Monday, December 24, 2012

~A CHRISTMAS SHORT STORY


 


The Glad Evangel

When the Child of Nazareth was born, the sun, according to the Bosnian legend, "leaped in the heavens, and the stars around it danced. A peace came over mountain and forest. Even the rotten stump stood straight and healthy on the green hill-side. The grass was beflowered with open blossoms, incense sweet as myrrh pervaded upland and forest, birds sang on the mountain top, and all gave thanks to the great God."
 
It is naught but an old folk-tale, but it has truth hidden at its heart, for a strange, subtle force, a spirit of genial good-will, a new-born kindness, seem to animate child and man alike when the world pays its tribute to the "heaven-sent youngling," as the poet Drummond calls the infant Christ.
 
When the Three Wise Men rode from the East into the West on that "first, best Christmas night," they bore on their saddle-bows three caskets filled with gold and frankincense and myrrh, to be laid at the feet of the manger-cradled babe of Bethlehem. Beginning with this old, old journey, the spirit of giving crept into the world's heart. As the Magi came bearing gifts, so do we also; gifts that relieve want, gifts that are sweet and fragrant with friendship, gifts that breathe love, gifts that mean service, gifts inspired still by the star that shone over the City of David nearly two thousand years ago.
 
Then hang the green coronet of the Christmas-tree with glittering baubles and jewels of flame; heap offerings on its emerald branches; bring the Yule log to the firing; deck the house with holly and mistletoe,
 
"And all the bells on earth shall ring
On Christmas day in the morning."

 
  
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*I'm not sure to what Wiggin is referring when she mentions "the Bosnian legend."  It sounds like this folk tale includes the occurrence of miraculous events in nature at the time of Christ's birth (such as an old tree stump becoming revitalized).  That being said, the actual story of Christ's birth is not a folk tale; it is a true story and can be found in the Bible, of course!  The quotation by Drummond can be found in this poem.  I do not know the origin of the phrase, "first, best Christmas night"; I was able to pull up a link to this song on amazon.com.  The quote with which Wiggin ends her short story is from a traditional Christmas carol called, "I Saw Three Ships."
 
 *Photion reblogged
*Image reblogged
 
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Saturday, December 22, 2012

~NOËL NOM-NOMS


 
 
*Image reblogged
 
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~CHRISTMAS DECOR FOR THE DAY


 


A pink tree and wingèd-friend wallpaper--
what could be better than that?
 
*Image reblogged
 
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Friday, December 21, 2012

Friday, December 14, 2012

~CHRISTMAS CRAFTINESS WITH CATHY



The Cathy comic strip is endlessly entertaining and refreshingly relatable.  While this cartoon's heroine can be overanxious, indecisive, and obsessive-compulsive, she is also caring, knows who she is, and has a zest for living life to the fullest.  In the following 'toons, Cathy and her precocious mother get holiday-crafty to hilarious effect, while Cathy's exasperated husband watches the whole thing go down (way down)! ☺
(*Click on the images to enlarge them)














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Saturday, December 8, 2012

~MUSICIAN OF THE DAY: BIRDY


 

 
Birdy is the stage name of 16-year-old English musician Jasmine van den Bogaerde.  According to wikipedia, this name "comes from the nickname her parents gave her as a baby because she opened her mouth like a little bird when fed." ☺
 
 

 

This is such a great cover of Fire & Rain--
brava Birdy! ♪  Love this song with its message of perseverence.

 

 
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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

~THAT'S TOO PUNNY ☺




Someecards is a line of humorous (and very snarky) ecards.  Some of them are not very nice--tsk, tsk--but they sure got me here!  I am certainly guilty of ending up with a Lucky Charms box that contains plenty of cereal but no marshmallows.  I think General Mills should sell the "marbits" by themselves, even if they're placed on the snack or candy aisle.  They're very tasty, and the texture is great--it's similar to freeze-dried ice cream or what I imagine condensed, dried cotton candy would be like.  According to the wikipedia article I've linked to above, "the charms of Lucky Charms were born" when an advertising company "suggested revolving the marketing of the new cereal around the idea of charm bracelets."  These marbit-charms make up around 25% of the cereal's volume.

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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

~KIT KAT KOOKINESS




I was delighted when I stumbled upon this photo of a Japanese Kit Kat.  It's colorful package design cheered me right up and reminded me of other whimsically-hued Japanese products I've seen here and there.  At some point I noticed that there is an image of tea on the left-hand side of the box, and I became puzzled and decided to do a bit of research on the subject.  It turns out that Nestlé has produced over 200 different flavors of the candy in Japan since 2000 and that one of those flavors is--you guessed it--green tea!

Here is an article which lists some of the more unusual flavors, includes some package photos, and relates why the Kit Kat is so popular in Japan ☺.

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

~THERE'S A CHILL IN THE AIR...



I’ve been seeing this term a lot, so I felt like making an animation for it. ^u^On another note, I’m afraid to say October doesn’t look like a great month for drawing for me. I’m currently sick, bogged down with work, and trying to finish my first college application. I love you guys, and I’ll draw as much as time allow… but I have to take care of myself first, so please understand. ^^ Hoping for the best!
 
 
 
 
*Photion courtesy of the very talented chibird.
 
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Monday, November 19, 2012

~FASHION INSPIRATION FOR THE DAY

 


This photo by Luis Monteiro is from the September, 2011, issue of Vogue Portugal.  Click here to see several more photos from the spread, which is lurvely.  Though I do wonder why cigarettes are still so prevalent in fashion photography--they're so detrimental to one's health, and that's old news!
 
• ~ • ~ • 

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

~POESY FOR THE DAY

 
 
 
she had nothing
but time on her hands:
silver rings, turquoise stones
and purple nails
 
i rubbed my thumb
across her palm:
a featherbed
where slept a psalm
 
 
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Sunday, November 11, 2012

~A SPRITZ OF CRAFTINESS PLEASE!



These arts-and-crafts-themed fragrances by Demeter are sure to put you in a creative mood...







• ~ • ~ •   

~WORD OF THE DAY


 

twee
 
I found two definitions for this cute little word;
they can be found here and here!
 
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Wednesday, November 7, 2012

~MUST-HAVE FOR THE DAY


 


The Archipod is being marketed as an energy-efficient "garden office" which can be put in your back yard and used in the place of a home office.  It's a cedar-shingled polycarbonate dome in which you can plug in your 'puter and get to work, safe from all of those pesky interruptions in your house.  The standard model is about 9.5 feet across, and according to Reader's Digest, it will run you around $34,000, plus delivery.  I must quote Reader's Digest on one of the supposed perks of this space-age-like pod: "...who wouldn't want to walk 30 seconds to work and enter through a DeLorean-esque gull-wing door?"  That does sound pretty gleeful, as a matter of fact ☺.

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Tuesday, November 6, 2012

~I VOTED!....ah-ah-ah-CHOO!




Well, ya' gotta' put that eponymous sticker somewhere, and since my oh-so-cute box of tissues was sitting on the passenger seat of my car, there it went!  Yep, I have stocked up on the cheeerily-patterned boxes, as I had the flu a week or so ago, and I still have residual congestion as a result.  Oh, nose, when are you going to stop running?  Fun tissue boxes do make it more manageable though.  I found this deliciously dotty design at Food Lion (the brand is "my essentials").

This is what my ballot looked like; I'm assuming such was the case for everyone....right?


My only beef is that Woodstock and Peppermint Patty were left off--oh well, there's always 2016 guys!

Blessedly, my polling place is right down the street from where I live, and there is never a line--it's right in, right out.  After I voted, I got a Little Cheeseburger (with mustard, ketchup, and grilled mushrooms and onions), french fries (with ketchup and malt vinegar), and peanuts in the shell from Five Guys.  I'm now happy to be back at home, out of the cold, and snug as a bug in a rug.  I'm contentedly watching the election coverage on television (with my dotted tissue box sitting close by, of course!).

hApPy eLeCtIoN dAy!!


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Friday, November 2, 2012

~FALL FOLIAGE FOR THE DAY


 
This photo is of Turquoise Lake (also called
Five-Flower Lake) in China's Jiuzhaigou Valley
 
 • ~ • ~ •
 
Here is an article about fall in China on about.com
 
Here is a list of the top eight places to view fall foliage in China
 
Here is another list of foliage-viewing locales in China, one of which is the Jiuzhaigou Valley
 
*Image reblogged
 
• ~ • ~ •

~POESY FOR THE DAY


 

 
ART
 
The hen remarked to the mooley cow,
As she cackled her daily lay,
(That is, the hen cackled) "It's funny how
I'm good for an egg a day.
I'm a fool to do it, for what do I get?
My food and my lodging. My!
But the poodle gets that--he's the household pet,
And he never has laid a single egg yet--
Not even when eggs are high."
 
The mooley cow remarked to the hen,
As she masticated her cud,
(That is, the cow did) "Well, what then?
You quit, and your name is mud.
I'm good for eight gallons of milk each day,
And I'm given my stable and grub;
But the parrot gets that much, anyway,--
All she can gobble--and what does she pay?
Not a dribble of milk, the dub!"
 
But the hired man remarked to the pair,
"You get all that's coming to you.
The poodle does tricks, and the parrot can swear,
Which is better than you can do.
You're necessary, but what's the use
Of bewailing your daily part?
You're bourgeois--working's your only excuse;
You can't do nothing but just produce--
What them fellers does is ART!"
 
~Author Unknown~
 
 
 
*Hen photo reblogged
 
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