NASHVILLE, Tenn. - When Bob Bernstein arrived at his coffeehouse to assess the scene of an early Christmas morning break-in, the one thing he noticed missing was the cinnamon bun that bears a striking likeness to Mother Teresa.
He believes the culprit is someone angry over the shop displaying the world-famous pastry, which has been preserved with shellac. A jar of money next to the Nun Bun was not stolen.
The bun was featured on world news programs, "The Late Show" with David Letterman and was even mentioned on episodes of "The Nanny" and "Mad About You."
The shop, Bongo Java, sold T-shirts, prayer cards and mugs with the bun's image before Mother Teresa wrote a personal letter to the coffeehouse asking the sales be stopped.
Associated Press
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X-mas opossum
ENGLEWOOD, Pa. - A 16-year-old girl studying before going to school was startled by an apparent Christmas tree stowaway.
"I'm looking at the tree and the angel just pops off," Mary Kathleen O'Connor said of the morning incident on Dec. 20. "And a second later, this head just popped up. The eyes were, like, glowing. I was thinking, 'Oh my God!' And I screamed."
William E. O'Donnell, a state Game Commission deputy wildlife conservation officer, removed an 18-inch-long opossum from the 8-foot Douglas fir the family had bought - bundled.
O'Donnell caged the animal and released it into a wooded area about five miles away.
The tree, meanwhile, sat in the front yard where Mary's mother, Patricia, had hurled it.
Associated Press
Seasonal survival
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The holidays add a bit of stress to most everyone's life, so as a service to our readers, we're including tips from the useful "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Holidays."
How to open a bottle of wine with a broken cork
1). If the cork has broken due to improper corkscrew use, treat as whole and try again. If the cork is pushed too far into the bottle, push it all the way in.
2). If the cork is soft and powdery, it will not offer enough resistance:
- Bore a hole through the center of the cork using the corkscrew as a drill.
- Secure a piece of clean unwaxed, unbleached cheesecloth or coffee filter over the mouth of a decanter or jar with a rubber band. Do not use an article of clothing as detergent can affect the taste of the wine.
- Carefully pour wine through the filter.
If there's something you want to see in The Rail, e-mail Features Editor John Lamb at jlamb@forumcomm.com
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Today's best bet
Holiday Celebrations
Children and parents can learn about the history, games and foods associated with Hanukkah.
2 to 3 p.m.
Fargo Public Library
(701) 241-1495
