12/24/2010

How The Grinch Stole My Heart

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” ~~Dr. Seuss, HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS 


 Macy's Thanksgiving parade started off the Christmas TV season for me when I was young (waaayyy before Cable, but definitely after Howdy Doody). There were a couple of things I always looked forward to: Miracle on 34th Street (the original of course) and an annual Christmas party with Mr. Peppermint. 

Mr. Peppermint was a local Dallas actor who had a children's morning show. He dressed in a red & white stripped suit, straw hat, and carried a red & white stripped cane. My grandmother took us to the Christmas party in downtown Dallas...he was normally the emcee who introduced Santa. One year, my sister and I walked to the front to receive our candy cane and I asked Mr. Peppermint if he knew how to catch a squirrel (I think I was 5). He laughed so hard he took me to the microphone and I told the audience. I have vivid memories of that night...one picture. 


Miracle on 34th Street -- no one needs a reason to watch Maureen O'Hara's heart start "believing" in Santa. And then there's How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I'm not really certain I really knew Dr. Suess before that. I probably did. My mother read to me all the time, took us to the library, I constantly had books checked out from school. But I didn't own many books. The Grinch just might be the first "bad boy" who gained a soft spot in the corner of my heart. 


Okay here's the story plug--.38 Caliber Cover-Up will be released electronically January 1st and on book shelves February 8th. My "bad boy" Erren Rhodes makes an important appearance in Hill Country Holdup before his "heart growing" story. But on with THIS blog... The big stinkin' Grinch stole my heart when I was young. I love how Boris Karloff narrated the TV special in 1966. I don't really think anyone can top that version. And do you know who sang the song? I can't make you wait (anyone can Google it): Thurl Ravenscroft. Don't know him? He's better known as the voice of Tony the Tiger in TV commercials. How does anyone sing that low?! Seeing the Grinch come to life... seeing his heart grow... Well, it changed the way I looked at "bad boys" forever. 
            Merry Christmas ~~ Angi 

“You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” ~~Dr. Seuss

7 comments:

  1. The Grinch is such a wonderful dark character, isolated in a cave above Whoville with his two sizes too small heart!

    I think the character of Lisbeth in THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is an amazing example of a very dark heroine.

    I love it when as a writer/reader I begin to feel sympathy, then root for the misfit, maligned characters. There is something so satisfying in the end, when you can say, "I knew he/she had a great heart!

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  2. Well said, Jillian. And Angi, thanks for all those spectacular Christmas memories! Here's to all of us creating new ones!

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  4. HAPPY CHRISTMAS.

    We've opened the first round of gifts.
    Grandkids are next...whenever the turkey gets done we're headed down the road, Jeep loaded to the brim (feeling like the Grinch's sleigh after he stole Christmas--hehe).

    Tim and I actually surprised the baby today. She thought her gift was ... (she may read this) *I win* Kourtney! (for once).

    ~~Angi

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  5. Merry Christmas, ladies!!
    Wishing you a wonderful holiday and a very happy 2011! ;)

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  6. Angi, what a great post. I vividly remember getting the Grinch book for Christmas. One of the first gifts I remember, because my older sister was jealous that I got it and not her. And watching the TV special every year after that.

    The grinch is an awesome bad boy model. :)

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  7. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas weekend. Mine was terrific with the exception of maintaining my diet... Yes, I know, it's the holidays and there are exceptions. Mine were associated with two huge memories.

    GRAMMY'S YUM YUM CAKE --This year (of all years) my aunt made my grandmother's Yum Yum cake. I've searched the Internet and didn't find the same ingredients in THIS particular cake with any other definition of a YumYum cake. My grandmother's version is the very definition of MY favorite. It's a pineapple upside down cake with extra everything and pineapple baked throughout the cake, with a basic german chocolate icing (extra everything). Just looking at this gooey monstrosity will make you gain a pound. Calorie-wise...I was a very very bad girl.

    GINGERBREAD HOUSE --Over the years, my sister, mother and I have had lots of fun baking and putting together a Gingerbread house. It's one of those things we like to do Christmas Eve and then destroy on New Year's Day. It's been a while, and this year...it was huge. And the icing my sister made tasted like Diviinity candy (hard marshmallow cream). I wanted and was forced to help. Got lots on my fingers and heaven help me, had to lick it off. Not to mention popping a candy into my mouth every once in a while. Calories? Oh my. I'll be posting pictures on my Facebook page of this house. It's outrageous and so were the amount of calories I consumed.

    Let's just say that I hope I'm over this cold (thanks to my hubby for sharing) when the weather warms up for lots of bike riding this week. I really have to BURN some calories instead of consume them this week.

    ~~Angi

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