Thank you RH community for enriching my knowledge, tempering my opinion and humouring my days. So whatever is your thing at this time of year I hope you indulge. Warm regards to all, including absent friends who huffed off out or are unable to post now.

Warm Regards, P.

Merry Christmas to all, and happy second birthday to Res Historica.

The same to you too, Priscilla and SST, and also to all the contributors.
Warm regards, Paul.
PS. I didn't use the term in years (from the old BBC board) while I was afraid to use an uncommon word in English...

And we should say a big thank you to the Benevolent One Himself for keeping Res His going for us all.

If most posters are like me, we take the computer/programming stuff very much for granted: it's just there and it works. We all tend to forget the knowledge, expertise, time - and effort - required to maintain a site like this.

So thanks and a Merry Saturnalia to our nordmann - El Supremo himself. (I wish there were some reversed snowball things a la BBC to put here, but can't have everything.)

 

The secret Solstice Celebration of the First Reformed Saturnalian Coven can now be revealed ...

Season greetings everyone and a safe and happy New Year!    This year I've gone the whole hog and even put the Aloe Vera to use, as our Christmas Cactus.   

Perhaps that could be our tree next year.  Aloe vera is one plant I can grow well indoors, though it doesn't look quite as well-controlled as that one.  We need an option to the tree chopped down from a friend's; finding a suitable bucket, stopping it falling over, dragging it inside, finding suitable stones and soil to stabilise it, finding a spare space for it, and now today, along with a major vacuuming, wrapping one or two presents, and organising some food (since Christmas with just the two of us has turned into a group of seven people whose kids have deserted them), the tree still needs decorating.  By which I mean have some baubles dating to the mid-20th century if not earlier, things made from my sister annually which I am sternly told till not be forthcoming in the future if they are not put on the tree, paper chains made by the three-year-old over thirty years ago, tinsel that has lost it shine, etc.  But the lights are new (and very cheap!).  After all this, there are no presents to put under it anyway. 

Have a lovely Christmas, all of you.  Hunker down.  We will have to here too, since the weather forecasts talk of rain and storms. 

Cheers, Caro.

Festive felicitations from me as well. My decorations are up but I've been somewhat less restrained than you, ID.



Oh, I've just noticed that we've had a snowfall on the plaque. Thanks for that, and everything else, your Great Beneficence.

Blimey, we're iced plaqued; if we have a newborn convert in the making here, please don't tell Tim. Ah yes, and all hail and greetings, of course, to He Who Makes Things Work Around Here and who shields us from nasty trolls - and who will even speak to you if your posted thoughts are intelligible enough - and possibly you're likely to understand What He Do Say.

Meilleurs voeux tout le monde - best wishes to all .....

.... and just for Temp:

Besten Wünsche für die Schadenfreudefest!

Bah Humbug!

Iv'e got nobody staying over the whole festive period so thankfully haven't had to bother with a tree, crêche or any other decorations. I will be cooking some nice food however and I've got a good stack of wine in. It's just 9:30 am here .... is that too early to sample the port?  

Well, you have to be sure of its quality before you drink it on Christmas Day.  Better just have a little taste.

Ah but of course in France and most of continental Europe the big event is the evening of Christmas Eve, ie tonight .... so I'm only starting a few hours early. But you are right I do need to check the quality .... so I'm just sampling the Chardonnay now!

I see it has been snowing in here overnight, at least I hope that is what it is and not the cold shoulder from above?

I'll add my thanks also, for all His Enormousness's hard work to make this such an enjoyable place for us all.

Well, turkey is stuffed and on, with a glaze of soy sauce and some Thai herbs.  I hope that will be all right.  Our Christmas meals are always traditional, though nothing much in the way of desserts today.  Friend bringing some strawberry chocolate Santas, and I am making a mostly orange and sugar syrup fruit salad.  New potatoes and broad beans and peas.  Other friend bringing a lettuce salad.

Some seasonal gif t s ...

For Temp - sorry, couldn't resist this when I came across it on the worldwide webbed feet thingy. Happy Saturnalia!





This one I liked too ... 





And this one - Jesus on his birthday waiting for someone to think of him ...





But then this one, I thought, just about sums it all up. Happy whatever everyone - Here's to surviving it!

Merry Christmas to all.

Nordmann - I'm sure you'd approve:

http://www.newsbiscuit.com/2008/12/07/infant-school-produces-athiest-nativity-play-262/

Early on in the play, five-year-old Molly Johnson announces ‘Lo, there is a great star in the sky, which is easily explained by rational and scientific means and certainly does not prove the existence of some sort of supernatural diety.’ Although the shepherds insist that they did see angels in the sky above Bethlehem, on further questioning they admit that they had been eating magic mushrooms the night before.








PS I love that sheep costume.

I like the ending:

The play climaxes with Mary coming clean to Joseph about the so-called ‘virgin birth."Actually Joseph, I was not visited by an Angel nine months ago," confesses six-year-old Sally Harris. "I am not carrying the son of God. It is the son of your brother Kevin. To be honest I can’t believe you fell for it."

It's awful isn't it? Poor Tyndale would be spinning in his grave - if he had one. New Testament meets EastEnders.

Bring back the proper story!

Anyway, mustn't get too serious - have a good day everyone and see you all tomorrow.

I don't approve at all. The "humour" is misplaced and in a badly written script (by a "Year Two teacher" who I notice has opted for anonymity - wise move). Headteacher Hunt might reconsider her stance on indoctrination next year, I hope. The offence regarding roping very young children into nativity plays is that they are being corralled into a production in which they mouth sentiments and advertise concepts beyond their ability to understand at that age. Mount Pleasant Infant High School has simply carried on this dubious tradition.

If I can track down a snip from the Norwegian children's programme "Jul i Svingen" where the kids' nativity play doesn't exactly go according to plan I think you'll see the difference. It's great!

EDIT: (I see News Biscuit is a parody site, you got me! - a little too close to the truth for parody with this one, I think     )

nordmann wrote:

I don't approve at all. The "humour" is misplaced and in a badly written script (by a "Year Two teacher" who I notice has opted for anonymity - wise move). Headteacher Hunt might reconsider her stance on indoctrination next year, I hope. The offence regarding roping very young children into nativity plays is that they are being corralled into a production in which they mouth sentiments and advertise concepts beyond their ability to understand at that age. Mount Pleasant Infant High School has simply carried on this dubious tradition.

I heartily agree with you Nordmann ...

...... except I think the article is a spoof .... there doesn't seem to be a Mount Pleasant Infant High School anywhere in Berkshire.  

Good to hear, MM.

Anyway here's the episode of Jul i Svingen - it's in Norwegian but somehow I don't think language is a barrier to the humour here.

http://tv.nrksuper.no/serie/jul-i-svingen/obus01002304/sesong-1/episode-23

(the play begins around 10 minutes in)

Temperance wrote:

It's awful isn't it? Poor Tyndale would be spinning in his grave - if he had one. New Testament meets EastEnders.

Bring back the proper story!

Of course reality, as ever, is even stranger. Good will to all ...

Daily Telegraph, December 2011

(seasoned to taste, I assume!)

I rather liked this one myself   

All the best for the day folks and I echo the sentiments of those thanking Nordman for the work he does on the site.

nordmann wrote:

Good to hear, MM.

Anyway here's the episode of Jul i Svingen - it's in Norwegian but somehow I don't think language is a barrier to the humour here.

http://tv.nrksuper.no/serie/jul-i-svingen/obus01002304/sesong-1/episode-23

(the play begins around 10 minutes in)

I couldn't get that link to play, but I think this is the same episode (no.23) on youtube:




As Nord says the play begins at 10:15 mins and although it is in Norwegian I could follow .... and it fair cracked me up ... I just loved the dog dressed as a sheep and Mary's birthing problems!
 

Thanks LiR, and everyone else who echoed your kind thought. In truth the "work" for what it is was all done two years ago and it's been tweaks only since then, but I'm glad you like the site.

I have a date with a lutefisk (an air-dried whitefish so old that it's turned to jelly - don't ask) so have yourselves a merry little mince pie for me (can't get them here).

Thanks for the youtube link, MM. It never struck me that NRK would be Norway-only, doh! (though it's not like there would be many except Norwegians wanting to view the site normally, I imagine).

For the first in many years I haven't made mince pies before Christmas (will probably make some later) so I won't be having one for you.  Not that I would anyway - horrid things.  Must be nearly the end of Christmas for all of you now.  I emailed my son about ours yesterday, and he wrote back saying that was like looking into a rather sad future where Christmas is all over for another year.  Surprised he didn't think it would be a relief, but he does have a three-year-old son, surrounded in chocolates and new toys when we Skyped last night.

nordmann wrote:

EDIT: (I see News Biscuit is a parody site, you got me!

  

  

 

 

All these moving pictures instead of words, I feel like I'm in a bouncy castle


Or worse, a bouncy Stone Henge