Don't need a coat and you don't need your shoes

[sovay]

I am returned from Christmas, which was celebrated this year with rushthatspeaks, spatch, choco_frosh, and my parents. The front steps were icy enough for A Muppet Family Christmas (1987). We opened stockings and exchanged presents or IOUs as needed. I have cider caramels and new socks and Alan Garner's Treacle Walker (2021), which my mother somehow managed to order from England in a year when shipping within the continental U.S. is fraught with disappointment and tears. (I did succeed in obtaining a piece of elisem's jewelry for one of my husbands and the autobiography of Arthur Anderson for the other.) We had the traditional roast beef followed by the traditional plum pudding alight with the traditional brandy. Listening to Emily Smith's "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" reminded me again that theologically-lyrically I have almost a negative affinity for that song and emotionally-musically I am deeply attached to it. I heard it first in the 1935 A Tale of Two Cities. My brother and my niece will be coming over for Boxing Day, as is also traditional, which gives us time to fashion another Paleozoic postcard. Until then, I plan to read with cats.

Comments

[asakiyume]

I love Emily Smith--I have an album of hers and several stray songs.

The humans and animals in your day sound perfect--Merry Christmas!

[thistleingrey]

Treacle Walker is a stunning fusion of myth and folklore and an exploration of the fluidity of time

Somehow it seems that this could be said of most if not all of Garner's books. Anyway, good to know that there's a new one!

[alexxkay]

On the off-chance you haven't seen it yet, here's a fun riff on the Merry Gentlemen and their punctuation: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sxfxy-3dGz0

[nineweaving]

That's as close to perfect as this year can come.

Merry Christmas!

Nine

[pameladean]

...theologically-lyrically I have almost a negative affinity for that song and emotionally-musically I am deeply attached to it.

You've described my relationship to a number of songs, notably "Matty Groves."

Happy all the things to you, spatch, and little black cats. *hug*

P.

[gwynnega]

Glad you had such a lovely Christmas!

[skygiants]

Accidentally singing the lyrics the Tam Lin lyrics to the God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen tune (and vice versa) has given me a fondness for it I never had before. I am glad you had a delightful-sounding holiday!