Getting in the Christmas spirit early. This past Friday, Willie Nelson took a break from releasing songs from his forthcoming tribute album for his friend, the late, great Merle Haggard called Workin’ Man: Willie Sings Merle, to put out a Christmas song. Of course, Willie penned one of the best country Christmas songs of all-time in “Pretty Paper,” which he wrote in 1963, and was first made famous by Roy Orbison when it peaked at #15 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Willie later recorded his own version of the song in 1964 and again in 1979 for his own Christmas album. In the lyrics, Willie references a man selling “pretty paper, pretty ribbons” alone on the sidewalk, and as it turns out, there actually was a disabled street vendor Willie knew from his time as a radio DJ in Fort Worth who did just that. Though he regrets never stopping to actually talk to the man whom he would walk by every single day on his way to work, the image of seeing him on the sidewalk always stuck out to Willie long after he moved from Texas to Nashville to pursue a career in country music. It’s an incredible story, which you can read more about HERE. This new one called “Christmas Love Song” is a bit different in that it really is a true love song wrapped in some holiday cheer, though he does reference “Pretty Paper” in the first line. The chorus finds him admitting that while he doesn’t “sparkle and shine” like a new Christmas present, he put his whole heart into the gift of this song: “I bought you a few things, wrapped ’em up in pretty paper And they’re lying there under the tree There’s one that can’t wait for that big day I guess you could say it’s kind of special to me This is my Christmas love song to you It ain’t a lot, but every word of it’s true It don’t sparkle or shine, but it’s one of a kind And I put my whole heart into This Christmas love song to you” The last verse is so beautiful, where I’m assuming he has his wife, Annie, in mind when he sings: “I want you to know that I don’t take for granted This wonderful life that we found I am so blessed to call you mine that I had to Stop and write it all down” The only person who could write a Christmas love song that is that pure and lovely… it will just about bring a tear to your eye. Willie is obviously in his 90’s now, so his voice is weathered, yet warm, and I think this is a great song that I would be happy to listen to all year round… and I’m usually not that into Christmas music at all. Willie’s tribute album for Merle is set to drop soon, on Friday, November 7th, and features 11 country classics penned by the Hag himself. You can listen to “Christmas Love Song” in the meantime, though, and I highly recommend it… Willie doesn’t miss. “Christmas Love Song” Workin’ Man: Willie Sings Merle Tracklist: 1. Workin’ Man Blues 2. Silver Wings 3. Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down 4. Today I Started Loving You Again 5. Swinging Doors 6. Okie From Muskogee 7. Mama Tried 8. I Think I’ll Just Stay Here And Drink 9. Somewhere Between 10. If We Make It Through December 11. Ramblin’ FeverThe post Willie Nelson Releases Beautiful Love Song Wrapped In Holiday Cheer, “Christmas Love Song” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Here are some of the greatest Victorian female novelists you should add to you TBR pile.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has rolled out a new citizenship test that is now being criticized as too difficult for immigrants to pass — with some saying the difficulty may deter those looking for legal citizenship. Applicants will be asked 20 questions out of a pool of 128 questions and must get 12 correct to pass. The Washington Post compiled a 10-question quiz based on the newly revamped test, and Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck decided to test it out...

When I had to choose a foreign language to study in high school, my choices were Spanish, French, German, and Japanese. Despite my parents' encouragement to study Spanish, (as it would arguably be the most useful where we lived), I was much more intrigued by the idea—and the challenge—of learning Japanese.I ended up studying Japanese for four years and then teaching English in Japan for a year after college. Teaching English and studying Japanese gave me a keen appreciation for how hard English is to learn compared to Japanese. English is famously full of inconsistent spellings, exceptions to grammar and spelling rules, and other things that don't makes sense. Japanese, I was pleased to find, is actually quite consistent and logical both phonetically and grammatically. There are some exceptions, of course, and you have to get used to learning formal and informal ways of speaking, but it's quite straightforward compared to English. Japanese has two phonetic alphabets.Photo credit: CanvaIn fact, if Japanese were only written phonetically, it would be a pretty easy language to learn, even with 46 characters in its "alphabet." But the writing of Japanese isn't limited to just 46 characters, which is the one thing that makes it exceptionally difficult. In fact, as a video from NativLang explains, Japanese may just be the hardest writing system in the world. It's not the 46-character alphabet (which is actually a syllabary, which I'll get to in a moment). It's not even the fact that there are actually two 46-character alphabets. It's the fact that written Japanese is a mix of those two alphabets, so 92 syllabic characters to memorize, plus thousands of Chinese characters. And the Chinese characters aren't phonetic, so you just have to memorize what they are, how to write them, what they mean, and how they're pronounced in Japanese (which depends on how they're used and combined). - YouTube youtu.be Sound confusing? It is. Here's a more thorough breakdown. The two alphabets (which are actually syllabaries because the characters aren't really letters that represent phonemes but rather symbols that represent syllables that combine phonemes, like "ka" or "fu" or "shi") are called hiragana and katakana. Both hiragana and katakana include the exact same 46 syllables, but hiragana is used for Japanese words, while katakana is used for words imported from other languages (and a few other contexts, like scientific names and onomatopoeia). This would be the equivalent of Americans using a separate-but-parallel alphabet made up of entirely different letters to write words like "ballet" or "teriyaki" or "blintz" since they aren't English words. You get used to it pretty quickly when learning Japanese, but it's not a concept we have in English at all.If hiragana and katakana were all you had to learn to read and write Japanese, that would pose somewhat of a challenge, but it would still be easier to read and write than English. Once you know how the characters are pronounced and a few little rules about how pronunciations are tweaked, it's easy to read and write using these syllabaries. Even if you had no idea what you were saying, you could read a Japanese children's book that uses hiragana and katakana out loud and sound totally fluent. The pronunciations are pretty much always exactly as written. - YouTube www.youtube.com But that's not how Japanese writing works beyond kindergarten. Most of what you see in written Japanese are actually Chinese characters called kanji. The tricky thing about kanji is that 1) the characters are much more complex than hiragana and katakana, and 2) they aren't symbols that represent syllables, but rather pictures that represent words or ideas. There's no phonetic element to them as written—you have to know what they mean and then apply the Japanese pronunciation to them based on understanding their meaning in context. This is complicated by the fact that two kanji separately mean something different when they are put together. And did I mention there are upwards of 50,000 possible kanji characters? Don't worry—to read and write fluently in Japanese, you don't have memorize tens of thousands of Chinese characters. I remember someone in Japan telling me that you "only" need to know around 2,000 kanji characters to read a standard Japanese newspaper. So, you can memorize only 92 hiragana and katakana symbols plus 2,000 characters, and you're golden. Oh, and there are actually four different kinds of kanji, briefly explained here: - YouTube www.youtube.com People who've studied Japanese weighed in on the comments of NativLang's video, humorously lamenting the challenge of learning kanji:"Kanji is for people who want to learn something new every day... for the rest of their lives," wrote one person."Chinese: makes complicated writing system. China, Korea, Vietnam: changes it to be simple. Japan: Makes it even more complicated," added another. "I'm Japanese, but some Japanese actually can't write more than 2,000 kanjis," shared another. "And we can't also read many words that are made of over 2 kanjis. Because there are many words in Japanese. However we can guess the meaning of some words. So you should remember the meanings of them and be able to write about 1,000 kanjis. It's also native level. Thank you for studying Japanese."I will say, learning kanji does get easier and in some ways it's like learning "sight words" in English. Then again, I never got close to writing 1,000 of them. But throw in the fact that Japanese is usually written vertically, and from right to left, and there are no spaces in between words…yeah. It's a fascinating challenge. So, if you're interested in learning Japanese, it's wise to focus on spoken Japanese and the two kana syllabaries (since they help with understanding Japanese pronunciation) and just slowly chip away at the kanji, knowing it's going to be an ultramarathon and definitely not a sprint.

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, has always been one of Mexico's most beautifully soulful traditions. On November 1st and 2nd, people honor their loved ones who have passed on from this life by setting up altars with "offerings" (or ofrendas) presenting a display of their favorite things. (For example, this year for my father, I will light a candle and display Oreos, a can of sardines, a Dodgers baseball playing card, and a Neil Diamond record.)National Geographic Kids explains, "Day of the Dead combines the ancient Aztec custom of celebrating ancestors with All Souls' Day, a holiday that Spanish invaders brought to Mexico starting in the early 1500s."It is a lovely offering and a wonderful way to not only remember our loved ones who are no longer here, but to open a symbolic portal to a space where, living or dead, we can all rejoice together—at least for a day.October 27th was recently added as the Día de los Muertos specifically for pets who have crossed over that rainbow bridge. Dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, salamanders—no matter what the loved animal was, its soul matters too. In one heartwarming video, a person explains that the animals are the first to make the journey back to see us. See on Instagram Reporter Nadia Cantú notes in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that, in 2019, it was a pet funeral home (Funeral Pet) who suggested pets have a designated day of remembrance. Many animal lovers took to the idea and have been setting up altars ever since (though many have been doing this for centuries).If you'd like to take part, find a corner of your home that your pet especially loved to hang out in. This is where you can gather everything that represents this beloved pet on it's own ofrenda. Of course, the space can be shared with your offerings for human loved ones.Cantú breaks down what different elements of this spiritual offering will do. Candles are key, she says, as "they represent the light that guides the soul back home."Instagrammer @Finelythegoldenbear shares this lovely sentiment: "It's said that on this night the rainbow bridge glows brighter than ever forming a gentle path of light that stretches all the way to the hearts that miss them most." See on Instagram Marigolds, often known in Spanish as cempasúchil, are also traditionally part of this offering. A piece in The Desert Botanical explains the meaning for this flower: "The celebration traces back to pre-Hispanic Aztec rituals tied to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, or the Lady of the Dead. The story goes that Mictecacihuatl allowed spirits to travel back to Earth to reconnect with their family members. The fragrance, which is a musky smell from marigolds, is said to lead souls from their burial place to their family homes. Throughout the years, this tradition adopted Roman Catholic aspects from Spaniards who conquered Mexico."They also mention that other flowers, including "chrysanthemums, cockscombs, or gladiolas," are used in these altars, but marigolds—with their inviting warm color—are the most meaningful.From there, one would put their pet's favorite, well, everything: food, treats, toys, or a bowl of water as a "symbol of purity and rest after their long spiritual journey." And of course, a photo of the pet (noting that if you don't have one, you can simply draw a picture or write their name). See on Instagram My friend Larry Leal said of his altar, "There's ashes and pictures. And water because they are thirsty when they come. Plus, their favorite snacks!"For my beautiful dogs making that trek across the bridge, I will put out blankets, their favorite squeaky toys, and, specifically for my beagle—a roll of toilet paper, as it was his favorite thing to eat.Should you wish to celebrate, maybe take a stroll through the park on this day. Perhaps your wonderful pet, having made the long journey back to see you, might just be trotting right beside you.

If you have a family, a Costco membership seems like a no-brainer. When buying in bulk for lots of people, you can save tons of money when shopping at Costco.But not everyone who has a Costco membership is married with kids—plenty of single people also utilize Costco. While some things don't make sense for singles to stock up on, there are plenty of items (and services) that Costco offers that benefit their wallets.Single people opened up on Reddit about their Costco shopping lists. Here's exactly what single folks buy regularly from Costco to help save them money. @paulinat Costco run as a 1 person household/living alone! Let me know if you want more grocery shopping vlogs??? #grocerystore #costco #costcotiktok #groceryshopwithme #livingalone "I'm single (widowed). Honestly, the gas, wine, and rotisserie chicken are enough to make it worth it for me to keep my membership. But I buy plenty of other things there as well (coffee beans, cheese, butter, soap, misc frozen foods)... The only things I can't buy are produce (can't get through it fast enough) and bulky items (paper towels, toilet paper, etc) because I don't have the storage space. I go 2-3 times a month." - LunaDog_Mom"The membership cost is offset in protein powder alone for me." - sweetteaspicedcoffee"A 365 day supply of Claritin almost offsets it on its own." - vapemuscle"I'm single and not only do I have a Costco membership, I have an executive membership. So many things I like I can either only find at Costco, or are much cheaper per unit/ounce at Costco. For example, I drink a ton of coffee and the powdered Coffeemate creamer is the best price I've ever seen. Another example is the kitchen garbage bags. And then there's the toilet tissue, paper towels, egg bites, etc. When I compare what those things cost at grocery stores, buying them at Costco ends up being a good bit cheaper." - DirtyBirdDawg"Yes. I buy bulk meat and portion and freeze it. My yogurts are so much cheaper at Costco. There also some other foods I buy consistently. The biggest thing I buy at Costco is clothes. A major of my winter gear is from Costco. I buy some work clothes there too because my job can be dirty and gross and I’m not going to spend a ton of money on clothing that going to get stained and ruined." - MeatScience1 See on Instagram "I join for a year, every third year. Or whenever I run out of trash bags and paper towels." - MoreFarmer4277"Me and I just got my merino wool socks." - AdExternal964"All the time. Heck, sometimes I head to Costco just to get an hour of walking in. And on the way out, grab a hotdog. The trick is to approach purchasing foodstuff with discipline. Mostly for frozen, canned, or freezable stuff. Otherwise I plan meals around what I'm getting. Especially for the ready-made stuff like meatloaf, stuffed peppers, etc." - Idiot_Esq"Yeah - that chicken taco tray is really good too. staple for Friday nights around my home." - geb999"I'm single and live in California. The prices of paper towels will forever secure my membership. Plus I get my appliances from there and tires." - LaCroixWeekend"I am a single female. I buy toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, maxi pads, makeup wipes, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, fabric softener, soap, body wash, frozen wild fish and shrimp, quinoa, canned wild salmon, Greek yogurt, Brussels sprouts, frozen berries and vegetables, turkey breast, protein shakes, coffee, Reynolds wrap, crackers, medicine and clothing there. ETA: totally forgot trash bags and olive oil!" - hurtingheart4meSingle woman here. Every 1-2 weeks: gas, organic baby spinach, Greek yogurt, eggs, organic bananas, cottage cheese Monthly: organic carrots, coastal cheddar cheese, hummus, unsweetened almond milk, frozen fruit (organic blueberries, organic mango, dark cherries), chicken cilantro mini wontons, canned tuna. Quarterly: probiotics, protein bars, oatmeal. Yearly: aluminum foil/plastic wrap/plastic baggies, chia and hemp seeds, spices/better than bouillon, olive oil, honey, microwave popcorn. One-off purchases: clothes, electronics (bought my laptop, mesh WiFi, TV, paper shredder, external hard drive, printer etc from them), kitchen equipment (Teflon pans, vitamix, dishwasher), linens (bedding, towels), rotisserie chicken and Mac n cheese/quiches and bagged salad (if family is coming over), flowers, glasses, windshield wiper blades, birthday/celebration cakes. Only buy on sale: babybel, laughing cow, zebra popcorn, dishwasher tabs, laundry detergent. Most of my grocery shopping is done at grocery stores since they have better deals and better quality on most produce or things like peanut butter. A big Costco is only about 15 minutes away and near where I workout, so it’s easy to get there frequently and during off-peak hours." - aknomnoms"A hot dog, soda and slice of pizza for $3.50." - Miserable-Ship-9972 @whatkatscooking Replying to @Paola Rodriguez How to Shop at Costco as a Single Person - I probably go 1-2 times a month, I actually enjoy going so I plan for it! ✨Costco isn’t just for big families—if you shop smart, it can save serious money for solo shoppers too! After 20 years of Costco hauls, here’s what I’ve learned: Shop Without a Membership? ✅ Go with a friend – Split bulk items (they pay, you reimburse). ✅ Use a Costco gift card – A member can buy one for you, and you can shop in-store or online. ✅ Look for membership deals – The Krazy Coupon Lady often shares discounts. ? Cost Breakdown: • 1 trip/month = $5 per visit • 2 trips/month = $2.50 per visit • Weekly? = $1.15 per trip Easily make back the $60/year membership with savings on groceries, gas, and more. Before You Go: Ask Yourself… 1️⃣ Do I have space? Costco items are big—check your fridge/freezer first. 2️⃣ Do I actually like this? A deal isn’t worth it if it sits untouched. 3️⃣ Will I finish it before it goes bad? If not, freeze it! What I Buy at Costco ✔ Proteins that last – Chicken sausage, tofu, canned fish ✔ Longer-lasting veggies – Green beans, broccoli, carrots - only 1 per trio ✔ Cheese (within reason!) – I buy snackable portions ✔ Frozen essentials – Wontons, fruit, veggies for easy meals ✔ Life essentials – Batteries, windshield wipers, supplements, cozy clothes. ✔ A little treat – Because why not? Shopping Tips: ? Check expiration dates – Especially on dairy & meats! ? Inspect produce – One bad piece can ruin the pack. ? Compare price per unit – Kirkland brand is usually the best deal. ? Use Costco perks – Discounted LOCAL gift cards, gas, eye care, auto services. Costco can work for single shoppers—just shop smart! Want more Costco hacks? Follow me for more tips! ?✨ #costco #costcofinds #costcoforsingles #budgetfriendlymeals What experts say single people should buy at CostcoSingle people can still score big deals at Costco. Here's what the experts say are the best things single people should utilize:Allergy medication"Allergy sufferers should consider buying the Kirkland Signature Aller-Tec medicine which includes a years worth of allergy relief for one person for only $14.99," Melissa Cid, consumer savings expert for MySavings.com, tells Upworthy. "You just have to buy a bottle one time per year and not think about it again. You will save up to 60% off compared to drugstore and grocery store prices which are smaller bottles that you would have to buy more frequently."Salad kits"In the refrigerated produce section, Costco’s salad kits are a single person’s secret weapon," Kristen Markel, founder of Warehouse Wanderer, a blog dedicated to Costco shopping strategies, tells Upworthy. "They’re fresh, flavorful, and perfectly portioned, so you’re not wasting ingredients. Add some rotisserie chicken or chickpeas, and you’ve got a balanced meal in minutes. The flavor options rotate often, keeping weekday lunches and quick dinners interesting."Frozen shrimp"The frozen food section is full of single-friendly staples, and Kirkland Signature Gulf Shrimp is one of my top picks," says Markel. "It cooks quickly, can be used in countless meals, and the resealable bag makes it easy to take just what you need. Buying shrimp in bulk this way costs far less than frequent takeout or grocery store portions."Costco Travel"Besides the obvious reason that Costco’s massive buying power leads to incredible deals, booking your vacations through Costco Travel is a smart move for singles," Markel shares. "Prices often include extras like resort credits or free upgrades that you won’t find elsewhere. And if you’re an Executive Member, you’ll earn 2% back on your purchases—even on travel—which adds up fast."

When thrifting enthusiast @vintageprincessxoxo decided to slip into what she called “historically accurate low-rise jeans,” (cue the collective ouch from Millennials) she probably didn’t expect to trigger a generational flashback.“I’m literally trying on actual, historically accurate low-rise jeans,” she told viewers, tugging up a pair of 2000s-era denim. The fit “looked nice,” she admitted, though she quickly added, “I hear if you bend down, things…my crack gets air.”The video, now viewed more than four million times, sent Millennials into instant hysterics. Because anyone who lived through the true low-rise debacle of the early 2000s knows: low rise can go soooooo much lower. @vintageprincessxoxo how much lower can these 2000s low rise jeans go? ?? #lowrise #lowrisejeans #2000sjeans #y2k #y2kfashion ♬ original sound - vintageprincessxoxo “Darling, those are high-rise with double buttons,” one commenter corrected.“Those were our church appropriate low rise jeans,” quipped another. For those who came of age during the Y2K years, “low-rise” meant jeans that defied both logic and gravity. Think zippers barely two teeth long, single-button flys that held on for dear life, and waistbands so low you couldn’t sit without strategic planning.As a woman named Rachel Elizabeth explained in an Instagram response video, “Real millennial low-rise jeans? Your pubic hair was basically making a guest appearance. You could not bend forward or backward without being exposed to the world.”Zero. Lies. Detected. See on Instagram And if there was any confusion as to whether or not Millennials missed this bygone trend, hear some of their former fashion horror stories: “This trend was a nightmare. We were ALWAYS pulling our pants up,” wrote one. Another recalled, “I once broke the side belt loop because of the constant pulling.”Many noted that low rise jeans brought on the necessity for belts (studded, preferably), long tank tops, and of course, the dreaded “whale tail” thong. Every generation rediscovers something the last one swore they’d never wear again. You’d probably be hard pressed to find any Gen Xer who truly longs for the return of acid wash jeans and shoulder pads. But for many Millennials, low-rise jeans are more than just an eyesore—they are the epitome of the impossible beauty standards of the time when “heroin chic” was replaced by “thinspiration,” and every single magazine featured a rail thin celeb with their “flat-abs challenge.” Sadly, signs point towards the thin trend being back, and all the baggage that comes with it. Which might also be why folks are having such a visceral reaction to this simple try-on video. - YouTube www.youtube.com To their credit though, many Gen Zers are embracing low-rise with a comfort-forward mindset that would have blown 2003 minds—looser, slouchier, more forgiving—and in doing so, proving that trends can be reborn in positive ways. There are also some pretty awesome shoulder padded jackets out there, just sayin’.Just wait til Gen Z discovers skinny jeans, and all the clumsy shimmying that comes with wearing them.

A woman named Jackie pulled a move straight out of a romantic comedy recently, and it has the internet rallying around her potential love interest. Jackie met a guy at a bar and liked him so much that she gave him her phone number. Well, 80% of her number, that is.The world heard about it on January 17, 2023 when X (formerly Twitter) user @HenpeckedHal shared a picture of the napkin with her partial phone number written on it. "My 22-year-old cousin met his dream girl at a bar and it's going pretty well,” Hal wrote in the tweet.“Call me! 512-3*1-2*04,” the message read, along with "I'm worth it." The 512 is an area code in Austin, Texas. — (@) After congratulating his cousin on meeting his “dream girl,” he asked, "Did you get her number." The cousin replied, “Most of it.” The Tweet also attached a photo of a list of phone numbers the cousin called to try and get in touch with the elusive Jackie.The tweet has gone insanely viral, racking up nearly 60,000 retweets, 85.6 million views, and 776,000 likes.The next day, Hal revealed that the woman reached out to him. In the screenshot of her message, she wrote: “Heeeyyy, so you likely won’t see this but I’m Jackie from the tweet!”"Tell your cousin that next time I see him I'm going to...” she continued, but Hal blurred out the rest of the message to conceal her identity.“I just talked to him! WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER????” Hal replied. “He said he’s halfway through the list, which means he’s actually like 10 per cent of the way through it.” — (@) “He may not be as clever as he thinks,” Jackie responded. “Give me HIS number, I’m taking over this operation.”A lot of people in the comments said they thought Jackie was cold or arrogant for playing hard to get and making poor Hal’s cousin try 100 different numbers to find out which one was her. But Hal says that it’s all an extension of the conversation the two had at the bar."For the people saying she's arrogant, high maintenance or whatever: these kids talked for an hour about a shared interest in true crime, mysteries, etc,” Hal tweeted. “My cousin bragged that he always solves the case before the show ends (editor's note: not this time). I think she's awesome."So, all Jackie did was give him another mystery to solve. If he’s such a great amateur detective then he should be able to reach her, right?Some people in the comments have suggested that the story is fake. One person noted that the notebook page with the phone numbers on it had an indentation at the top which could be the “5” in Jackie’s phone number from the napkin. The implication is that Hal wrote on the napkin while it was on top of the notebook, leaving an indentation. But other people pointed out that the writing didn’t match. — (@) Through everything, Hal has received a ton of support from people on X trying to help his cousin’s love life. “The programmers who sent scripts and code, the excel junkies who sent me docs to share with my cousin, y’all are wild,” Hal tweeted. “I couldn’t come close to getting back to everyone, but I appreciate it.”Nearly 90 million people have followed the story of Hal’s cousin and Jackie. Let’s hope there’s a happy ending or at least they get to meet up and see each other again to talk about the mystery that brought them both together.Funnily enough, this isn't the first time Hal and his cousin have gone viral. In 2020, Hal shared a Tweet about how his then 20-year-old cousin had gotten his first place and...almost burned it down after an (avoidable) snafu with the oven.Adulthood is hard, but entertaining. Thanks for keeping us all updated, Hal!This article originally came out two years ago.