Tidings
Proctor’s Farm, painted by Peter Brook:
As is the custom here, posting will be intermittent over the holidays and readers are advised to follow me on X, or subscribe to the blog feed at the very bottom of the page, either of which will alert you to anything new as and when it materialises. Though Boxing Day seems a good bet.
Thanks for the company and the thousands of comments, many of which prompted discussions that are much more interesting than the actual posts. Which is pretty much the idea.
And particular thanks to all those who’ve made PayPal, Ko-Fi, or SubscribeStar donations to keep this rickety barge above water. It’s much appreciated. Should readers be overwhelmed with feelings of goodwill and an urge to express encouragement via currency, the tip jar buttons will relieve that terrible pressure.
Curious newcomers and those with nothing better to do are welcome to rummage through the Reheated series in search of entertainment. You may find things you’d missed. And this, needless to say, is an open thread.
To you and yours, a very good one.
To help set the tone, The Wexford Carol.
Best wishes to all for a very merry Christmas and a happy & prosperous new year.
I was overwhelmed with feelings of goodwill. Merry Christmas, gracious host (and all the regulars).
More setting the tone with The Tabernacle Choir.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Christmas ping. 🎁
Merry Christmas everyone. Ping!
Have a great one, host and commenters!
🎄
Bless you, sirs, and bless you, madam. May you never be assailed by snoring.
[ Slurps coffee. ]
I love the Wexford Carol, and that’s one of the best versions of it, IMO.
A couple more:
Solo voice in a cathedral
Irish instrumental
One of my favorite Christmas albums is the Tabernacle Choir with The King’s Singers (superlative British sextet).
Here are some selections:
The Sussex Carol
Oh Holy Night
Angels from the Realms of Glory
[ Writes shopping list of last-minute vegetables, bread, gin and tonic. ]
That painting is delightfully bleak.
[ Underlines gin and tonic. ]
Kerching!
Bless you, sir. Should you be assailed by snoring, may you have some silicone ear plugs and an airtight seal.
#TrueLifeAdventure
Question asked.
Womanliness incoming.
He looks like a Batman villain.
A recurring motif, I think.
The Sussex Carol
I thought her name was Meghan.
Enough of the saturine Christmas music.
Besides, Christmas isn’t till 7 January anyway which is also Elvismas Eve so more appropriate tunes are in order.
Merry Christmas, barkeep. Thanks for another year of top blogging.
*ping*
Bless you, sir. May you be spared the stringy bits on bananas.
Share links and bicker, but in a festive way.
Saturine?
Time to open an Arkham Asylum.
A definite “beware” red flag. Such creatures come to mind when “progressives” tell us that we all must cater to such delusions.
Enjoy this film from my childhood.
Merry Christmas.
We are no longer serious people.
No, it doesn’t help the trainer. It might . . . if all dogs behaved the same way. But they don’t, animals still have distinct personalities, traits, instincts, etc. and better to work one-on-one with your dog.
To all, a very Merry Christmas! And especially our host and his Better Half for providing this forum o’ sanity.
Alas, I checked and there are no prints to be purchased of ‘Proctor’s Farm – Walls and Trees in Snow.’ I would have liked a copy to display – as @dicentra notes, it is indeed delightfully bleak.
[ Splutters. ]
Now wait a goddamn minute…
I’ll see your haircut and raise you.
The other option was “lesser vessel”, so I think the intent was to avoid things becoming kinetic between you two.
I was reminded of this.
And once again, I think we should take a moment to think about those poor, lost souls currently trying to find a parking space at the local supermarket, while desperately clutching a list of last-minute Christmas groceries.
[ Bows head, lights candle. ]
Maybe a problem over there, but you do realize most of our parking lots are larger than some towns. The trick is finding a spot in the same zip code.
Speaking of problems I don’t think the public health officials in Seattle have quite grasped why this “solution” was an issue in the first place.
I’m still fairly able-bodied*, so I make a point of parking far from the entrance, both as a courtesy to those who aren’t and to avoid door dings.
* Pay no attention to my occasional complaints about stiff arthritic knees.
From a story with a headline you won’t see every day…
It depends on what she wants.
Also, four-year-olds.
Doncha know that’s raycis?
Clown school let out for the holidays?
Heh. So much bloody futzing around trying to reduce the picture file size, I posted my tidings and ping on the Ephemera thread. Sigh..
Wholesale doctor shopping.
Ah, a number six Muldoon. As we say in the trade.
And bless you, sir. Should you be preparing a snack of rosemary and garlic crackers with cheese, may any cracker integrity issues be resolved with a generous smearing of butter.
Over the years, I’ve become quite skilled at repairing things with butter.
Not shoes or tables, you understand. It’s very much a food-related fix.
Paying the insane to exhibit themselves to children will prove a signal mistake.
And lest we forget, there’s nothing wrong with having an action sequence in a Christmas song.