Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming...

A 16th century Christmas hymn with music by Geistliche Kirchengesang, 1599.

Listen to it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyuOIYCERc4

"Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming from tender stem hath sprung,

of Jesse's lineage coming as saints of old have sung.

It came a flow'ret bright, amid the cold of winter,

when half spent was the night.

Isaiah 'twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind,

with Mary we behold it, the virgin mother kind.

To show God's love aright she bore to us a Savior,

when half spent was the night.

This flow'r, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,

dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere.

True man yet very God, from sin and death he saves us

and lightens ev'ry load."

I do love choirs...sorry that this Utube presentation had another song attached to it but it was the most beautiful rendition I could find. It is and has been one of my most favorite Christmas hymns....ever.

The Christmas Party '09

Dick and Robert
The feasting table.

Dave serving Deb his great punch.
(non-alcoholic, of course)

Lois and husband Rod.

Earl and Rory enjoy loading up.

Everyone gathered to celebrate and feast.

Pat may just eat that Christmas napkin too....

April and Val going over important Forestry document?

Rory says it best....CHEERS TO ALL!!!

It was a good potluck feast at work on Wednesday. It started earlier than was announced as folks were really, really hungry and couldn't wait until 3 p.m. (me included). The Giggly Gift time was shorter than usual and that added to the earlier start to the eating frenzy.

The managers gathered some cash and Dave L. took the initiative and bought all the pop and ingredients for three delicious punches...all festive looking with ice rings, ice cream, yogurt and such. It was lovely....and I for one, appreciated their generosity and thoughtfulness.

The poor folks who brought their food on time!!!!....... as much of the food was gone before they arrived! But at least there was food right up until the end and it was all very tasty and good.

I appreciated everything that people brought....so now you know....I tried most everything, except DaveD's hot chili.

I'm off work now for a couple of weeks. Time is flying by and I have no shopping done...at all. I did give out some of my photography to some poor unsuspecting folks but that's all that has been accomplished.

And now to attempt to get ready for Christmas.....but right now I'm waiting for a call from Nepal.

I'm a mixed bag.....

Of emotions that is...:-)

Some days it would be nice to be like the little fellow above.

Just hiding my beak under my wing...if I had one...and sleep the day away, all curled up, safe and comfortable.

I get uneasy when I don't have control over my life or the lives of my family members. But these are the times, as I have learned many times before, that I learn the most. Those times when I need to let God do the leading and not me and my false motives and desires and hopes and dreams. They are all good but more likely they aren't what is best for me and those I love.

So, I'm hunkering my beak down into my wing for a while and just letting God do his thing.

Why should I worry about a son having Typhoid fever when there is God to help him through it!

I want.....

Ya, I want about 48,978,399,204,675 snow flakes to fall in P.A. during the next week. Not that many in the scheme of things, I should say. Not too much to ask for, is it? Not too much work for all the shovelers out there, I don't believe.

OK...I'd take half of that BUT NO LESS THAN HALF!!!

If B.C. could just blow all that snow storm they're experiencing over this way that should do it.

Am I being unrealistic?

I really don't think so. Let's see what the week will bring.

Of course, I then remember what I WANT and what I NEED are two totally different things and I think my want of snow could be included in there somewhere.

Changing times....

Last Christmas Matt, Kim and Logan were gracing our table during the holidays. Not this year.

Last Christmas granddaughter was a year younger!!! Soon it will be a driver's license.

Many things can happen in one year. Life is always changing. People come and people go, making lives for themselves in various parts of the world and taking off on their own life journeys.

It's important to be up for changing times. We cannot stay the same nor should we expect to. We get older. We experience more of life and hopefully we become wider....oops....that should read "wiser" along the way. ;-) Kids come and go and come again.....and leave again.

I wonder what changes will take place in my life and in our home during 2010?

Only the Lord knows....

Wicked.....

It's a good day to have a birthday. Husband made his famous (daughter's recipe) honey garlic wings for supper which I enjoyed very much. I received a lovely sweater and a card that said some beautiful things...about how much he loves me and how glad he is to be married to me and how happy I make him....you know, the regular stuff marriages are made of.:-)

Afterwards, we just sat and watched the lovely tree and listened to Christmas music on the telly.

I then sent my children a message from Santa. I hope it gets through with the wicked storm happening at the North Pole tonight.

But yes, the weather can knock your socks off when there's a windchill happening and will again be happening in the morning. Can you say "MINUS FIFTY" without your breath coming back on your face and slashing your cheeks making you look like a battle-scarred hockey player? I thought not!!!

Anyway, I share my birthday with my friends Phil Loseth and Joe Gaudry not to mention the great composer Charles Wesley (1757); the Nobel prize winner for writing, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918); famed violinist Leonard Friedman (1930) and "Motley Crue" rocker Nicki Sixx (1958). I am in an illustrious group of famous/infamous folk. There must be other people who have a birthday today, but I don't have the space to mention all of them. :-)

Stay warm and keep that wicked wind away from your person....OK?

The tree '09.....

The Tree awaits its transformation.

The glass and gold navitity scene is now displayed

on the shelf.

Home-made decorations from children nestle amongst
the branches.

Glass balls hang like spheres in outer space.

The Tree, all lit and twinkling and shiny.

From a bare balsam to a Christmas tree in two hours.

I like decorating the tree. The ornaments all mean something to each of us in our family. Some are paper, others glass, or metal and when they are hung and the lights and tinsel get to their rightful places the whole room lights up in celebration!

Such as it was this evening. A grand time it was.

Then daughter called us via Skype and I was able to show them the tree all lit up and twinkling through the web cam. It was exciting for them as they won't be having a tree at their place this year. And we are excited to have them come home.

'Nite, one and all........