News of the Week: Sweater Weather, Meat Cards, and Everybody’s Waitin’ for the Man with the Bag

Winter is Coming

I don’t mean that in a Game of Thrones way. It’s time to get out the warm coats and gloves, the shovels, the rock salt.

I once asked for rock salt at the supermarket and the young clerk looked at me like I was from another planet. Apparently it’s “ice melt” now.

I went to get out my winter coat and my gloves, and for some reason I found three “right” gloves of different brands and styles but no “left” ones. I know that sounds like an old joke, but it’s true. The other ones must be in my dark closet, way in back or on the floor with a bunch of other junk.

It was 61 degrees here on Monday and then in the 40’s mid-week, so I haven’t needed them recently. But this weekend it will be the temperature it’s supposed to be, and soon it will be bitter cold so I’ll need to find those glove companions.

I also found out that I evidently don’t own any sweaters. What happened to them? Didn’t I wear one last year? I have other clothing items that begin with “sweat” — shirts and pants — but no sweaters. I’ll have to get some soon, a couple for everyday wear and an ugly one for Christmas. Though on Christmas, is any sweater really ugly?

Schrafft’s, Stuckey’s, and Sears

Three chain stores are on their way to coming back, and by sheer coincidence they all begin with the letter “S.”

One of them, Stuckey’s, you may already know about if you read Bill Newcott’s piece. But we’re also seeing the return of Schrafft’s and the possible — possible — return of Sears, believe it or not.

“Requiem”

That’s the name of the Raymond Chandler poem discovered by Andrew Gulli, managing editor of the mystery magazine The Strand. It was found in a shoebox at The University of Oxford. Chandler wrote it in 1955, shortly after the death of his wife Cissy, and was clearly inspired by her.

You can read it in the 25th anniversary issue of The Strand, on sale now.

Santa Claus is Comin’ to His Final Resting Place

But not the real one, kids! It’s actually a ceremony for Edmund Gwenn, who played Santa in one of the best Christmas movies, Miracle on 34th Street. As I mentioned earlier this year, the urn containing his ashes was misplaced decades ago and was finally found by the people at Hollywood Graveyard, and last week they took them to his new home at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Uploaded to YouTube by Hollywood Graveyard

Gift of the Week

What do you get for the man who has everything? The Meat Card! For only $23.99 you get to put any message you want on a greeting card-size piece of beef jerky.

Christmas Song of the Week

This is Kay Starr, who also did the beautiful “December.”

Uploaded to YouTube by Kay Starr  ̶  Topic

RIP Ryan O’Neal, André Braugher, Ellen Holly, Jack Hogan, Stan Rogow, Shirley Anne Field, Lola Dee, and Marisa Pavan

Ryan O’Neal starred in such movies as Love Story, Paper Moon, Barry Lyndon, The Main Event, and What’s Up, Doc? He also appeared on Peyton Place, Empire, Leave It to Beaver, Perry Mason, and other shows. He died last week at the age of 82.

André Braugher starred in such TV shows as Homicide: Life on the Street, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Men of a Certain Age, The Good Fight, Hack, and Gideon’s Crossing, and appeared in movies like The Tuskegee Airmen, Salt, The Mist, Primal Fear, and Glory. He died Monday at the age of 61.

Ellen Holly was a groundbreaking part of the soap One Life to Live, playing Carla Benari, a Black actress trying to pass as white. She also appeared on Guiding Light and In the Heat of the Night as well as in movies like School Daze and Cops and Robbers. She died last week at the age of 92.

Jack Hogan starred in the 1960s World War II series Combat! He also appeared on dozens of other TV shows and even worked in the casting department of Magnum, P.I. He died last week at the age of 94.

Stan Rogow produced the popular show Lizzie McGuire as well as the TV version of Fame and many other shows. He died last week at the age of 75.

Shirley Anne Field appeared in such movies as Alfie, The Entertainer, The Damned, The Rachel Papers, and Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, as well as TV shows like Where the Heart Is, Santa Barbara, and Murder, She Wrote. She died Sunday at the age of 87.

Lola Dee was a singer in the 1950s, known for such songs as “Hitsity Hotsity,” “Pretty Eyed Baby,” “With a Little More Love,” and a cover of the Platters song “Only You (and You Alone).” She died last week at the age of 95.

Marisa Pavan appeared in such movies as The Rose Tattoo, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, Solomon and Sheba, and The Midnight Story, as well as TV shows like Ryan’s Hope, Naked City, and The Rockford Files. She died last week at the age of 91.

This Week in History

Clarence Birdseye Born (December 9, 1886)

The headquarters of the frozen food king used to be not too far from where I grew up.

Magnum, P.I. Premieres (December 11, 1980)

The good one, with Tom Selleck. Some people forget the show had a different theme song for the first season.

This Week in Saturday Evening Post History: “Lost His Mitten” (December 14, 1957)

When artist Ben Kimberly Prins thought he had drawn too many lost items for the wall, a school principal told him “draw twice as many.”

December is National Pear Month

Such a neglected fruit. Not as popular as the cool kids in the fruit bowl, apples and bananas. Here are a few holiday-related recipes to try.

Veggie Desserts has these Poached Pears in Red Wine with Cinnamon Cream, while Once Upon a Chef has Baked Pears in Spiced Pomegranate Syrup. My Recipes has these Holiday Pears, Jamie Oliver has an Easy Festive Pear and Gingerbread Bake, and Happy Foodie has these Poached Pears with Vanilla and Cinnamon.

Next Week’s Holidays and Events

Winter Begins (December 21)

I told you winter was coming. At exactly 10:27 p.m. ET, if you want to set your alarm.

Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic (December 21)

CBS celebrates the career of one of our greatest entertainers with a two-hour special. It starts at 9 p.m.