Who knew feather fans were so versatile?

There is nothing like a blue, ostrich-feather fan to make you feel feminine. . . unless that is, you are Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. 

Nothing says White Christmas quite as much as a light blue, feather fan.  It is the prop for the dance number "Sisters" by Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen.  But anyone with any sensibilities at all can recognize that it becomes quite the multi-functional tool when weilded by the leading men of the show.  As they lip-sync the spoof musical number of "Sisters", you realize that a fan has more uses than simply highlighting femine wiles.  Namely:

• A Screen - nothing better than a fan to hide the face of your cohort, or competitor, allowing you to hog the limelight.
• A Tickling Device - watch Danny Kaye's face as Bing flaunts his feathers in his face and tell me some of that laughter isn't from sheer ticklish delight.
• A Weapon - Danny Kaye retaliates by whomping Bing in the stomach with said fan.
• A Distractor - this one isn't quite as effective as the others, since no matter how much fan fluttering goes on, one's attention isn't complete distracted from the homely, garter-clad legs of Danny and Bing.  

So what's the life lesson - when life hands you ostrich feathers make a fan?  Nah, the take home message is that men shouldn't dance around with their pants rolled up - with or without sock garters!  

Tradition

“There is no creation without tradition . . . novelty is always a variation on the past.” - Carlos Fuentes
Being raised in a family of 4 girls, tradition was a mainstay of our family culture and identity.  I believe that because of that, my sisters and I grew up in a practical, yet creative home.  Traditions tie you to people - whether that be family or friends.  It enriches one's sense of history, belonging and adds the enjoyment of anticipation to life.  One of our favorite traditions centered on the day after Thanksgiving.  I know, for most people, the highlight is the holiday itself.  But in our family, we would dip over 100 pounds of chocolates on the day after Thanksgiving, then when everything was cleaned up, we ate pizza and watched White Christmas.  Even now that we all have homes and traditions of our own, White Christmas is an anchor of the holiday season.  After having watched it multiple times per season for decades, I finally decided to share the charm, wit and wisdom that is found in the lost art form known as the 1950's musical.