From A Bird's Eye View

Posted in opinion

SWEDISH DEATH CLEANING MAY KILL ME

January 19, 2026By Sparrow/WatsonComments:6 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

Procrastination is a wonderful thing. Living in suspended reality allows you to blissfully go about your daily life in joyful ignorance. But eventually that “long arm of the law”, reality, catches up. For me, reality hit home last week. I have been giving some thought to moving within the next two to three years. My house and yard have become more burdensome, the people moving into my community are young enough to be my children, and frankly, I know I need some new horizons. But first, my current horizon needs some clearing out. Mind you, I am the furthest thing from a hoarder you could find. I like clear countertops and alphabetized spice racks. My filing cabinet is color-coded and sorted by subject . Some might call me obsessive/compulsive. I prefer to think of myself as extremely organized. But still, I’ve lived in this house for almost 26 years and things do accumulate. So, my New Year’s resolution was to pretend I’m moving next month and then go through all of my belongings and discard accordingly. Sounded easy. It’s not.

To gain some inspiration I re-read The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, by Margareta Magnusson. In essence, she encourages people to clean out their crap before their kids have to after they die. She extols the virtues of embracing minimalism and doing it with humor along the way. Okay, I can get on board with the minimalism, but I found the process to be anything but humorous. Except for the photos of my brothers and me from over 50 years ago. That brought a good chuckle. Especially my outfit which, in retrospect, resembles a cheap shag rug. Anyway, I started in my craft closet, which may sound like a weak place to start but I assure you it was the most over-crowded, full-of-junk, space in the house. I was motivated to start there because it hadn’t been painted in 26 years. Through five major remodels I always managed to avoid clearing out that closet because it was too daunting. It is a rather large walk-in space where I threw things in with abandon. I used to work in a yarn store where I got yarn at wholesale prices. I took advantage of that. Maybe too much advantage. Although the yarn and notions were all in bins that were sorted and labeled, it was still overwhelming. Add to that I had a huge table for my sewing machine, stacks of fabric, and a long shelf of crafting books. I kept a big box of photos and other memorabilia in there, including my second runner-up trophy from the 1968 Junior Miss Contest. And, oh yeah, it also contained all of the exercise equipment that I was certain I would use every day. Somehow that never worked out. And neither did I. In any event, I finally scheduled painters to come this week to spruce it up.

But last Friday morning my contractor called and said the painters had a cancellation and would be coming to my house in two hours. I know better than to turn down a contractor when they’re available, so I rushed into my craft closet and began to work. I harkened back on my lessons from Swedish Death Cleaning. I had to get very realistic about what I would keep and what I would donate. After all, when I do move it will be into a much smaller space, so I resolved to start downsizing now. I put more than half of my crafting materials into the “donate” pile. I did not let myself get stuck in sentiment – yarn that I bought on my magical trip to Ireland eight years ago will now be magical in someone else’s stash. My trophy from 1968 is finally where it belongs – in the trash pile. I took pictures of pictures and then discarded the originals. With steely resolve, I got it all cleared out and sorted before the painters arrived.

It’s amazing what you can get done with a figurative gun at your head. I think Margareta exaggerated the “joyful” part of this, but I will say it feels good to have this major task behind me. I’m thinking that I need to schedule some sort of work to be done in my office and the kitchen. But first I have to recuperate – this death cleaning may be the death of me…or my back.

Posted in opinion • politics

Finding Unity in Everyday Acts of Kindness

January 12, 2026By Sparrow/WatsonComments:14 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

I think like many of you, I have grown increasingly tired of all the discussing political rhetoric from both sides, spewing from every media outlet imaginable. Through effort, I have found myself paying less attention to the loud, often crude clips we all get exposed to daily. Through more effort, I am purposely paying more attention to quiet, personal conversations. The ones that happen in grocery store aisles, in neighborhoods and over coffee. They don’t make headlines, but I believe they feel more representative of the country we live in than the noise from our politicians that dominates the airwaves.

There’s no denying that America feels divided right now, thank mostly to our politicians and the media that supports them. There just doesn’t seem to be accurate, balanced reporting of any event, it’s always seems to be slanted based on what media you’re listening to or watching. Even in personal conversations, people must choose their words carefully or sometimes avoid certain topics altogether, based on their audience. We must be a good judge of the audience before we mention anything that could be interpreted as politically slanted. But alongside that tension, there’s something else happening, something steadier and far less dramatic, and certainly far less publizied. People are still showing up for their lives. They’re going to work, caring for family members, coaching kids’ teams, volunteering, creating things, fixing things, and trying, in their own imperfect way, to do right by the people around them. Unfortunately, the people who have the spotlight on them are the politicians, and I sincerely believe that something happens to a person when they get into politics. It seems that it’s not about what’s good for the people they represent, it’s about what’s good for their political party and not cooperating with the other side of the aisle, but taking every opportunity to defeat and demean them.

In the previous year alone, I’ve personally seen neighbors help each other through tough times, strangers hold doors and conversations open a little longer than necessary, and small businesses adapt with creativity and grit that deserves more attention than it gets. These moments don’t erase disagreements, but they remind me that disagreement isn’t the whole story. It has never been.

One of the enduring strengths of this country is its capacity for everyday problem-solving. Americans have always been practical at heart. When something breaks, we patch it. When plans change, we improvise. When the road gets bumpy, we complain a little—and then keep going. That instinct seems alive and well, even now and needs to be used to ‘fix’ this divide.

There’s also a quiet generosity that persists beneath the surface. It shows up in donation jars, shared meals, patient teachers, exhausted healthcare workers, and people who check in on one another without expecting anything in return. These gestures may not feel grand, but collectively they form the connective tissue of the nation.

What gives me hope isn’t the idea that everyone will suddenly agree, or that complexity will magically disappear. Hope comes from watching common people navigate uncertainty with resilience and humor. It comes from the understanding that a country isn’t defined solely by its political arguments, but by how its people live between them.

Mixing Red & Blue makes a beautiful color . . . and country

After fifteen years of writing this weekly blog, I’ve learned that the most meaningful stories, which are mostly written by my sister, are rarely the loudest ones. They’re steady, human stories about persistence, kindness, curiosity, and simple desire to make tomorrow a little better than today.

America, for all its contradictions, is still full of people trying. And in times like these, that effort counts for more than we sometimes realize.

Posted in opinion

A Year of Diet, Socialization, Exercise and Pumpkin Pie

January 5, 2026By Sparrow/WatsonComments:4 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

As my brother pointed out last week, this is the time of year when we are full of resolutions. We strive to eat better, drink less, lose ten pounds, limit social media, and be kinder to everyone. To be honest, I don’t think I can do all that. At this point in life, I have to make choices…and face reality. I’ve made the same resolution to lose the same ten pounds for the past thirty years. In 2026 I’m not even going to try. In fact, as I’ve watched countless friends whittle away to bare bones due to the “miracle” of GLP-1, I’ve consoled myself that those extra ten pounds will serve me well if I ever get sick. Basically, they serve as my cushioning in more ways than one. I have rounded third base, and though I hope it will be a while before I slide into home plate, I intend to do so clutching a big piece of chocolate cake.

I actually do eat a healthy diet except for the occasional sweet. Okay, maybe more like a daily sweet, but always in moderation. Except when I buy the pumpkin pie at Sprouts and consume the whole thing in four days. But pumpkin is very healthy for you, and it is seasonal, so I have to take advantage while I can. So… I have the eating part of things figured out. I also don’t drink much these days. I love the socialization that usually is entwined with it, but the waking up at 1 a.m. part? Not so much. I can’t have a one-year-old puppy and drink at the same time. I simply don’t have the energy.

Being kinder to people is an admirable trait – one that I strive to exhibit. I try to remember that you never know what people are going through so everyone deserves some grace. Except for the people who tailgate me in a 45 MPH zone, then zoom around me and give me the finger because I was only going 50 MPH. I don’t think that person deserves my kindness, but in 2026 I will try not to flip them off in return.

Social media usage has become a problem throughout our population in general, and for me specifically early in the morning because I find catching up on dog videos and recipes preferable to the news. I fix myself a big cup of coffee, turn on Good Morning Football or ESPN, and peruse Facebook and Instagram. So, you can imagine my annoyance when people take to social media platforms to “school” me on the latest political events. I get it from both sides, but one person in particular posts at least five times a day, alerting me to Trump’s every movement. I actually am insulted by these people – do they assume that I am so uncurious and ill-informed that BUT FOR THEM I would wallow in total ignorance? I worry about people who spend so much of their time thinking about what to post. The phrase, “get a life”, springs to mind. So, I will save some time spent on social media in 2026 because I plan to block them. Nothing gets between me and my dog videos.

I DO intend to exercise more. I recently finished the book, Outlive, by Dr. Peter Attia. He specializes in helping people have a long health span, vs a long life span. After all, what’s the use of living to be 100 if you have been confined to a bed for ten years? One of the staples of Dr. Attia’s program is to increase strength as you age. He acknowledges that it’s more difficult to build muscle mass after age 70, but not impossible. I have saved about 50 exercise reels on social media platforms. I even created a folder on each one and carefully filed each reel away for future reference. So far, my only exercise has been whatever energy is expended by my index finger to move to reel to my files. But today – TODAY! – I am starting with a trainer at the gym, who also read Outlive and we are going to set up a program to help me live healthily to 100. I’m good with that as long as I don’t have to give up my pumpkin pie.

Posted in Holiday observations

The Resolution Elephant in the Room

December 29, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:8 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

We have stuffed ourselves since we knowingly bought more candy than we knew we were going to need for those two trick-or-treaters that come at Halloween. We’ve foolishly thought that we’d really ‘try to watch it’ this year during the ‘Holiday Season’ – we didn’t. So now we’re at a place where we’ve been almost every year – time to get serious about exercise, losing some weight, eating healthier and OK maybe drinking a little less going forward. We’re thinking like this because we’re finally going to put this year behind us and get a new lease on life at the beginning of a new year. We’re thinking, “New Year, New Me.” Even though we know we’re going to bring that same old ‘me’ into another new year.

But hope springs eternal, so we go through the exercise of either mentally making or actually writing down, some “New Year’s Resolutions”. Perhaps, like me, you just think casually about a few things that you could improve and rely on ‘hope’ to somehow make this new year different.

So, I would be the last one to give you tips on how to make better resolutions or how to accomplish those that you did or may have already made or are thinking about making. No, I’m just going to offer some observations that I’ve found about resolutions and hope we can all get a good laugh at this way-too-frequent fruitless exercise.

On “Healthy Eating”:
A friend of mine once vowed to “eat clean” starting January 1. On January 2, she proudly meal‑prepped grilled chicken and broccoli… then rewarded herself for her discipline with a slice of cheesecake. By January 4, she was meal‑prepping cheesecake.

The Gym Membership
A guy I know signed up for a gym membership on January 1 with the enthusiasm of a motivational speaker.
He went once.
He spent the rest of the year referring to the monthly charge as his “charitable contribution to fitness.”

The “Read More Books” Resolution
A lady decided she’d read a book a week.
She bought 12 books on January 1.
By February, she had read… the receipts.

The Minimalist Makeover
A woman decided she’d declutter her entire house.
She started with her closet, found a sweater she forgot she owned, tried it on, loved it, and spent the rest of the day online shopping for clothes that would “match the sweater’s vibe.”

The Meditation Journey
A man downloaded a meditation app and promised to meditate every morning.
Day 1: “This is so peaceful.”
Day 2: “I think I’m doing it wrong.”
Day 3: Fell asleep and woke up late for work.
Day 4: Deleted the app because “it was stressing him out.”

The Sugar Detox
A guy swore off sugar for the whole month of January.
On January 3, someone brought cookies to the office.
He ate one.
Then he ate six more to “get rid of the temptation.”

You may have your own ‘Resolution Responses’, whether you set yourself up for failure or have an unusual ‘success story’, we’d love to hear it.

Either way, we wish you a most happy and healthy 2026.

Posted in Holiday observations • opinion

LONGING FOR NOSTALGIA

December 22, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:5 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

As Christmas approaches this week and we prepare for the holidays, it’s easy to find yourself swept up in a wave of nostalgia. At Christmas, nostalgia is everywhere: in the music, the movies, the recipes passed down through generations. We seek out the flavors and rituals of our childhoods, hoping to recapture the magic of simpler times. We remember sticky fingers from candy canes, the glow of tree lights, and the anticipation of gifts. Or if you were like me, you’d already peeked at your gifts and couldn’t wait to officially receive them. Today, nostalgia is a cherished part of the holiday season, a gentle ache for times gone by. But did you know that, centuries ago, nostalgia was considered a dangerous illness—one that could land you in the infirmary, or worse?

The word “nostalgia” was coined in 1688 by Swiss physician Johannes Hofer, who combined the Greek words nostos (“homecoming”) and algos (“pain”). Back then, nostalgia wasn’t just a wistful longing for the past—it was a serious medical diagnosis, closer to what we now call “homesickness.” Hofer observed the condition most often in young people far from home: soldiers, servants, or children sent away to the countryside. The symptoms were dramatic: melancholy, loss of appetite, disturbed sleep, even heart palpitations and, in extreme cases, suicide. Autumn, with its falling leaves, was considered especially dangerous, as it stirred memories of home. Hofer’s cure was simple: send the patient home. Until that was possible, treatments ranged from vomiting and mercury to opium—remedies that sound more like punishments than comfort. Swiss soldiers feared that singing traditional cowherd songs could trigger nostalgia, so performing these songs was reportedly punishable by death. Wow – even the America’s Got Talent buzzer isn’t that draconian!

Fast forward to today, and nostalgia is no longer something to die from—just something to sigh about. And studies show that people between the ages of 20-30 suffer the most from it. Perhaps because they are at the age where the “magic” of the Christmas season is either swept away by the grind of a full-time career or they are responsible for creating memorable Christmases for their own children. But why does Christmas, in particular, evoke such powerful feelings of nostalgia? The answer lies in the holiday’s traditions. Christmas is a time when families gather, stories are retold, and memories are made and revisited. The sights, sounds, and smells of the season—gingerbread baking, carols playing, pine needles underfoot—act as triggers, transporting us back to moments of warmth and belonging. Not to mention childhood, when Christmas meant we just showed up, and everything was wonderous.

It’s remarkable to think that what was once seen as a weakness or even a disease is now recognized as a source of strength. In the 19th century, nostalgia faded as a formal diagnosis, absorbed into broader concepts like melancholy and trauma. Today, psychologists see nostalgia as largely beneficial—a resource that can boost mood, inspire optimism, and strengthen social bonds. So, as you hang ornaments on the tree or sip hot cocoa by the fire, let yourself feel nostalgic. Remember those who are far from home, as well as those who are no longer with us. Reach out to friends and family, share stories, and create new memories.

Nostalgia, once feared as a deadly disorder, is now a gift—a way to honor the past while embracing the present. This Christmas, let’s celebrate the bittersweet beauty of memory, and let it bring us closer together.

As I have done for the past ten years, I am sharing one of our family’s most nostalgic memories – Pop’s Christmas Ice Cream Fizz recipes. Enjoy!

POP’S CHRISTMAS ICE CREAM FIZZ

Fill a blender 1/4 full of ice cubes

Add 6 jiggers of gin

Add 4 scoops of French Vanilla ice cream

Add 1 small bottle of soda water (the size you get in a 6-pack)

My brother Bob adds an egg, so the white adds some froth, brother Jack doesn’t add an egg. Personally, I’d add it just because you can then claim it’s a protein drink.

Just blend it well and – voila – you have a concoction sure to put a positive spin on everyone and everything!

Our mom served them in a wine glass with a dash of nutmeg. As we got older, we would conspire with Pop and ditch the wine glass for a chilled beer mug from the freezer. Saved having to go back for seconds…or thirds.

My brother and I wish all of our readers a very happy holiday season, blessed with all the presence you could ask for.

Posted in opinion • Sports

What Happened to College Football?

December 15, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:8 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

I can appreciate the fact that college-age kids must like what’s currently going on in college football. Recent changes have provided them with more choices as to where to play and, best of all, financial reward for playing. Let’s look at what’s happened over just the last few years . . .

The Portal – In 2018, the portal debuted as a compliance tool to manage college athletes’ transfers more transparently. The portal allowed student-athletes to change schools after playing at one school, but the athlete would have to sit out for a year before becoming eligible to play. In 2021 that rule changed allowing transfers to play immediately, which opened the flood gates. There are a number of examples of players playing for a different team each year of their college career: Eyabi Okie-Anoma played at five different four-year schools – Alabama, Houston, UT Martin, Michigan and Charlotte. Chandler Morris played at four schools – Oklahoma, TCU, North Texas and Virginia, and Robby Ashford played for Oregon, Auburn, South Carolina and Wake Forest.

I’m concerned that the next step might be to give the player more freedom (and money) and allow them to transfer during the season?

How has the portal affected this year’s college teams? Indiana University, this year’s #1 team, had a 3-9 record in 2023, and then hired Curt Cignetti. In his first year, 2024, they went 11-2 and this year they went 13-0. Don’t get me wrong, Cignetti is a great coach, but he knew he needed better players, so last year alone, Indiana added between 20-23 players to their roster through the portal. One of those players was quarterback and this years’ Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza, who played two years at Cal, then was given $2.6 million (more on NIL in a moment) to play for Indiana this year. He still has one year of eligibility left, but he’ll be in the pros next year.

How the portal works today has dramatically changed college football . . . it may be better for a few select individuals, but, in my opinion, not for the game – the rich will get richer.

NIL – In 2019 California passed the first state law allowing athletes to get paid by the colleges for the use of their Name, Image and Likeness, now referred to as NIL. A year later, the state of Florida passed a similar bill. In 2021, in a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court affirmed that the NCAA violated antitrust laws by restricting student-athletes’ compensation for education-related benefits. So, paying a player for his/her NIL became legal, and is now being practiced in every state. Some payments are made all up front, others can be annual installments and still other can be for appearances or wearing certain athletic gear.

Some of today’s top NIL deals:

Cooper Flagg – Duke basketball player, $28 million. He’s 18 years old
Arch Manning, Texas quarterback – paid $5.3 million
AJ Dybantsa, BYU basketball player – $4-$5 million. He’s 18 years old
Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, wide receiver – $4.2 million
Livvy Dunne, LSU, gymnast, $4 million
Carson Beck, Miami quarterback – $3.1 million

There are plenty of other young ‘Million Dollar Athletes’ and there are many who are getting a mere $4-$500,000 to play.

Where does all this money come from you ask? It can come from several sources, such as third-party endorsements from apparel companies, social media promotions, appearances, autographs, boosters and businesses – I’m thinking mostly from school boosters/wealthy alumni and local businesses!

Will the ‘Empty Bowl’ turn into the ‘Toilet Bowl’?

The other thing that is happening to college football is the lack of emphasis on bowl games, except for the national championship tournament. The national champion used to be determined by a vote by sports writers and football coaches, so every game was looked at, especially the bowl games where top teams were usually playing against other top teams. This year the national champion will be determined by a 12-team playoff. So a number of teams, who are not in the tournament, have decided not to play in a bowl games. Here’s a few: Notre Dame, Iowa State, Kansas State, Baylor, Auburn, Florida State, UCF, Rutgers, and Temple. Why? Some because it’s not for the national championship, some because their coach has already left for another job, and some because too many players are opting out of the game and/or are looking to go to another school next year.

Even for the teams that are participating in a bowl, many of their 18 – 20-year-olds, who are making millions as a collegiate athlete, are deciding not to participate in a post-season bowl game, unless it’s for a chance to win the national championship. Why? Because the millions they are making as college athletes doesn’t compare to the millions they could make over their lifetime as a professional athlete, so they don’t want to risk an injury in a meaningless bowl game that could jeopardize a lucrative pro career.

The answer to the headline question: It turned pro.

Posted in Holiday observations • opinion

DECORATING – THE UNOFFICIAL SPORT OF THE HOLIDAYS

December 8, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:2 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

**The turkey knows he’s yesterday’s news**

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that, as September rolls into October, while some people still haven’t taken down last year’s Christmas lights, others are meticulously plotting the precise moment their inflatable Santa will make his triumphant lawn debut. In recent years, the race to decorate for Christmas has become its own quirky, competitive sport—one that seems to start a little earlier every year. Forget the “Twelve Days of Christmas;” we’re headed for the “Twelve Weeks of Christmas,” and the starting pistol fires long before the turkey is even thawed. Apparently, Halloween is the new Christmas Eve. As the last trick-or-treater scurries home and the candy wrappers settle, you can practically hear the distant jingle of sleigh bells…or maybe just your neighbor testing his light-up reindeer. For many early birds, November 1st is the official kick-off: skeletons down, snowmen up, and peppermint-scented everything invading Target. Gone are the days when Christmas decorations politely waited until after Thanksgiving.

**Halloween and Christmas cohabitating**

In our family we always put the Christmas tree up on December 14th. Why? Because that is Bob’s birthday (and a happy birthday to my fun/great/fabulous brother this week!). But frankly, I think he got shortchanged. Rather that anticipating the celebration of his birthday, we were excited to see the Christmas tree go up and, more importantly, the presents underneath it. These days, December 14th is considered so late it might as well be the 4th of July. So, why do people start so early? Is it pure excitement? A desperate bid to outshine the neighbors? Or perhaps a coping mechanism for the shorter days and longer nights? Some experts suggest that early decorating is linked to happiness; apparently, those who string up lights sooner tend to be cheerier. That’s probably because they get a double dose of holiday cheer, plus bonus time for complaints about tangled cords. Retailers, of course, fan the flames with relentless holiday displays that pop up sometime between Labor Day and the first pumpkin spice latte. Walk into any store in early fall, and you’ll find candy canes elbowing aside cornucopias, and Santa glaring at a stack of Halloween costumes. It’s enough to make a person question the space-time continuum. Somewhere, a calendar weeps in confusion.

If you live in suburbia, you know that Christmas decorating isn’t just a tradition—it’s a competitive sport. There’s always that one house that goes full “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” by November 2nd, leaving the rest of the block scrambling to keep up. The result? A dazzling, blinding display that can probably be seen from space, and several confused delivery drivers who now need sunglasses for evening package drops. This escalation leads to what I call “The Glitter Wars.” You start with a tasteful wreath, and by mid-November, you’re frantically googling “giant inflatable penguin with top hat.” The winner isn’t declared until New Year’s Day, when the last blinking snowflake finally burns out in a blaze of post-holiday glory. Of course, not everyone is on board with this early decorating craze. There’s always that one neighbor who stands guard, ready to issue a stern “It’s too soon!” as you hang your first bauble. But really, isn’t part of the magic in getting swept up in the ridiculousness? Besides, if you can’t beat them, join them—grab a mug of cocoa (or pumpkin spice, we’re not judging) and bask in the glow of a thousand LED icicles.

In the end, the answer to “How early is too early?” is: Who cares? Life’s short, and if hanging up a Christmas star on November 1st makes you happy, go for it. Just be sure to warn the neighbors before you plug in your display—they might want to buy blackout curtains.

Posted in Holiday observations

Can Sophomoric Humor Cure Writer’s Block?

December 1, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:4 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

Sometimes I have plenty of time to construct a decent blog on a subject that many people can relate to. Not so this week. Actually, I did have time, but sometimes no matter how much time I have, ‘writer’s block’ can make it difficult to say anything intelligently. This week I’ve ended up saying things not so intelligently. So, I’m offering this warning; if you have something better to do, which should be easy to find, do it!

Let’s begin with the pretext that you have someone on your Christmas list that is very difficult to buy something for, either because they already have everything or you’ve drawn a name in a ‘Secret Santa’ of a person you don’t really know or relate to. So, here’s some suggestions that center around what the Brits call the loo or water closet. When I think about it, there are lots of names for what we euphemistically call a bathroom, even though we’re hard pressed to find a bath in many bathrooms now-a-days. Other names include, restroom, where no one really go to rests; John, supposedly named after the guy who invented the flushed toilet; head, if you’re on a boat; privy, an abbreviation for private; outhouse, if it’s outside; toilet, from the French word toilette, referring to a cloth covering a dressing table (I don’t understand it either – it’s French!). Let’s not forget potty, for those who actually have a pot to piss in.

OK, I think I went to see a man about a horse and forgot to come back. I seem to have forgotten that we’re here to highlight some gifts that keep on giving and could finalize that diverse Christmas list of yours. So here you go . . .

These ‘Novelty Mugs’ in the form of portable out houses, will be a hit at your holiday party. The tops open to let the aroma of the drink inside fill the nostrils of the drinker.

If the Novelty Mugs seem a little crass for you, you can dignify your shot glasses by bringing them indoors with the ‘Gag Mugs’ – shot glassses that lets the liquid flow right out of the toilet into your mouth. Surely a hit at any holiday party.

Is that person on your list that’s so hard to buy for someone who likes to learn? If so, we’ve got just the thing, the book that Einstein always read while relaxing on the ‘thrown’, Poop and Learn.

For the golfers on your list who are bored when on the pot or just like when they’re playing golf, they take too much time over a putt – ‘Potty Putter’ may be the answer.

If after reading this, you’re feeling like you need a drink or a shower, you don’t have to decide, you can have both with The Shower Margarita Machine; yes, you can sip that tequila treat while taking a shower – salt optional.

I apologize for being a little blocked up this week (that’s ‘writer’s block’!!), but now that I’ve posted this, I feel relieved!

The obvious answer to the headline question: No!

Posted in Holiday observations

THE GREAT THANKSGIVING WHIPPED CREAM BATTLE

November 24, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:10 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

So, here we are, the official beginning of the holiday season. This week a lot of you will be either cooking, traveling, or if you’re lucky like me, bringing a dish to a friend’s house. I have hosted a lot of Thanksgiving dinners over the years and I’m very happy to turn the reins over to others at this point. I even gave my turkey roaster away as a definitive gesture of my surrender. But I have held on to a lot of good memories and traditions associated with Turkey Day. One of my favorites is the year our family spent Thanksgiving in Tahoe City at Bob’s cabin. There was a lot of alcohol involved and by the time the pies were served Bob and I were well into our cups. Then someone made the fatal mistake of placing a heaping bowl of whipped cream in front of us and it was game on! We got into a whipped cream fight that almost sent our mother into apoplexy. We were a long way from our traditional Thanksgiving table filled with the best china and silver, finger bowls and sedated conversation. But boy, did we have fun and it created a memory that still makes me smile today.

I have been looking at Thanksgiving traditions and have found some fun and rather interesting facts to share.

First, in Indianapolis, people have started an annual tradition of dressing their turkey in a baby onesie, dousing it in lighter fluid, attaching it to a long chain, lighting it on fire, and throwing it across the length of a football field. This tradition was basically started by a bunch of dudes who wanted to see a flaming turkey streak through the night sky, and now, it’s an annual thing.

Continuing in that theme, at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, the most popular Thanksgiving tradition is an event called Frozen Turkey Bowling, where people hurl frozen, oiled-up turkeys down a grocery store aisle at a set of large 7Up bottles posing as bowling pins. The event raises money to combat smoking, which is an awesome reason to throw a frozen bird at a bunch of bowling pins. Not that they really need a reason – in 2022 the Wall Street Journal rated Wisconsin as the drunkest state.

Something you may not know is that Thanksgiving inspired (if you can use that word) the first TV dinner. In 1953, the folks at Swanson didn’t sell as many Thanksgiving turkeys as expected. In fact, they had 260 tons of unsold turkey on hand. Inspired by the meals served in trays on airplanes, one of the Swanson employees used the turkeys to create the world’s first TV dinners. They sold for 98 cents each. These ready-made meals were an immediate hit. Who among us doesn’t remember those gummy mashed potatoes and rock-hard peas? We thought it was such a treat!

Most of us eschew TV dinners these days because they’re viewed as unhealthy. But before you get on your “clean eating” high horse, remember that even though our Thanksgiving meal may come from Sprouts or Whole Foods, it still contains a ton of calories. The average American can consume anywhere between 2,100 and 4,500 calories during their Thanksgiving celebration. Unless you throw the whipped cream at your sibling – that saves a few calories right there.

Black Friday isn’t technically a holiday, although it has become so entwined with Thanksgiving that it seems like it is. But can we all admit that Black Friday is the worst invention ever? It’s basically just an excuse for people to wrestle in a Macy’s parking lot over a discounted Keurig. Like Mother’s Day and Valentines Day, Black Friday wasn’t even a thing until we decided it was and started camping out in front of Target to buy TVs at a slight discount.

I’ll tell you who else doesn’t like Black Friday – plumbers! You will not find them at any stores on Black Friday because it turns out that enough people clog their sinks and garbage disposals on Thanksgiving to make it the busiest day of the year for them. Personally, I think it also has to do with all that high-calorie food clogging up the plumbing in the bathroom, if you get my drift.

No matter how you celebrate or what you eat, my brother and I wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving. Go out and make some fun memories!

Posted in Historical

November Brings the Holiday Spirit

November 17, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:2 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

Few months offer the interest and complexity of November. Most love the month as it unofficially opens the ‘holiday season’ as we come down from a sugar high from Halloween, then salute our veterans and finally devour some turkey. Additionally, there are lots of good football games to watch for those with a proclivity for such things. I’ll not mention the election days that kick off November as we try to avoid politics here at ‘From A Birdseye View’.

First, some detractors of the month of November. Author of Little Women, Louisa May Alcott, was not a fan, saying, “November is the most disagreeable month in the whole year.” But one must consider that Ms. Alcott lived in the northeast where Novembers can be rather harsh and she had no one to cuddle with on those fridged winter evening, as she never married. Emily Dickinson wasn’t much a fan of November either, saying, “In November the noons are more laconic and the sunsets sterner. November always seemed to me the Norway of the year.” Having never left New England, I assume Ms. Dickinson imagined Norway as a cold and foreboding place. To her point, it can be – Northern Norway’s average high temperature in November is between 28-35 degrees Fahrenheit!

That’s hard to imagine as we here in Orange County had high 80s, even low 90s in the first week of November this year. I’m sure Louisa May Alcott would have found it most disagreeably hot. The name November itself is a bit of a novelty as it takes its name from the Latin word novem, which means nine, as it was the ninth month in the Roman calendar. But then those pesky Gregorians came along with their own calendar and added two more months, January and February, making November the eleventh month. I understand that none of the above is probably going to help you get into the ‘Holiday Spirit’, although living in someplace other than northern Norway during this time of year, may help.

If you haven’t gotten into the ‘holiday spirit’ yet, here are some alternative events that perhaps you could celebrate.

For those into ‘boy kings’, King Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered in November of 1922. King Tut assumed the throne as a nine-year-old and died when he was 19, only a couple years sort of drinking age, but we can raise some spirits to him. Those who like Egyptians, boys or kings can now celebrate this.

For those pet fans, you can celebrate ‘Laika’ (which means ‘barker’ in Russian), a stray dog, who became the first animal in space as she was launched by Russia in November 1957. Unfortunately, she died just hours into the launch as insulation in the capsule tore and she overheated. If you’re surprised at hearing she died during the mission, it’s because the Russians claimed that she survived the entire trip. Celebrate your pet, or a pet near you, this month.

Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes first meets with Aztec emperor Montezuma II in November of 1519. Cortes kept the meeting friendly, but several days later he took Montezuma hostage. Celebrate famous explorer and conqueror, Cortes, or Montezuma’s Revenge.

Sadie Hawkins Day. While it technically was last week (November 13) not too many people know that so you can still celebrate this ‘holiday’. It was created in the Li’l Abner comic strip in 1937, where unmarried women would chase bachelor men and if they caught him, they would get married. Today, if the lady catches the man, she asks him to do the laundry.

Yeah, this is the kind of stuff you get from me when I’m not traveling. Hopefully it will give you more things to celebrate this month, or tell us what you celebrate in this ‘Norway of the year’.