We hope you enjoyed this issue, thanks for reading us every month.

Please share thisawfulawesomelife.com with your friends.

January 2022 will soon be here, and our March 2022 issue will mark five years of This awful Awesome Life!

We’ve been blessed to have so many talented contributors to our magazine, and we are excited to move forward even if it is bittersweet at times.

Will you be making New Year’s resolutions this year? What will 2022 hold in store? We’ll be back with more interesting articles and features on fascinating people, and Lilly Kauffman and Orlando Bartro will continue to delight and amaze us with their talents. Linda Cahill will be back with ore easy and delicious recipes from Pampered Chef.

Look to us for book reviews and reading recommendations. We hope to incorporate more videos in 2022 and adding content to Patreon for subscribers is still part of my vision for the magazine. We’ll have more quizzes and in 2022 and more Q&As with authors, artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists.

For 2022, we are featuring “The Twelve Months of Vegetables,” with links to recipes and suggested pairings to make your meals healthier, more colorful, and more delicious.

Have a safe and Happy New Year! Stay safe, stay healthy! You are important, and you are loved.

Health and happiness to you always,

Fran

Answers to the December 2021 Quiz:

Across:

1.    Ralphie just wants a Red Ryder BB gun in this holiday classic (3 words) (1a/1d) A Christmas Story

2.    The December ___________ is the first day of winter in the Northern hemisphere. (19a/1d) Solstice

3.    Federal Housing Administration initials (1a/2d) FHA

4.    Remy in Ratatouille. (1a/3d) Rat

5.    Santa and his elves _________ at the North Pole. (17a/3d) Live

6.    According to legend, the first person to decorate a Christmas ____was Protestant reformer, Martin Luther. (23a/3d) Tree

7.    Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed star in Frank Capra’s iconic holiday film, (4 words) (1a/4d) It’s a Wonderful Life

8.    There are three important rules to keep these Christmas presents furry and cute, (11a/6d) Gremlins

9.    Christmas Tree topper. (23a/6d) Star

10. This December action blockbuster has become a holiday must watch (2 words) (13a/9d) Die Hard

1.    Commonly used for Christmas decorations in Scandinavian homes to remind them Jesus was born in a manger. (8a/10d) Straw

11. For the last decade, this fruit has become a popular gift to give friends and coworkers in China during the Christmas season. (21a/10d) Apples

12. On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave me five of these made of gold. (1a/11d) Rings

13. How cocoa is served during the holidays. (13a/11d) Hot

14. This feast takes place on the final day of Kwanzaa. (3a/13d) Karamu

15. This Christmas pudding, is a tradition in England, Ireland, and some parts of the U.S. (11a/13d) Figgy

16. One of the gifts brought by the three wise kings. (19a/13d) Gold

17. Type of flour in Joululimppu (Finnish Christmas Bread) responsible for its earthy flavor. (3a/14d) Rye

18. The Jewish festival, Hanukkah commemorates the recovery of Jerusalem and rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the ________________ (2 words) in second century BCE. (7a/15d) Maccabean Revolt

19. Opposite of yes, (25a/15d) No

20. _______ Angeles (24a/16d) Los

21. On December 5, 1933, the 18th Amendment known as this was repealed and the manufacture, transportation and the sale of alcohol was legal again in the United States. (6a/17d) Prohibition

22. The day or evening before. (19a/17d) Eve

23. Symbol of peace. (23a/17d) Dove

24. British thank you. (24a/18d) TA

25. Opposite of North. (3a/19d) South

26. When Julius Caesar created the Julian calendar, he added ten days to the year expanding December from ___________ days to thirty-one days. (11a/20d) Twenty-nine

27. How toy soldiers walk. (22a/20d) March

28. Traditional fruit for Christmas stockings. (1a/21d) Oranges

29. In the old Roman calendar, December was this month of the year. (7a/22d) Tenth

30. The Who in Whoville feasted on this type of beast. (16a/22d) Roast

31. Spanish cat. (23a/22d) Gato

2.    Red and this color are traditional Christmas colors. (1a/23d) Green

32. In Roman times, this mid-winter festival included feasting, merry making, and a time when slaves and their masters switched places. (16a/24d) Saturnalia

33. Children play with this four-sided spinning top during Hanukkah. (1a/25d) Dreidel

34. Type of nut used in the traditional Spanish Christmas treat, Turron de Navidad. (8a/25d) Almonds

DOWN

1.    On December 10, 1950, Dr. Ralph Bunche became the first _____________ (2 words) man awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. (1a/1d) African American

2.    Have a conversation. (2a/1d) Chat

3.    Santa wears a red one, but the elves wear green ones to keep their heads warm. (3a/1d) Hats

4.    Make yours up to know what you want for Christmas. (8a/1d) Mind

5.    You can buy gifts at one of these. (10a/1d) Store

6.    If you are Vegan, your turkey might be made of this. (12a/1d) Tofu

7.    Pinocchio wants to be this kind of boy. (14a/1d) Real

8.    In Sweden, this goat, made of straw, is believed to guard the Christmas tree. (17a/1d) Yule

9.    Traditionally, Italians celebrate the Feast of the _______ Fishes. (19a/1d) Seven

10. Another name for small children. (23a/1d) Tots

11. In Scandinavia, Vikings believed these types of trees were special gifts from Balder, their god of light and peace. (26a/1d) Evergreens

12. Puritan __________ Cromwell made Christmas illegal in England from 1647 to 1660 because he believed celebrating on one of the year’s holiest days was immoral. (6a/4d) Oliver

13. Each day during Kwanzaa, a different candle is lit in this candleholder and celebrants discuss the seven principles of Kwanzaa that represent the seven values of African culture that build and reinforce community. (21a/5d) Kinara

14. In the United Kingdom and some other countries on this day of gift giving, boxes of food, clothing, and other gifts are traditionally given to employees, tradespeople, and other service providers. (4a/6d) Boxing Day

15. Jingle, silver, or sleigh. (8a/6d) Bells

16. This French author of Madame Bovary was born on December 12, 1821. (11a/6d) Gustave Flaubert

17. Bacalao, salted cod, is a Christmas staple in this country. (14a/6d) Mexico

18. In Costa Rica, making ________ is a Christmas tradition. (24a/6d) Tamales

19. In this country, about 3.5 million people eat fast food from Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas Eve. (17a/8d) Japan

20. An object for a child to play with. (15a/11d) Toy

21. In Alpine countries, St. Nick rewards good children and _______ comes to punish the naughty. (3a/13d) Krampus

22. God ______ Ye Merry Gentlemen. (5a/13d) Rest

23. The German Christmas feast is traditionally centered around Weihnachtsgans, Christmas (19a/13d) Goose.

24. This potato pancake is typically prepared to celebrate Hanukkah. (21a/13d) Latke

25. Rudolph had a red and shiny one. (26a/14d) Nose

26. Another of the gifts brought by the three wise kings. (7a/15d) Myrrh

27. This Canadian province leads the world in exporting lobster, wild blueberries, and Christmas trees. (25a/15d) Nova Scotia

28. Place where many Christmas trees are sold. (24a/16d) Lot

29. Bill Murray stars in this modernized version of A Christmas Carol. (1a/18d) Scrooged.

30. This week-long holiday beginning December 26 and ending on January 1, honors African heritage in African American culture in the United States. (8a/19d) Kwanzaa

31. Christmas cards originated in this country in the 1840’s. (14a/19d) England

32. On December 14, 1911, Roald Amundsen an explorer from this country, became the first person to reach the South Pole. (17a/20d) Norway

33. Popular Christmas tree toppers. (23a/20d) Angels

34. An individual compartment in a stable for an animal. (7a/21d) Stall

35. Santa says this three times before saying Merry Christmas. (12a/24d) Ho