As often happens, real life has overtaken good blogging intentions and I don't have time today to write the post I had planned to. Instead DH and I will be racing the weather to get the van packed before the forecast wind and rain arrive later in the day, and tomorrow we will be taking the long road south again.
So in place of my normal pearls of wisdom, I will leave you to get into the mood for the forthcoming festivities with the help of the inimitable Tom Lehrer. With that out of the way, we can all settle down and concentrate on Advent instead. J
Oh thanks so much for this one Perpetua. I love Tom Lehrer and alas no longer have his records (vinyl).
ReplyDeleteThe "Just what I wanted. How nice!" has become a mantra in my family.
I hope all goes well with your journey.
Blessings.
Brilliant Perpetua...loved it!
ReplyDeleteSP
Thanks, Ray, you're very welcome. DH and I are great Tom Lehrer fans and as soon as his records were reissued on CD we bought them. In fact we're busy packing to the strains of "An Evening with Tom Lehrer". :-)
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it, SP. He's so good - wickedly funny, musically talented and with a very healthy dose of cynicism.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the Lehrer..such fun and so appropriate as I watch expat American checking the price of turkeys for Thanksgiving...turkeys which will be half price after the weekend!
ReplyDeleteSafe journey.
Thanks for that Perpetua -- I love Tom Lehrer, too. Looking forward to the Advent Carol service on Sunday...Then I can begin the madness -- or perhaps not...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Fly. The forecast for overnight is very bad, but tomorrow should be a bit quieter, says she with fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteYes, Lehrer's songs manage to be amazingly topical, despite having been written over 50 years ago. We do enjoy them.
My Thanksgiving present to you, Broad :-) There will be an Advent carol service with a visiting choir at my home church on Sunday, so really looking forward to it. Then it's Advent until Christmas Eve if I can manage it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Perpetua! I, too, love Tom Lehrer and he is so right about the general spirit of the season. The spiritual aspects mean so much more to me. Have a safe journey and enjoy the season -- your way!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Kathy. Happy thanksgiving and I hope you are now or soon will be feeling very well-fed.
ReplyDeleteListening to the wind howling outside, I'm glad we're not setting off until tomorrow. Hopefully it may be quieter by then, though they are forecasting some possible snow....
Dear Perpetua,
ReplyDeleteI hope your trip has gone well and that you arrived at your destination safely and in good spirits.
Thanks for introducing me to Tom Lehrer. I've never had the opportunity to hear his humor before. What a treat. And he so pinpointed all that wrong with the way Christmas, especially here in the US, is often celebrated. I laughed out loud at his final joke about the gift certificate for the lobotomy!
Peace as ever and always.
Thank you, Dee. I too hope it goes well, but we don't actually travel until tomorrow. We're all packed, though, ready for an early start.
ReplyDeleteI feel privileged to have introduced you to Tom Lehrer. He was at the height of his fame in the late 50s and early 60s, which is probably why you haven't encountered him before. Really glad you enjoyed him so much.
I discovered Tom Lehrer last year (from my son) - really excellent I think
ReplyDeleteLove it! You'd mentioned him before but this is the 1st time I've listened to him. Ultra dry and witty-excellent :-)
ReplyDeleteHope you had a safe journey.
I've not come across Tom Lehrer before but I thoroughly enjoyed that clip! Safe journey south. The weather has been very wild these last few days and I hope you made it home safely.
ReplyDeleteIsn't he, Mark? I'm really glad to hear that Lehrer is being rediscovered by young people. He deserves to be because, though some of his subject matter is dated, his wit, acute observation and marvellous use of words and music will always be relevant.
ReplyDeleteYes thanks, Niall and Antoinette. We arrived home tired but in one piece at 1.30 this morning.
ReplyDeleteVery glad you enjoyed the Lehrer song. It was partly because you commented that you'd never heard him that I thought it would be fun to post a link. He's too good to be allowed to fade into total obscurity. There are more of his songs on YouTube if you're interested.
Sian, not knowing Tom Lehrer is a sign of being of a younger generation than mine :-) He dropped out of the public eye a long time ago, which is why I'm enjoying introducing people to him. He's just too good not to be known.
ReplyDeleteLuckily we managed to seize a window of opportunity between the gale of Thursday night and those of this weekend. Our journey home was long and tiring but uneventful, except for a lot of sleet and then wet snow on the way down to the Borders. Now wet and windy here in Wales....
Glad you had a safe trip.
ReplyDeleteLoved the video - it sums up how i feel about Christmas - it's largely just a chore and a retail extravaganza. I'm giving home-made jams, chutneys and muffin kits this year, I refuse to get swept up in the commercial mayhem. Christmas should be about....well we all know that !!
Hello Jean and welcome. Yes, we arrived home, safe but shattered, at almost 2am, thanks.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the video. Lehrer puts it at into perspective so very well. Our Christmas gets simpler every year and we have always refused to spend, spend, spend! As the old saying goes, it's the thought that counts.