Wednesday 23 December 2020

23rd December - Advent Photo

Another small book similar to the one I wrote about on Sunday and compiled by the same person a couple of years later in 1986. It's also a book that I've had for ages. 

 


 The editor had already used all the best bits of Christmas writing in the first book but there are a couple of enjoyable pieces in this one.

First an Ogden Nash poem -                  A Word About Winter

Now the frost is on the pane,
Rugs upon the floor again, 
Now the screens are in the cellar,
Now the student cons the speller, 
Lengthy summer noon is gone,
Twilight treads the heels of dawn
Round eyed sun is now a squinter,
Tiptoe breeze a panting sprinter,
Every cloud a blizzard hinter,
Squirrel on the snow a printer,
Rain spot sprouteth icy sprinter,
Willy-nilly this is winter

Summer swollen doorjambs settle,
Ponds and puddles turn to metal,
Skater whoops in frisky fettle,
Golf-club stingeth like a nettle,
radiator sings like kettle
Hearth is Popocatepetl.

Runneth nose and chappeth lip,
Draft evadeth winter strip,
Doctor wrestleth with grippe,
In never ending rivalship.
Rosebush droops in garden shoddy,
Blood is cold and thin in body,
Weary postman dreams of toddy.
Head before the hearth grows noddy.
 
On the hearth the embers gleam,
Glowing like a maidens dream,
Now the apple and the oak
Paint the sky with chimney smoke,
Husband now, without disgrace,
Dumps ash-trays in the fireplace. 

When I looked online on poetry websites to copy the poem onto the blog I couldn't find it anywhere at all which is a bit odd so had to type it all out word by word.........the things I do to fill a blog post!!

Below is a story which I hope is true, and also hope it's big enough for you to read. It's said to come from The Sunday Express in December 1984. The Queen loves her horses so perhaps she would ask a choir to sing to them.



Yesterday I made some cheese straws and today I shall pop to Debenham for the fruit and veg shop where I know they will have a stalk of Brussels sprouts, carrots and grapes. That's my shopping done.
 
Back Tomorrow
Sue
 
 
 

27 comments:

  1. Lovely story Sue about the Queen's horses. Christmas is special not just for family gatherings but for the whole seasonal time, when we come together with people and animals and feast.
    Happy Christmas to you and your family. xxx

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    1. A story I'd not read for ages as this little book, like all the other Christmas books, had sat on the shelves without being opened for many years. I can imagine the queen in her headscarf with her beloved horses

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  2. Tesco's are delivering the last of our Christmas shopping this afternoon. Worried as to the way things were going, I bought some frozen Brussels sprouts the other week. I may have over-reacted there!

    The Nash poem is on the Internet Archive. I mention this because the whole book it comes from is there, too. It's a fascinating window into the times he lived in, I thought. Happy Christmas!

    https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.235163/2015.235163.Versus-1942_djvu.txt

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    1. Not sure I've ever eaten frozen Brussels sprouts.
      Off the stalk is best and I have some in the garden but not enough for 3 people.
      Thank you for the poem info. I just googled his name and then tried poem title and first line and it didn't pop up anywhere.

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  3. What a lovely story about the Carol Singers and the Queen and her horses. I saw the other day, a photo of her out hacking still - not bad for her age!

    They were selling Brussel sprouts on their stalks at Abergwili this week. As I'm the only one that eats them, I didn't bother!

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    1. Wow out on a horse at 94 - amazing. My Mum was also born in 1926 but died so many years ago.
      I love sprouts - after reading Rachels comment below I'll try frozen ......sometime

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  4. Just seeing your comment about frozen brussel sprouts, in fact they are delicious and I defy anyone to tell the difference between them and fresh ones off the stalk. P & I use to swear by them. I eat them through the year and keep my sprouts and peas in the ice box of the fridge.

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    1. Frozen peas ....yes but I'll try frozen sprouts sometime and report back

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  5. Beautiful poems again.
    Hope you get your veg. Sue.🌈🌈🌈 Hazel c u

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    1. They'd already sold all their stalks by 9am! So I bought some loose - they look fresh enough

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  6. A lovely story about the Queen's horses. All shopping done here. I don't intend to enter another shop for a while, it was getting way too busy for my liking yesterday. xx

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    1. I'm glad I kept that little book all these years just for enjoying that story.
      I shall just pop to the garage tomorrow for the extra big edition of the local daily paper and fill up with diesel. I won't be rushing to sales! and I reckon we'll all be in lockdown on boxing day anyway

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  7. Alan has all the veggies for Christmas in the freezer, including a stash of Brussels Sprouts ... only he eats them so it's going to last him a while. If he eats too many of them in one go he will be sleeping in his workshop for Christmas!!

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  8. I got some lovely sprouts in Asda yesterday, I know they were good as we had some on last nights dinner. Asda vegetables are all twenty pence a bag, good stuff too. I got on with my Partner’s mother very well and the only time I disagreed with her was once when I was staying with her and going to cook the Sunday dinner, I was just about to buy some beautiful local grown (Devon) sprouts when she said no, we are having frozen ones they are just as nice, they were foul and I’ve never eaten frozen sprouts ever again. MERRY CHRISTMAS to YOU! Sue.

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    1. Good old sprouts some love them and some hate them, Colin always had to have vinegar on his - I thought that rather weird to start with.

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  9. That's a delightful book. Thanks for sharing.
    xx

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  10. Love that story! Christmas blessings x

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  11. I love the story about the Queen's horses! Thank you for sharing it.

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  12. I love brussel sprouts but have never tried frozen ones. We never see them here for sale on the stalk, only loose.

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  13. Wonderful! Yum, cheese straws.

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  14. What a lovely story. I also hope it is a true one.

    God bless.

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  15. One of my relatives used to have a job that meant he lived within Windsor Castle and at Christmas he would be part of a group of staff and some of the royals that went around the stables (and cows I think) and sing carols to the animals. There was a documentary about Windsor Castle quite a few years ago that showed some of the staff doing this.

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  16. Nice poem and Christmas story with Queen involved. I read it and enjoyed it. I remembered to make the green bean casserole for dinner Christmas evening. So good to eat with pork steak. I forgot to pull out the sparkling cider, which I nearly forgot on Thanksgiving. We'll just drink it with dinner sometime soon! Take care and thanks for sharing stories !!

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