Celebrating: This Is Always Write’s 1,400th Post
Featured Bloggers for Toys or Play
Since I don’t know all of your first names, I changed the format of Featured Bloggers somewhat to reflect your tagline or title. Your friendships mean so much. Thank you all for joining in. If I missed your post, please send me a comment. Not all Pingbacks come through.
- CATH’S CAMERA
- KEEP IT ALIVE – LIFEAFTER50FORWOMEN
- LADY LEE MANILA
- LADYSIGHS
- LIGHTWRITELIFE
- LOVING LIFE
- MANNY’S ADVENTURES
- SECOND WIND LEISURE (SUNDAY STILLS)
- TOURING MY BACKYARD
- WIND KISSES
- WRITER RAVENCLAW
IT’S EASY TO PLAY ALONG WITH #WQWWC
This weekly writing challenge runs from Wednesday through Tuesday. The only rule is to use a quote. If you want to participate, create a pingback to link your post. Not sure how to do that? See how to create pingbacks here. Be sure to link to the most recent post, not my page. I don’t see links to my page.
#WQWWC #52 – Topic: Festive Celebrating
Definition: Festive: Cheerful, jovial, celebratory synonyms: jollyjolly · merry · joyous · joyful · happy · jovial · lighthearted · cheerful · cheery · jubilant · convivial · good-time · high-spirited · gleeful · mirthful · uproarious
Other Challenges
Today, along with #WQWWC, I’m combining Amy’s LAPC #177, “Celebrating,” along with Sunday Stills – “Christmas Song Lyric Challenge“. I also want to include Jez’s Challenge, “Fan Of.”
My Celebratory Choices for This Week
I’m a fan of Christmas, but not a superior decorator. I enjoy visiting others and seeing their decorative choices rather than creating our own for a few to see.
“Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.”
–John Boswell
In Woodlake, the entire town came out for the Christmas parade. Along the way, we also enjoyed how people decorated their yards.
“Love the giver more than the gift.”
–Brigham Young
Friends from different service organizations, the Woodlake schools, and churches came together to provide a way for parents in need to pick out some beautiful gifts for their children.
“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.”
–Hamilton Wright Mabie
Many from Prescott and Prescott Valley come together for the lighting of Courthouse Square. The place for judgment becomes the place of beauty and joy during December.
“You can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle three things: a rainy day, lost luggage and tangled Christmas tree lights.”
–Maya Angelou
I laughed out loud at this quote. I am the worst offender, falling prey to frustration without using festive words to make it go away.
I grab the tangled sparkles away from my husband who stands perpetually fiddling with them. After giving them a good shake, I drop them on the floor. Then, finding one end that looks friendly, I start twisting and turning until I have a long string of lights. I immediately wrap the string of lights around my arm tangling it once again. Then we pass the retangled lariat of lights around the tree, fighting with our artistic fingers over which limb needs the light most. When it’s time to attach the next bunch, we discover that we started at the wrong end and there’s no place to plug in the next strand.
We saved $20 over the pre-strung Christmas tree. 🙂
“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”
–Edith Sitwell
It looks colder than it is with this plastic snowman. That’s as close as we could get in Central California to a white Christmas.
“Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind.”
–Mary Ellen Chase
What was really strange to me was department store Christmas windows filled with scenes of summer Christmas barbeques in Melbourn, Australia.
Sunday Stills: A Christmas Story and the Song
For Terri’s Sunday Stills post today, I’m sharing a 2008 version of a very old Christmas song our pastor shared at the end of his sermon today. The lyrics are embedded in the video. This version and the story of Longfellow made the song even more meaningful to me than it had been.
Christmas Day was written by Longfellow in 1864 at the end of the Civil War when peace was yet a dream. His own life had been troubled in the three years prior to that time. In 1861 his wife, Fanny was saving curls cut from their little girl’s curls. In the process, she dripped sealing wax on her dress. It started to smolder, and a gust fanned it into flames. She ran out of the room to save her daughters. Henry W. Longfellow tried to put out the fire, but even throwing himself over her only burnt him, and did not save her life. His December journal that year reflected his grim outlook and sad memories.
Two years later his eldest son was severely injured in the Civil War. He penned this poem on Christmas day, 1863.
Christmas Day
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
heard the bells on Christmas Day Their old, familiar carols play, and wild and sweet The words repeat Of peace on earth, good-will to men! And thought how, as the day had come, The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along The unbroken song Of peace on earth, good-will to men! Till 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! Then from each black, accursed mouth The cannon thundered in the South, And with the sound The carols drowned Of peace on earth, good-will to men! It was as if an earthquake rent The hearth-stones of a continent, And made forlorn The households born Of peace on earth, good-will to men! And in despair I bowed 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." December 25, 1863
“The English organist, John Baptiste Calkin, used the poem in a processional accompanied with a melody “Waltham” that he previously used as early as 1848. The Calkin version of the carol was long the standard. Less commonly, the poem has also been set to Joseph Mainzer’s 1845 composition “Mainzer”. Other melodies have been composed more recently, most notably in 1956 by Johnny Marks.” Wikipedia
Many feel that way today about holidays. It is hard to celebrate right after losing a loved one or during other hardships in your life. If you are struggling with loss or sorrow, let the words of the poet soothe your emotions knowing that he too suffered greatly as he wrote this poem.
The Cedarmont Kids sang the first tune written by John Baptiste Calkin in 1848. This was the standby tune for many years.
This is the third version written by Johnny Marks in 1956. You have probably heard at least these two. I was not able to find the second version. Many famous recording artists recorded this version of I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.
Now it’s your turn.
Tell us what you are celebrating or why it is hard to celebrate this year. Thanks so much for stopping by and having fun with quotes. Have a wonderful holiday season, and enjoy the rest of your week!
Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
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