“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Auld Lang Syne





Remember this old gem of a song? This tune is familiar to most of us and I'm sure you faked your way through the lyrics quite a few times. There are several versions of the song and I found a bit more about it on the somewhat accurate Wikipedia site. Read on.....

Robert Burns sent a copy of the original song to the Scots Musical Museum with the remark, "The following song, an old song, of the olden times, and which has never been in print, nor even in manuscript until I took it down from an old man."  Some of the lyrics were indeed "collected" rather than composed by the poet; the ballad "Old Long Syne" printed in 1711 by James Watson shows considerable similarity in the first verse and the chorus to Burns' later poem, and is almost certainly derived from the same "old song".
Should Old Acquaintance be forgot,
and never thought upon;
The flames of Love extinguished,
and fully past and gone:
Is thy sweet Heart now grown so cold,
that loving Breast of thine;
That thou canst never once reflect
On Old long syne.
CHORUS:
On Old long syne my Jo,
On Old long syne,
That thou canst never once reflect,
On Old long syne.


        This is the version we generally sing here.


         

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
for days of auld lang syne?
CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my jo (friend),
for auld lang syne,
we’ll tak' a cup o’ kindness yet,
for days of auld lang syne.

source 



I've included a few favorite versions of the song on my SoundCloud playlist on the top right, scroll down if you'd like to hear other versions.



from Music Through the Year
Ring out the old, Ring in the New!






from Music Through the Year

Old Father Annum

Old Father Annum on New Year's Day
Picked up his bag of months and years,
Thrust in his hand in a careless way,
And pulled a wee fellow out by the ears.

"There you are," said he to the waiting crowd,
"He's as good as any I have in my pack,
I never can tell, but I hope to be proud
Of the little rascal when I come back."

~ Leroy F. Jackson









Happy New Year to All!

However you celebrate, I hope it is Merry and Safe!
See you all soon!
~~Diane~~




Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Keeping Christmas















































Merry Christmas
and
Happy New Year!


 Thank you for visiting throughout this year!
I look forward to reading your blogs in the New Year
and hope you'll enjoy mine too!


I'll be seeing you on New Years Eve! 
Blessings and Joy to all of you! ~~ Diane


**image source
**Quote



Sunday, December 21, 2014

Christmas is Coming

*♫ *♫ **✫¸.•*♫ *♫ *°*”˜˜”*°•✫ ღ˛° 。* °♥ ˚ • ★  *♫ *♫ * 。
* °♥ ˚ • ★       ..✫¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.✫ღ˚ •。* ♥ ˚ ˚✰˚ ˛★ 
*✫*♫ *♫ *¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•✫*ღ˛*♫ *♫ *° 。* °♥ ˚ • ★
*♫ *♫ **✫¸.•°*”˜♥★


 

 Christmas will be here in just a few days! I hope you have had time for some fun outdoor activities.  Maybe you've shared making snowmen, sledding, skating or just a quick walk in the snow with 
someone close to you!





   
Or perhaps you've been busy in the kitchen making cookies and other goodies for the upcoming Christmas dinner.


Hopefully you've had time to donate to your favorite charity too. As familiar as the song above is to most of us of a certain age, I hate to think that in my senior years I will have to resort to what the old man above is doing! 

 
Maybe you've been decorating the house, hanging the garland, dressing the tree with pretty keepsakes .... whatever you've been doing I hope you are enjoying the season. It seems to come and go so quickly, it's sometimes hard to take it all in. 

I've closed my etsy shop until after Christmas so I can enjoy the holiday! All of my orders have arrived at the customers homes so no more worries! I can finally relax and enjoy that eggnog!











We can all enjoy the beauty and festivity of the season, whatever our customs. 
It is truly a remarkable and lovely time of the year.





Santa is almost ready and has all those toys wrapped and ready to go. 
The reindeer have been doubling up on their feed for extra energy 
and Santa is now checking his list! 
I hope you are on the nice one!






 Image source: Music Through the Year, Illustrated by Robert J Lee










Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Magical Deer


The magical deer arrived silently, not a sound was made. Two adorable little fawns, wearing their wooly coats. Looking as sweet as can be. It was late afternoon, just before five o'clock. The light was fading, 
it was turning to dusk.








Guy was looking out the window, I glanced out to see what he was looking at, and there they were.  I grabbed my camera and through the basement window captured the twins eating birdseed out of the platform feeder.  It was a cold day and I had just refilled the tray earlier in the afternoon.  It was full of sunflower seeds, corn and nuts.







They are looking at each other as if to say,
 "This is so good, we are very lucky little deer! Mmmmm!"











And then there were Three......  this one a larger doe.






And then there were Four .... another doe. 
They all took their turns eating, and they ate every bit of the seed.














When all the seed was gone, they left as silently as they came.


Peace and Joy to All! 
Enjoy the magic that is all around you.

~~~Diane~~~





Monday, December 8, 2014

Christmas Elephants

Many animals come to mind when thinking about Christmas, but usually not Elephants! Sure we think about the Christmas story and the donkey Mary rode to Bethlehem on.  We remember the sheep, camels and other animals around the stable that complete our own Nativity scenes. They even have their own song for goodness sake!




Then there is Santa and those reindeer and the one with the red nose, Rudy! Again, his own song!  There are Christmas stories about cats, dogs, a kangaroo and even a hippopotamus (also has a song)! No where have I seen a book about an Elephant and his Christmas, until now. This guy doesn't even have a name, he's just called Little Elephant and this is his Christmas story!


The images are from a charming book entitled "Little Elephant's Christmas", written by Heluiz Washburne and illustrated by Jean McConnell. This is from an original 1944 Edition published by Albert Whitman and Company. Little Elephant helps his family prepare for Christmas by baking, decorating the tree and opening gifts!




Little Elephant was all excited.  In a few days it would be Christmas.



I picked up this book last year and it sold the other day. The book was in somewhat poor condition, but it was still holding together and I just couldn't tear it apart to sell the individual pages, even though I would have probably easily quadrupled my money!  I will leave that up to the party that purchased the book, maybe they will take out some of the pages and frame them. It really was a delightful thing to see.  I want to share a few of my favorite images from the book.


Little Elephant Wraps a Present.


Little Elephant was so excited because in a few days it would be Christmas! The postman had been delivering presents and Little Elephant could hardly wait to open them.  He spent some time helping his mother make the plum pudding and then he decorated the tree.  He also wrapped presents for Grandpa and Grandma Elephant.






Little Elephant Decorates the Tree.






Little Elephant Hangs His Stocking.




Finally Christmas morning arrives and Little Elephant gets to open his presents! His favorites are a horn! Which I think is pretty funny, considering elephants already make trumpeting noises! He also receives a wrist watch, because Elephants want to be on time!





Little Elephant Toots His Horn!





Little Elephant Admires His New Watch!


Father and Mother Elephant open their gifts too! Father received a painting set so he could paint his tusks!


Father Elephant Painting His Tusks!

Mother Elephant (below) wearing her present, the lace collar! Little Elephant not a fan of his vegetable soup!



Mother Elephant and Little Elephant Eating Christmas Dinner.



After all the decorating, wrapping and then opening presents, they all settle down for a lovely Christmas dinner of green veggie soup and something with drumsticks? Didn't know elephants ate that sort of think, but who knew they also decorated Christmas trees and hung stockings?







As often happens with a huge celebratory meal, Little Elephant was stuffed! He had to get up and run around the table a few times to settle his meal so he had room for the plum pudding that Mother Elephant had prepared. Kind of sounds familiar doesn't it?

After celebrating with his parents and with Grandma and Grandpa Elephant, Little elephant was pretty tired and as with most kids, he kept his favorite Christmas gifts close that night.






I hope you enjoyed this time with Little Elephant.  I'd love to hear your thoughts and observations about the art, the book etc.  Do you remember your favorite holiday gift?

Let's all have a Holly Jolly week!
~~ Diane ~~





Sunday, November 30, 2014

Christmas Fairies

Well here we are! It's December and the holiday rush accelerates! Oh I do wish I had a few extra Christmas Fairies running about that would help me with the decorating and preparations for the Christmas festivities! Instead I have an inquisitive helper who would rather play with the garland than help hang it (Guy)!

I love the vintage image of the fairy below, whipping up some beautiful holly out of her magic Christmas kettle.  I do not know who the illustrator is but I find it quite adorable!  The equally lovely poem below is by author Lewis Carroll.





Christmas Greetings from a Fairy to a Child

Lady, dear, if Fairies may
For a moment lay aside
Cunning tricks and elfish play,
'Tis at happy Christmas-tide.

We have heard the children say -
Gentle children, whom we love -
Long ago on Christmas Day,
Came a message from above,

Still, as Christmas-tide comes round,
They remember it again -
Echo still the joyful sound
"Peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Yet the hearts must childlike be
Where such heavenly guests abide;
Unto children, in their glee,
All the year is Christmas-tide!

Thus, forgetting tricks and play
For a moment, Lady dear,
We would wish you, if we may,
Merry Christmas, Glad New Year!

Christmas 1887 ~ Lewis Carroll


Thank you all for visiting! 
I'm looking forward to checking in on all of your lovely 
blogs to see what you've been up to! 

Happy Holidays ~~ Diane 


 

Monday, November 24, 2014

Thank You


Thank You... Two small words that can mean so much. My mother taught me to use those words ... often.  Always when receiving a gift or a compliment and in response to some sort of kindness showed to me.

Except that I'm far from perfect and so I'm sure I have forgotten to say or write it sometimes. I apologize for that, if I have ever forgotten to say thank you I am saying it now. Thank You, I'm sending it out to the universe and beyond to those that are still waiting.












It's one of my pet peeves, people that don't say thank you. I have a whole bunch of relatives that never learned to say thank you. You handed them a Christmas present and nothing. Birthday gifts and cards, graduation gifts... nada ... zip ... nothing. Years later you send them a wedding gift and nothing and then a gift for a baby and still a big old goose egg. I don't send gifts anymore to this bunch of relatives, I send my money to charities. I actually get a thank you from them.

It wasn't their fault really, they were never taught. Their mother never required them to say the phrase, because she never said it herself. I bet her mother never taught her either.






There is an old Danish Proverb that says,
"He who gives to me, teaches me to give."



I have a new proverb and it goes like this,
"She who teaches me to say Thank You, enables me to Be Thankful."






So you're thinking, "Geez, what an old grump.", contrare! It has brought me to one thing I am thankful for. I am thankful that I had a mother that cared enough to force me to do things that might have seemed uncomfortable or of little consequence at the time, but that I now know in my elderish years are vitally important.

My mother has been gone now for almost twenty years and I miss her terribly at the holidays, she truly loved this time of year and showed her love in many ways, but I especially remember the food. As a farm wife she was most skilled as a home cook and baker and her meals were legendary in their small farming community.

The last holiday meal that she prepared was Thanksgiving and I can still travel back there in my mind and see the table set with the fancy china and sterling silver.  We had all the standard foods like turkey, dressing, two kinds of potatoes, green beans, cranberry salad and scalloped oysters too. Of course the dessert  was homemade pumpkin pie! What a feast it was!

I am still Thankful even after all these years. I am Thankful for all of the wonderful memories that I have of my mother and father and my siblings when we were all together.  I celebrate now with my husbands family and it is still wonderful even though it's not the same. However I still am thankful for every moment of joy that life brings.

I hope that wherever you are this year that you are able to enjoy some bit of the holiday whether with a group or on your own, there is always something to be thankful for.

Oh, and dear readers, I want to say "Thank You" for sticking with me all these years and reading all my ramblings. You have always been kind and I really appreciate that. So "Cheers, here's to you!" And Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends here in the good old USA!








               Thankful, Joyful, Peaceful



image source

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Craving Warm



You know that I crave cute stuff, but after this week, I'm craving warm more than anything else. I'm not alone, most of the country is in the deep freeze and it's only November! Why are we having January weather so soon? Oh that's right, it's climate change. We never really thought it would happen, but voila, here it is. We're not debating that here today though, we're just here to warm our frozen fingers and toes.

Gather near my virtual fire and gaze upon these warm and cuddly images.....











Lovely!!




M O S E S - хозяин








Cozy Christmas Pictures - Cozy Decorating Ideas - Country Living











The essence of coziness...yessss!!!





Fall table decor













Cozy Christmas Pictures - Cozy Decorating Ideas - Country Living







Fall Candles





#3 How an autumn day makes me feel - ready to cozy up with a book by the fire..
#winter rachelhannah92: Happy vibes & love ✯☽ | Endless Winter 01





Fall table








November is the month of Thankfulness, and I am truly thankful for my warm friends, family, home and kitties. Thank you all for visiting me today. I hope wherever you are, you're staying warm and cozy!
~~~~ Diane ~~~~