Friday 16 December 2016

One more week to Christmas

As a child I used to count off the days still left before school was out and then the days until Christmas Eve.  I loved Christmas Eve. We were on the brink of the festivities. There was the walk to Midnight Mass to look forward to and the Mass itself with all those wonderful Christmas songs. Silent Night is still my favourite. I heard my second favourite yesterday for the first time this year: The Christmas Song.  It gave me a tingly feeling. At the end of the Midnight Mass we went to see and admire the crib. It had a distinctive smell - a mixture of incense, fresh straw and the slightly musty smell of the crib figures taken out of storage for the festivities.  I loved it all and still do!
While writing this, it occurred to me that our sense of smell is very important for recalling memories, as is our hearing - those church bells, that song, the aroma of fresh coffee, gingerbread, all that good stuff.  It brings a smile to our faces.
 I am just back from my walk to the beach and a few joggers passed me by, panting loudly, earplugs in, listening to their music. What a lot they have missed.  I spotted a bullfinch (first one I've seen in ages), I watched three crows quarreling with a cheeky sea-gull (he left in a huff after a lot of protest), a black cormorant flying up-river on some errand of his own, and a black spaniel down by the waves barking at all the sea-gulls who looked down on him in disdain, not to mention the oyster catchers calling to each other. It's a wonderful world and we shouldn't ever forget to savour all it offers.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS to all my readers!  May the joys of this festive season be with you all!



No comments:

Post a Comment