Thankful Sunday--December 29, 2013

I am thankful for a cold glass of water.

Even in the winter, I like most of my drinks cold. I am visiting relatives now that have cold water flowing from their faucet. No ice needed--just a little turn of a handle. This is not something that I get to enjoy at home where our water pipes run through our heated basement. Here, the water flows through pipes that are in the crawl space under the house. A nice cool drink every time. 

Miracles

Forty five years ago on Christmas Eve, astronauts orbiting the moon saw the Earth rise for the first time over the moon. This is one of the many miracles that happen this time of year, the first being the birth of a tiny baby.
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BTW, if you look really close, I think you can see a sleigh with eight tiny reindeer on the Earth. :)

Picture from NASA public domain.

Ice Sculptures

We had unusually warm weather over the weekend with temperatures in the 60's. So what did we decide to do? We visited an ice sculpture show where the temperature was 9 °F (-13 °C). The Gaylord Hotels sponsor these shows every year and I have wanted to go since I first heard about them--even though that was only a couple of weeks ago from a commercial on TV. :) The Gaylord hired 40 master ice sculpture artists from Harbin, China that is known for its world famous International Ice and Snow Festival. They created the wonderland from 5000 blocks of ice weighing two million pounds.

There were life-size and larger colorful characters in several rooms that we wandered through that depicted scenes from the poem, Twas the Night before Christmas by Clement Moore. We also saw scenes from New York City and the Christmas manger scene all made from ice. The first thing we did before entering was to get a large parka to help with the cold inside. Since I was already wearing three layers including a winter coat, I wasn't sure I needed the addtional parka. However, it wasn't an option and I'm really glad that it wasn't it. Did I mention that it was 9 °F in there? Afterward, we walked around outside looking at other Christmas decorations with only a sweater on. We had an enjoyable outing in both the warm and the cold.

Here are a few pictures from the ice show. Remember everything you see here is made from ice. Interestingly enough, the camera picked up the edges between the blocks of ice more than our eyes did.

I Was Wondering--Who Wouldn't go?

or Up on the Housetop


For several weeks now, I have been randomly singing Christmas carols. Sometimes they are sparked by a song I hear in a store or by a decoration I see in someone's yard. This afternoon I saw a Santa on a rooftop and before I realized it, I was singing Up on the House Top. Now I have sung that song almost my whole life and it wasn't until that moment I ever thought about who it was exactly that wouldn't go. For those of you who don't know or have forgotten the lyrics, here they are.

Up on the house top reindeer paused
Out jumps good old Santa Claus
Down through the chimney with lots of toys
All part of a little ones with Christmas joys
 
Oh oh oh who wouldn't go? Oh ho ho who wouldn't go?
Up on the housetop
Click click click
Down to the chimney with the good St. Nick

First come the stop in the middle bell
Hope dear Santa feeling well
Give her a doll in the laps and cries 
One that can open and shut it tight
 
Oh ho ho who wouldn't go Oh ho ho who wouldn't go?
Up on the house top, click click click
Down to the chimney with good St. Nick
 
Look in the stop in the middle bell
Hope just sees what a glorious well
Here's a little hammer and lots of pack
A whistle and a ball and a wood clap clap

Oh ho ho who wouldn't go? Oh ho ho who wouldn't go?
Up on the house top, click click click
Down through the chimney with the good St. Nick
Oh oh ho who wouldn't go? Oh ho ho who wouldn't go?
Up on the house top, click click click
Down through the chimney with good St. Nick (repeat this line once) 

As you can see, twice in every chorus, they ask, "Who wouldn't go?" Who are they talking about? I couldn't find any references to it on the internet. Is it so obvious that it doesn't need a discussion? Help me out. Who do you think wouldn't go? 
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Want to know more?

Up on the Housetop was written in the mid 1860's by Benjamin Hanby and was the first song to focus on Santa Claus. It has been recorded many times, but the most famous is probably the recording by Gene Autry.

Thankful Sunday--December 22, 2013

I am thankful the days are getting longer.

We have turned the corner and the days will be getting longer for the next six months. Thank goodness. Like many other people, the shorter days make me tired and blah. However, now I can look forward to more daylight every day. For that I am thankful.