The Chocolate Chip Country

Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming (warning: link has embedded music)

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming, as men of old have sung.
It came, a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind;
With Mary we behold it, the virgin mother kind.
To show God’s love aright, she bore to men a Savior,
When half spent was the night.

The shepherds heard the story proclaimed by angels bright,
How Christ, the Lord of glory was born on earth this night.
To Bethlehem they sped and in the manger found Him,
As angel heralds said.

This Flower, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere;
True Man, yet very God, from sin and death He saves us,
And lightens every load.

O Savior, Child of Mary, Who felt our human woe,
O Savior, King of glory, Who dost our weakness know;
Bring us at length we pray, to the bright courts of Heaven,
And to the endless day!

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In the depths of depression, the usually cheerful songs in the shopping malls gain only a ghost of a smile; but the old hymns that tell of hope and the promise of life in winter can keep the demons at bay.

We put up the tree yesterday, and it has a pile of amazon.com gifts under it (and one wrapped in red, too). We definitely have mice in the attic, but the only thing they managed to get into and ruin was a string of lights that we didn't need.

Tree is getting old. It's a pain to assemble. Still, with the lights on it and some ornaments, it's a happy sight. It's been at least three years since we last put up a tree- we've been going other places, and the last time we stayed home I think we were too busy and humbugged to get it done.

While getting out ornaments, I found a couple of Christmas gifts from 2001 or 2002 stashed with them. I guess we took it all home together from visiting relatives and didn't unpack thoroughly enough. Better late than never!

When siege and I were kids, our parents bought two ornaments every year. One for me, one for him. So, when we were decorating, it was full of me saying, "I remember this one!" The birdcage needs regluing, but everything else is as good as ever. It's a good tradition. It makes this Christmas feel connected to the ones when I was just a little kid, trying to find room for the McDonalds "A Christmas Carol" ornament and getting told to put it up high where the kitties won't knock it off. (It's glass- from the time when McDonalds had a bit more class.) anher says he has ornaments, but he thinks they might still be with his mom.

We need to get a few ornament hangars. The angel Fuji needs one, as does another hand-painted ornament we have. We also need to track down a set of bluejays that never got put up in the attic with the other Christmas tree ornaments. Bluejays always remind me of home, even if I'm home already.

I don't think it'll snow for Christmas here.