SNOW and disastrous singing

Here, in our neck of the woods, we're knee deep in snow.

Yesterday evening was our carol service at church. In the afternoon our music group leader rang to ask if he could have a lift as he couldn't get his car out. So when the time came we set off...in a blizzard.

We struggled to get out of the avenue, but we managed. And we slurred and slipped all the way into the village centre. At a mini-roundabout we were nearly wiped out by 4x4 who indicated after turning towards us, we stopped literally an inch from the side of the 4x4.

Anyway, we eventually picked up our music group leader, who after his walk down the hill looked like a snowman with a snow-guitar.

So we arrive at church and I find that I am the only female voice in the music group who has managed to get there...and I missed practice on Thursday...and I have never sung the two songs that the music group are to sing without the congregation. So, I mumbled through one song and sang in the lower range in the second because I was sure that I would sound like a screeching cat if I tried soprano (it was rather high).

Then we sang, 'O Come All Ye Faithful'. LOL we got to the chorus 'O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him'...and totally forgot that the female voices lead the chorus (with male voices joining in after). So when our music group leader didn't sing the first line I stopped...the WHOLE congregation stopped singing and turned in unison to look at me. Scared by this turn of events I turned to look at hubs behind me who urgently wiggled his head in a 'you're supposed to sing this bit' way. And then the penny dropped. So, loudly over the microphone I sang, "OH...ha...Come let us adore Him". Satisfied, the congregation returned their gaze to the front and continued.

Why me? Eh? LOL!!

Interestingly, I've started to watch a programme I'd sky+'d today called The Truth About Carols. Apparently, it is thought that O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles), written by a chap called John Wade, contains a secret message in its original Latin. Its message is apparently the desire to restore a Jacobite king to the English throne and the frustration felt by Wade at the treatment of Catholics in the England of the 1700's.

Professor Bennett Zon, of Durham University said:

"There is far more to this beloved song than meets the eye.

"Fideles is Faithful Catholic Jacobites. Bethlehem is a common Jacobite cipher for England, and Regem Angelorum is a well-known pun on Angelorum, angels, and Anglorum, English.

"The meaning of the Christmas carol is clear: 'Come and Behold Him, Born the King of Angels' really means, 'Come and Behold Him, Born the King of the English' - Bonnie Prince Charlie!"

The Latin version was written by John Francis Wade, an English Catholic who fled the country after the failed 1745 rebellion.

Quote take from this Daily Telegraph article: O Come All Ye Faithful.

I love little tid-bits of information like this, it's why history is so interesting. I know very little about Bonnie Prince Charlie or the Jacobites or even about the civil wars in England, but this has piqued my interest. I may read up on it a bit.

The programme is very interesting as a whole (from what I've watched so far), it details the 'birth' of joyful Christmas carols (as opposed to plain song) attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, how the Tudors celebrated Christmas and their carols, how they were banned by Puritans in the 1600's, and I presume we'll be getting to their revival when I return to watch the rest tomorrow.

Winter Wonderland

Squidge tasting the snowman

Daft cat

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening,
In the lane, snow is glistening
A beautiful sight,
We're happy tonight.
Walking in a winter wonderland.

Secularising Christmas

I want to feel Christmas, how it used to be
With all of its wonder falling on me
This season has felt so empty, oh for quite a while
I want to feel Christmas like a child...

It's been so long now, I can't say
Just when I lost my way
But I'm going back to how it was
When this day meant everything
And we spent our time remembering
The baby Child born for us

It's all about Jesus, asleep in the straw
This infant, this King, this Saviour for all...

Excerpts from 'Christmas Like a Child', Third Day

I read a very interesting article written by an atheist about Christmas. I'm sure not all will agree with his points, but it certainly made me think: Secularizing Christmas Holidays. It focuses on America's Christmas, but I think it can be applied to the UK too. Not saying I agree with all his conclusions, I just reckon it might make us think just a little more about the season and what it really means to us.

I need to cull my book pile

Today I tidied and cleaned our bedroom. So that I could vacuum I piled up all the books I have next to my bed on my bedside table - the result was a rather dangerous leaning tower of books. Don't imagine for a moment I am reading all these books at the same time...but I am chopping and changing. Some are being read now, some are for reference and some are on my 'to read' list. I think I need to get myself some kind of basket or box or something next to the bed! It looks like a health and safety issue at the moment.

Books are (from bottom upwards):

• Tolkein's Ring, David Day (library book, read)
• Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version
• My Dear Child, Colin Urquhart (dipping into now and then)
• Holy Bible, King James Version (study Bible)
• Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, Douglas Adams (read for the zillionth time)
• Some notes from church
• Holy Bible, New International Version
  
• Rough Guide to Ethical Living (library book, dipping into now and then)
• Interlinear Greek/English New Testament Bible (KJV)
• Life Application Study Bible, New International Version
• Enquire Within Upon Everything (Mum's book, was her Auntie's, old book from 1930s, really interesting)
• Slow March Through Hell, Douglas Swift (Soldier's Memoirs from WWII, Douglas Swift was in my Granddad's regiment - they were prisoners of war)
• Home Hints and Tips, Rosamund Richardson (library book, natural tips for homekeeping)
• Keeping Christ in Christmas, Steve Russo (book from church, has some great tips)
• Longitude, Dava Sobel (my Dad's book, on my to read list)
• Book of Common Prayer (Anglican)
• The Herb of Grace, Elizabeth Goudge (wonderful book, lent to me by Dulce Domum, only one chapter to go!)
• Short story of my Great Granddad's time in WWI, written by my Dad - really interesting.
  

Christmas decorations...if you can make them out

I note that others share their Christmas decorations on their blogs and they look so pretty. I rather like mine, but I can never get a decent photo - causing my competitive blogger angst to rear its head (LOL). Here they are in various stages of darkness. Our living room is small so the majority of decorations are focused around the fireplace. To try to get the effect of the lights I covered the flash with blu-tack (if I switch off the flash the camera spends five minutes exposing to get more light and the picture is all wobbly)

Full blu-tack cover on flash.

Blu-tack slightly covering flash

No blu-tack. Note viking longship on right and Anglo-Saxon pottery on left (as created by Chatterbox).

Very dark Christmas tree - it looks pretty in real life I promise. As decorated by the smallests.

Nativity. Jesus, shepherds and wise men not yet arrived. Chatterbox lay Mary down so that she could get some rest (it's a long time to stand until the 25th for a pregnant lady)

Do you like my new blog theme? Very Christmassy, bring on the mince pies!

A sad and happy day

I attended a Requiem Mass today - my first. My Mum's neighbour died a couple of weeks ago. I've known him since I was a baby. He always remembered my birthday because he moved in next door to Mum and Dad the day I was born. The poor man died of a massive stroke as he made his supper and lay there for two days before he was discovered. Friends said they wondered why he hadn't attended certain meetings, another friend had rung and rung him on the phone. We were worried when we saw his curtains were still shut. But we just thought perhaps he had the flu and wouldn't want to be disturbed.

He was such a lovely man. So many will miss him. The church was pretty full and many from my Mum's street were there.

I was surprised at how much of the service I could follow as it was very similar to the Anglican service in many parts.

This evening we went to see Chatterbox in her Christmas show. It was frustrating because she is only little and being one of the singers it was hard to see her most of the time. But the few glimpses of her were lovely, she has such a beautiful smiley face. I do love her so.

This time of year is so busy with all the shows and concerts and plays and...LOL.

I've hurt my shoulder. I sit here with my sling on. I woke up three days ago lying on my side. As I turned over the sudden sharp pain in my right shoulder was awful. Since then I haven't been able to move my arm, I can bend it at the elbow but cannot move the shoulder. Getting dressed, even putting a coat on, is agony. I saw the doctor yesterday, but it wasn't my usual doctor but one of the others in the practice. He just gave me ibuprofen, said something like, "oh yes that looks painful" and "it's not a dislocation" and sent me on my way. The pain has got worse so I'm going to see my usual doctor tomorrow if she's not booked up. I just want something stronger so that I can get on with things! It's Christmas for goodness sake, one can't have just one arm at Christmas!! The good thing is I can still type if I just bend my elbow and don't move my arm, the bad news is it takes me hours to iron and vacuum left handed!! You might say that I should just give up, but we need clothes and we have a violently shedding Christmas tree and messy kids! :)

Hope you're all having a happy Advent.

The danger of pink

My Dad rang me this evening. "Here's something to really wind you up. The PC thought police are now boycotting all stores that sell pink products to girls". And I was annoyed, I hate this kind of thing. Obviously a girl's liking of pink is going to destroy brain cells and turn them into marshmallows. SO NOT! [*with appropriate side-to-side finger waving and Egyptian style head manoeuvre*]

Is pink really so dangerous? Read here: Pinkstinks To me it's so ridiculously trite that I can't believe someone had the energy to actually get annoyed (unless you're me getting annoyed about them getting annoyed of course). If you don't like your children to have pink then don't buy it - but don't turn it into some kind of moral crusade - surely not! There are plenty of non-pink toys around.

One of my friends loves pink. In fact her Christmas tree is black with pink Disney princess baubles...I'm not sure what her husband's opinion is about this though! LOL I asked hubs for a pink tree, but he said no...

My girls love girly pink stuff (although Chatterbox is claims blue is her favourite colour now), but they also love animals and reading and playing out. Chatterbox wants to be a vet when she grows up and Squidge wants to be a butterfly (lol), so I don't think the pink has turned them into marshmallows. And baby girls do look soooo cute in pink.

Dear readers, were you into pink when you were children? Is it a modern phenomenon? What do you think of these kind of boycotts?

My favourite kind of pink is fuchsia.