Above is one of the greatest blues tunes of all time. (That I've heard, I haven't heard them all. Obviously.) But it is brilliant, and entirely appropriate for we are all suffering from the lurgy and have sore throats and aches and pains and streaming eyes and eye bags and stuffed noses, running noses and coughs. Some remedies have worked brilliantly, others have fallen by the wayside, and I wonder if milk, cream and alcohol might sometimes have been more effective...
William is finding anything Thomas the Tank engine-related very soothing, and one of Santa's helpers dropped by today to give him his gift from Nippers toddler group as he missed his visit to the christmas bash (what with the snotty nose and hacking cough). He had no idea he'd missed all the fun though, and had a great time with his pressie! We've been soft and given him a noisy Thomas book and big car which were meant to be for his birthday next week... Hey, maybe we could put them away for and day or two and wrap them up for birthday unveiling? Genius.
On a side note, Richard wonders if the Island of Sordor is next to Mordor... meh, the Fat Controller could take Sauron any day.
We ought to observe also that even the things which follow after the things which are produced according to nature contain something pleasing and attractive. For instance, when bread is baked some parts are split at the surface, and these parts which thus open, and have a certain fashion contrary to the purpose of the baker's art, are beautiful in a manner, and in a peculiar way excite a desire for eating. And again, figs, when they are quite ripe, gape open; and in the ripe olives the very circumstance of their being near to rottenness adds a peculiar beauty to the fruit. And the ears of corn bending down, and the lion's eyebrows, and the foam which flows from the mouth of wild boars, and many other things- though they are far from being beautiful, if a man should examine them severally- still, because they are consequent upon the things which are formed by nature, help to adorn them, and they please the mind; so that if a man should have a feeling and deeper insight with respect to the things which are produced in the universe, there is hardly one of those which follow by way of consequence which will not seem to him to be in a manner disposed so as to give pleasure. And so he will see even the real gaping jaws of wild beasts with no less pleasure than those which painters and sculptors show by imitation; and in an old woman and an old man he will be able to see a certain maturity and comeliness; and the attractive loveliness of young persons he will be able to look on with chaste eyes; and many such things will present themselves, not pleasing to every man, but to him only who has become truly familiar with nature and her works.
A reindeer from 2007!
I have just watched Kirstie's Homemade Christmas, in which Ms Allsop makes lots of lovely Christmas decorations herself - or, to be more accurate, has a go then gleefully takes delivery of the rest of the lovely hand-blown baubles, real garlands and so on obliging craftspeople have made for her. Frankly you'd need considerably more time than, well, anyone, to do it all and I'm not surprised. Having said that, her finished home looked beautiful, I'm feeling inspired, and the Christmas cookie cutters may well come out again. I haven't baked for the tree since just before William was born (funny, that!) but perhaps he's old enough to do some helping this year. We'll be hauling the decs out this week and studding oranges with cloves and perhaps foraging for evergreens. Perhaps we should call it Freeishmas? Ummm, on second thoughts... nah.
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