cabin and out into the snow by three horny abominable snowmen until I finally let one catch me and haul me off to his lair where he threw me on the bed and ravaged me.""I sort of remember that too - only I think I enjoyed Orlando's cocktails too much too soon to fully remember every detail. But I have a vague memory of laughing on my way to a strange bed as I hung over Nelson's shoulder as I pounded on his back as a captured maiden, but not really feeling much distress. I remember trying to help Nelson undress me, but I was too giggly, so he just ripped my clothes off."Dana reminisced, "Anybody remember the year we all wore those sexy Santa's Naughty Elf costumes?""I still have mine in a closet somewhere I think," snickered McNally. "We put on a pretty good show for the guys that one year when we performed in those outfits. Thanks to Annie for sewing them," McNally tipped her glass toward Annie."It was your choreography McNally, and your audacious moves that gave me the confidence to bump and grind along with the rest of the Chix. I'd never have been able to even think of doing something so feminine and sexy if it weren't for you McNally," complimented Patricia."I still get wet every time I hear Eartha Kitt sing 'Santa Baby' and I think of how hot we Chix looked and how mercilessly we teased those boys," chuckled McNally."Speaking for me," said Patricia, "I'd say all of that dance practice and the sexy dance tips from everyone else showing me how to strut my wares. Our sexy little routine was well worth it a little later that night." All The Chix giggled and nodded with Patricia, each recalling the thrill of having their men rush the stage and cart off the four costumed naughty little helper elves for a roll in the sheets."Dana are you sure you're alright with us bringing up these memories?" asked Annie in a cautious tone."Annie, I've already told you that good memories and present friends are what are important to me tonight.""Allow me to play the Ghost of Christmas Present," said Dana in a soft voice. "If the Ghost of Christmas Past has drawn for you scenes of past holiday lovers, good times and Christmas cheer; what do you see when the Ghost of Christmas Present hovers above your lives tonight and points to your actions and attitudes of this present Christmas?"The Chix again sat thinking in silence.McNally answered Dana's challenge first, "Well, I've already told everyone my grim view of this present Christmas. There is a poverty of spirit where I operate; Christmas has become nothing but joyless deadlines for me. I'll confess, 'Bah Humbug!' is truly what the Ghost of Christmas Present is pointing at in my life.""Or would Scrooge use a more contemporary phrase, maybe something like 'Merry Fucking Christmas?" needled Patricia."Yeah but..." Annie joined in, "...Those really were Merry Fucking Christmases in the past - literally. Those years when we all used to come up here with our hubbies and enjoy playing games and cooking together, remember? And it seems like every night ended in a night of passionate love making," she added wistfully. "Why did we let that slip away? Where did the holiday love magic go?"I have a confession too, McNally has nothing on me, I'm just as much of a Bah Humbug personality as McNally - if not more so. Only I'm just a Scrooge still in the closet. I guess it's time I came out to my friends. It was me who first suggested that I'd be ready to exchange Nelson for someone to clean my house. Honestly, how Scrooge-like is that?"The Ghost of Christmas Past showed that Scrooge rejected his old flame, Belle, to pursue a respectable wealthy status above love. Like Scrooge, I've let the passion for my old flame, Nelson dim, and for what? A respectable status of a well cleaned house? I've been saying 'Bah Humbug!' from inside my Scrooge closet."I chided McNally for her poor attitude when we first drove up this afternoon," recalled Patricia. "But then I fell right in with her complaining about my grueling holiday schedule and all I had endured. So, I guess that makes me not only a Scrooge, but a hypocrite as well. How's that for a bare-bones confession to the Ghost of Christmas Present?" Dana's Christmas Ghost"Excuse me," declared a mildly irritated McNally, "enough indulging in this group psychotherapy playing with literary ghosts. I can't stand it any longer, I've gotta find out from Dana if Sander's ghost is really visiting us here."McNally's abrupt demand brought a heavy hush to the room.All eyes were locked on Dana. "All I can say is that I came up to our cabin for the first time since the accident. I hoped I was ready, but I wasn't sure. The real reason that I invited everyone to join me was so I couldn't back out, even if I wanted to, since I had extended an invitation to The Chix. Patricia, Annie, McNally; you're my insurance as I forced myself to be a brave widow."I came two days ago for solitude. I thought I would be alone up here. I hoped I'd be brave enough to finally be alone with my thoughts. I was going to force myself to stay here until reinforcements arrived in the form of a carload of wild, raucous and fun-loving Chix."To my surprise, I had it all wrong. I was not alone here. Sander was waiting for me. It was good to find him here; he has been a comfort for me. I told him I was sorry for making him wait. He let me know that he understood why I waited. He assured me that it was alright for me to wait, coming only after I was ready."When Sander came to me the first night, he comforted me, bringing good memories of us in this place, like the Ghost of Christmas Past. He reacquainted me with faded memories of Patricia and Will, Annie and Nelson and McNally and Orlando all gathered in this place with me and Sander back in those days at the beginning. The images he brought to me made me feel grateful for all of you."I told Sander that those were lovely, warm memories, some of the best; but that they were far in the dim past. When Sander wrapped those memories around me; I felt warmth and saw a radiating brightness, happy for what we had once shared together. He said that that is why he had to brighten them for me; otherwise, neither I nor anyone else in those images would be able to clearly see them as they once were."I began to cry as those bright images of our past passions and fellowship with our friends began to fade before my eyes. I cried even more at the fear of losing him and everything good once again."He warned me that squandered time, tyranny of the mundane and careless love will steal from the human soul, draining the treasures of passion and good memories, leaving murky, pathetic sketches in place of those forgotten treasures. Sander let me know that I still had all of you wrapped around me to shield me with love. He was pleased that The Chix had taken such good care of me after he was taken from me."Sander told me he could not keep the past images bright, the power to do so was only given to the realm of the living."I cried in my grief and in my fresh fear of loss. I tried to hold him, but of course, I could not. I pleaded, 'How can I keep those memories of you and warm feelings bright?' I didn't know how to find the power to keep from losing all that was meaningful to me. I cried, 'Please Sander, show me, show me how not to lose you and everything again. Don't let me drain away into the murky darkness where all warmth and love have been stolen from the human soul.'"I cried, kneeling on the floor. Sander said nothing as he stood close to me as a kind and gentle spirit with a comforting patience waiting for me to finish my hot tears. When I wiped away my tears and looked into his face, he pointed and guided me to look for my answer. I saw The Chix checking their messages, returning calls, checking their calendars trying to squeeze in a meeting, an appointment and a Christmas cookie exchange. I saw that we were rushing to the shopping mall, ordering online, checking our phones and returning home exhausted, drained of warmth and love, leaving nothing for those around us."I was shown Will, Nelson and Orlando taking the cars in for servicing because it was time. I saw these men checking their messages and making out-of-the way runs to pick up store items and a few groceries because their wives had sent them a text message. I witnessed The Dix on their own initiative coming home with a takeout meal that they served to their exhausted wives and then taking out the trash the night before pickup without a reminder. The guys were up late at night, opening the bills and writing the household checks and balancing the accounts, toiling like the loyal Bob Cratchit, Scrooge's unappreciated clerk. I had been shown Christmas Present. I was sad to have seen that exhausted misery spread to all of our present lives."I cried, 'Oh Sander, where is the joy and the love for our friends? Everyone looks so exhausted and joyless and without hope or purpose. Tell me Sander, what is going to happen to them?' Sander looked sad and did not answer me."He began to fade into the darkness, and I begged with renewed tears, 'Sander please don't go, please don't leave me alone again.' But he was gone.I crawled off the floor, lifting myself into bed and cried myself to sleep. I remembered his words, 'Squandered time, tyranny of the mundane and careless love will steal from the human soul, draining the treasures of passion and good memories and leaving murky, pathetic sketches in place of those forgotten treasures.'"When Sander slipped away from me that night, I understood that he had shown me that the same was happening to Orlando and McNally, Will and Patricia and also to Nelson and Annie. His visit was a warning. Just as I lost Sander, everyone here is facing a Christmas Future where you will discover that you've lost all that really matters in life."Sander came again the next night. I was glad to see him. I wanted to know if it was too late for our friends to rekindle the love that had somehow drained away. 'Please, Sander, tell me that there is yet hope for them this Christmas Season,' I begged."He showed me some bright and warm memories from long ago, some personal and some with The Chix. He showed me those visions to let me know that I still had love and support from you guys. But I was haunted by those visions of Christmas Present that I'd been shown the night before. He was happy that I was so well cared for now. And yes, he was happy to know that I got surprised by some needed loving attention from a partridge, a turtle dove hunter and an old barnyard rooster who had a few tricks to make a French hen cackle. Yet, the peril of the bleak Christmas Present remains, unless friendship and love is cherished and attended, it too will soon perish, and I'll see my friends fade away into murky darkness as Sander had."Again, I looked into his gentle eyes and asked, 'There is still time isn't there? We haven't squandered our time, it's not too late, tell me sweetheart, there are warm and bright memories of love and affection still to be made, nourished and cherished.' Sander smiled his warm smile of assurance that I had missed so much, and I was happy."I woke, realizing that the sun was shining off a fresh morning snowfall and I threw off my heavy quilt. I sat up in bed, remembering that on our last morning together; Sander had been working on something secret that morning before the accident. I remembered asking him, 'Sweetie buns, what are you working on the hill behind the cabin?'"He smiled that warm, smug smile of mischief on that last morning that we were together and told me, 'I've got a Christmas surprise to show you tonight, it has to be revealed once it is dark. So, you'll have to wait until we finish a few runs on the slopes this afternoon.'"Of course, we never came back here together. I had forgotten about Sander's promised secret Christmas surprise until yesterday morning. When Sander told me he had a Christmas gift waiting for me after dark, he was holding an electrical extension cord behind his back with his mischievous smile stretched across his ski slope tanned face. 'I'll plug this in to brighten your night tonight, as a token of how you have brightened my life,' he said. Recalling some of his last words, I jumped out of bed and checked this morning; that cord is still lying on the deck where Sander left it last year.Annie was crying, as usual, but so were Patricia and McNally.Dana reached for her purse and pulled out her phone and looked at her messages and began to text, as The Chix took a few moments to rein in their emotions and check their composure before speaking or asking Dana any questions.Annie brushed her cheeks, "Oh Dana, that is the sweetest, saddest story I've ever heard... Excuse me, I can't stop weeping... I don't even know if these are tears of joy or grief... excuse me, I don't know what to feel or say," she said as the flood gates reopened.Patricia felt it was her role to wade in and tidy things up and drain the emotional swamp in which they all found themselves wallowing in. "Dana, it sounds like you've started to find some peace after last year's events. I am glad that you shared with us how you are coping with Sander's passing...""Patricia, Jesus Christ on a bicycle! Don't be such a cold and analytical mother hen all the time for us Chix. Dana's story is not about coping, it's about us - all of us and all that we once had and what we might lose, including Will, Nelson and yes, Orlando too. Dana, your conversation with Sander really got to me there..." McNally paused, looking emotionally rattled."I guess everyone can tell, your story about Sander got to me also," said Annie after managing to dry out enough. "I feel like McNally. Dana, what you said really touched me; I don't know what to say... Yes, I actually do, I want to say that what Sander said is right; my joy has been stolen from my soul, I feel drained inside, I have let the things I hold most dear fade away. I am Scrooge - and I'm sorry, but so are all of you."Turning to Patricia, Annie asked, "Don't you feel what McNally and I feel? Don't you feel that you and I and McNally, and certainly Dana, have lost something precious? Together as The Chix, we are a sum greater the whole - and that has, or should, include our husbands. I believe Sander told Dana to warn us all before it is too late. Patricia, don't you feel like me that we should do something before the Ghost of Christmas Future makes the vision of an estranged and murky end to all that we enjoy a grim reality?"Patricia teared up and nodded silently. Then lifting her head, she asked Dana, "Is there hope? Did Sander give you hope for us?""There is hope. There is still love here, and where there is love, there is hope. Sander showed me that the future can be changed by what we do now. Sander showed me that there is hope for us, hope for The Chix.""And... And... What is that hope?" asked McNally. "And... And... And I got lots of questions about you and Sander up here in this cabin, but first - that was a gripping Christmas ghost story with Sander, but it seemed kind of weird that as soon as you finished driving your emotional steamroller full speed over our sympathies that you then broke character, ignoring us to check your phone. Isn't checking your messages part of that tyranny of the mundane that Sander warned you about? Who is so important that you were texting them rather than dealing with us in this room and our emotions?""The Ghost or the Ghosts of Christmas Future," was Dana's curt, cryptic reply."You asked about our future, you asked about hope; I don't know exactly how to answer those questions," said a thoughtful Dana. "But I know where I want to look for starters. There is Sander's unrevealed Christmas surprise waiting for me - or us, on top of the hill behind the cabin. It was Sander's last gift. Everyone, dress in your ugliest Christmas sweater and pull on some holiday woolies and come with me to see what's up there."What do you think it is, Dana?" asked Annie."I think it is wonderful and special, Sander was so good at that kind of thing. Other than that, as I said, I only remembered it this morning. I think that it's fitting that it happened to be left there to be revealed to me in the future. I think it's a sign." Bright Angel On High - The Gift Of The Ghost Of Christmas FutureThe four Chix marched up the trail behind the cabin, following in the footprints Dana pressed into the fresh, moonlit snow that was smooth and crisp and even. All the ladies came to the brow of the hill, ready to mount the crest, expecting to view Sander's waiting surprise. Dana let out an exasperated half sight, half scream. "Ah! I forgot - or didn't think to remember that I needed to plug in the cord that Sander had run up the hill to his surprise gift." Dana broke down crying, "Everything is ruined. I wanted to see Sander's last gift and now the surprise is ruined." Dana buried her head in her mittens as her shoulders shook in choking sobs of disappointment and grief. "I failed Sander and his memory," she wailed.Annie, McNally, and Patricia swarmed around Dana, throwing their arms around her to console her. Patricia was about to explain to Dana that the problem could be solved, she would just go back down and plug the cord into the electrical socket and fix the oversight. Simple. No need for tears. Patricia's unhelpful words pointing out the simple fix to Dana's overwrought emotions never passed her lips."Ooh, look!" gasped Annie. "There it is! Look Dana, it's beautiful. Look up in that big Christmas tree, it is so magical. It's from heaven." Annie was hopping and pointing into a spruce on the other side of the dark clearing. Dana looked up, her legs turned to jelly, her heart shot out of her chest, taking with it every last oxygen molecule from her lungs. Dana stood in silence surrounded by her friends but felt as if she were floating to the stars as she marveled at Sander's creation.The figure of a magnificent, bright angel glowed from the boughs with a million tiny, warm lights. Dana threw her hands to her cheeks in stunned amazement, feeling a wash of warm blessings surge through her body."Absolutely amazing," marveled McNally. "Oh Dana, this is so inspiring. Sander sure had an innovative spirit combined with his refined talent to create such a masterful surprise. It's the most gorgeous, stunning angel I've ever seen. I know this is quite meaningful to you."The Chix huddled tight in the brisk night air, spellbound in wonder under the illuminated gaze of the angel on high. A Wild Ride DownThey jumped in unison with a startled twitch as the crystalline silence was shattered by a male voice ringing out from the dark woods behind the spruce where the angel floated.The voice made a short, "Ho!" sound. Followed by a second male voice, echoing the same "Ho!" and then another mysterious "Ho!" was spoken by another man.The women stared into the gloom beyond the angel. Was it a sound effect by Sander's angel or was someone watching them from the woods? "Hello. Who's there?" shouted Patricia.Her question was answered by three quick 'Ho, Ho Ho's' from three hidden men. Three dark figures rushed from the shadows toward the women, pushing three toboggans in front of them. Annie, McNally, and Patricia clustered close in around Dana in a scared, defensive move.In an instant Nelson, Orlando and Will burst into recognizable range of their wives, scooping them up and depositing each of them onto the toboggans. Orlando gave Dana a tug, throwing her behind McNally. With a whoosh before any of the ladies knew what was happening, they found themselves careening downhill in the darkness along the path which they had climbed a few minutes earlier. The night air was filled with screams and laughs as The Chix and their Dix flew with abandon down the wooded slope. The Chix shrieked like young schoolgirls at their quick abduction and wild ride.At the base of the slope, to avoid hitting the cabin, the men had to tip the toboggans, spilling everyone into the snow. Still in a breathless uproar, the ladies scrambled to their knees and feet and began to dump snow on the guys as they continued in a giddy, frolicking mood.The men rose from their vulnerable positions and the women ran. The men chased and the women got caught and tackled into the snow, where there was a flurry of rolling and tumbling bodies amid whoops and high spirits. The Chix all ended up getting pinned beneath their man and enjoying it before they were extracted and lifted to their feet."C'mon inside everybody!" shout a gleeful Dana. Nelson wrapped one arm around Annie and one around Dana as he ushered the two toward the cabin's deck."Wait! The gifts, damn it, we've got to recover the gifts," moaned Will."Are they at the bottom of the hill with the sleds, or did they fall off back uphill?" asked Orlando."Hell, I don't know Orlando. Send the women folk inside, we'll have to bring 'em in once we find them," replied a less than gracious Will."There're gifts for us?" asked Annie as she broke out from under her husband's arm and led the way to look for her lost gift in the snow drifts. McNally and Patricia were joined by Dana as they turned to search for their gifts too."I found one," announced Will as he stooped to dig it out of the snow. "I think this one belongs to..."Patricia gave him a boot in the bum, forcing a frozen face plant into a snowbank. She whooped with delight at her playful stunt and then turned on her heels as Will chased her and brought her down into the snow on top of him where he copped a feel and rolled his wife over and gave her a spank with his gloved hand.Dana found a wrapped gift, "I found one! Who wants this present?"McNally raced over and said, "I'll take that mystery gift," snatching it from Dana's upheld arms.Nelson looked and said, "Oh no you don't McNally, that is supposed to be Annie's." He gave chase and McNally tucked her box under her jacket and ran.Nelson quickly caught up to McNally in the drifts and swooped down on her, rummaging under her jacket feeling for the stolen box. McNally shifted and made sure that Nelson got to squeeze a couple of wrapped wonders in his search before he found Annie's intended present."Hey Nelson, what are you doing with my wife?" asked Orlando in a mock menacing tone as he strode over to McNally. He pulled her out of Nelson's clutches, grabbing her hand and lifting her up."Come with me young lady, I got something better for you. Help me find a lost partridge parcel and I'll make sure he finds a nice nest in your pear tree."McNally turned her head to Nelson, "Sorry Nelly-boy, it was fun while it lasted, but I just got a better offer." She pecked Orlando on the cheek as they went off arm-in-arm in search of the last spilled Christmas package."All presents, present and accounted for!" announce Orlando as he plucked a gift box from beneath an overturned toboggan."Y'all c'mon, my offer still stands, everyone inside," yelled Dana. Nelson rushed back to put his arm around Dana and escort her inside as the rest of the reunited Chix and Dix tramped through the snow following them into the cabin.Inside, Dana announced, "I'm going to be making a batch of my rich hot chocolate, the traditional drink for ski cabin gathering of The Chix and The Dix." Everyone cheered as Dana stepped into her kitchen.Orlando opened the cupboard, "Hey Dana, what happened to the bottle of peppermint schnapps that used to be here?"Dana tipped her head and pointed her finger into the hollow of her cheek, giving Orlando a ditzy look; "I wonder, who around here would remember that old bottle of peppermint schnapps you gave to us after all these years?"McNally, right on cue, "I've got a good memory for things like that - in fact that 'old bottle' that we gave you and Sander has just come out of the closet and has already made his presence felt. He's right here." McNally lifted the schnapps bottle off the coffee table and showed it to her inquiring husband. "It's like this old bottle is helping rekindle memories of good times past and maybe a talisman for reigniting passions that have faded.""That old bottle holds the Ghost of Christmas Past, out of it pours hope - it's not too late for us!" surmised Patricia. The Chix all yelled an enthusiastic cheer at Patricia's words, which Orlando, Will and Nelson found puzzling."But he is almost used up I am sad to say," informed McNally as she shook the schnapps bottle."Not to fear, I packed his younger brother," mentioned Orlando, "it's in with my stuff where we parked down the road, waiting for Dana's 'all clear' text. I'll bring it up later - unless we need him to rescue us right now.""The new bottle comes with the Ghost of Christmas Future inside," proclaimed Annie, "I feel that out of that bottle will pour a bright and renewed future for all of us." Annie's thoughts brought another hearty cheer from all of the ladies. The men were mystified by the response, but pleased the girls were getting worked up over some spirits in a schnapps bottle."Hey guys, when do we get to open our presents?" asked Annie.The men all looked over to Dana. Dana exploded into a sweet, sly smile. "Here's the plan y'all; I'm making a double batch of traditional hot chocolate, the first round we drink to Christmas Past and use up the old bottle. The second round, we drink to Christmas Future, and we break out the new bottle. Orlando, you are excused to go get that bottle right now. But don't tarry, there are a bunch of eager beavers waiting to open up their gifts." She gave a salacious, knowing wink to each man. "Now git, Mr. Partridge, the night is young, and we can't start the festivities without you."Orlando drove the car up to the cabin from its hiding place where they waited for Dana's text to tell them they should get in place at the top of the hill to surprise their wives. He came waltzing in with the unopened peppermint schnapps bottle. The women served the steaming mugs to their men, McNally distributed an even pour from the old bottle into each cup so that there was enough of the elixir to go around before the last drop dripped into her foaming mug.Dana lifted her stein, "A toast to the fond and wonderful memories of good times past!""I'll drink to that," said Patricia with a laugh. "There, I beat you to it, McNally." Everyone laughed.When the second round was poured and fortified, Dana offered a second toast, "A toast to fond memories of old, may they only serve as a foundation for the many bright and wonderful memories to come, bringing a future filled with hope and passion for all!"The Chix were eyeing the wrapped packages in the center of the room, and after some reminiscing and conversations, Annie again asked, "When are we going to get to open those packages?"The men deferred to Dana. Dana put her stein down and surveyed the room with a sweet and sly smile that had reemerged. "First, I know I invited Patricia, Annie and McNally up here on the pretense that I would tell you girls in person how much I enjoyed being on your naughty list. I want to thank you for turning our Christmas cookie exchange into a hubby exchange. There is no way to really find the words to say how special and loved and deliciously naughty the gift of your men made me feel on this dread holiday without Sander. Each of the guys was special, tender, loving and fun and fulfilling. And since there is no way to tell you how it felt, I took the advice from an old writer's adage; show, don't tell."I know in some circles re-gifting is considered a social faux pas, but in this case, I feel it is a wonderful, shared secret among the best of friends. I ask you to open up your packages and enjoy. As it has oft been said around here lately, Merry Fucking Christmas."McNally, Annie, and Patricia tore into their boxes, squealing in an excited tempered with shy embarrassment at the contents that had come back their way. McNally's box contained a couple of fresh, juicy pears, a bottle of lubricant that Orlando had artfully relabeled 'Partridge Oil' with instructions that said, 'pairs well with pecker and pussy'. Annie's box had a rich assortment of dark chocolate candy turtles, a small bottle of chocolate syrup and a little note instructing the owner to apply a liberal amount on her 'doves' as bait if she wanted to be a 'master baiter' and charm a fabulous trouser snake. Patricia was delighted to find a vibrating egg in her box, curious beyond belief and surprised by the fast-rising tide of wetness under her longjanes."Oh! Dana, you didn't get a gift," sympathized Annie."Oh, but I did. I've already peeked inside all of your packages - if you know what I mean, and I think you do; that's why I know everyone is in for a wonderful night on this Fourth Day of Christmas. My gift is to enjoy being the one to transform all of us Scrooges and bring the joy back into our lives, like Christmas Past. My hope has been fulfilled; I see that Christmas Future is now bright."God bless us, everyone!" cheered Patricia, repeating Tiny Tim's final line of Dickens's Christmas Carol.All seven joined in, repeating the blessing, "God bless us, everyone!""But still. Dana," Annie persisted, "I feel that it's not the same for you or for us without Sander. If Sander is still alright with it, I think maybe sometimes I can put my ol' goat Nelson here, out to pasture. That's if you need or want some intimate care now and then. Just ask." Annie blushed, put her hand on Nelson's leg and looked at her husband before lunging to hug him tight as she shed a tear."McNally are you going to match Annie's and my offer to our lonely friend?" asked Patricia with a playful smirk."As I said after The Chix cookie exchange, 'It's three or it's zero when it comes to The Chix hubby exchange. Of course, I'm in and I'll speak for Orlando on this as well.""This is only the Fourth Day of Christmas," figured Nelson, "what are we going to do for the remaining eight days?""There are seven of us here, it seems fitting that I heat up the hot tub, it seems like the perfect place to find 'Seven swans a swimming'. I'm game if the rest of us are," offered Will. Will's idea was greeted with hearty laughs of ascent."I can't wait to find out what someone will do with 'five golden rings,''' said McNally, giving a sexy little shimmy shake."I like the idea of 'maids a milking'" contributed Orlando as he licked his lips in an overtly sensual manner and flexed his fingers in a breast-milking motion."Not before we all get to have our 'lords a leaping,' that includes Dana," negotiated Patricia."Dana are you alright with this?" asked Annie, not sure if their widowed friend was feeling excluded."Annie, I'm fine, I really am. But I'm feeling a little bit shy about participating in the hubby exchange. But I'm also excited to sample the spicy variety now and again with what you Chix are willing to share with me. I love The Chix and The Dix."McNally plucked the pair of pears from the box in her lap, holding them by their stems and dangling them in front of her nipples which were showing through her top. "Orlando here has some low-hanging fruit to pick, if you'll excuse us," she mentioned in a husky voice."I've got a new egg, and I'm in the mood to get laid," Patricia said as she held up her vibrator.Nelson stood and took Annie's hand to escort her to their room. Annie paused, "Dana, are you going to be lonely and sad tonight?""I don't think so. I'm quite happy right now. You kids run along and have fun, I think I'll go back up the hill and be with my Sander Angel."Dana, put on her hat and gloves, turning to everyone in the room, "Who do I have to thank for remembering to plug in Sander's bright angel gift?" She looked from face to face to face. No one acknowledged the deed."Dana, we were all with you at the top of the dark hill, you know that" said Patricia after a long silence."We were hiding in the woods for about ten minutes after you texted us, Dana. We were waiting for you to show up, we didn't know what to expect," offered Will. "It couldn't have been anyone in this room."Annie let out a gasp and covered her mouth, gaping in surprise. "Do you think it could have been...""I'm sure of it. It's a sign," said Dana with a beaming smile. "Excuse me, I think Sander is waiting for me, I don't want to keep him waiting," as she closed the door behind her. A Merry Fucking ChristmasDana slipped back into the cabin after spending some time with Sander's angel. There were quiet moans and soft purrs seeping out from under closed doors when she tip-toed down the hall. In an understated, but audible voice, she called out, "Merry fucking Christmas, and to all a naughty good night."Dana heard laughs and giggles coming softly from behind three closed doors. "Merry fucking Christmas," came the response called back to her from behind three closed doors. She slipped under her covers, warmed by sweet memories and hopes for the future while visions of sugar plums danced in her head.Based on a post by SandyMarl, for Literotica. 

This year, Kansas Citians have several ways to enjoy "A Christmas Carol," Charles Dickens' holiday story of redemption, including a musical and modern take. Three Scrooges in Kansas City's live-theater adaptations spoke with KCUR's Up To Date about getting into character and the lessons they take away from the tale.

NFL Films' Dirk Dougmeyer (Charles) embeds in the locker room with the Providence The Dracula, gaining unfiltered access to head coach Flint Cleanwater (Branson), defensive coordinator Gladys “Fatback” Shuggle (Nate Fisher @BozoMode), offensive coordinator John David Parker Buttcheeks Wilson (Will Sennett @Senn_Spud), and quarterback Samson Sarsaparilla (Andrew). E1 on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/e1podcast

Three Angsty Poets gathered, initially chatting about poetry, but the chatting turned to ranting. The ranting turned to humor, and maybe a bit of angst. The holiday pressure surfaced and they found themselves swallowed into the lights, the carols, the Scrooges, and gimmicks. Episode Nine brings their discussion on holidays, traditions, and sticking with our virtues. My Angst on Holiday Lit. No matter, create art.

The 1st of November means one thing to some people out there: it's the end of Halloween and the start of the festive season for those proud to be November Christmas celebrators!But, is it too early to start to get into the holiday mood, or are we all just Scrooges?Joining Kieran to discuss is Mary McCarthy, Columnist with the Irish Independent and Jen Hogan, Columnist with The Irish Times.

Preacher: Derrick McCarson Series: Christmas 2023 Category: Christmas , Matthew, Incarnation Summary: Ever since the birth of Christ, skeptics and Scrooges have tried to cancel Christmas. In this message, we will look at three reasons why Christmas can never be cancelled in the hearts of God's people.

Series Title: Advent 2023, The Scrooges of Christmas Scripture Passage: Matthew 2:3 Stream Date: Dec 24, 2023

Old Box Office Pulp was better than its word. It returned to the well of Dickens yet again that December, to spend another holiday discussing where the adaptations of A Christmas Carol fell on the gravy-grave scale. They ranked the various Scrooges, Fezzywigs, Marleys, and infinitely more; and to Cody, who did NOT die of alcohol poisoning last commentary, there was much introspection on the logistics of employing a street urchin, the bizarre phenomenon of Scrooge Action Scenes, why Albert Finney decided to go Full Witch, whether London bookie Eddie Scrooge ever beat that murder rap, and whether the miser truly ever had become as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the movies always said. And so, as BOP Guy once observed, "Box Office Pulp hasn't felt holiday cheer since he licked a car battery and was legally dead for thirty seconds!"LIVE IN THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE BY DOWNLOADING HERE, RIGHT NOW!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoxOfficePulpPodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BoxOfficePulp Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/box-office-pulp/id577338641 Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7c11ff8b-2875-454d-8770-8b1d36d04b52 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/534ZPRmDoZzNs5GtiAhOEc Google Podcasts: https://pod.link/BoxOfficePulp.googleMore Ways To Listen: https://pod.link/BoxOfficePulp

Author Ethan Warren (The Cinema of Paul Thomas Anderson: American Apocrypha) has written the definitive argument that The Muppet Christmas Carol is the best film adaptation of Dickens's classic novella for the website Bright Wall/Dark Room. Warren – both a nerd about and expert on all things Christmas Carol – explains how the Muppets perfectly capture Dickens's authorial voice and shares his thoughts on Scrooges he has known and loved (and loathed). Having viewed every existing film version multiple times for his Christmas Carol Advent Calendar™ video essays, Warren now yearns for a Muppet Hamlet and Muppet Wuthering Heights and reaches the inescapable conclusion that Charles Dickens was the very first Muppet. (Length 20:09)

Series Title: Advent 2023, The Scrooges of Christmas Scripture Passage: Matthew 2:1-18 Stream Date: Dec 17, 2023

We're well into holiday show season and we sat down with some of our bloggers to get their recommendations for the shows they're loving and looking forward to.  Keep in mind that theater tickets are a wonderful holiday gift for anyone on your list OR a donation to a theater in someone's name!On this episode of Twin Cities Theater Chat Recommends, we are joined by Jill Schafer of Cherry and Spoon, Keith Russell of Life in Revue, Rob Dunkelberger of The Stages of MN,  Mary Aalgaard of Play Off the Page, and  Julie Jackson of Minnesota Theater Love.Discussed shows include:- Dinner for One at the Jungle Theater (through 12/31)- Scrooge in Rouge at Open Eye Figure Theatre (through 12/30)- The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley at Lyric Arts (through 12/22)- She Loves Me at Lakeshore Players Theatre (through 12/20)- Peter Pan at Ordway (through 12/31)- Mrs. Doubtfire at the Orpheum (12/19 - 12/24)- Art at the Guthrie Theater (12/16 - 1/28/24)- Out There at Walker Art Center (TBA)Twin Cities Theater Chat is produced and hosted by Carol Jackson of Minnesota Theater Love and members of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers collective. As always, you can find the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers on Facebook and on Instagram. Read our review round-ups and go see a show today!

Everyone is back together for a Holiday Blind Taste Test and a gift exchange! And there is also some drama at the end of the episode! A perfect episode for all the Santas and Scrooges out there! https://www.instagram.com/nickandstevepodcast/

In this week's Student Discussion, Avery and Charlie turn into a couple of Scrooges.  Perhaps because no one joined them as a guest.  They dump on New Year's Resolutions, classic Christmas movies, songs sung by Mariah Carey, and other Christmas traditions.  Fortunately, they turn their frowns upside down when it comes to Tyler's message on the dragon in the story of the nativity.  They talk about the spiritual and physical realm, how they have faced spiritual battles in their lives, and what to do about it.  They also invite students out for the last Reckless of the year this Sunday night.

In honor of their 150th episode and 4th Christmas Carol binge, Dan and Brian bring in Ben Stanley to discuss his epic marathon of Christmas Carol adaptations. They go through some of Ben's favorites, some oddball adaptations, memorable Scrooges, disastrous retellings, and his very complicated Muppets feelings. Check out Ben's work: Artwork - http://cinematicscribbles.com/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@howveyouben Other links - https://linktr.ee/HowveYouBen Dan's movie reviews: http://thegoodsreviews.com/ Subscribe, join the Discord, and find us on Letterboxd: http://thegoodsfilmpodcast.com/

#5amMesterScrum Show 1,117 Live - Dealing with Scrooges and Fortune Cookie Fun Friday (Fun Friday) - Today's topics: (1) Dealing with the Bah Hum Bug Scrooges that invade every company and don't want any fun and (2) Fortune Cookie Friday Please like and subscribe and share 5amMesterScrum.  Please send me your topics.   You are are doing Great Please Keep on Sharing. 5am Mester Scrum 5am Mester Scrum Show 1,117 went live on Youtube, LinkedIn and Facebook Fun Friday 12/8/2023 from Philadelphia, PA  Happy Scrumming, Please Don't forget to sign up to our 5amMesterScrum newsletter for freebies https://5ammesterscrum.com/join-our-weekly-newsletter/ video version: https://youtube.com/live/NQEjksRs_FE Social Media: - search 5amMesterScrum or #5amMesterScrum  and you should find us and if not please let us know LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok     Podcasts: (search 5amMesterScrum)

Dan and Brian celebrate their 150th episode with their annual tradition of discussing four different Christmas Carol adaptations. This year the theme is modern-set adaptations: Spirited from 2022, Scrooged from 1988, It's Christmas, Carol from 2012, and Carol for Another Christmas from 1964. Join as they discuss the delights and challenges of a postmodern Dickens adaptation, the "cool but cruel" late-80s mindset, the joys and quirks of Hallmark's prodigious holiday output, and Rod Serling's thoughtful but didactic, UN-sponsored approach to the material. Check out Dan's movie reviews: http://thegoodsreviews.com/ Subscribe, join the Discord, and find us on Letterboxd: http://thegoodsfilmpodcast.com/

It's that time of year again! Neptune Theatre's annual adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is back on stage for its 20th year. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by two Scrooges, the artists who have often put on the hat, Rhys Bevan-John and Jeremy Webb.

In this episode of "Box of Oddities,"  Kat and Jethro embark on a magical journey through the holiday season. First, they'll melt even the coldest of hearts with a collection of heartwarming stories that prove miracles can happen, even to the most stubborn Scrooges among us. From unexpected acts of kindness to tales of love and compassion, get ready for a warm and fuzzy feeling that will last all year round. Then,  Kat and Jethro peel back the layers of Christmas traditions and beliefs. Have you ever wondered how we ended up with a jolly old man in a red suit delivering gifts worldwide or why we hang stockings by the chimney with care? Join us as we unravel the history, myths, surprising facts, and some misinformation behind these cherished holiday customs. Tune in for an episode filled with love, laughter, and fascinating insights into the holiday season. Whether you're a holiday enthusiast or a skeptic, "Box of Oddities" has something for everyone in this festive, feel-good special. Don't miss out on this unique blend of heartwarming tales and Christmas curiosities. Subscribe now and unwrap the magic of "Box of Oddities" this holiday season! This Box contains the following ingredients: Heartwarming stories, Scrooge, Christmas beliefs, holiday traditions, Santa Claus origins, mistletoe, reindeer, festive, holiday season, myths, surprising facts, feel-good special. If you would like to advertise on The Box of Oddities, contact sales@advertisecast.com http://www.airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jacob Marley was dead to begin with (he always is!) and It Happened One Year is there to pick up the slack, in what was originally conceived as the show's holiday episode, before the hosts got carried away and kept recording Christmassy things (tune in next week!). Herein, Sarah & Joe get into all things Cratchit in order to discuss the acclaimed 1984 movie version of A Christmas Carol starring George C. Scott, Frank Finlay, David Warner, and Susannah York. This opens up the larger conversation of best film Scrooges, best family versions, best musical versions, best TV versions, and much, much more. It's a Dickens-ophile's dream! Rising up in the debate are the likes of Alastair Sim, the Muppets, Reginald Owen, Albert Finney, Mr. Magoo, Basil Rathbone, Bill Murray, Patrick Stewart, Jim Carrey, Henry Winkler, and many more! Then - after all the "God Bless Us, Everyones" have been tossed around like Christmas crackers - the hosts perform that most IHOY of rituals - playing a trivia game for the listeners. Enjoy!

Series Title: Advent 2023, The Scrooges of Christmas Scripture Passage: Revelation 12:1-6 Stream Date: Dec 3, 2023

Apologies in advance to all the Scrooges out there, but the winter holidays are on our doorstep. So if you haven’t already, prepare for in-store speaker systems, radio spots, TV commercials, and hell even carolers to give us our annual fill of festive favorites. And while the Bing Crosbys and Brenda Lees of generations past […] The post Chief Cleopatra: “December All Year” (Live in Studio 1A) appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The Wheel of Scrooges has spoken. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/not-stalgia-podcast/message

Tune into today's episode for the best grumpy sunshine holiday romance books. Not everyone loves the holidays, especially those Grinches and Scrooges who would rather say “Bah Humbug.” If you're in the mood for a holiday romance book where the Grinch finds some holiday cheer while also falling in love, then you're going to love today's book list!BOOKS MENTiONEDScrooge-ish by L.B. Dunbar How the Grump Saved Christmas by Claire Kingsley You're a Mean One Matthew Prince Matthew by Timothy JanovskyNaughty-ish by L.B. Dunbar Gifting Me to His Best Friend by Katee Robert How the Grinch Lost Christmas by Dr. Seuss LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Best Christmas Romance BooksBest Grumpy Sunshine Romance BooksSign Up for Kindle Unlimited: https://amzn.to/3RY7V2l If you're a romance book lover like me, then join my email list so you never miss a podcast episode or new book list, and I'll instantly gift you my list of Top 10 Book Boyfriends. https://www.shereadsromancebooks.com/join/ Every romance book reader needs a Romance Book Reading Journal. Grab your copy today! Buy Now on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B09RV37H3ZFOLLOW ME! Blog: https://www.shereadsromancebooks.com/ Podcast: https://www.shereadsromancebooks.com/podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shereadsromancebooks Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/shereadsromancebooks Instagram https://www.instagram.com/shereadsromancebooksblog/LEAVE A REVIEW!If you liked this episode or got a book recommendation you can't wait to read please give a star rating and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast platform. It helps me know what you like and want to hear. Thanks!** This episode may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Three Scrooges are on TV (S4E2 - Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester) Hunters are getting visited (and killed) by some OP ghosts. Sam thinks something's up... ya think, Sam?? The boys and Bobby have quite the haunted house party. Cas flutters by with a crap-ton of plot in the last two minutes. We're on a balance beam, spinning plates in the air, and holding a tray to catch airborne items. We try to fall gracefully off the beam in this episode of 3 Idjits In A Pod!   CW: graphic violence, creepy little girls being creepy, mention of suicide, mention of harm to a child   Follow us on the interwebs! https://twitter.com/3IdjitsPod https://instagram.com/3IdjitsPod    Email us at: 3idjitspod@gmail.com   If you had a good time hanging out with us, please consider leaving a 5 star rating and review on Apple and Spotify to help others find us!

Allen Gilmore (above, right) plays Ebenezer Scrooge in A Sherlock Carol, a holiday mashup of Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle now running in both New York (where Allen is) and London. A veteran Scrooge (having played him for many years at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago), Allen discusses how Ebenezer Scrooge is one of the great roles, comparing him to Leontes from Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale; how we stand on the shoulders of the Scrooges who've come before us; how the role is self-cleaning; how actors bring their own nasty to Scrooge; and how audiences recognize their nastiness in the character; and how the possibility of redemption is part of what makes A Christmas Carol so popular and enduring. (Length 18:30) (PICTURED: Drew McVety as Sherlock Holmes and Allen Gilmore as Ebenezer Scrooge in Mark Shanahan's A Sherlock Carol, directed by Jen Waldman. Photo courtesy of Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.)

Schick and Nick are Scrooges now that Christmas is over. "It's a Wonderful Life" is a very long movie. Why "Home Alone" couldn't be made today. Schick did a Deion Sanders impression on ESPN. Nick is ready to marry Matt Rhule. Lengthy ESPN Signing Day convo about Nebraska. Interview with Matt Rhule. Explaining the Undertaker GIF. Jeff Sims vs Casey Thompson. Polls. College Football Playoff predictions. Ryan Day on the hot seat. Dylan Raiola is inevitable. Connect with us! SchickandNick.com Facebook, Twitter, or email We would hate it if you missed an episode! So PLEASE subscribe, rate the pod, and throw us a review. It helps us out so much! We'd likey that. A Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a digital media and commercial video production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network and learn more about our other services today on HurrdatMedia.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do you feel that chill in the air? This holiday season, When We Were Young's listeners will be visited by three all-knowing spirits who serve as guides through the past, present, and future of all things Muppet. Our last episode chronicled the humble beginnings of Kermit and company through their rise to global superstardom with The Muppet Show and The Muppet Movie in the late 70s. In this episode Chris, Becky, and Seth discuss their youthful memories of more recent Muppets exploits like the original MUPPET BABIES cartoon of the 80s, the MUPPETS TONIGHT primetime series that aired on TGIF in the 90s, and a star-studded pop album called KERMIT UNPIGGED that at least one of our hosts cherished. Next we revisit the Muppets' musical retelling of Charles Dickens' classic ghost story in 1992's THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL, which stars a pitch perfect Michael Caine as yuletide-loathing miser Ebenezer Scrooge, and a bunch of puppets as Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, the Marleys, and even the author himself. Then we are confronted by the present and future of Jim Henson's beloved creations since the Muppets were officially taken over by Disney in the early 2000s. Does The Muppet Christmas Carol still warm our hearts and send us out into the snowy streets to pass out savvy pop culture critiques to the needy? Or have the years turned us into cold, cruel Scrooges ready to say, “Bah, humbug!” to this Disneyfied departure from the Muppets' scrappy roots? Celebrate the 30th anniversary of this furry, funny holiday classic with When We Were Young! Follow When We Were Young on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to wwwyshow@gmail.com. Don't forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts (or wherever you get your podcasts) so more folks check out the show! Help us defray the costs of creating this show, which include recording remotely, purchasing movies/shows/music to review, delivery food to eat our feelings, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles, California by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung

We ended last year with a look at the Great Clickbait Wars: how news organizations gave up on journalism and turned to divisive articles about people's favorite tv shows, movies and cultural events to create chaos and to drive traffic.While they are still at it, data driven corporations are turning our selfies into gorgeous portraits of action movie stars, sexy cyborgs and Russian cosmonauts while paying none of the artists whose work they stole to create it.What happens when your AI self is sexier than your real self?Today we look back on the news and topics that shaped our year with two of our favorite comedians Matt Brown whose YouTube channel examines the singing styles of Black divas and Dan Cass who we discovered from his parody of Steve from Blues Clues.Listen as we look at the biggest villains, boldest heroes, and who we're busting a nut to this holiday season.FOLLOW: • MATT BROWN: www.instagram.com/msbrowncomedy• DAN CASS: www.instagram.com/dankkass• MARC FELION: www.instagram.com/marcfelion• FAUSTO FERNÓS: www.instagram.com/faustofernosPlus--➤ Merry TERF-mas, trans bloggers show a little Dickensian compassion to Scrooges like JK Rowling.➤ Words of the year: gaslighting, goblin mode and bussy.➤ Mariah Carey admits the title of Queen of Christmas always belonged to Darlene Love.Episode #3061

Alternate title: When Love Is Braun! We're talking about Minutes 45-46 of The Muppet Christmas Carol, in which Belle and young Ebenezer have a sad conversation and Belle starts singing "When Love Is Gone." With EXTREMELY special guest Meredith Braun! She played Belle in this movie! PLUS: The Victorian Talking Houses! How does Belle compare to Eponine from Les Miz? Singing with Michael Caine! Chatting with Fozzie! Working with two Scrooges! Musical theater memories! And Belle the suffragette! ALSO: Learn more about Meredith Braun, her career, and her album recordings of "When Love Is Gone" and "Rainbow Connection" on her website! ALSO: Learn more about Patti Lupone's memoir on her website! Hosted by Anthony Strand & Ryan Roe Guest Meredith Braun Produced & Edited by Ryan Roe Logo by Morgan Davy A Tip of the Hat to Wilson, Jogchem, Carolyn, Matthew, and KB!

It's a Chestertonian Christmas Carol! Joe Grabowski joins the show to lead us down the path of G.K. Chesterton's take on Charles Dickens and his love of Christmas. It's a very, merry episode with no Scrooges allowed. Tune in to this episode! https://chesterton.org/uncommonsense

The second to last episode of the year! Aaron writes in to us asking about holiday movie favourites - turns out we're both Scrooges. Edward has a precarious new set-up. Alyson relives an old grudge. We plan a little meet-up in Pittsburgh. There's a debate about action films. The classics are loved and hated. Everyone wants to be a part of the puzz club. And Christmas is coming up way too fast. Happy Holidays, dear listeners/watchers! --- This week on amfpod.com: holiday baking from Alyson. --- Want to leave us a message? Call us at 202-630-4509 or email us at amessagefrompod@gmail.com! Follow us on insta/tiktok - @amessagefrom or on twitter - @amessagefrom_! Check out our website - amfpod.com - for extra content! Be a gem and rate us 5 stars on Apple Podcast and on Spotify! Like and subscribe on YouTube! --- Music: Marty Gots a Plan by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/  Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1500015  Artist: http://incompetech.com/ 

Remember how we did DIE HARD for last year's Christmas Episode? With Special Guest AARON SUDBURY? We did a Classic Action-Christmas Movie. Well, we decided to try to repeat the formula. We got Aaron. We went back to the 80s. We looked at Christmas movies, we found this one... They say it's a classic. We mostly agreed with them... but then we watched it. Now... Well... issues arose. Many. Since watching, we have steeled ourselves, tightened up, strengthened, trained, focused on defeating shitty movies, we've each become a- LETHAL WEAPON (1987) Directed by: Richard Donner. Starring: Danny Glover, Mel Gibson, Gary Busey, Mitchell Ryan, Tom Atkins, Darlene Love, Traci Wolfe, Jackie Swanson and Many Other Talented People! 00:00:20- Merry Christmas and Welcome back AARON SUDBURY! 00:01:40- First Thoughts 00:03:20- How Ya Been? 00:04:35- Christmas Guestions! 00:09:40- Are we Scrooges or Merry Fellas? 00:10:50- back to How Ya Been? 00:14:10- Whatcha Been Watchin'? (Ian- Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Aaron- Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes, Wrong Todd, Jesus Shows you the Highway, Visioneers, Something in the Dirt. Will- Willow, Amsterdam, National Treasure (tv), National Treasure (film).) 00:21:20- Aaron has a Question 00:22:20- LETHAL WEAPON (1987) 01:04:55- Ray Review 01:07:20- Aaron really wants you to see STEEL JUSTICE (1987) 01:08:45- Next week. Bye! What is Steel Justice!?!? only one way to find out! Enjoy! Instagram: @TheLastActionCritics Twitter: @THE_Lastcritics email: Thelastactioncritics@gmail.com Next Week: AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

We are still on hiatus but thought we'd get the kids in on the action and talk about Christmas and our recent adventures over the last few years.  We lead off with me and my son acting out a scene from the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, of which he recently acted in for his 8th Grade play.  I took the role of Ebenezer Scrooge and he took the role of the ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooges deceased business partner.  In the episode we are just having a little fun and trying to get our 5yr old Tessa to not interrupt us.   We talk about past Christmas's and what we like about Christmas in our new home state.     We hope you all have happy holidays and merry Christmas if that's what you celebrate.    

It's a Wonderful (Key) Life! This week, Steve and the gang tell some stories, eat some cookies, and talk all things Christmas. It's one of our favorite episodes of the year, so grab a hot chocolate and hang out with us a while (Scrooges and Grinches welcomed). The post Steve Brown | Christmas Show 2022 | Steve Brown, Etc. appeared first on Key Life.

It's a very special Three Geeky Dads Holiday Special!!! When Geek Dad, Derek is having a hard time getting into the Christmas Spirit, he finds himself visited by three sprits who try to show him what the holidays are all about...but, will they succeed?!? Featuring (the bad impressions of) Michael Caine, Wilford Brimley and Sean Connery, this special episode is sure to put even the Scroogiest of Scrooges in the holiday spirit!

We're talking about Minutes 43-44 of The Muppet Christmas Carol, in which Scrooge meets Belle and they seem to like each other. With special guest Erik Adams of IndieWire! PLUS: Does Rizzo ever eat sentient food? Scrooges with matching eyebrows! Is Scrooge more comfortable with numbers than people? When will Beaker turn into a fly? Dick Tracy in B-Flat! And did Robert Marley invent the phrase "dancing fool?" ALSO: Read Erik's article about the long-lost score of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on IndieWire! Hosted by Anthony Strand & Ryan Roe Guest Erik Adams Produced & Edited by Ryan Roe Logo by Morgan Davy

This week this group of Scrooges talk about their favorite holiday movies!

Humbug

Book Vs. Movie Podcast"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickensthe 2009 Jim Carey Animated MoviePlus, the Margos Pick Their "Top 5 Scrooge Performances"The Margos continue their holiday celebrations with the all-time classic "A Christmas Carol"  by Charles Dickens. There have been hundreds of adaptations on the theme of Scrooge and his ultimate salvation, but only one features stop-motion animation and Jim Carey so we pair the discussion with Disney's A Christmas Carol, directed by Book Vs. Movie favorite Robert Zemeckis.We had SO much fun recording this episode!  Topics we cover here:The Margos each pick our favorite "Scrooge" adaptationThe incredible life story of Charles Dickens and the reasons he wrote A Christmas CarolHow England changed how they celebrate Christmas after the publicationOur favorite adaptations of the workJim Carey's frenetic performanceClips used:Sir Patrick Stewart readingJim Carey as the Ghost of Christmas past & ScroogeVanessa Williams's “Sleigh Ride”Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/Find us in Apple Podcasts.Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.comEmail us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.comMargo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.comMargo P. @ShesNachoMama http://thechingonahomesteader.weebly.com/

Book Vs. Movie Podcast"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickensthe 2009 Jim Carey Animated MoviePlus, the Margos Pick Their "Top 5 Scrooge Performances"The Margos continue their holiday celebrations with the all-time classic "A Christmas Carol"  by Charles Dickens. There have been hundreds of adaptations on the theme of Scrooge and his ultimate salvation, but only one features stop-motion animation and Jim Carey so we pair the discussion with Disney's A Christmas Carol, directed by Book Vs. Movie favorite Robert Zemeckis.We had SO much fun recording this episode!  Topics we cover here:The Margos each pick our favorite "Scrooge" adaptationThe incredible life story of Charles Dickens and the reasons he wrote A Christmas CarolHow England changed how they celebrate Christmas after the publicationOur favorite adaptations of the workJim Carey's frenetic performanceClips used:Sir Patrick Stewart readingJim Carey as the Ghost of Christmas past & ScroogeVanessa Williams's “Sleigh Ride”Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/Find us in Apple Podcasts.Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.comEmail us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.comMargo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.comMargo P. @ShesNachoMama http://thechingonahomesteader.weebly.com/

For Video Edition, Please Click and Subscribe Here: https://youtu.be/DTiQGl9tPoM Peabody Award winning broadcaster, director, designer, filmmaker and producer. Afternoon host on New York's Classical Radio Station 105.9FM, WQXR, host of the national radio concerts of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and has hosted more than 60 concerts on-stage at Carnegie Hall, where his film FACE TO FACE premiered. Founding Executive Artistic Director of ArtsRock.org of Rockland County, NY. For 20 years he's been bringing professional concerts, theater and conversations to his upstate community. Co-Creator and Producer of the National Tour of AN EVENING WITH ITZHAK PERLMAN and MICHAEL FEINSTEIN CELEBRATES JUDY GARLAND. Co-Director and Projection Designer of the live national tour and PBS TV Special of CONSIDERING MATTHEW SHEPARD by Craig Hella Johnson. Executive Producer of The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park on the Radio of RICHARD II. Elliott has directed several versions of A CHRISTMAS CAROL with such Scrooges as David Hyde Pierce, F. Murray Abraham, Brian Cox, Tony Roberts and Kathleen Turner. He regularly produces, directs and designs symphony concerts: LA Philharmonic, The NY Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, New Haven Symphony Pasadena Pops and the Little Orchestra Society in venues including the Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl and Lincoln Center. Orchestra narrator: Saint-Saens' Carnival of the Animals, Peter and the Wolf, Stravinsky's Soldier's Tale and Britten's Young Person's Guide. For 12 years, Host for A&E Television's Breakfast with the Arts. BA in Theater from the University of Texas, Austin. www.ElliottForrest.com  

Happy Easter, Christian haters! Hake vs. Fanatiq "woke" Disney debate feedback! Twitter censorship, yup! FBI are libs!  The Hake Report, Monday, April 18, 2022 AD: Christians "sing" and "pray" on airplane(s), and make graphic Easter displays, as haters mock on Twitter! // INTERESTING CALLS: Hake vs. Fanatiq on woke Disney targeting kids: Modern-Day Debate! (SEE BELOW) // Sleepy Joe Biden steals the heart of anti-2A Parkland father Fred Guttenberg on Fred's wife's anniversary. // Disney coordinator LGBT Agenda clip: Is this a low-T guy or a high-T gal? // Twitter censors Libs of Tik Tok (again). // FBI fails to stop real attacks, but manufactures and prevents white ones! // South Carolina 21-year death row inmate chooses firing squad under duress. //  MUSIC: "One in Six Children Will Flee in Boats" - Frog Eyes - The Golden River (2003) // "Come On Out" - Dan Lebowitz - YouTube Audio Library (Chris selection)  CALLERS Bobby from Texas applauds Hake's Disney debate vs. Fanatiq on Modern-Day Debate. //  Alexander from California is an anti-racist "John Fugelsang" Christian who got DNA results. //  Gabriel from Toronto, Canada explains a possible "slavery" situation from his family. //  Paul from Ohio enjoys Hake's debates, but these libs have goofy names. Uncover the flag! //  Joe from Portland, OR says Disney, schools, and women are wrong to push "trans kids." //  TIME STAMPS 0:00:00 Mon, Apr 18, 2022 0:01:42 Hey, guys! 0:04:33 Happy Easter, Christian haters! 0:15:44 BOBBY: Hake dominated Fanatiq 0:24:21 Supers: Border, Christians, private companies 0:34:12 Tees, SubscribeStar 0:36:17 ALEXANDER: white privilege, Christianity 0:42:51 Super: Don't encourage Alexander 0:43:53 GABRIEL: slavery, church w/ JLP 0:50:00 Biden + Guttenberg 1:00:00 Music intro, ya musical Philistines 1:00:46 "One in Six Children Will Flee in Boats" - Frog Eyes 1:03:33 Reading chat reaction to music 1:06:07 Supers: DNA, "Charlee" Corra 1:10:38 Disney coordinator: What is this thing? 1:17:44 PAUL, OH: Debating fake name people 1:21:19 LUKA: Frog Eyes off-key turns off some 1:23:43 JOE, PDX: Evil to push trans on kids 1:31:54 Twitter censors Libs of Tik Tok 1:41:41 Super: 4ever Rochelle 1:43:41 Parkland families paid by FBI/DOJ 1:53:10 Portland Antifa alleged BLM riot 1:56:45 SC Electric Chair, Firing Squad Chair 2:01:15 "Come On Out" - Dan Lebowitz Also see Hake News from JLP.  HAKE LINKS VIDEO: YouTube* | Facebook | Twitter | LIVE Odysee | DLive | Twitch* | ARCHIVE Odysee | BitChute | Rumble  PODCAST: Apple | Spotify* | Podplayer | Castbox | TuneIn | Stitcher | Google | iHeart | Amazon | PodBean  SUPER CHAT: Streamlabs | Odysee | EXCLUSIVE SUPPORT: SubscribeStar | Teespring  CALL-IN: 888-775-3773, LIVE M-F 9-11 AM PT (Los Angeles) thehakereport.com/show  *NOTE: Liberal platforms commonly censor Hake's content.  BLOG POST: https://www.thehakereport.com/blog/2022/4/18/041822-mon-easter-scrooges-disney-debate-feedback-trans-agenda 

In today's unplanned crossover episode with Andy's other talk show, Movies with Friends, Candy Cane Greene and Naked Man pilot guest Kyle Dickinson have a Christmas feast with the Cratchits, enjoying Christmas Pudding and a Smoking Bishop cocktail as they discuss BBC's version of A Christmas Carol (1984). Welcome to A Naked Man Christmas Carol. [DISCLAIMER: The episode is intercut with clips from the film & other references. The audio isn't the best, my apologies.] What Christmas carol do Kyle and Andy attempt to sing? Is A Christmas Carol a time travel movie? Why does Andy feel bad for Jacob Marley? How does capitalism fail even the Scrooges of the world? Is this a commentary on Margaret Thatcher era England? How does Christmas change as you go from childhood to adulthood to parenthood? Why are carols so important to Kyle? What creates that proprietary blend of magic and melancholy omnipresent during the holidays? Are Kyle and Andy the cutest? All these answers and more come for those willing to journey to England and with the help of the Ghost of Christmas Past, return back to childhood and rediscover the magic of Christmas. This is a cinematic sleigh ride undertaken to promote The Los Angeles Mission, a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating homelessness by providing food, drink, shelter, health care and employment to those who need it. To donate to the LA Mission: https://losangelesmission.org/ways-to-give/ If you'd like to watch the visual component to the episode or check out any other episodes of Movies with Friends, a YouTube talk show where friends come together to talk movies with a food and/or drink pairing from local businesses, go here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnU0cnUDJUqOQjjaeBSwyUw/ Thank you for listening. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us. I do not own the rights to A Christmas Carol. I am not being paid to promote any of these products or businesses. I did so of my own accord because I am so grateful to the small businesses the world over that have kept us afloat the past few years. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nakedmanpod/support