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Sunday Gratitude – 5.IV.2026
To those celebrating today – Christ is Risen! – Happy Easter!
And then there are the “weird” ones here who are still waiting another week, among which I count myself. There have been a lot of services already – yesterday, I think I was in church for nearly four hours. I’ve really struggled this Lent; from the beginning, I felt less ready for it than most years and this year… wow. For the greater part of Lent, I believed that the Orthodox were also going to be celebrating Pascha today, and it was only looking at the calendar more carefully a couple of weeks ago when I realized that no, there’s a one-week difference. I don’t know. I wasn’t expecting to spend so much time in church this weekend, but I was at vigil last night, and I certainly had the feeling of moving from the darkness into the light, and by the time the service was over, there was an air of hopefulness and joy there. For that I am grateful. (My brain did fight against this on the way home, though. *sigh*)
I am grateful for the more spring-like weather, and the opportunity to be outside. I’m also grateful for my neighbor who invites me to come walking with her.
I am grateful for friends who take the time to talk even in the rain.
I am grateful for making it home in a storm the other day; I wasn’t expecting it, then all of a sudden, I was driving down this country highway with lightning flashes all around. I don’t think that they were very close, as there was only a tiny bit of thunder, but what a show! The next day, driving down those same roads, I could actually see how high the water is, and I’m grateful that there were no issues with low-lying stretches of road or the bridges.
Time to take the Christmas wreath down! I am thankful to have had a little bit of time to be outside with my kids, and I’m thankful that they have places around that they can enjoy riding their bikes through, and that they’ve been fine with this “exploring”.
I am thankful for the joy of singing.
I am thankful for the things that are showing signs of life (and even blooming) even after a very cold winter and long periods of neglect.
I am grateful for the opportunity to have been in contact with a number of people on this day, in the joy of Easter.
I am grateful for yet another sign that I’m not alone through the hard stuff.
Thank you so much for being here! Christ is Risen!
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Sunday Gratitude – 29.III.2026
I really hate it when it seems like I blink and yet another week has passed. Somehow so much of this time ends up feeling like a blur, and it seems like all that is left is a growing list of things that should have been done long ago, but haven’t been done yet.
In the meantime, though, I’ve been trying not to lose a sense of gratitude, and to also try to make the most of the days at hand. We’ve had a couple of days that have hit 70F, which has been amazing, and especially as the days are getting longer, it would be terrible if we didn’t do something to take advantage of the warmer weather. My younger son had a day off of school a couple of weeks back, and the two of us went out on our bikes and rode ten miles together, and it was amazing. He also started taking pictures with my camera that afternoon, so I’ll be sharing a few of those in this post.
A couple of weeks after the real birthday, my youngest, in kindergarten, had her first real birthday party. It was a bowling alley affair, and, per the terms of the contract, was less than two hours long, but for a group of 5 and 6 year olds, it was fine. I was completely stressed out over this for at least a week for a number of reasons, but it turned out really, really good. Even the weather held out, kind of… It started raining about the time that the party started, and it was still raining as people left. Had we started a couple of hours later, everybody would have been going home in sleet, because we had a blizzard come through the next day. The kids were thrilled to get the day off of school, and despite the crazy wind, we never lost power. The next day, our dear neighbor made a path for our car using a snowblower.
I’m grateful that even though I managed to break a spoke on the one bike (a different one than before), this happened in a place where I could ride to a place where I could leave the bike for a couple of days, and which was very close to the bike shop. On the night that this happened, I was also able to get a ride back home with one of the ladies from church. I’d never talked to her before, and she’s incredibly sweet, and lives just a couple of streets over from where I live.
I’m grateful for the amazing time I had at St. Haralambos in Niles a couple of weeks back. Not only were some very dear “real life” friends there, I finally got to meet Fr. Andrew Damick in person. We have been online acquaintances (friends) for over 20 years, and it seemed like high time to meet him in person. He actually recognized me by sight as well, which is crazy because it’s been a looong time since I posted any photos of myself that he might come across. 🙂 That was a lot of fun, though.
Breezy days and kites! I am grateful, as well, for the opportunity to visit an old friend and just enjoy sitting on the front step, having a conversation in the sunshine.
In many ways, I feel pulled very, very, very thin. There have been a lot of good things, to be sure, but there have been a number of very, very frustrating things as well. I don’t know; at this point, I’m not sure that I’ll ever have things “figured out”, but there’s a path to go forward on, and that’s the way through this all. Forgive me again for the blog silence – I truly am grateful for you.
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Songs of the Season – There Was Great Rejoicing/Nova radosť stala
(,,,and not the Monty Python kind!)
Getting back to kolady, I think there are a good number that ought to have a wider audience, though that is often somewhat difficult, as there tend to be issues with finding good versions in English, recording quality, etc.
This is one that I like that I know in English as “There Was Great Rejoicing” although there are at least two more translations that have been published.
There Was Great Rejoicing
There was great rejoicing On this Christmas morning O’er the manger softly glowing The bright star was shining O’er the manger softly glowing The bright star was shining Christ was borne in glory Of the Virgin Mary Let us humbly like the Shepherds Kneel in adoration Let us humbly like the Shepherds Kneel in adoration Angels softly singing Glory, praise proclaiming From the heavens to the manger Praising Christ the Savior From the heavens to the manger Praising Christ the Savior
I *think* that in this version, they sing “From the heavens to the people”, but I left what I know better in here.
And, in Rusyn:
Nova radost’ stala/Нова радость стала In addition to the “Carol of the Bells” playlist, I’ve started a general playlist of Christmas songs that will include pieces mentioned here, for anyone interested. I hope to have some more stuff organized soon!
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Wordle #538
Never played Wordle? Check out my Wordle strategy page!
Wordle explanations are posted a day late to ensure that no one accidentally sees the solution before playing.
Line 1: “Infer” didn’t do too badly! The letters are interesting too – “I” and “R”.
Line 2: Shuffling around a bit. Still the two letters in the wrong places, but if the “I” isn’t in the middle or at the beginning, I wonder if it’s a word with “AI” since that’s much more common than something with “U”. If that’s the case, moving the “R” to the second spot may be a good option.
Line 3: Add “B” to the beginning and “D” to the end and there you have it, “braid”! (Oddly enough, I almost played “plait”, but realized before I played it that it didn’t have the “R” that I needed.
Did you get this Wordle? Tell me about it in the comments!
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Songs of the Season – Sufjan Stevens – Holy, Holy, Holy
The sisters Lily and Madeleine, whose version of “In the Bleak Midwinter” I posted yesterday also have a second “Christmas” song on their channel, a beautiful song called “Holy, Holy, Holy”.
It sounds like a traditional hymn, though I’m not familiar with it. As I read through the comments, it seems like that part was confirmed, but when someone responded that they are familiar with the song being in 4/4 rather than 3/4, I was intrigued, because as musically talented as they are, it doesn’t seem like they arrange music already written.
My suspicions were confirmed, possibly in the next comment down, when somebody answered back that they were doing a cover of Sufjan Stevens’ version of the song.
This was interesting to me because while I’ve never really gotten into Sufjan Stevens’ music, as someone who grew up in Chicago, he got a fair amount of attention for his song “Casimir Pulaski Day” because Pulaski Day is one of those Chicago things that one kind of has to experience to understand.
So, anyway, a more traditional setting of the hymn can be found with this BBC version, and technically, it really isn’t even a Christmas song, but rather a hymn for Trinity Sunday, but I supposed if Sufjan Stevens can change the timing from 4/4 to 3/4, he can put it on his massive, 5-disc Christmas album from 2006.
I think by changing it from a full choir, full orchestra, “triumphant” piece, the way he sings it, it makes for a much different feeling. To me, it feels a bit like a song on a dark winter night, and the two voices are like little candles flickering their light into the darkness. I think this is why it “fits” here for Christmas. (I told you I have a thing for Christmas melancholy!)
In addition to the “Carol of the Bells” playlist, I’ve started a general playlist of Christmas songs that will include pieces mentioned here, for anyone interested.
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Songs of the Season – Lily and Madeleine – In the Bleak Midwinter
This is a song that I’ve heard more often as an instrumental than with lyrics, though, ironically, the song was written to fit the poem “In the Bleak Midwinter” by Christina Rossetti. Oddly enough, I remember reading a blog post about Rossetti recently, but I don’t know where now. Ironically, the original name of the poem was “A Christmas Carol”.
In any case, this is a version with the lyrics, sung by two sisters, and it’s simple but amazingly beautiful as well.
“A Christmas Carol” (1872)
In the bleak mid-winter Frosty wind made moan Earth stood hard as iron, Water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, Snow on snow, In the bleak mid-winter Long ago. Our God, heaven cannot hold Him Nor earth sustain, Heaven and earth shall flee away When He comes to reign: In the bleak mid-winter A stable-place sufficed The Lord God Almighty — Jesus Christ. Enough for Him, whom cherubim Worship night and day, A breastful of milk And a mangerful of hay; Enough for Him, whom Angels Fall down before, The ox and ass and camel Which adore. Angels and Archangels May have gathered there, Cherubim and seraphim Thronged the air; But only His Mother In her maiden bliss Worshipped the Beloved With a kiss. What can I give Him, Poor as I am? — If I were a Shepherd I would bring a lamb; If I were a Wise Man I would do my part, — Yet what I can I give Him, — Give my heart.
So beautiful, yet captures a bit of the melancholy of the season as well.
UPDATE: It was a post from Bluebird of Bitterness commemorating Christina Rossetti’s birthday that I was thinking of!
In addition to the “Carol of the Bells” playlist, I’ve started a general playlist of Christmas songs that will include pieces mentioned here, for anyone interested.
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Wordle #537
Never played Wordle? Check out my Wordle strategy page!
Wordle explanations are posted a day late to ensure that no one accidentally sees the solution before playing.
Line 1: Even with the “S” and the “T”, I didn’t expect “joust” to do much, so I wasn’t disappointed.
Line 2: “E” and “R” – it’s a start
Line 3: Moved the “E” and “R” to the end, and yes, it’s an “ER” word… Now, where does that “I” go?
Line 4: One way to tell – use a word that has an “I” in the two remaining spaces!
Line 5: Knowing the word started with “I” now, “infer” seemed logical! 😉
Did you get this Wordle? Tell me about it in the comments!
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Songs of the Season – Bing Crosby & Michael Bublé – White Christmas
I remember, in 1991, when Natalie Cole released a version of her father’s hit “Unforgettable” that garnered a lot of attention because the song was a duet with her father – who had been dead for over two decades. Things like tape splicing and manipulation have been around forever, but this was notable because the technology had advanced to a point where she could do duets with her father and the quality was so good that it sounded as if they were singing in the same room.
The technology has advanced quite a bit from even then, and now, not only can you make an audio recording of two people using old tape, it’s possible to make it look like someone like Michael Bublé has jumped back in time on the television. This bit is from a few years ago already, and it’s a nice little spin on Crosby’s classic.
In addition to the “Carol of the Bells” playlist, I’ve started a general playlist of Christmas songs that will include pieces mentioned here, for anyone interested.
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Holiday Inn – ‘Tis the Season Cinema
I was all ready, getting the final touches ready to put up my review of It’s a Wonderful Life, for ‘Tis the Season Cinema with Lisa and Erin and I went over to Lisa’s blog to get the link for her review and saw that she’d reviewed Holiday Inn. It’s been that kind of week; it’s a wonder I get anything done correctly some days!
Anyway, because this is 2022, I went online to see where I could see Holiday Inn. I’m sure there are pirate sites that are easy enough to find, but I just went through Amazon for the “rental”. It’s the first time I’ve done that, and it worked out pretty well.
It’s no wonder that this isn’t the film that was the launching point for the success of the song “White Christmas”. It features a lot of music and dancing, which was more common in films made in 1942, and if that’s
Movie still/promo shot – (not my work) There are a good number of similarities with White Christmas which was a ‘Tis the Season Cinema pick a couple of weeks ago, but where it’s similar, it’s not quite as good. Both have silly stories, but even though there’s some attempts at “manipulation”, amongst the characters in White Christmas, it’s more understandable, and everyone is portrayed as being pretty good at heart. (Though this isn’t the fault of the filmmakers, the fashion of the 1950s is so much more iconic and recognizable and still holds so much influence over women’s fashion today that even the women’s outfits, though beautiful, don’t seem as nice.)
This film, on the other hand, ends up with the five who are the main characters all being pretty manipulative of each other, and while the end may be the happy ending, I hardly know if it’s actually a “triumph of love”.
As in White Christmas, there’s the “show within a show” aspect. This time, though, each is holiday themed, as Jim (Bing Crosby’s character) wants to run a venue that is only open on the holidays. It may have been the case then, but talking about a farm in Connecticut made me chuckle. I realize that a fair amount of Connecticut is within the New York metro area (and some people even commute!) but to imagine that there was an area that was there that was so backwoods that it was hardly suitable to have cars on is a little wild.
The biggest thing, though, for modern audiences is the show for Lincoln’s Birthday. The number sung is an ode to “Abraham” sung by, I’m assuming, former slaves. The thing about this, though, is that Jim (Crosby) and Linda (Marjorie Reynolds) put on blackface to do it, and there’s even a scene where Jim helps put on Linda’s makeup. For that reason, I’m surprised that the movie is as widely available as it still is.
And that’s a whole can of worms these days. Growing up in the 80s and 90s, I would have never have dreamed of doing anything with blackface, and it shocks me to see people like Justin Trudeau, who is not all that much older than I am, in pictures partying with blackface on. That being said, this movie came out in 1942, and attitudes were different. Even with Linda’s over-the-top outfit for the number, it’s obvious that the film is not out to denigrate African-Americans. First of all, the freeing of the slaves is presented as a good thing, even among the elite of the film and theater industries – there’s no sarcastic comments about it or anything. The housekeeper is black, and nobody ever treats poorly or speaks down to her. In fact, her speaking her mind to Jim becomes the key to him chasing down his happiness.
In any case, this was a movie with excellent dancing, music, and acting, but a questionable premise and scenes that certainly haven’t aged well. It may be a movie I’d revisit sometime, but not for a very, very long time.
The thing with the calendar on Thanksgiving was hilarious though. Mind you, the film was released in 1942. In 1941, FDR declared that Thanksgiving was a national holiday and that it would be commemorated on the 4th Thursday of November. Before this, it had always been the last Thursday, and a good number of people resisted the change (done mainly to help Christmas sales – I kid you not). Therefore to see the turkey run back and forth between the dates was very amusing.
I am interested in Lisa and Erin’s takes… Once I hit “post”, I’ll go over and read their opinions, and you should too! Lisa’s review is here: https://lisahoweler.com/2022/12/08/tis-the-season-cinema-holiday-inn/ and Erin’s is here: https://crackercrumblife.com/2022/12/08/tis-the-season-cinema-holiday-inn/
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Wordle #536
Never played Wordle? Check out my Wordle strategy page!
Wordle explanations are posted a day late to ensure that no one accidentally sees the solution before playing.
Line 1: So… “Amber” gets me nothing. Oh well.
Line 2: Interesting. “T” in the correct spot in the end, and an “S” that belongs somewhere in the middle. I wonder if I put it next to the “T” to end the word in “ST”, if that might help… and since we have “ST”, sometimes “OU” precedes that, though most of those words are longer… However, there is one that I can think of that is five letters…
Line 3: “Joust”!
Did you get this Wordle? Tell me about it in the comments!
Happy Gaming!
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Songs of the Season – Joshua Lee Turner & Allison Young – When I’m With You (Christmas Every Day)
Josh Turner (Joshua Lee Turner, because there’s another “Josh Turner” with a record contract) is one of my favorite “up and coming” musicians. He’s fantastic with just about any stringed instrument, and has been plugging away at the music “business” since establishing his Youtube channel when he was 15 – half his life ago!
He’s got some fantastic Christmas stuff on his channel to begin with, and I was planning to include at least one video this month (his Christmas medley on lute is amazing) but he’s just released an original Christmas song with Allison Young. And when I say “just released”, I mean Monday. (It’s mindblowing how the new media can work!)
This song isn’t religious in nature at all, but it reminds me of something that maybe would have come out in the 1950s. Definitely an antidote to hearing too much Mariah Carey on the radio these days, and of much better quality than “All I Want For Christmas is You”.
In addition to the “Carol of the Bells” playlist, I’ve started a general playlist of Christmas songs that will include pieces mentioned here, for anyone interested.
Are there any other new Christmas songs you would recommend?
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Wordless Wednesday #10 – Not Last Year
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Breath of Hallelujah 