The weather continues to define each day. As expected, freezing rain overnight. The porch roof is finally off limits. Neither Ed or I are that insane. (Though we did do a google search to see what they use to de-ice planes... Verdict? too toxic!)
The next drama is to come on Sunday (heavy snow) and then on Monday (single digit highs).
December is such an interesting month.
And such a beautiful month! A musical month. My playlist has five hours of favorite Christmas music and I judge it to be incomplete. However did it come to pass that I took on this holiday and considered it my own? The heathen who loves Christmas!
Understandable, no? When I was living in New York, everyone I knew was Christmas-happy. The family I au-paired for was Jewish, but they had a tree and gave Christmas gifts. So, too, Ed's family. Well, obviously! If I could love Bach, if my college professor, Prof. Sachs, could show me the relevance of St. Matthew's Passion to everyone's life, doesn't it follow that all tradition, and especially all musical tradition should command the same respect? In those days at least, Christmas was everyone's holiday.
That wonderful music -- repetitive, familiar, glues it together and I listen now to my playlist, jumping between Polish hymns and Ella Fitzgerald and Diana Krall and Clare College and Kings College and St John's College and if that's all too serious for you, I have also the Muppets -- ohhh, what's there not to love?
Ed goes upstairs to escape it all.
Scenes from the day:
Breakfast, almost ready!
Ice!
Christmas at the farmhouse.
The next drama is to come on Sunday (heavy snow) and then on Monday (single digit highs).
December is such an interesting month.
And such a beautiful month! A musical month. My playlist has five hours of favorite Christmas music and I judge it to be incomplete. However did it come to pass that I took on this holiday and considered it my own? The heathen who loves Christmas!
Understandable, no? When I was living in New York, everyone I knew was Christmas-happy. The family I au-paired for was Jewish, but they had a tree and gave Christmas gifts. So, too, Ed's family. Well, obviously! If I could love Bach, if my college professor, Prof. Sachs, could show me the relevance of St. Matthew's Passion to everyone's life, doesn't it follow that all tradition, and especially all musical tradition should command the same respect? In those days at least, Christmas was everyone's holiday.
That wonderful music -- repetitive, familiar, glues it together and I listen now to my playlist, jumping between Polish hymns and Ella Fitzgerald and Diana Krall and Clare College and Kings College and St John's College and if that's all too serious for you, I have also the Muppets -- ohhh, what's there not to love?
Ed goes upstairs to escape it all.
Scenes from the day:
Breakfast, almost ready!
Ice!
Christmas at the farmhouse.
I love that sweet little ornament. Yes, Christmas at the farmhouse is lovely and so are your photos of the last three days....just catching up.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget Harry Connick or She and Him (and Pandora's alternative Christmas station is quite fun for a bit). I love your ornaments-I have a ton like that from Germany in a box somewhere and have never thought to put them on trees. I always put them in windows!
ReplyDeleteYou won me over on "The Muppets" - what's a Christmas without the Muppets and John Denver?
ReplyDeleteWe still watch the Muppets Christmas Carol with our three grown sons and their wives at our annual Christmas Eve celebration...they are the ones who want to see it! Of course by that time, we've been through a few bottles of wine... Merry Christmas, Nina! It sounds like the spirit of love and joy is alive in you.
ReplyDeleteYou remind me to watch the DVD of Bach's Chistmas Oratorio, which is becoming a tradition for us. Glorious thing - John Elliott Gardiner and the Monteverdi choir during the Jubilee project in the original churches.
ReplyDeleteI think you decorate nearly as well as the frost outside does! It was 40 degrees centigrade here the other day but we are promised 29 on Christmas Day. Happy preparations and celebrations. Jean