Esther Chiltons weekly prompt is “Christmas”

Christmas, alone for another year. Make Merry they say. Bah Humbug! Do I reply? No, I’m not so lost that I turn my cheek to the world. But a quiet Christmas? Maybe. One chicken leg. A small bottle of beer. Three sprouts if I’m lucky? Any sparkle and cheer? I might make handmade crackers and tie one end to the door handle to pull them. Meanwhile, I bought myself a new garden bench to sit alone on, so happy new year, dear.

Set design

Crashed UFO at the play I went to yesterday. It wasn’t actually on the stage but in a seperate room on the way in.

In a strange way it reminded me of a Santa’s sledge I saw once outside Santa’s grotto as a child. You then got into another sled inside a large screened of area and the landscape on the sides seemed to move. It was actually a painted backdrop on rollers that ran round so the landscape seemed to scroll past. At the end of your “journey” you got off to see Santa and get your present…. Oops rambling there

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I could imagine doing the same thing with the UFO  so it would look like it was flying through the sky with stars and clouds.

No presents

No presents hanging in stockings

No orange in the toe of the sock

There’s no chocolate or dolls

No perfume, or jigsaw puzzle

Sympathy cards replace Christmas ones.

The poinsettia is still in the shop

Your present has gone to a friend

We won’t open one each before breakfast

Old traditions wrung out

New ones yet to start.

Meanwhile I wait for snow or reindeer

Or Christian meditation and carols.

Who knows what happens next.

Shrodingers Cat has more idea

Of the future than I do.

Jingle bells

Symmetrical tree with lights and stained glass windows. Still loving playing with photos and art.

In other news I’m lucky to have so many friends. Things are happening and I’m like a boulder in a raging river, being bashed all over the place, but people keep throwing me lifelines and I feel like things should (not saying will) be alright. Meanwhile I have to keep occupied.

Singing at a lights switch on

Our choir sang at the switch on of Christmas lights tonight. We sang for about twenty minutes and included traditional carols and other seasonal songs.

The only problem though was the traffic! It felt like hundreds of cars were on the way to the venue. Everyone was driving in the right hand lane as we had to turn right at a roundabout onto the venue. Our choir leader had a asked for designated parking, but was told there would be plenty of spaces. Unfortunately half the city seemed to be fighting for them!

We were dropped off while my friend went to find somewhere to park the car. We had to fight our way through a packed crowd to get to the stage, so when we had finished our set we decided to listen to a couple of songs from the next act, then get going. Unfortunately this meant walking to the far end of the site and climbing over a low fence. When we finally made it to the car all the vehicles around us were in a stationary queue. The cars were moving a foot or two every few minutes. I think we would still be there if a man controlling the traffic explained there was a back road off the site! It took us one and a quarter hours to drive 400 yards!

Despite the traffic chaos, I think we did a great job, we were well appreciated and I’m glad we did it.

Singing reindeers

Singing reindeer bringing some cheer…

We went off to a garden centre today to get some pyracantha and roses to add to our hedge, we are bulking it up because it looks like there was another attempt last night to get in. I feel like we are under seige.

Hubby nailed some fence boards back in place and we also bought a lot of chicken wire to go above the bamboo screening we have put in. Spiky Pyracantha will go next to all this. Making it more robust.

We heard Christmas music as we were searching for plants, and these animatronic reindeer made me laugh and cheered me up!

Mince pie?

It’s September, obviously time

For Christmas mince pies!

The Winter Solstice

Is three months away!

How many sweet desserts

Will be eaten before the season?

We are in mists and mellow fruitfulness

Autumn just begun, not winter yet…

Not Angels and jingle bells!

Eat by date?

Best before 7th October!

Will be spoiled by Christmas!

Singing Christmas carols

What brings a tear of joy to your eye?

Christmas carols bring tears to my eyes. I can’t explain why. Some affect me more than others. Hark the Herald Angels sing, oh come all ye faithful and oh little town of Bethlehem particularly. Choral music especially when it’s in close harmony is wonderful.

I think its from hearing them in childhood, their sentiment stuck with me. That gentle music touched me. Sung at school and church. The music raises my spirits.

I know that when I hear the Christmas service of nine lessons and carols on the radio I have to stop and listen to the beautiful sweet voices singing wonderfully. I love going Carol singing with friends and that can make me feel teary. I can’t really say any more than that.