Merry Christmas everyone!  I hope your Christmas is special and filled with joy.  Real joy.  Remember the real meaning of Christmas.  God’s gift to mankind in Jesus.  Remember our actions, everything we do, can help open someone’s eyes to the real gift of Christmas too.

O Holy Night on YouTube

Well, I finally got to go and see Disney’s latest holiday film, A Christmas Carol in 3D.  Though being directed by Robert Zemeckis and featuring a phenomenal performance by Jim Carrey, the movie just seemed…off somehow.  Personally, I think it might be because the movie focused so much on the 3D and the effects, it actually took away from Jim Carrey amazing performance.  A good movie to be sure, just not great.

Sciborg: 71

Rotten Tomatoes: 55

IMDb: 7.2/10

It started when they put the “X” in “Xmas” and removing “Christ” from “Christmas.”

Groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union have tried getting Christmas practices banned from public buildings for political correctness.

There’s nothing politically correct about it.

Though the First Ammendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the Congress from establishing a national religion, but at the same time upholds the right to freedom of religion.

A 2007 survey by the Pew Research Center showed that Christians of different denominations (Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Orthodox Church and other) made up 78.5 per cent of the United States population, compared to 16.1 per cent of atheists or agnostics. Other religions were Judaism (1.7 per cent), Buddhism (0.7 per cent), Islam (0.6 per cent), Hinduism (0.4 per cent) and other (1.2 per cent).

The other religions only want recognition for their beliefs and respect the beliefs of others. But because Christians represent more than three-quarters of the U.S. population, they’ve become the target for anti-religion.

The U.S. was founded on Christian principles– “In God We Trust” is America’s national motto. Now the ACLU want to give equal attention to all religions by removing every “Christmas” from every Christmas tree, Christmas light, Christmas break, Christmas carol and Christmas song on every Christmas album.

Acknowledging others religious and cultural practices–even Festivus–is politically correct, but banning ones public practice and not any others is not.

The context in which “Merry Christmas” is used in the Bible is not as it is used commercially in advertising, as it is most recognize; our “White Christmas” (or sometimes a “Blue Christmas”) has become a green Christmas.

If that were taken away, riots would start because no one wants to give up their gifts or turkey or shopping. Consumers just don’t want “Christ” ruining their consumer Christmas.

Christians are not forcing their religious views upon others, but it would seem that way by how some athiests and agnostics react to symbols such as crosses. In 2006, one California man set himself on fire to protest the change of “Winter Break” to “Christmas Break” by the Kern High School District in Bakersfield.

From the Christian’s side, if Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution can be taught year-round in public schools, surely a nativity scene can be displayed at the city hall over the month of December.

What’s so offensive about “Merry Christmas?” Santa says, “Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!” John Lennon might have written “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” with an X in the title, but he still says “Christmas” when he sings it.

If we ban, “Merry Christmas,” will we ban, “Happy Hanukkah” too? Will cultural celebrations such as Kwanzaa be restricted?

Will translations of “Merry Christmas” such as “Joyeux Noël” or “Feliz Navidad” be banned as well?

“Happy Holidays” and “Seasons Greetings” is not the same. They need to get over it because it’s Christmas.

Audio: KIDiddles

We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
we wish you a merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year
Good tidings we bring
To you and your kin
Good tidings for Christmas
And a Happy New Year

Now bring us some figgy pudding
Oh bring us some figgy pudding
Oh, bring us some figgy pudding
And a cup of good cheer
Good tidings we bring
To you and your kin
Good tidings for Christmas
And a Happy New Year

We won’t go until we get some
We won’t go until we get some
We won’t go until we get some
So bring some out here
Good tidings we bring
To you and your kin
Good tidings for Christmas
And a Happy New Year

We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year
Good tidings we bring
To you and your kin
Good tidings for Christmas
And a Happy New Year

Wikipedia

It’s the most wonderful time of the year to look at a Christmas Cage film. Just click the picture below to play.

Lyrics by Jack Rowland, adapted from “Carol of the Bells.”
Instrumentals recorded by Indigo
Vocals sung and recorded by Jack Rowland at MINIBee Studios
December 16, 2009

Carol of the MINIs

Hark! how the wheels, making some squeals
All seem to say, fun comes your way
MINIs are here, bringing good cheer
To young and old, meek and the bold

Burble and Whine, it sounds so fine
With joyful ring, while throttling
One seems to hear, sounds of good cheer
From ev’rywhere, filling the air

Oh how they round, corners in town
Over hill and dale, on Dragon’s tails
Quickly they roar, never to bore
Sounds of good cheer, Coopers are here
MINI, MINI, MINI, MINI Christmas
MINI, MINI, MINI, MINI Christmas

Twisting they go, never too slow
Their joyful tone, bringing us home

Burble and Whine
Burble and Whine
Burble and Whine
It sounds so fine

Hark! how the wheels, making some squeals
All seem to say, fun comes your way
MINIs are here, bringing good cheer
To young and old, meek and the bold

Burble and Whine, it sounds so fine
With joyful ring, while throttling
One seems to hear, sounds of good cheer
From ev’rywhere, filling the air

Oh how they round, corners in town
Over hill and dale, on Dragon’s tails
MINI, MINI, MINI, MINI Christmas
MINI, MINI, MINI, MINI Christmas

Twisting they go, never too slow
Their joyful tone, bringing us home

Burble and Whine
Burble and Whine
Burble and Whine
It sounds so fine

Oh how they round, corners in town
Over hill and dale, on Dragon’s tails
MINI, MINI, MINI, MINI Christmas
MINI, MINI, MINI, MINI Christmas

Burble and Whine
Burble and Whine
Burble and Whine
It sounds so fine

Burble and Whine
Burble and Whine
Burble and Whine
It sounds so fine

With the cold of snows…with the jingling bells, with the sweet musics…in candle lights and the shining of the stars…. once again the Xmas is coming …

Lets welcome the festival of joy…Last day when I was walking through the way to my hostel(just less than .5 km from where I went for shopping) I saw at least 5 carol groups.The joy of Xmas has been changed. it had changed a lot from my childhood.At child hood the Xmas vacation was the celebration of 10 days.4 of the carol groups i saw were children.The Santa’s dressings didn’t changed the same red dress… white socks and the same.Its more fun to the children.From the jingle bells song to the pop musics, the choreography remains same for the Santa.I didn’t find more elder people there.May the all will be busy with their own life.Doesn’t the festivals brings happiness???Doesn’t it makes people united?The people gave money to the carol groups.They didn’t came to me nor I didn’t gave it to them.I was thinking of my Xmas days on the way.The best Xmas that I had ever in my life was two years ago,when I was doing my 12th.WE had a camp in our school during the Xmas days.There was a church in the same school compound.I did my 11th and 12th in a Xian missionary school.The carols at night, all the fun we had there was simply awesome, its unforgettable.
Now it changed a bit.Did the celebrations changed or was it I changed?? Most probably me…But Christmas makes us happy…all celebrations makes us happy.The time to enjoy…
May u receive nice gifts…
So have fun… wish all a merry Xmas

With the cold of snows…with the jingling bells, with the sweet musics…in candle lights and the shining of the stars…. once again the Xmas is coming …

Lets welcome the festival of joy…Last day when I was walking through the way to my hostel(just less than .5 km from where I went for shopping) I saw at least 5 carol groups.The joy of Xmas has been changed. it had changed a lot from my childhood.At child hood the Xmas vacation was the celebration of 10 days.4 of the carol groups i saw were children.The Santa’s dressings didn’t changed the same red dress… white socks and the same.Its more fun to the children.From the jingle bells song to the pop musics, the choreography remains same for the Santa.I didn’t find more elder people there.May the all will be busy with their own life.Doesn’t the festivals brings happiness???Doesn’t it makes people united?The people gave money to the carol groups.They didn’t came to me nor I didn’t gave it to them.I was thinking of my Xmas days on the way.The best Xmas that I had ever in my life was two years ago,when I was doing my 12th.WE had a camp in our school during the Xmas days.There was a church in the same school compound.I did my 11th and 12th in a Xian missionary school.The carols at night, all the fun we had there was simply awesome, its unforgettable.
Now it changed a bit.Did the celebrations changed or was it I changed?? Most probably me…But Christmas makes us happy…all celebrations makes us happy.The time to enjoy…
May u receive nice gifts…
So have fun… wish all a merry Xmas

The Rebel Jesus by Jackson Brown

Okay, keeping on the Christmas theme, I thought I’d write this for knitters to carol to. ^^

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

a glass of my favorite wine.

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

four knitting books,

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

five DPNs,

four knitting books,

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

six skeins of sock yarn,

five DPNs,

four knitting books,

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

seven new stitch markers,

six skeins of sock yarn,

five DPNs,

four knitting books,

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

eight bamboo needles,

seven new stitch markers,

six skeins of sock yarn,

five DPNs,

four knitting books,

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

nine skeins of cashmere,

eight bamboo needles,

seven new stitch markers,

six skeins of sock yarn,

five DPNs,

four knitting books,

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

ten big blue yarn totes,

nine skeins of cashmere,

eight bamboo needles,

seven new stitch markers,

six skeins of sock yarn,

five DPNs,

four knitting books,

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

eleven fiber dyes,

ten  big blue yarn totes,

nine skeins of cashmere,

eight bamboo needles,

seven new stitch markers,

six skeins of sock yarn,

five DPNs,

four knitting books,

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

twelve skeins for a sweater,

eleven fiber dyes,

ten big blue yarn totes,

nine skeins of cashmere,

eight bamboo needles,

seven new stitch markers,

six skeins of sock yarn,

five DPNs,

four knitting books,

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

Happy Holidays!

It’s a Christmas Carol time of year.  And it got me thinking, what would the ghosts of my Christmas past, present and future tell me if they woke me up this Christmas Eve?

Perhaps it would be something like this (captured in a more compelling, dramatic and colourful televisual way of course)

Slightly scary figure 1:  This is your Christmas past, not so bad, not so great, but your past nevertheless.  Remember I said it’s your Christmas past, so leave it here, in the past, and don’t let it haunt you in your Christmas present and future.  The slate doesn’t have to have all these scribblings on it, you can wipe it clean.  Then the first figure is gone…

Exciting figure 2: This is your Christmas present, it is good.  There is love and warmth in this picture.  There is hope and possibility.  But in the corner there is you, sitting alone, doubtful that it will last and not trusting that all will be well.  Carols continue to be sung without you, presents torn open and jokes missed. You stay alone, away from the fire and so cold. Then the second figure is gone…

Angelic figure 3: This is your Christmas future.  You are alone, the door is boarded up.  Food is sparse.  There are no pictures on the wall, no photos in frames on the mantlepiece.  There is no music or carols playing. You stare out of a dirty window to nothingness. Tears of regret sting your old, wrinkled eyes.  Then the final figure is gone…

I awake…

And I am bloody thankful for every bloody thing that I have in my wonderful bloody life.  Amen to that!

Only a few days ‘til Christmas. The big question: will it be white?   It could well be.  Is like Dancing on Ice just to get down to the shops. Or maybe it will be black – a bit of a disappointment. There’s always so much hype. After lots of week of manic preparations and running around, it can be hard on the day not to feel let down.

Joy and glad tidings! Aren’t you meant to be wildly happy at this time of year? It has been a bit of a tough run up to the big event.  Spent a good couple of weeks recovering from the flu which has meant am v. behind my dead-line of making Chapter Twenty Six Before Christmas. Lots of my friends seem to be ill or struggling with things.

Haven’t felt much like listening to many happy OTT  seasonal songs so have tried to find some dark, Christmas music to listen to. Is extremely difficult! Christmas  seems to = ridiculously cheesy songs.

The best one I know is by Jeff:

Jeff Buckely: Corpus Christi Carol

And definitely cheesy but I like it (it is sort of melancholy too):

The Cambridge Singers: Oh Holy Night

I s’pose there are some things to look forward to (apart from tons of time with relatives). Two new episodes of Dr Who – sad as they will be David’s very last -  and another new star.  (See top.) Perhaps Christmas won’t be black or white this year, but a very healthy shade of grey.

Last but not least. This is currently my favorite Christmas song. There is no video but a great message.

There is still a lot of snow on the ground from yesterday’s winter storm so I decided to not waste this precious opportunity and take advantage of it . I decided to take Vixen (Carol) and Snowflake (Winter Purezza) back outside for more pictures, and I also decided to grab Joyette (Requiemart Custom) and Emma (Hello Kitty) outside for photos.

Enough talk unto the photos- Snowflake sneaking up on Vixen..

For those wondering about the snowman he is actually cookie jar I received as a gift for Christmas a few years back, while I didn’t really need anymore cookie jars (I have four others) this seemed like a good opportunity to actually get some use out of him.

My Winter Purezza, Snowflake is actually my favorite of the seasonal Purezzas. I am somewhat shocked at myself that I never brought her outside before this to play in the snow. She was actually one of the last two pullips I needed to complete my collection and I bought her along with my Vivien, Marilyn from Bobagirl, one of my quasi-pullip idols (she had previously collected all of the pullips) when she decided to downsize her collection.

I know Snowflake is kind of an odd name for her but at the time it seemed to be the only name to really suit her.

I bought my Carol- Vixen a while ago but never really took many pictures of her. Carol is so overlooked in the pullip world, I am not sure if it is because she always seems to look a bit melancholy or if it is because her stock is downright bizarre. The bright side of there not being a whole lot of Carol love is that I got Vixen here, with full stock for a steal.

If my Jouet was home I would have taken her out for photos unfortunately she is still at Requiemart’s house while she is finishing up Joel (Jouet Taeyang), since I couldn’t photograph Jouet herself I decided to photograph the next best thing Joyette (Custom Jouet Pullip).

She really looks like an ice princess all dressed in white.. She is wearing a rather odd mix of Vivien’s (coat) , Jouet’s (bear hood), Clarity’s (top), Ala’s (boots), Raphia’s (socks + skirt) stock pieces.

The final member of the pullip snow day league was my newest arrival Emma (Hello Kitty). Although a bit under-dressed for the weather (in blythe Friendly Freckles’ stock) she had great gusto when it came time to play in the snow.

I loved how the snow looked in her mohair wig, it just had this almost magical quality to it.

A LOVING daughter brought forward her wedding day and held the ceremony in her dying mother’s hospital ward so that she could witness it. 

Cancer patient Liz Hay saw daughter Carol marry her fiancé Ian Murdoch in Ward Two at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh. Just hours later she fell asleep and never woke again. 

The couple’s wedding date was moved forward by a month to 24 November when Mrs Hay fell seriously ill so that she could be there for the happy occasion. 

The 50-year-old from Muirhouse, who was the co-ordinator of the North West Carers’ Centre, was told in July that after beating breast cancer seven years ago the disease had returned, this time in her liver. 

Her family were told she could survive for years but by the start of November she was taken into hospital with just weeks to live.

Carol Murdoch at her wedding with husband Ian and (L-R) her brother, nephew, dad Charlie Hay and mum Liz

Carol Murdoch, a 27-year-old trainee teacher, said: “Just at the start of November, she was taken in and told she didn’t have a lot of time. We thought it was weeks, but a scan came back and suddenly we realised she had days. 

“The ceremony was supposed to be at six o’clock but we brought it forward to three. She was that poorly. 

“As soon as it was done, the nurses took her to another room. She went to sleep and didn’t wake up again.” 

Mrs Hay died two days later. 

The couple had originally planned to hold their Humanist wedding beside Loch Morlich last Saturday. 

The hospital ceremony was attended by Mrs Hay’s two sons, two daughters and three grandchildren – the youngest only two months old. 

Her husband Charlie, 55, praised the hospital staff who helped with the wedding arrangements. 

“The nurses did it all so nicely. It was great. Liz was up the whole time and she did a wonderful reading,” he said. 

Mrs Hay lived in Edinburgh nearly all her life. She was born in 1959 in Dreghorn Barracks and met her husband at the Edinburgh City Mission in 1979 while she was working at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. 

In 1994 Mr Hay, a woodwork teacher, had to retire early when he was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Moving around was painful and he needed constant support. 

His wife not only started caring for him but became involved with founding the North West Carers’ Centre, a charity which runs projects to support and train carers in Edinburgh. 

Despite having to devote so much time to her own caring duties she was the charity’s chairwoman for more than ten years.

Liz Hay

She also commanded Loanhead Air Cadet Squadron, was chairwoman of the Silverknowes Primary School board, a leader in the Boys’ Brigade and a keen Aberdeen fan. 

She had started building five doll’s houses before her death and youngest son Andrew, 20, a trainee technology teacher at Edinburgh University, has pledged to finish the project. 

“She didn’t have a lot of time for hobbies,” said Mrs Murdoch. “But her and dad used to love going for drives all around Scotland. She loved it here.” 

One of Mrs Hay’s last wishes was to raise money for good causes and instead of leaving flowers at her funeral on 3 December, guests donated to the staff who helped organise the wedding so they could have a Christmas night out. 

The £1,000 they have already raised will also go to the Maggie’s cancer centre at the Western General Hospital. 

Mrs Murdoch said: “Mum was always putting others first. That was mum. When she got told she had the cancer that wasn’t going to stop her.”

Contine :

I finished my Christmas book which was a year in the making. This book project was to make my favorite Christmas story, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, into a book that is easy and enjoyable to read by modern readers like myself. Reading the original story required a lot of work for me because it was written in the early part of the 1800’s, and I am not a strong literary reader, I am just an ordinary book reader.

To get the project started: I found the text on Internet, downloaded it, loaded it into my free word processing software from OpenOffice.org. Initially I made small edits such as word and sentence changes. Then I removed sentences, changed complete sentences, and modified the references. My new goal became a complete rewrite under the restrictions: maintain the orginal story and not to add any new characters, incidences, or scenes.

When I completed the writing, I had a few people read it and comment on it. One first reader was a patent lawyer friend of mine. He suggested that I might be able to copyright my book because it may be a derivative work of the original. After reading up on the definitation of what a derivative work is, I concluded my story is my own, as much as A Disney’s A Christmas Carol is their own. By the way, it was fun to see Disney put out a movie the same time I put out my book.

Once happy with my editing and formating, I uploaded print files to Lulu.com, opened the Tiger Farm Press store front, and printed a number of books. To complete the project, in the Spirit of Christmas Giving, I mailed the books to a few friends and family.

Feel free to have a look at the result of my Christmas book project.

"A Partridge in a Pear Tree" wall tapestry (art.com)

Find sample blogs on a gazillion topics at Alpha Inventions

Warm your feet by the fire

The popcorn’s warm and buttery. The cocoa’s thick and rich and… well, chocolaty. It must be time… Yes! It is! … for the annual Sister Alma Rose Semisecular* Christmastide Videorama.

* To Sister Alma Rose, nothing is truly secular. Is there somewhere God isn’t? She doesn’t think so.

First, but not necessarily foremost, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” by Straight No Chaser, whom we adore, in close harmony with nutty variations and a few outright departures. (The song itself — not the Straight No Chaser rendition — might be three hundred years old — no one seems to be sure — nor can anyone say with certainty whether each day’s gift has any particular significance.)

Okay, these next two give Sister Alma Rose goosebumps, but not me. I just sob.

Christmas in the Trenches

“Perhaps,” Sister Alma Rose ventures, “y’all have heard the story of ‘Christmas in the Trenches’”:

Australian infantry wearing gas masks, Ypres, 1917

“Christmas truce” is a term used to describe several brief, unofficial cessations of hostilities that occurred on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day between German and British or French troops in World War I, particularly that between British and German troops stationed along the Western Front during Christmas 1914. In 1915 there was a similar Christmas truce between German and French troops, and during Easter 1916 a truce also existed on the Eastern Front. —Wikipedia

It is said that after the particular truce described in the song “Christmas in the Trenches” (by folksinger/songwriter John McCutcheon), the soldiers were unable to or refused to fight and had to be sent home. Sister Alma Rose does not know whether this is true, nor does she know whether it makes them heroes or fools (cowards they certainly were not), nor should it reflect on the courage and honor of those who stayed and fought, or of those who do so till this day, God bless them all.

Bing and Bowie

Mama, the musician, likes to introduce this video:

If you’re under a certain age, you need to understand the subtext of this 1977 performance. Bing Crosby — one of the biggest stars of the 1940s and 1950s, and still a popular celebrity when he died in 1977, was very straitlaced and conservative, a strict Roman Catholic, and David Bowie… wasn’t.

Bing Crosby: He could carry a tune

Bing Crosby

Bing Crosby’s singing and acting career “stretched over more than half a century from 1926 until his death. Crosby was a best-selling artist until well into the rock era, with over half a billion records in circulation.” (Wikipedia)

Apart from some youthful drinking and indulgence in marijuana, Bing was so squeaky-clean, both publicly and privately, that the public sometimes wished (although it was none of ”the public’s” business) that he were less strict with his four sons (from his marriage to Dixie Lee, who suffered from acute alcoholism and who died of cancer in 1952). Two of the couple’s four sons committed suicide, Lindsay in 1989 and Dennis in 1991. Bing Crosby had three children with his second wife, Kathryn Grant Crosby.

Asked what he would write for his own epitaph, Crosby replied, “He was an average guy who could carry a tune.” Well, Bing, if you say so.

David Bowie — Mega-Shocker, Megastar

Iman and David Bowie; photo by David Shankbone

David Bowie is a highly respected “English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. Active in five decades of popular music and frequently reinventing his music and image, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s. He has been cited as an influence by many musicians and is known for his distinctive voice and the intellectual depth of his work.” (Wikipedia)

His music has been tagged as “psychedelic folk,” “glam rock,” “heavy metal,” and a dozen other styles, some of which he invented. On tour, he has startled even hard-core fans with his androgynous appearance, “ultra” theatrics, and “shocking stage moments….”

He married the Somali-born supermodel Iman Abdulmajid at Saint James Church in Florence in 1992. Their daughter, Alexandria Zahra Jones (she goes by “Lexi”), was born in August 2000. The family has homes in Manhattan and London.

David Bowie, "Music's Most Fashionable Man" 2009

Duncan Zowie Haywood Jones, Bowie’s son with his first wife, was born in 1971. He earned a bachelor’s degree and then graduated as a director from the London Film School.

Bowie has been notorious at times — for years of heavy drug abuse, particularly cocaine; and for “politically radical comments, saying that Britain could benefit from a fascist leader and that Adolf Hitler was ‘the first super-star.’” Yet Bowie has steadily reinvented his image and his music so creatively that he is said to have progressed from “superstar” to “megastar.” Some who know him well say that the private David Bowie is at heart a family man but that periodically shocking the public is part of his mystique.

Culture Clash

The wildly differing backgrounds of Bowie and Crosby set up a cultural tension between the two that makes their duet all the more poignant — like watching the Crips and Bloods Mixed Chorus, maybe. It’s also helpful to know that “White Christmas” was a huge hit for Bing Crosby — his signature song, in a way.

This video is lovely, and Bing and Bowie are fun to watch. The duet, I think, is overorchestrated, which blunts the impact of the two very different men making music together. Even so, it’s a rare treat. I hope you enjoy it. And a very Merry Christmas to you….

• Visit the Annagrammatica.com Holiday Store — 25% off everything!

Here’s a Christmas track to download by way of thanks for all the great support this year!

Stumble It!

The robin laughed in the orange-tree:
“Ho, windy North, a fig for thee:
While breasts are red and wings are bold
And green trees wave us globes of gold,
Time’s scythe shall reap but bliss for me
Sunlight, song, and the orange-tree.