I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

And I will get to hear bells this Christmas Day. My friend Cathy wanted to go to a church on Christmas, and since she is part Catholic, and no Evangelical churches are having Christmas Day services, seems like we used to somewhere?, we are going to ST. Margaret's at Ten AM and they do have bells. Very Loud Bells, as I remember. You don't want to be late, or you will really hear the bells, They are right in front. Should be a good service, and more than likely an hour at most. You can get so much done in an hour if you work at it.

Decorating the tree finally. Cathy gave me an ornament for Christmas and I didn't want it to hang there all alone. Obviously I am writing this on Christmas Eve, for I do not think I will have time in the morning. I shall have my traditional coffee or cocoa in the morning by the tree, and then get ready. Should be a GOOD day.


This is the song that has been running through my mind all day. Notice it has the word "Old" in it again! Written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow during the Civil War in America, it really is good for this day as well.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet the words repeat,

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom
Had roll'd along th' unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bow'd my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

'Til ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

Carol of the Day

This morning on the Frank Beckman Show, "Santa" came by hologram from the North Pole and kids called in to give their wishes. I have been thinking of the Old Santa song from my childhood. Jolly old St. Nicholas.

Today I am thinking of the word "OLD" as so many of our Christmas celebrations are, and as I am becoming. I hope its very becoming. Always wanted to grow old gracefully, but time will tell if that is to be. Here is today's song. With the word "old" in it.

Jolly Old Saint Nicolas


Jolly old Saint Nicholas,
lean your ear this way!
Don't you tell a single soul
what I'm going to say:
Christmas Eve is coming soon;
now, you dear old man
Whisper what you'll bring to me;
tell me if you can.

When the clock is striking twelve,
when I'm fast asleep
Down the chimney, broad and black,
with your pack you'll creep
All the stockings you will find
hanging in a row
Mine will be the shortest one,
you'll be sure to know

Bobby wants a pair of skates,
Suzy wants a sled
Nellie wants a picture book,
yellow, blue, and red
Now I think I'll leave to you
what to give the rest
Choose for me, dear Santa Claus;
you will know the best. 

Don't hear any music? Press this...

Carol of the Night

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, goodwill to men,
From heaven's all-gracious King."
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come,
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats

O'er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains,
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever o'er its Babel sounds
The blessèd angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring;

O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.

And ye, beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours
come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing!

For lo!, the days are hastening on,
By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever-circling years
Comes round the age of gold
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.

December 23, 2008 Carol

Christmas Carol of the Day

O Holy Night

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming, With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming, Here came the wise men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger, In all our trials born to be our Friend!
He knows our need—to our weakness is no stranger.
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother And in His Name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, Let all within us praise His holy Name!
Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!

This song is a French Carol, Some Interesting Facts I did not know until this year.

Words: Pla­cide Cap­peau, 1847 (Mi­nuit, chré­tiens, c’est l’heure so­len­nelle); trans­lat­ed from French to Eng­lish by John S. Dwight (1812-1893).

Music: Adolphe C. Adam (1803-1856) (MI­DI, score). This is said to have been the first mu­sic ev­er broad­cast over a ra­dio.

Information from Cyber hymnal as was yesterdays (click on the angel?)
Click here to read whole page and search for other Carols.

Christmas Carol of the day

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Hark, the herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Refrain

Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

For more on this magnificent song by Charles Wesley
Click on the angel.

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/h/h/a/hhangels.htm

Raindrops are falling on my head..inside

RAIN DROPS ARE FALLING ON MY HEAD.

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head
And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed
Nothin' seems to fit
Those raindrops are fallin' on my head, they keep fallin'

But there's one thing I know
The blues they send to meet me won't defeat me
It won't be long till happiness steps up to greet me

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head
But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' red
Cryin's not for me
'Cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complainin'
Because I'm free
Nothin's worryin' me

It was brought to my attention that I have not written here since Thanksgiving. Too busy, what with the choir concert at the beginning of December and trying to avoid the sinus cold that finally caught up with me while visiting the doctor on Friday for a consultation and a flu shot. Well, I got the consultation, but not the shot. Instead I have antibiotics and nasal spray.

Then on Monday I went for my quarterly appointment with my endocrinologist. I discovered that even though she had moved her office further away from me by leaving 13 and Hayes for 17 and Mound, that I now have three doctors located on the 16 Mile Road corridor. Yesterday I visited all three of them! First the endocrinologist, then my primary doctor to figure out a problem with the pharmacy and to pick up some papers for the first doctor. Then to my chiropractor, Dr. Riffel where I had a drive by appointment to make up for the one I had inadvertently missed when I was sick last week. I like that. Three trips on a busy road all condensed into one.

The endo doctor noticed that my legs were swollen. I had never had that happen before. Could be the Actos that I have been taking for several months. Could be related to the stiff left ventricle in my echocardiogram. That could be bad, but we are waiting to see if the condition continues. I notice today that it is going down. Perhaps I dodged a bullet.

This morning as sick as I felt, I had to get myself in order quickly to take care of a household problem. Water dripping from the fan in my second floor bathroom. Hence the title of this entry. Well, the water dripped for a while, probably from the roof and a leaky flashing around the bathroom vent pipe.

The joy of condo living is that the condo association takes care of all outside repairs. Bob was already over here and he removed the cover of the fan, getting wet in the process and exposing a lot of dust and dirt. When I feel a little better I shall clean that up. We also removed the downstairs fan covered. No water, no dust. Interesting. Bob thinks that hairspray and steam from showers in the upstairs bath is the difference.

The building contractor who does our condo work is coming tomorrow afternoon to check out the attic. I will have to empty the closet to give hime room for the ladder. And put Toast in the garage so he doesn’t follow him up the ladder. You know how cats are about high places.