Here is the story, from the beginning…
I haven’t seen the full clip of this – you have to buy it from the Skit Guys – but this is the Christmas story up until the manger 🙂
Peace On Earth
A memory, from another Christmas…
A turbulent time – but peace was still possible.
I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet their songs repeat
Of peace on earth good will to men
And the bells are ringing (Peace on Earth)
Like a choir they’re singing (Peace on Earth)
In my heart I hear them
Peace on earth, good will to men
And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men
But the bells are ringing (Peace on Earth)
Like a choir singing (Peace on Earth)
Does anybody hear them?
Peace on earth, good will to men
Then rang the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep
(Peace on Earth, peace on Earth)
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men
Then ringing singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men
And the bells they’re ringing (Peace on Earth)
Like a choir they’re singing (Peace on Earth)
And with our hearts we’ll hear them
Peace on earth, good will to men
Do you hear the bells they’re ringing? (Peace on Earth)
The life the angels singing (Peace on Earth)
Open up your heart and hear them (Peace on Earth)
Peace on earth, good will to men
Peace on earth, Peace on earth
Peace on earth, Good will to men
Tree’s Up!
Finally got the tree up!
We’re a bit behind with decorating this year, but it’s looking cheery now 🙂
Even Fred got in on the celebrations…
Someone asked about family Christmas traditions the other day – we thought we didn’t really have any. On reflection, there are things we do every year, even now the boys are so much older.
We always put the tree up together. The boys put the lights on the tree, then I put the angel on the top. I do the breakable decorations, then they do the rest.
Christmas Eve we have a family lunch, and we go to the Christmas Eve service in the evening. Christmas Day morning the boys bring the stockings in to our room, then we all sit on the bed to open the stocking presents. We then have a special Christmas breakfast – this year we’re planning to have chocolate marbled brioche…
Everything else is decided on depending on how we feel. Even if we do different things later in the day I still feel happy if we’ve had our breakfast and stockings!
Another thing I like to do in the Advent season is listen to some new Christmas songs. I try to, at least once, sit with my cup of coffee and listen without any other distractions. Today was that day 🙂
I was blessed with a cloud heart as I listened.
…and I enjoyed some new songs.
Here’s one for anyone feeling frazzled by the Christmas rush.
Peppermint Ponderings
It’s been SO HOT lately, hasn’t it? I find it hard to get into the Christmas spirit sometimes when I’m melting into the ground and the air is shimmering heat waves.
So this week I’ve had a bit of a peppermint overload!
I also enjoy gingerbread, but peppermint has that “cool” feeling about it as well. I’ve indulged myself with a white chocolate peppermint chiller while out shopping, and shared various peppermint (and chocolate!) permutations with friends. Christmas flavours are galloping in to December – yay!
The tree’s not up yet, but I have other decorations up. Most of the big tasks are done. I’ve been re-reading the gospel of Luke (there are 24 chapters, which fits into the advent period), and I’ve downloaded a new Christmas album.
Time to settle in with a cuppa and listen to it!
Hope you can have a quiet bubble of peace, with a snack/drink of your choice, and a chance to reflect in the stillness on what’s important in this glitzy, busy season!
❤
Tinselly Curtains, A Cactus, And A Fantasy Bake…
On the way to church yesterday we were driving behind a caravan – one of the old round metal ones. Didn’t think too much about it, until I looked in the back window. Across the side window was some sort of curtain, with long bits of tinsel interspersed with cloth. On the other side was… the top of a large cactus! I can imagine the owners getting to where they’re going, then setting up their home with tinsel and a cactus…
Got me thinking about home. We’ve been where we are for seven years now, and I’m still pleased to be here – I still remember how overwhelmed I felt when we first moved in, and all this space was ours! Over the years, though, that’s faded a little bit… this place is quite small in comparison to others, and I feel I can’t stretch out enough for some things. Obviously it’s huge compared to what others have access to, and I need to remember the feeling of walking in here for the first time…
Wherever we live can be home.
I share this place with a beautiful family, and we have all the amenities we could need or want. We have enough food, we’re close to most places we need to go, and over the years I’ve added decoration (and lots of books!)
Christmas is just around the corner, so I’ve started putting some bits and pieces up.
Mini gnomes!
(And fancy houses 🙂 )
Some of my decorations are up all year round…
I have quiet spaces to read and reflect – this morning was lovely and cool after the rain last night.
I rounded off lunchtime with a book on Fairytale Baking and a “Fantasy” ice-cream 😀
Houses tend to be static.
Homes can be quite portable.
Even if it means carting round tinsel and a very large cactus!
Frangipanis And Chocolate Cake
…well, chocolate cheesecake, anyway 🙂
Two sweet blessings from my morning!
Yesterday a lovely friend dropped off a frangipani branch, which I planted in the back yard. It was a bit top heavy, so I broke one bit off and planted that as well…
My Babe had to go for a meeting this morning, and came home with some chocolate cheesecake for me ❤
My garden has been growing (mostly)! There’s been some losses – something ate all my original sunflower seedlings as soon as they came up – but I’ve planted some more.
Hello, little babies! 😀
The melons and cucumbers are flowering too; we’ll see what actually becomes fruit soon…
…and I have my legless flamingo (salvaged from kerbside pickup) to watch over things!
Here’s the song this post’s title makes me think of…
Nearing The End
…of the school year, anyway!
The exams are over, the days are getting hotter, and the long holidays are close. Sweet Bean is checking out some of next year’s studies, but there’s still time for a bit of basic baking.
Obviously, a cup of tea rounds off the lesson.
Last week we did basic biscuits, this week was basic cake. We’ve used a recipe to some extent, but I’m trying to show him how to bake when you don’t have a recipe – ingredient proportions, how a batter or dough looks and feels when you make it. Fun! Especially when we put a CD on and dance while it’s cooking 🙂
One more week to go before holidays.
– So here’s some impromptu hearts ❤
Remembrance
“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.”
(Red poppies for remembrance,
White poppies for peace,
Purple poppies for animals that died in conflict.)
Santa?…. Slay!
We’re just rolling in to November, and the shops have put away the Halloween decorations. What’s with all the Christmas stuff?
I love Christmas! We put up the tree each year, the boys do their part, and I always put the angel on the top. I love finding things for presents, things that I think each person will appreciate. I love the carols, and the Christmas service, and the whole Christmas/New Year frenzy leading to languor.
But November 2nd is too early! Bah humbug!
Today we did the shopping. We’ve been trying to reduce the chocolate consumption of our household, but today needed a bit of sugar and chocolate Santas were just waiting to be eaten. We decided killing a chocolate Santa could be a pre-emptive strike against premature Christmas schmaltz.
He bisected easily.
…and talking about Halloween – how about these cute little tropical decorations from down the road?
😀
Random Rambling Recap (With Coffee)
The warmer weather has made me feel like tidying and reorganising the chaos that has built up in places here – there’s something deeply satisfying about making something beautiful where there was mess.
I started with the baker’s rack outside – it’s been the repository for whatever outside stuff I couldn’t find room for anywhere else…
Voila!
The bottom two shelves still have pots and garden paraphernalia, but at least it’s all tidy now.
I also decided to repurpose some bits and bobs from the jewellery box.
I invested in some new incense sticks (sandalwood & rose, sandalwood & musk, and frankincense & myrrh) – great for dreaming to, or anticipating Christmas!
In other news – we went to a Lifeline sale (Yay!) and picked up an old style picnic basket, with plates, glasses and cutlery ($5), a set of bongos ($5), and two good quality umbrellas ($2 each), one of which is like having a huge orange flower sheltering me from the raindrops 😀
Now we can go on a musical picnic, even in the rain…
I have realised I like my hair like this.
A bit messy and just the right length.
Unfortunately it only does this sometimes, and I don’t know how to make it happen. Oh well…
There’s been a bit of rain this week – not enough, but the grass is greening. Decided to plant some flowers in the back planting box, but had to dig out the neighbourhood cats’ contributions first – smelly with flies, and I had to scrub my hands a few times before I could even think of sitting down to eat. I like cats, but not when they disrespect my garden 😦
Fortunately I have sandalwood and rose incense to sweeten the air, and these sweet cats to cheer me up.
We went to the opening of a farmers’ market type shop in town, and picked up a bit of cake made by another shop here, which will be occasionally supplying the market shop. I finally got to sit down and eat my cake (almond croissant, raspberry and macadamia cake, and a nice bit of crusty bread) and drink my coffee (fresh ground and brewed with cinnamon and a couple of mint leaves).
The birds rejoiced, giving thanks for the rain
And all was right with the world…
1000 Fields of Roses 