Blow, blow thou winter wind (When Icicles Hang) - John Rutter, Cambridge...

The album cover shown is not where I know this song from. I have it on Candlelight: Seasonal Reflections and Celebrations. Such a beautiful song for the season. There are some notes in the "heigh-ho" verse that make me think of the Call The Midwife theme. The title comes from a Shakespeare poem in Love's Labor's Lost.

When Icicles Hang: 1V. Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind by John Rutter 

Blow, blow thou winter wind,

Blow, blow thou winter wind, 

Thou art not so unkind, 

As man's ingratitude, 

As man's ingratitude, 

Thy tooth is not so keen, 

Because thou art not seen, 

Although thy breath be rude, 

Although thy breath be rude, 

Heigh-ho! Sing heigh-ho! unto the green holly; 

Most friendship is feinging, most loving mere folly:

Then heigh-ho, the holly! This life is most jolly. 

Freeze, freeze thou bitter sky, 

Freeze, freeze thou bitter sky, 

That does not bite so nigh 

As benefits forgot, 

As benefits forgot, 

Thou the waters warp, 

Thou sting is not so sharp 

As friend remembered not 

As friend remembered not

Heigh-ho! Sing heigh-ho! unto the green holly; 

Most friendship is feinging, most loving mere folly: 

Then heigh-ho, the holly! This life is most jolly.

 

Red Sox Nation is sad today

Calendar of Crime 2022

I have been very slowly getting back into blogging more often. And what better way to keep myself going in this endeavo(u)r than to join a challenge. I am excited to participate in this one, offered by My Reader's Block. I am going to copy out the details here. I almost always have a mystery going so it isn't a "challenge" in the real use of the word, but it is a way to participate in the community of readers.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2021

Calendar of Crime 2022

 

photo credit: Ellery Queen's Calendar of
Crime (Signet edition)

Ready for another year of mysterious months and dangerous days? I'm pleased to sponsor the 2022 edition of the Calendar of Crime--with slight variations in the prompts. Just a reminder that this mystery-based challenge allows readers to include any mystery regardless of publication date. If it falls in a mystery category (crime fiction/detective novel/police procedural/suspense/thriller/spy & espionage/hard-boiled/cozy/etc.), then it counts and it does not matter if it was published in 1892 or 2022. 

 

 

 

A larger version of the spreadsheet may be found HERE. Click on the 2022 tab at bottom.

 

The Rules
~Challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2022. All books should be read during this time period. Sign up at any time. If you have a blog, please post about the challenge. Then sign up via the form below and please make the url link to your challenge post and not your home page. If you don't have a blog, links to an online list (Goodreads, Library Thing, etc.) devoted to this challenge are acceptable OR you may skip that question.

~All books must be mysteries. Humor, romance, supernatural elements (etc.) are all welcome, but the books must be mysteries/crime/detective novels first.

~Twelve books, one representing each month, are required for a complete challenge.

~To claim a book, it must fit one of the categories for the month you wish to fulfill. Unless otherwise specified, the category is fulfilled within the actual story. for instance, if you are claiming the book for December and want to use "Christmas" as the category, then Christmas figure in some in the plot. Did someone poison the plum pudding? Did Great-Uncle Whozit invite all the family home for Christmas so he could tell them he plans to change his will?

~The "wild card" book is exactly that. If July is your birth month (as mine is), then for category #9 you may read any mystery book you want. It does not have to connect with July in any way--other than a July baby chose it. The other eleven months, you must do the alternate category #9 if you want to fulfill that slot.

~Books may only count for one month and one category, but they may count for other challenges (such as my Vintage Scattergories Challenge). If it could fulfill more than one category or month, then you are welcome to change it at any time prior to the final wrap-up.

~Books do not have to be read during the month for which they qualify. So--if you're feeling like a little "Christmas in July" (or May or...), then feel free to read your book for December whenever the mood strikes.

~A wrap-up post/comment/email will be requested that should include a list of books read and what category they fulfilled. [Example: January: The House of Sudden Sleep by John Hawk (original pub date January 1930)]

~The headquarters link in the left-hand sidebar will be updated in January for 2020 for easy access to this original challenge post, monthly review link-ups, and the final wrap-up. The final wrap-up link will not go live until the end of 2020, so please save your notification until that time. 

The costume

So here's our beloved Hazel in her Hallowe'en costume. I had never heard of The Mandalorian until she told us about it. You may read more here, if you are interested. She is wild about the show. Already the talk is about boys' and girls' clothing. Someone told her The Mandalorian was for boys. She doesn't care. She loves it! Today is the Trunk or Treat where parents park their cars and decorate them for Hallowe'en, and the little kids go from car to car for treats. 

Back by popular demand

Margaret didn't really plan on having a Hallowe'en party this year, but people asked and she did! Last year's party is here.

It was another warm evening. We haven't even had a frost yet! Unheard of around here. But it has meant that the lovely autumn has gone on for a longer time. 

The kids and parents were down the hill until it got dark and then they made their way along the trail to our house. There were even more creepy delights than last year.

This one probably wins the creepiness award! Tom moved the tractor down into the field so the spider would have a home. There were battery candles that lit up at night.

And here is a closeup.

The "graves" were made of styrofoam.

There were lights along the road to brighten the path.

The two last pictures were taken as I walked down the hill, not up to our house. Margaret's driveway is to the left by the orange maple tree.

When the kids arrived at our house this is what they found.

Some views of the path after dark

It was a spooky, magical, and wonderful time! Again, we are so very lucky to be a part of it. Many people thanked us and I told them this is all Margaret and Matthew and Hazel. Year two of putting together a great party. One of the mothers took a picture of all the kids and put it on Instagram with the words, "Best Halloweeen Party Ever".

Today's video - "A Film By Nancy Meyers" by Chris Stapleton and Jimmy Fallon

This is SO much fun!!!

Today's poem - An old nursery rhyme

 One For Sorrow (Two For Joy) is an old English nursery rhyme.

One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret,
Never to be told!
Eight for a wish,
Nine for a kiss,
Ten for a bird,
You must not miss.

The rhyme is referring to magpies, but I use it for "our" crows. I'll say, "one for sorrow" is here, which rarely happens. Just now there were "seven for a secret". And I got this picture out the front door window when there were "four for a boy" and one is starting to fly off.

I think I knew this rhyme before Anthony Horowitz' Magpie Murders, but maybe not. And, in case you haven't heard, it is going to be on PBS next year!