Monday, December 22, 2014

Season's greetings


The presents are wrapped, the car is packed and DH and I are about to leave for our family Christmas and New Year festivities. We’re looking forward to enjoying time with DH’s mother and our children and their growing sons, to good food and good company, carols and games and plenty of unhurried conversation.

But I can’t leave without wishing you and your loved ones peace and joy this Christmas and good health and happiness in the coming year. As always your blogs and your friendship have hugely enriched the past year for me and for that I thank you all so much.


Image:  Adoration of the Infant Jesus by Matthias Stom (c. 1600 – 1650)

Carol:    In The Bleak Midwinter
               Words by Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

               Music by Gustav Holst (1874-1934) arranged by Harold Darke (1888-1976)

46 comments:

  1. God bless you and yours, Perpetua. May you have a wonderful Christmas with your family.

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    1. Thanks so much, Bonnie. Tomorrow we go with DH's mother to our son's for Christmas. :)

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  2. Blessings to you and yours, Perpetua - and safe travelling. 'Bubbles of protection' will be prayed for! Much love, Helva & BH

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    1. Thanks, Helva. First leg to MiL's safely accomplished and we're off to DS's tomorrow, where games will be us!

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  3. Hari OM
    Warmest hugs and wishes on their way back to you!!! YAM xx

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  4. Thankyou Perpetua and may your Christmas be full of all the things you most love.
    Safe journey(s).
    Blessings X

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    1. Thanks, Ray. So far, so good and we're off to Oxford with DH's mother tomorrow.

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  5. Happy Christmas to you and all your family xx

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  6. Happy Christmas, Perpetua. Looking forward to spending 2015 with you.

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  7. Perpetua, have a safe trip and a wonderful visit! Merry Christmas and Happy 2015!

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    1. Thanks, Rian. We're all ready to head off to DS's after lunch. :)

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  8. Traveling mercies and a peaceful holiday filled with love.

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  9. One of my favorite hymns. Perpetua. Lovely.

    The best to you and yours and a blessed holiday with them. Safe travel, dear one, keep healing, and low how very grateful I am for our blogging friendship.

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    1. Mine too, Penny., and thanks for the good wishes. I bless the day I came across your blog. :-)

      Travel has been good so far and we're off to Oxford after lunch to a very excited youngest grandson.

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  10. and to you and yours Perpetua. I will now enjoy "In the bleak midwinter" on a fairly warm day.

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    1. Thanks, Susan. Yes, our northern carols don'r really fit your climate, though I know there are southern hemisphere carols also.

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  11. Hoping you have a wonderful Christmas and wishing you peace and good health in the year to come. With lots of love xxx

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    1. Thanks, Ayak. It's being with the family that is the greatest gift and we should have a lot of fun.

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  12. A lovely post Perpetua..

    Its always super to read your posts.
    Have a wonderful time
    Wishing you a Happy peaceful Christmas with your family.
    love val xxx

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    1. Thanks, Val. I shall think of you celebrating Christmas Portuguese-style - hopefully in the sunshine. :)

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  13. Trusting that by now, you've safely arrived in Oxford, Perpetua. Wishing you & DH a very happy & peaceful Christmas.

    We will be singing 'In the bleak mid-winter' at our Family Eucharist on Christmas Day but to 'Cranham' by Gustav Holst rather than the setting by Darke. However, our weather is forecast not to comply with the opening words of the carol until Boxing Day when we are expecting snow & temperatures dropping to -5 degrees.

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    1. Thanks, Ricky. we're now ensconced and I'm grabbing a couple of minutes while the others are doing last minute shopping.

      The Darke setting is very much for choirs and I would expect you to be singing the Holst version which congregations love so much. It's brighter and colder here too, but I doubt we'll reach -5C any time soon. :)

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  14. Hope you have a wonderfully enjoyable time with your loved ones and have a safe journey. I've certainly enjoyed reading your posts over the last year P and look forward to keeping up our virtual friendship into 2015. God bless. Patricia x

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    1. Thanks, Patricia. We're having fun already as the excitement builds for Grandson#3. :-) I too am looking forward to a new year of blogging enjoyment, especially when I can once again type properly.

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  15. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

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  16. Merry Christmas Perpetua to you, your DH, and family.

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    1. Thanks, Shirley.I hope the weather isn't too hot for you this Christmas.

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  17. That is a beautiful painting. Merry Christmas to you.

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    1. Thanks, Terra. I really enjoyed finding this painting, thanks to Google. :)

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  18. HappY
    ChristmaS
    and a
    HEALTHY
    and fortuitous
    2015

    [Sorry... can't do centred text in comments!!
    Just imagine...]

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    1. Thanks, Tim.My imagination has swung into action and the result looks rather nice. :-)

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  19. I hope your Christmas was that wonderful combination of peace, joy and family cosiness. I am late with my wishes, but can still send all the best for 2015!

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    1. Honora, how lovely to see you here again. We had a really lovely Christmas, thanks, and are now looking forward to heading north to DD's for New Year. I do hope you're feeling settled now in the new house.

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  20. Replies
    1. Thanks, Nerima, and a happy New Year to you.

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  21. Hi Perpetua, what a lovely Christmas painting at the top! What it's all about. A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours!!

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    1. Thanks, Debra, and I hope you enjoyed the festive season too. Yes, it's a beautiful painting and I'm glad I found it.

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  22. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, Perpetua, and enjoying the travels visiting your family. Wishing you a wonderful New Year, peace and good health throughout 2015.

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    1. I had a lovely Christmas and New Year celebration, thanks, Patricia, and the travelling went very smoothly indeed. Wishing you and Mr C all the very best for 2015.

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I welcome your comments and will always try to respond to them. Thank you for reading.