Still, as Christmas-tide comes round,

They remember it again—

Echo still the joyful sound

"Peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)

from "Christmas Greetings from a Fairy to a Child"

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 21

Ring in the valiant man and free,

The larger heart, the kindlier hand;

Ring out the darkness of the land,

Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)

from "Christmas and New Year Bells"

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 20

Whence comes this rush of wings afar,

Following straight the noël start?

Birds from the woods in wondrous flight,

Bethlehem seek this Holy Night.

Sixteenth Century Carol 

from Bas-Quercy Region of France

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 19

For in this rose contained was

Heaven and earth in little space:

By that rose we may well see

There be one God in Persons Three.

Anonymous (1400s)

from "Rosa Mystica"

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 18

Over Joseph's house the star stood still,

The Three Holy Kings entered in;

The oxen lowed, the little Child cried

And the Kings began to sing.

Heinrich Heine (1797-1856)

from "Three Holy Kings from the Orient"

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 17

Angels above the shepherds high

Sing His bounteous praise.

Wise Men, guided by a start,

Pursue their eager way.

St. Romanos (c. 540) 

from "Him Who Dwells Beyond the Worlds"

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 16

The sky is black, the earth is white.

O bells, ring out in resonance!

Jesus is born! Towards Him the Virgin

Turns her Blessed countenance.

Théophile Gautier (1811-1872)

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 15

All was soon to shepherds known.

In wonderment they came running

To Bethlehem and found there

To their joy the Infant fair.

Heinrich von Loufenberg (1390-1460)

from "A Child Lay in a Little Crib"

SNOWY MORNING

It snowed all night last night, continued snowing this morning, is sorta snowing right now, and is supposed to keep on snowing until sometime this evening. All part of that vast storm that stretched from west of the Mississippi to the East Coast and had the weather-broadcasting fraternity practically beside themselves in on-the-air Chicken Little glee.

Okay, some folks probably did get seriously snowed on. We didn't. Maybe an inch or two at most has so far been added to our total—so call it six inches on the ground. And what we got was wet, fluffy stuff that temporarily stuck to limbs and twigs and the sides of trees, like a thick layer of whipped cream. However, much of the frothy topping you see in these photos—which I made from the cottage's deck when I first stepped out this morning—has flattened, melted, dropped, been blown or knocked off, and otherwise disappeared; there's now less build-up. And I expect we've seen the worst of things.

Still, it was pretty while it lasted, and I wanted to share a few shots.

         

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 14

Vainly we offer each ample oblation;

Vainly with gifts would His favor secure:

Richer by far is the heart's adoration;

Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.

Reginald Heber (1783-1826)

from "Brightest and Best"

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 13

With joy approach, O Christian wight!

Do homage to thy king;

and highly praise this humble pomp

Which he from heaven doth bring.

Robert Southwell (1561-1595)

from "New Prince, New Pomp"

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 12

O sing unto this glittering, glorious king,

O praise His name let every living thing;

Let lute, let shawm, with sound of sweet delight,

The joy of Christé's birth this day recite.

Francis Kinwelmersh (1538-c.1580)

from "For Christmas Day"

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 11

For God was bound to human grief; 

In humans boundless joy had grown,

Which to one and to the other

Before this time was never known.

St. John of the Cross (1542-1591)

from "On the Nativity" 

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 10

Come we shepherds whose blest sightHath met Love's noon in Nature's night;Come, lift we up our loftier song,And wake the sun that lies too long.
Richard Crashaw (1613-1649)from "A Hymn of the Nativity"

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 9

The earth was still, but knew not why;

The world was listening unawares.

How calm a moment may precede

One that shall thrill the world forever!

Alfred Domett (1811-1887)

from "The First Roman Christmas"

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 8

In the bleak midwinter

Frosty wind made moan,

Earth stood hard as iron,

Water like a stone…

Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 7

The Shepherds sang; and shall I silent be?

My God, no hymn for thee?

The Pasture is thy word; the streams, thy grace

Enriching all the place.

George Herbert (1593-1633)

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 6

But peaceful was the night

Wherein the Prince of light

His reign of peace upon the earth began.

John Milton (1606-1674)

from "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity"

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 5

He brought light out of darkness,

not out of a lesser light;

He can bring thy summer out of winter,

though thou have no spring.

John Donne (1572-1631)

"Sermon for Christmas Day, 1624"

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 4

Wise men all ways of knowledge past,

To the shepherds' wonder come at last:

To know can only wonder breed,

And not to know is wonder's seed.

Sidney Godolphin (1610-1643)
"Lord when the Wise Men Came from Far"

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY3

O, like a tiny cradle,

Could thy heart become,

God would on earth again,

Be born an infant son.

Angelus Silesius (1624-1677)

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 2

Welcome, all wonders in one sight!

Eternity shut in a span,

Summer in winter, day in night,

Heaven in Earth, and God in Man…

Richard Crashaw (1612-1649)

from "In the Holy Nativity of Our Lord God"  

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY…DAY 1

Nature's decorations glisten

Far above their usual trim;

Birds of box and laurels listen,

As so near the cherubs hymn.

—Christopher Smart (1722-1771) 

The Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ