Christmas 2015

Blessed Event!

The season of Advent is about anticipation of, and preparation for, the arrival of the Christ Child.

On Christmas, we celebrate the birth
of our Savior by lighting what is known as the Christ Candle. It is white to symbolize purity, and to remind us that Jesus is the Light of the World...

A Last Bit of Decking

Before

On those Christmases when a door wreath is part of my hall-decking,
a tradition I have is to add one last bit of decoration to it on Christmas morning, to signify that Christmas has finally arrived...

After

This year I added a decoration consisting of a wrapped gift, a small drum, and a pine cone. Noticeable, but without unbalancing the overall impression. I think it is the nicest wreath in my building.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're extremely competitive?"

That's what all the losers say about me...

My Gifts

At this point in my life I no longer need to worry about gift-shopping, or about gift-receiving (much). I do try to make sure I always have something nice to unwrap
on Christmas morning, even though it is something that I gifted to myself.

For close to 40 years I have been a collector of writing instruments from Hallmark.
For the most part, my interest is in the instruments made of various types of wood, but every so often I run across an even rarer item from their collection. This year, while browsing on eBay, I happened upon a pen called the "Seville," which features a lustrous enamel finish, gold trim, and a center band that looks like cloisonné. It was available in several colors, but red is my favorite...

Merry Christmas to me!

My friend Skip in Pennsylvania gifted me with
a year's subscription to Amazon Prime. I'm looking forward to having some fun with that, believe me!

Treats

I'm not much for Halloween anymore, but Christmas is definitely a day for enjoying
my favorite candies. I'm especially fond of Russell Stover candies, as they remind me of Kansas City, my adopted hometown...

"Thank you for the chocolate-covered ants!"

Think nothing of it, old friend...Merry Christmas...

Until Next Time...

Many of the most popular Christmas hymns and carols are referred to as "traditional," which means no one is really quite sure when they originated or who composed them. The well-known English carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is one such, being referred to in most sources as "a traditional West Country carol."

The version with which we are all familiar is a 20th century arrangement by a man named Arthur Warrell. Warrell's version became popular enough that it was included in the famous collection Carols for Choirs in 1961.

Today's send-off is an enchanting performance of the carol by the musical ensemble Celtic Woman, recorded at live The Helix in Dublin, Ireland in 2013. Enjoy...