Merry Christmas

    MERRY CHRISTMAS

 from our house to your house . . . 

Lincoln

     I saw Steven Spielberg's Lincoln a week ago, and it is a masterpiece. Daniel Day Lewis is brilliant as Lincoln, and the rest of the cast is equally good. Two things struck me about the movie which deals with Lincoln's attempts to get the 13th Amendment passed which would end the institution of slavery. The first was a scene of a bitter confrontation between an anguished President and his distraught wife as they tried to grapple with the loss of their young son. Their pain was palpable, and I thought of that scene over and over as the news from Newtown unfolded.
     The second thing about the movie which struck me was the look and feel of the movie. From the bloody battlefields to the streets of Washington to the White House itself,  the viewer was transported to those times and places. It is an amazing film which I encourage you to see. I'd give it an A+.

Christmas Spirit

     Though the halls are decked and the trees trimmed,  it has been difficult if not impossible to feel any Christmas spirit after the unspeakable tragedy which took the lives of so many beautiful, innocent children and adults in Newtown, CT last week.
      Yesterday afternoon, I attended a Christmas show at the school of one of my youngest cousins. It was a truly joyful program filled with songs by each of the grades and a Nativity play put on by the eighth graders. All of the children had obviously practiced long and hard, and it brought a smile to the faces of everyone in the audience as we watched and listened to each enthusiastic performance.
    This photo above is of the Portiuncula Chapel  on the grounds of the Cardinal Cushing Center in Hanover, MA. I took this quick shot with my small Canon PowerShot which I always carry with me. Emma had been at the groomers, and so after picking her up I circled around to look at the lights. I hopped out of the car and took this quick shot.
    Here is Emma all spiffed up and ready for Christmas.

'Tis the Season

     Yesterday morning I finished putting up my outside decorations.  Emma didn't help with the ornaments or lights as she was far too busy being on patrol. My neighbors have a bird feeder which also attracts pesky squirrels that race along the top of the fence separating our yards driving Emma absolutely nuts.
     This tree had been a tiny DPW sapling giveaway about twelve to fifteen years ago. It remained small for a long time but now has grown quite large. Even with a small stepladder and garden tool to pull down some of the higher branches, I'm unable to decorate the top of the tree.
     Next it was time to head off to "Ladies' Lunch" with my cousin and her two adorable little girls. After lunch, we went to mail their letters to Santa. It's always great fun spending time with these precious little girls. Still later, I got together with my quilting buddies. Some of whom showed off some recently completed gorgeous quilts. What a talented bunch they are!
     Speaking of friends, eleven members of the Dancing Queens dined together at Burton's in Hingham on Tuesday evening. It was good to see everyone and to welcome an old friend from our days at East Junior High to the group.

What a Difference a Day Makes

     Yes, these are the same roses from Friday's post. We had snow flurries all day Saturday. There was a good coating of snow on the lawn, but it melted on the roads. Last night when I took Emma out for the last time before bedtime, the snow on the cabbage plants on my porch caught my eye. It was about 11:30 and very cold, but I went inside, grabbed my small camera, and snapped this quick photo.

     Why didn't I wait until this morning to take the photo? Well, that's because by this morning the snow had all melted and the temperature was in the high forties. Tomorrow it will be even warmer in the fifties. You have to love New England weather; the only thing constant about our weather is the inconstancy of it.
     Yesterday, I took Emma to see Santa. It was a fund raiser at a pet stop in Hingham Center, and the money was to be donated to an organization which builds adaptive homes for returning disabled veterans. I was afraid of how Emma might handle sitting on Santa's lap, but I needn't have worried. She was adorable. I can't wait to see the photo that I should receive sometime this week.