Thank you! Same to all of you: May all your music be angelic ! Oh, and MJO; I drove past the local “package store” and intended you a modest Bottle o Benedictine. That’s about all the budget will bear this year; maybe one day I can give you a real one. Thanks for all you share on this forum.
Nollick ghennal erriu. from the Isle of Man on Oei'll Voirrey - Nollick - from Latin natalica = birthday (ie THE most important birthday) ghennal - glad, be glad, ... erriu - to you (y'all) oei - night 'll - ¿remaining fragment of feall, feast? Voirrey - of Mary
Peace, joy, kindness, wonderful music and memories, happiness and love are my prayerful heart felt wishes to everyone and to this world. "Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish way, . . . restore in us a our rightful minds, in deeper reverence praise." Merry Christmas!
I can see it now. Countless flakes of snow, billions of them, falling silently, quietly, from out of the silent, silent sky. A damp little path shoveled out of a foot or more of snow, snaking its way to the front walk or the drive way. Roof tops and every surface blanketed with soft snow-laden magic. Every last twig sheathed within a glaze of ice. Icicles hanging from every eve and branch, growing longer and fatter with every freezing drip, drip, drip. Every branch heaving under the weight of its lovely burden, that pile of Father Winter's snow. And you, inside your cozy little home, your beloved hermitage, enjoying that fairy-tale cocoon of warmth from, perhaps, a fireplace, or, lacking that, artificially generated heat. Oh, how blessed all of you are up there where it's actually winter, that blessed sort of 'bleak mid-winter' spoken of in Rosetti's profound little poem - you know: earth standing 'like iron' and 'water like a stone'... and all. Think with pity on those of us who were driving around Houston today with the air-conditioner on. Merry Christmas!
MJO thank you for the poetic description, but a little reality check is in order. Here in the Northeast it hasn't snowed for a few days so the little remnants of snow are dirty and icy not fluffy and pristine. I do recall one year when I was a teenager coming out of church on Christmas Eve and finding the church steps had disappeared under a thick blanket of snow. It was beautiful and magical, but I didn't have to drive or even shovel because I have 6 brothers! Merry Christmas to you all and thank you for sharing your knowledge and encouragement.
I love December 26th! Everything has been done. Music organized for Sunday. Enjoying family, friends, decorations, my southern garden of camellias, and a pleasant quietness. Merry Christmas to all of you. I dearly love this blog and our "conversations" or posts. CF (David Martin)
I grew up in the northern suburbs of Buffalo. Westchester County is (supposedly) "upstate", but that's only to show how amusingly out of touch the 5 boroughs are with the rest of the state -- or, at least, this used to be true. I don't know if it still is.
Well, I have utmost respect for anyone who survives Buffalo winters! Especially those who had the smarts to move somewhere else when they had the chance. I live in MetroNorth (NYC commuter railroad) territory and it is gray and bleak here today.
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