Unless you are highly efficient and have your holiday decorations down, you likely still have mistletoe hanging around somewhere in your home. It’s not even New Year’s Eve, after all.
According to a wonderful article in the latest Smithsonian magazine, mistletoe has long been associated with mystical power. It says, “In Norse myth, the god Balder is mistakenly killed by an arrow of mistletoe — after which the plant becomes synonymous with his grieving mother’s undying love.” The story notes that, while mistletoe’s berries are poisonous, ancient Romans and Greeks used its leaves medicinally, to treat cramps, epilepsy and ulcers. This stuff should apparently be in ice cream.
Another common theory from multiple sources is that the druids used mistletoe of their sacred oak as part of their ritual five days after the new moon following the Winter Solstice. It was apparently hung from ceilings or placed above stables and house doors in the Middle Ages with the belief it would drive off evil spirits and ensure fertility. Sounds like a good plan to me.
Others trace the kissing under mistletoe tradition to the Roman Saturnalia. The Greek goddess Artemis, the patron of the city of Ephesus, wore a crown of mistletoe as an emblem of fertility and immortality. Well, I needed a new hat anyway.
Meanwhile, we all seemingly thought mistletoe was just something to kiss under. Well, it kind of is — and always has been. The same Smithsonian article says, “The first known reference to smooching under the plant dates to a 1784 English poem, in which three men ‘kiss beneath the mistletoe’ the lips of a ‘girl not turn’d of twenty.’ By then, any woman or girl who walked beneath this vegetal decor had to stop and wait to be kissed.” Yikes! Lock up your daughters.
American author Washington Irving wrote in the early 1800s that each berry on a sprig of mistletoe represented a kiss that a man was allowed to give to a young woman who stood underneath the plant. But when the berries were all plucked, the privilege ceased.
And the girl receiving all the kisses? Well, the social customs of the day dictated that she was to never refuse a kiss under the mistletoe or she would invite bad luck “on the marriage market.” Seems like the opposite may be true today.
Bottom line, if you are caught under the mistletoe and someone says, “pucker up,” you better oblige — or take the mistletoe down before New Year’s Eve.
Have a magnificent Monday, and thanks for reading.
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FROM KCCI: Mary and Jimmy: How a TV show and presidential hopeful put Iowa on the map. DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa caucuses have been a part of the presidential election process for decades, and a familiar KCCI face was part of their early years. In the 1970s, The Mary Brubaker Show covered all topics. ...READ MORE
FROM WHO-TV: Man celebrates 50 years of donating blood; encourages others during blood shortage. IOWA CITY, Iowa — A Coralville man is celebrating more than 350 blood donations, beginning 50 years ago when blood donations saved his brother’s life. Now he’s hoping to encourage others to donate during alarming blood shortage. ....READ MORE
FROM WOI: Victim identified in Sheridan Garden Christmas Day murder-suicide. Authorities said the incident marks the 17th homicide of 2024 for Des Moines.....READ MORE |
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Clear Mortgage meteorology
Fog will again be with us this morning before rain moves in sometime around the middle of the day. This will change over to snow in the evening. Expect 1-2" by Tuesday morning, with a slippery commute for the last day of 2024. Colder temperatures move in to start 2025.
For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage. |
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| Read the latest CITYVIEW | | | PEOPLE & PETS
Yoga cat and puppy bonds
By Jackie Wilson
Pet owners may declare they are either dog lovers or cat lovers. Gary Hepker doesn’t need to decide on either.
He likes both.
Gary recently adopted Gracie, a 9-month-old mini goldendoodle. He desired a small dog for a long time and was on the waiting list at the Animal Rescue League (ARL), but he couldn’t find one. He found a puppy instead.
“I always wanted a full-size golden retriever, but, due to the size (and living in a townhome), I got the next-best thing.” | | | READ MORE |
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The UN disses the US, again
The United Nations released their Best Tourism Villages. The project was "designed to recognize the impressive achievements of remote communities, and to also bring visibility to rural areas who are benefiting from tourism." Five villages are in Africa, 14 in Europe, 13 in Asia, and 16 in the Americas. None are in the USA or Canada. The closest village to Iowa, by far, is the peyote user legend Ciénegas de Carranza, in the Mexican state of Coahuila. That state is best known here as the launch point for the hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants who have been flooding Del Rio, Texas, for four years.
Reckoning the year in food and hospitality
Winners of 2024: Wendy’s ran far ahead of their rivals in strategy. The others copied Wendy's value deals five years late; Apps and their users took full advantage of special prices that increasingly were reserved just for them; Platinum Kutz's Ron Pressman turned his full bustle Dog town neighborhood Thanksgiving generosity into a culinary event with upscale, local products and partners; The Rinehart Room distinguished itself as the top venue for culinary events giving George Formaro and Derek Eidson a place to show off their specific, often historical food research — like their "Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Dinner”; "Bite by Bite - Nourishments & Jamborees" by Aimee Nezhukumatathil was our choice as the best food book of the year and "Touch" by Baltasar Kormákur was the best food movie. It's also a rare case where the film is better, at least less confusing, than the book. "The Bear" was still the best food TV show and was nominated for a zillion Golden Globe Awards.
Monday's deals
• Centro (1003 Locust St., Des Moines) offers half-price pizza and Peronis on Monday.
• Who's on First (810 E. First St., Ankeny) has steak night on Monday, and it's an 8-ounce filet with salad, mashed potatoes and beans for $22.95
• Pelican Post (265 50th St., West Des Moines) has a special today on hot beef sandwiches, $10.95 until 4 p.m.
• Eastside Eddie’s (3517 E. 26th St., Des Moines) Monday $10 special is ham and Swiss sliders with fries.
• Tito’s Lounge (3916 Urbandale Drive, Urbandale) offers all-you-can-eat wings Mondays.
• Trostel's Greenbriar (5810 Merle Hay Road, Johnston) offers half-pound steak burgers with fries or salad and a beer for a Monday-only price of $14.
• Monday brings prime rib specials to both Chicago Speakeasy (1520 Euclid Ave., Des Moines) and Christopher's (2816 Beaver Ave., Des Moines).
• Johnny's Hall of Fame (302 Court Ave., Des Moines) has $12 burger baskets on Mondays and Fridays.
• Urban Cellars (640 S. 50th St., West Des Moines) offers $60 wine dinners for two on Mondays including two entrees with soup or salad, a dessert and a bottle on wine.
• Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines) has a burger basket with fries deal Mondays for $9.
• Fareway has a sale on avocados at 48 cents through tomorrow, pork belly at $3.88/pound and grapefruit or navel oranges at $.99 a pound, not a piece, through Saturday.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com |
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The 2024 results ...
CITYVIEW's Best Of Des Moines® | | | Best Local First Date Spot
1. Gastro Grub & Pub
2. The Big Steer Restaurant and Lounge
3. Simon’s
The 2025 Best Of Des Moines Poll is now closed. Results will be published in the February 2025 issue of CITYVIEW. |
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| Featured home for sale | | |
$319,900 135 Glendale Drive Waukee, IA 50263
Updated 3 bedroom ranch home in the Heart of Waukee. Open floor plan with new LVP flooring throughout. Perfect for family gatherings and/or entertaining. Nice size master bedroom with updated master bath along with 2 additional bedrooms on the main floor. Kitchen has good size island with new countertops along with plenty of room for a dining area.
See the listing here.
| | | See More Homes For Sale |
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| SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction | | | 1101 FIFTH ST., WEST DES MOINES
SALE DATE: 2024-09-03
SALE PRICE: $500,000
SELLER: ROCKHOLD-BELL PROPERTIES LLC
BUYER: LROC PROPERTIES GREENSA LLC
ACRES: 1.294
SQUARE FEET: 8,174 |
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Featured in the current
issue of Clive Living magazine | | | Holiday recipes
Residents share the foods that make the season bright.
By Sean Dengler
Favorite dishes are often at the heart of holiday gatherings. Their aromas wafting through the house signal time to join family and friends in celebration, reminiscing and gratitude. Their tastes spark memories and conversation. For many, certain recipes are a holiday must. They are inextricably woven into the fabric of the season, and the festivities wouldn’t feel complete without them.
Delicious dip
Sometimes, a dip is all you need according to Joan Burns.
“I have made this dip for a lot of parties and gatherings, and is a big hit” she says.
This successful recipe came from a generous former neighbor.
“I have this dip recipe a former neighbor gave me many, many years ago. She was a great hostess and gladly shared her recipes,” Joan says. “She knows her family and friends love this recipe, and she recommends anyone to use it.
“Great dip for parties and very tasty.” | | | READ MORE |
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FROM ESPN: Saquon Barkley eclipses 2,000-yard mark as Eagles clinch NFC East... READ MORE
FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Vikings Gave Sam Darnold a Hero's Welcome in Locker Room After Win vs. Packers ... READ MORE
FROM Yahoo Sports: Greg Gumbel receives tribute from CBS' 'The NFL Today,' former studio partner Terry Bradshaw ... READ MORE |
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1968: Led Zeppelin recorded live for the first time. On December 30, 1968, The Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Washington, ran an advertisement for a concert at Gonzaga University featuring “The Vanilla Fudge, with Len Zefflin”—a concert of which a bootleg recording would later emerge that represents the first-ever live Led Zeppelin performance captured on tape. Within a year, they’d be big. Within two, they’d be huge. And within three, they’d be the biggest band in the world. ...READ MORE
1903: Fire breaks out in Chicago theater. A fire in the Iroquois Theater in Chicago, Illinois, kills more than 600 people on December 30, 1903. It was the deadliest theater fire in U.S. history. Blocked fire exits and the lack of a fire-safety plan caused most of the deaths.The Iroquois Theater, designed by Benjamin Marshall in a Renaissance style, was highly luxurious and had been deemed fireproof upon its opening in 1903. In fact, George Williams, Chicago’s building commissioner, and fire inspector Ed Laughlin looked over the theater in November 1903 and declared that it was “fireproof beyond all doubt.” .... READ MORE
1916: Rasputin is murdered. Sometime over the course of the night and the early morning of December 29-30, 1916, Grigory Efimovich Rasputin, a self-proclaimed holy man, is murdered by Russian nobles eager to end his influence over the royal family. ... READ MORE
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| Birthdays and notables | | | Happy Birthday Sarah Kramer!
These celebrities were born on this date: LeBron James, Tiger Woods, Ellie Goulding, Eliza Dushku, Patti Smith, Caity Lotz, Jay Kay, Sandy Koufax, Andra Day, Carson Wentz, Jeff Lynne, Kristin Kreuk, Laila Ali, Tracey Ullman, Tyrese Gibson, Dominic Fike, Michael Nesmith, Bennett Miller
SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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The answer to the last riddle:What was Dr. Frankenstein's New Year's resolution? TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS! - Gail Tomlinson. OR, To become a comedian and keep his audience in stitches! - Carolyn Rogers. Or, To finally learn the Monster Mash. - William Snyder
Today's riddle:What’s the problem with jogging on New Year’s Eve?
Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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Senior Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 303
Mobile: 515-371-2290
dan.juffer@dmcityview.com
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