The second day of Christmas

The Young People's Chorus of New York City singing the 12 days of Christmas, and Jingle Bells

Three Christmas songs to start your weekend

 The first by Broadway's own Michael Winther giving Let There Be Peace On Earth the Judy Garland treatment with a smidge of Mariah Carey thrown in:

 Then there's "Stop The Cavalry" by English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jona Lewie:

Hey, Mr. Churchill comes over here
To say we're doing splendidly
But it's very cold out here in the snow
Marching to and from the enemy
Oh I say it's tough, I have had enough
Can you stop the cavalry?

I have had to fight, almost every night
Down throughout these centuries
That is when I say, oh yes yet again
Can you stop the cavalry?
Mary Bradley waits at home
In the nuclear fall-out zone
Wish I could be dancing now
In the arms of the girl I love

(Dub a dub a dumb dumb)
(Dub a dub dubadum dubadum dub a dub dubadum)
(Dub a dub a dumb dumb)
(Dub a dub dubadum dubadum dub a dub dubadum)

Wish I was at home for Christmas

Bang! That's another bomb on another town
While the Tsar and Jim have tea
If I get home, live to tell the tale
I'll run for all presidencies
If I get elected I'll stop, I will stop the cavalry

(Dub a dub a dumb dumb)
(Dub a dub dubadum dubadum dub a dub dubadum)
(Dub a dub a dumb dumb)
(Dub a dub dubadum dubadum dub a dub dubadum)

Wish I was at home for Christmas

Wish I could be dancing now
In the arms of the girl I love
Mary Bradley waits at home
She's has been waiting two years long

Wish I was at home for Christmas.

Speaking of La Carey:

And last but certainly not least, Knitters in Nairn in the Scottish Highlands making post box toppers..

4th day of Hanukkah

 Wanted to share this Hanukkah holiday song with you.

Poor person with the other microphone in the first group never gets to sing on camera. My favorite part is the duet following the trumpet. FINALLY some harmony and hints what the lyrics migth mean.

Puss'n window

Took this the other day. Just noticed that the window seems to have frost covering it so I'm glad we were both inside. 

Toby's being very brave just now and has refused to cede the same place in the sun as I sit here typing in the living room (within feet of him so it's a big deal) since the outlet in the dining room where I usually work has died overnight. Blown fuse? Time will tell.

Wish

 

Maya Angelou

I note the obvious differences
in the human family.
Some of us are serious,
some thrive on comedy.

Some declare their lives are lived
as true profundity,
and others claim they really live
the real reality.

The variety of our skin tones
can confuse, bemuse, delight,
brown and pink and beige and purple,
tan and blue and white.

I've sailed upon the seven seas
and stopped in every land,
I've seen the wonders of the world
not yet one common man.

I know ten thousand women
called Jane and Mary Jane,
but I've not seen any two
who really were the same.

Mirror twins are different
although their features jibe,
and lovers think quite different thoughts
while lying side by side.
We love and lose in China,
we weep on England's moors,
and laugh and moan in Guinea,
and thrive on Spanish shores.

We seek success in Finland,
are born and die in Maine.
In minor ways we differ,
in major we're the same.

I note the obvious differences
between each sort and type,
but we are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.

2023-10 Garden finery

 Shots taken around the yard and in front of the porch of the garden finery Andy's tended all season.

Halloween kitty

 How nice of Toby to pose for moi. If you look closely behind him, you can tell that its garbage pick-up day today :)