By Katherine Berman
WEB ED
www.rentmothernature.com
Have Yourself a Merry Rasta Christmas
Give the gift of gourmet freshness by “leasing” Mother Nature’s bounty. This unique gifting concept allows you to “rent” a cow, beehive or coffee tree from a New England Farm. Your recipient will receive updated progress reports and, upon harvest time, their due cheese, honey or coffee along with a beautifully embossed certificate commemorating their lease. Rent Mother Nature offers a wide variety of gift baskets and leases, including pier-fresh Maine Lobster. The delicious food is grown using only natural and sustainable farming methods, and your lease will support small, independent family farms. MOVIES/DVD
“White Christmas”
This heartwarming movie packs a stiff helping of holiday spirit punch. Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney (George’s aunt) and Vera Ellen sing, dance and romance each other at a Vermont inn over the holidays. It is a tale of love, loyalty and the importance of snow on Christmas. Plus it includes Bing Crosby’s mistletoe-worthy classic, “White Christmas” as well as Kaye and Crosby’s hysterical, feather-boa-wearing rendition of the song “Sisters.” BOOK
“Holidays on Ice” by David Sedaris Music
“Reggae Christmas from Studio One” Christmas carols play an important role in the holiday season, but for some, hearing the same songs over and over again, year after year can get a bit tiring. Infuse your holiday mix with a little Jamaica, mon, and reindeer-prance to “Reggae Christmas from Studio One.” It is hard not to bust a move to Tennessee Brown & the Silvertones’ version of “Jingle Bells” or “Little Drummer Boy” – with an apt snare drum purr. Dobby Dobson’s “White Christmas” is both familiar and foreign, featuring funky riffs that will have your whole family grooving as you trim the tree. Other artists include The Heptones, Freddie McGregor, The Wailers featuring Bob Marley and many more. Warning: these Caribbean carols might just inspire a frozen egg nog cocktail, sunglasses as stocking stuffers or playing Santa in a Tommy Bahama jersey.
24 I holiday 2011 I MAGIC
The satirical, hilarious and consummately articulate David Sedaris has given the world a gift to be appreciated by any denomination at any time of the year. His collection of short stories, “Holidays on Ice” is a brilliant examination of the holiday season in all of its, at times extraordinarily ridiculous, splendor. His essay “SantaLand Diaries,” first broadcasted to rave reviews on NPR, chronicles his stint playing an elf at Macy’s department store during the holiday season. His self-proclaimed elf name is “Crumpet,” which he later changes to “Blisters” when he is feeling ornery. Enough said.