Merry Christmas

   The people walking in the darkness

have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of deep darkness

a light has dawned.

   You have enlarged the nation

and increased their joy;

they rejoice before you

as people rejoice at the harvest,

as warriors rejoice

when dividing the plunder.

   For as in the day of Midian's defeat,

you have shattered

the yoke that burdens them,

the bar across their shoulders,

the rod of their oppressor.

   Every warroir's boot used in battle

and every garment rolled in blood

will be destined for burning,

will be fuel for the fire.

   For unto us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 

Isaiah 9: 2-6

Christmas Ideals

December is here, bringing with it the usual Christmas cheer.  The streets are packed with shoppers, the radio is jammed with festive tunes, trees are going up all over the world.  As Andy Williams said, it's the most wonderful time of the year.

In recent years my family and I have cut back on the over-the-top indulgence that so easily grabs people through the festive season.  Instead, we tend to focus on what is important in our lives - family, friends, home, unity and togetherness.  Presents - and, of course, there are presents - are the mere sideshow to the warmth and pleasure of a family Christmas.

It is perhaps these messages that come through most when looking at the idyllic painter, Thomas Kinkade.  His range is extensive, but I particularly like to look up his work at this time of year - his winter paintings fill me with a Christmas ideal that both homely and wonderfully nostalgic.  From the big city to the country tracks, I can imagine myself in any of these scenes, in a time where the pleasures of life were both simpler and more meaningful.  Which is your favourite?

Christmas at the Ahwahnee

Christmas on Main Street

Evening Carolers

I'll be Home for Christmas

Hometown Christmas Memories

Blessings of Christmas

Boston Celebration

Christmas in New York

Deer Creek Cottage

Home for the Holidays

Night Before Christmas

Victorian Christmas

Home for the Holidays

If it's December, then it's time to get festive!  The decorations have come out, the tree has been transformed, presents have been wrapped.  I love that feeling when you rediscover your treasured Christmas decorations, it's like meeting an old friend for the first time in a year.  For me, this is especially true of my nutcracker collection.

These little guys marched into my life during a trip to York in 2008.  I bought a blue king nutcracker, expecting it to be a one-off item, but since then the collection has ballooned.  Now I have soldiers, counts, pirates, explorers, a whole host of characters that make my Christmas what it is.  Magical.

What else is happening?  This little wooden Christmas windmill also came from York.  Original handcrafted windmills go for hundreds of pounds, and whilst this is only a £20 replica, it is still a lovely and original piece.  The idea is that the candles heat the air, forcing it to rise into the blades, thus turning the windmill.  Inside, a little Nativity is also turned, camels and all.  I must admit, I have been loathed to use it for fear of dropping candle wax all over the place, but it still forms a beautiful decoration for my room.

Lizzie and I have been hard at work creating a beautiful tree with decorations that have meaning.  Some have come from my childhood, whilst others we have bought for each other in previous years.  Sitting proudly on top of it all is Sophia, our Christmas Angel.  We made Sophia last year because we were so unimpressed with the shop selections, and named her after a Parisian hotel where we had such terrible fuss.  Nonetheless, our Sophia has weathered storage pretty well, and will hopefully bring some cheer to our Christmasses for years to come.

Presents wrapped, decorations done, all there is to do now is sit back, relax, and let the celebrations begin.

The Bricks of History

Working on a university campus, I often have access to student-targeted sales events.  Last week the plant sale was in the student union foyer, whilst this week was the turn of the poster sale.  The poster sale always comes at the start of term, and visits again a few weeks later with its prices slashed.  It's always a fun browse, and even though I have no room at the moment, I sometimes cannot resist a purchase.  On this occassion, it was the brilliant Lego poster below!

Anybody who knows me will be aware that I have a long-standing relationship with Lego, and this poster got me thinking about other iconic photos that may have been re-created in the world's favourite toy.  Aided by a quick internet search, I have picked out some of my favourites.  See if you can figure out the historic moment, photograph, people and date depicted below:

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Answers:

1.  Portrait of Winston Churchill, taken after the Quebec Conference, 1941



2.  Diego Maradona scores his "Hand of God" goal, 1986



3.  Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer are married in London, 1981



4.  Raising the flag on Iwo Jima, 1945



5.  Roger Bannister completes the four-minute mile in Oxford, 1954



6.  A sailor kisses a nurse on VJ Day, New York, 1945



7.  An unknown rebel obstructs a column of tanks, Tiananmen Square, 1989



8.  Soviet soldiers raise the flag on the Reichstag during the Battle of Berlin, 1945



9.  An East German border guard jumps the barbed wire fence during construction of the Berlin Wall, 1961



10.  A boy carries bottles of wine on Rue Mouffetard, Paris, 1954

For more photos, check out the amazing Balakov's Photostream.