And a Bonny Christmas to Ye!

Merry Christmas to one and all!

This was to be our Christmas card picture this year... except that, due to health episodes with two of the grandparents this month, the card thing didn't happen this year. (Both of them are doing better now; your prayers are much appreciated.)

So we've decided to post our Christmas card here instead. Blogs are so handy, are they not?

This photo was taken in Scotland on the day of the big celebration of the 700th anniversary of the coronation of Robert the Bruce. We are standing on the Moot Hill which is right beside the Palace of Scone (yes, the one in Macbeth). Every king of Scotland since the 9th Century has been crowned on this hill, on the very spot where we were standing. We were there 700 years to the day after good old Uncle Bob was crowned there.

The stone now on the hill is a replica of the famous Coronation Stone of Scone, which was to remain beneath the throne of all Scottish kings... until the English stole it and began stashing it under their throne at coronations. Cheeky blighters. (Years of feuding over it have resolved in its rightful return. It is now back in Scotland at Edinburgh Castle.) Ancient legend says it was the stone Jacob used for his pillow, but of course nobody but Jacob could certify that claim. Cool legend, all the same. (Like the girl said in Lady in the Water, "I want to believe it!")

The small chapel in the background is, like most everything else over there, ancient as well. It's Presbyterian, and famous for several things I can't quite remember at the moment. Perhaps the Great Scot will remember and post a comment.

So there you have it -- the Beehive Christmas greeting for 2006. What a year!

We wish you all hearts full of glee, peaceful souls, the tangible presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, more love in your lives than you know what to do with, and a new year overflowing with God's finest blessings.

It's Christmas Adam!

fa-so-la-la and beatrice

(ya know, as in the day before Christmas Eve?)



We two are doing Christmas cooking and housecleaning etc. today and decided to do it dressed as Christmas Twinkies. So here we go, to cook some scrumtiously yummable stuff.

Merry merry!

Life of Christ, part II

fa-so-la-la

Washing the disciples' feet
Jesus is arrested
Carrying the cross
Christ crucified
The women at the tomb

Christ disappears

alas, no beta for the beehive

We tried. Blogger's beta version won't accept the Beehive, though -- seems our blog is too big. They say we will have to wait until they concoct a way for large blogs to switch over, or something like that. Whatevah.

So in the meantime, all our beta friends will just have to put up with us for not being as hip and groovy as you are. Hope all you beta bloggers can comment on old-timer blogs now... ?

Veni Emmanuel

o come, o come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, o Israel.

o come, thou Wisdom from on high,
and order all things far and nigh;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and cause us in her ways to go.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, o Israel.

o come, o come, great Lord of might,
who to the tribes on sinai's height
in ancient times once gave the law
in cloud and majesty and awe.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, o Israel.

o come, thou Root of jesse's tree,
an ensign of thy people be
before thee rulers silent fall
all peoples on Thy mercy fall.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, o Israel.

o come, thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, o Israel.

o come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by Thy presence here
disperse the gloomy clouds of night
and death's dark shadows put to flight

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, o Israel.

o come, Desire of Nations, bind
all peoples in one heart and mind
from dust Thou bro't us forth to life
deliver us from earthly strife.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, o Israel!

make someone's life a little frothier

This is my new friend:
I was at Williams-Sonoma shopping for others (honest, I was) and woop, there 'twas. Just a small handle with a stick and a whizzy looking thing on the end. A frother.

Froth! Forsooth! That's what was missing from our lives! We were sorely lacking froth! (I just like the word. Go ahead - say it. Froth froth froth! Frothy frothy frothy! See?)

It's a happy thing. The peppermint mocha I am currently sipping is quite... well, frothy.

Company digs froth, too, we've observed. Keeps them amused for hours. This can be a good thing with some types of company. Even if you're not personally keen on froth, you might consider that angle before you entirely dismiss the idea. Providing quiet yuletide amusement for the redneck boyfriend of your third cousin's niece-in-law twice removed might well be worth blowing nineteen smackers over. Think about it.

If that's not your particular need, I bet there's still someone on your list who's a bear to buy gifts for. Give them the gift of froth, I say. Who among us wouldn't like their life to be a little frothier?

out of the mouths of babes

"...and dear Lord, help us remember that you matter more than we do."

-- Spuddy Buddy, last night at bedtime

little boys

they've not yet learned strength.
when the toast burns too black, they can't eat it.
can't. that's that.

they've yet to learn weakness
the deep sincere marrow locked away
in their tough bones.

Rembrandt's Life of Christ, part I

fa-so-la-la

Rembrandt often painted Biblical subjects, including many scenes from Christ's life. The paintings are of course magnificent, but I also love the pen-and-ink and pencil sketches he drew, some just for fun, others later turned into paintings. Here are a few of my favorites.

The angel appears to the shepards

Mary and Jesus

Christ heals the blind man

Christ and the fishermen

Jairus' daughter

Jesus and the Caananite woman

Mary and Martha

Peter tries to walk on water

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, QUEEN!

(Queen as an '80s Diva for Halloween)

(Queen singing hymns at St. Andrews)

(The Queen as I see her)

Happy Birthday to most caring person that I know. I am honored to know you, let alone being allowed the blessing of being married to you. You have brightened my life in infinite ways. Your stewardship of our children has been exemplary. You have been a mentor and a good and loyal friend for countless people. You have affected so many people in so many positive ways that I cannot begin to describe.

Happy Birthday. I am truly blessed to know you.

More Ginger than Myrna, no?

You Beehive readers are quite the shoe connoisseurs! By far the most comments we've ever gotten was on a post about flip-flops. And then there was that picture we posted of our new Myrna Loy Shoes which we continue to hear about a full year later. You people are serious about your footwear. (And we respect you for it.)

So I guess we could have expected that the main thing all of you would notice in Beatrice's birthday pics yesterday was those shoes. She wore them to church last night, and I'm afraid none of the little girls at church paid proper attention to the sermon. That Sort of Shoe.

Since the birthday pic didn't really do them justice, I decided to provide you fellow footwear aficionados a better look.

Ginger Rogers would be so proud of you, Beatrice.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BEATRICE!

YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL!

YOU ROCK!
WE LOVE YOU!

And God said

...let there be light.

Now, I have to sharpen my pencil first.
And while His notebook was the sleeping universe, mine
is this half-filled yellow legal pad.
I'm just an apprentice to the Almighty Maker,
watching with deep
inquisitive eyes as His Poem
Unfolds.