Each year, a holiday poem accompanies a gift of chocolate covered pretzels!

A Holiday Tradition!

It’s a Philadelphia tradition,

With a slightly different twist

A firm commitment to good taste

That we cannot resist.

Of course we have the Mummers

And the Eagles and the Phils,

Traditions that keep giving

Philly fans unparalleled thrills.

Fireworks that make the news

And concerts at Penn’s Landing

Tradition is a part of life

Philadelphians are..."long-standing!"

So here in our historic home

Our own tradition grew

The time of year for sweet delights

To welcome in the new.

Our residents deserve the best

Dear Ben would surely say...

Have a wonderful Holiday!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

We read in the paper and heard on the news

That stress was a factor in bringing the blues

We wondered if somewhere there was a quick cure

A remedy simple...and easy...and pure.

We tried breathing deeply; we stared at a pear

We tried to relax in a big easy chair

But phones kept on ringing; our desks never cleared

The kids found some web sites, much worse than we feared.

There’s stress all around us, oh what can we do

To bring peace of mind without turning to brew?

Let’s see, someone said, if the research of late

Can help us recover from this sorry state.

So everyone here combed the web in high gear

For current advice to make stress disappear.

And lo as we clicked yet again one fine night

A message appeared that filled all with delight.

A scientist bold had discovered by chance

That CHOCOLATE reduced stress much more than a trance.

Yes, Chocolate can fill us with joy that extends

To neighbors and colleagues and family and friends!

O Chocolate O chocolate you’ve changed our world view

You’ve always been special, but good for us too???

So here is our gift, bringing good health and cheer

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year!

With warm wishes for a joyful year…

Your friends at The Ben

Happy Holidays!

We thought a gift

With a little twist

Would be the perfect choice

Like a mystery tale

Or a TV show

Or a novel by James Joyce.

So we looked on line

At a hundred sites

That promised gifts unique

But none had a twist

They were all quite dull

either functional or faux chic.

Back at The Ben

We danced the twist

And hoped for inspiration

And lo and behold

An idea came

A very sweet sensation.

We hope you enjoy

Our holiday gift

It comes with wishes clear

For a world at peace

A season of light

And the best ever Happy New Year!

Hope your holidays are filled with joy...

Your Friends at The Ben

Holiday Greetings!

No matter what the subject--music, art, film, work, or stocks

It seems as though there’s always someone telling you

To think outside the box.

And yet our past is filled with toys and even woolly socks

That we have carefully unwrapped

and found inside the box.

Do you remember days when pilots couldn’t fit in your palm?

When webs were made by spiders, and music induced calm?

When Sopranos were great singers, and cells for those who lie?

And reality TV was just a twinkle in someone’s eye?

And so we wracked our brains to find a gift that really rocks

But shows that there are still good things that come inside a box.

We hope this gift will bring abiding joy and sweetness, too

And that the New Year blossoms with a happy, healthier you!!!!

A Holiday Fable

‘Twas round about Thanksgiving...

We’ve been searching for a gift

Appropriate for every faith

And philosophical drift.

A token of our great esteem

For residents of the Ben

A gift that says we think you’re great

Above a number 10!

We troll the streets of Philly

The shops, the stands, the mall

A gift for folks both new and old

Diminutive and tall.

We scan the catalogues each morn

the perfect gift to find

Someone suggests organic beans

Not what we had in mind!

And then we closed our eyes and thought

Tradition with a twist!

A chocolaty sensation

That no one can resist.

A lovely, lilting taste of joy

To herald in the season

Although for sweetness this divine

One doesn’t need a reason!

So with the best of wishes

For a year beyond compare

We’re sending this confection

And please...feel free to share!

Happy Holidays!

We gathered our creative team, a group both wise and witty,

Often called, by those who know, the best minds in the city.

The challenge was to find a gift, a holiday confection,

Our strategies ranged far and wide, the goal was...sweet perfection!

We wandered up and down the streets, alert for inspiration,

We checked out Reading Terminal and 30th Street Station.

We sampled--tastefully--of course, recording our reactions

And never wavered from our task, no cell phones, no distractions.

And then our fearless researchers, with energy unbound

Did chance upon a gift that earned consensus all around.

And so we offer this sweet token of our great esteem

And all our warmest wishes for a holiday supreme!

Your Friends at The Ben…

Holiday Shopping

In the Spring she started shopping

For some gifts she thought were nice

A pashmina shawl for Mother

Such a bargain, just half price.

Now for Dad she found some slippers

Sueded finish, lined in wool

Little Johnny gets a darling truck

That he can push and pull.

In the summer she found yard sales...

Lovely combs for sweet Marie

And a raft of books on sailing

For Aunt Bette who loves the sea.

Pleased that she was almost finished

Diligently she had prowled

Now she’d savor her good fortune

Not for her the frantic crowd.

And then, lo, there came a letter

Newsy, filled with lots of cheer

Mom and Dad had moved to Florida

They’d just love some diving gear!

Little Johnny is on-line now

Sweet Marie has cut her hair

And Aunt Bette’s relinquished sailing

She’s in Nepal on a dare.

Well we can’t retrieve Aunt Bette now

Mom and Dad are on the beach

And PlayStation 2 for Johnny

Is way, way beyond our reach.

But we can make life much sweeter

As the Holidays draw near

We can bring our weary shopper

A small gift that’s meant to cheer.

So with wishes warm and crunchy

For our residents so fine

Yummy chocolate covered pretzels

May this New Year be divine!

With all our best wishes for a wonderful Holiday Season and a most Happy New Year!

The Gang at the Ben