The Gift of Christmas
27/12/25 18:44
Now that it is over for another year but the decorations remain in place for a week or so, I can confirm that I spent the last days thinking about friends from near and far and I was lucky enough to speak to my dearest on the day itself. Both Fiona in Sydney and Adam in Bow were having very different days and I was loving out conversations including the 1h 50m one with Fiona covering all the million topics we normally discuss in great detail but of course this year we have added the Mushroom Killer to our conversation!
This year I have two nativity sets out. One was made by potters in Bolivia and I purchased it in a strange shop in Berwick Street, just in a building next to the famous fruit and veg market. I think that street is home to the last of the traditional costermongers with their noisy cries!
The second set is Holy Land olive wood and was not cheap, but has become a little treasure to me as the figurines came wrapped in the daily Palestinian newspaper. I wonder if the printing presses survived? When I put the sets out of course I keep the Jesus figure covered until after Midnight Mass and I get surprising joy in unwrapping them.
On the subject of Christmas mass, midnight means 7pm, the singing was good and I still cannot get to grips with the priest having no help or assistance on the altar. I mentioned this to Anthony and he confirmed what I fear, that no parent now trusts their sons or daughters to work closely with clergy. What times we live in! The few have ruined it for the many.
This year I have two nativity sets out. One was made by potters in Bolivia and I purchased it in a strange shop in Berwick Street, just in a building next to the famous fruit and veg market. I think that street is home to the last of the traditional costermongers with their noisy cries!
The second set is Holy Land olive wood and was not cheap, but has become a little treasure to me as the figurines came wrapped in the daily Palestinian newspaper. I wonder if the printing presses survived? When I put the sets out of course I keep the Jesus figure covered until after Midnight Mass and I get surprising joy in unwrapping them.
On the subject of Christmas mass, midnight means 7pm, the singing was good and I still cannot get to grips with the priest having no help or assistance on the altar. I mentioned this to Anthony and he confirmed what I fear, that no parent now trusts their sons or daughters to work closely with clergy. What times we live in! The few have ruined it for the many.