Saturday, December 24, 2011

Happy Christmas

Tree at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan - 2005
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
  So momma in her ‘kerchief, I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters then threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, with eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively, so quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
Oh how he whistled, then shouted, then called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer, Hey Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on Donner, yo Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, including St Nicholas too.

  Then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing or possibly pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, then was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
His clothes were all tarnished with ashes, black soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
So he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
The beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
making the smoke encircle his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face, a big fat round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby, not plump, a right jolly old elf,
So I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye then a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
Tirelessly filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
  Then laying his finger aside of his nose,
while giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
Then away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, to all a good-night!"


Clement Clarke Moore (1799 - 1863) 

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

A Farmhouse Christmas

Once upon a time an odd collection of friends congregated in a large house with patient neighbors, a few porches, a pool(officially no one drown) and a garden well fertilized in one spot.  There were birthday parties, theme parties, Sunday gatherings, Saturday gatherings, weekday gatherings and there may have been some sex, and drinking, and loud music and drinking, but not drugs, and did I mention drinking. After the house, referred to as the "Farmhouse" tragically burned down, they gathered every first Saturday of December to mourn the loss of dear friends who not surprisingly owed quite a bit of money to some very unsavory characters with an affection for arson*.

To date the Farmhouse Remembrance Dinner gathering's have been at
1994 - At the home of Mr. and Mrs. Purple
1995 - Mauro's Restuarant
1996 - Mauro's again
1997 - The Parsonage at Richmond Town (now closed)
1998 - Carol's Cuisine
1999 - Sweet Basil in Annadale
2000 - American Park (Next to South Ferry, now Battery Gardens)
2001 - Cucina
2002 - Pearl Room
2003 - Waterfalls
2004 - Aesop's Tables (now closed)
2005 - The Corner House
2006 - The Corner House
2007 - Young Frankenstein on Broadway (Not a restaurant)
2008 - Killmeyer's
2009 - At the Purples
2010 - D'jeet
2011 - At the home of Ms. Beet

Candles, duct tape, det. cord and mason jars suspected of being full of gasoline are banned from all events, so as not to bring back bad memories.
* Blatant lie, except for the part about getting together for dinner every December.

Happy Winter Solstice

Dreaming of Longer Days Ahead.


Non-Secular Seasons Greetings are forthcoming.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

2011 Books Read

Under the weather today, always seems to occur on the weekends, why can't I get sick mid-week?

This year I didn't read many books, too tired at the end of the day to get through many chapters.  Only 19 books this year counting the one I currently am reading. Listed in starting order.
  1. Gideon's Month, J.J. Marric. Gideon is a Scotland yard Detective. Read it in one day while at UMASS at Amherst with the younger child.
  2. Gideon's wrath, J.J. Marric. J.J. Marric is actually John Creasey.
  3. Death of a Chimney Sweep, M.C. Beaton. A Hamish Macbeth murder mystery series, Hamish is a Scottish Highlands Police officier who tries hard not to get promoted and moved from his lovely village.
  4. Life, Keith Richards. I found it hard to understand at times. I did not find it great.
  5. Growing a Farmer, Kurt Timmermeister. Very Good. Each chapter was about a different aspect of the author becoming a farmer. Somethings worked out and somethings did not, though Kurt always kept going. The saddest point of the book was the story of a little lamb out in a field. The events of the book took place over 20 years, but it doesn't read that way.
  6. Half Empty, David Rakoff. (DNF) Too many books out there that I want to read to force myself to finish one I just didn't enjoy.
  7. The Book Stops Here, Ian Samson. (DNF) 2 Guys, a Bookmobile and a trip to London. Made 2 attempts, I won't be making another.
  8. Wycliff and the Gilt Edged Alibi, W.J. Burley. English Detective, Enjoyable.
  9. Dragon, Clive Cusler. These are good reads, very formulaic, but enjoyable and usually include some outlandish technology that actually exists.
  10. 3 Bags Full, A Sheep Detective Story, original in German by Leonie Swann. Told from the point of view of the sheep, whose shepherd has been murdered. Excellent.
  11. Steppenwolf Herman Hesse. Read it in High School, still over my head.
  12. Death in a Salubrious Place, W.J. Burley. Enjoyable.
  13. Churchill, Paul Johnson. Interesting, not the thickest of the Churchill biographies.
  14. The Tao of Pooh. Benjamin Hoff. 
  15. Travels with My Aunt, Graham Greene. My Traditional Summer read, as good as ever.
  16. Aunt Dimity Slays a Dragon, Nancy Atherton. American lady living in a little village in the Cotswolds of England solves crimes with the help of a dead fake Aunt with whom she communicates by writing in a book and reading what the old lady writes back. Actually enjoyable.
  17. Blood Rain, Michal Dibden. A Aurelio Zen Mystery story. We saw 3 of Dibden's adaptations on PBS's Mystery. The stories take place in modern day Italy where Zen works as a Detective. Very good.
  18. The Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco. Read it before after seeing the movie (Starred Sean Connery).
Still have piles of books to read.