In what has become a tradition for me, I present one of my favorite radio plays, The Shepherd written by Frederick Forsyth and read by Alan Maitland on CBC radio.
Frederick Forsyth wrote the Shepherd in 1972 as a gift for his wife Carrie after she requested a ghost story be written for her. The entire story was written on Christmas Day 1974, and published near that time a year later.
CBC radio produced this version of the story for Christmas eve 1979. It has been rebroadcast every year since.
image: cherubs from Raphael’s The Sistine Madonna
Gifted Canadian songwriter, Leonard Cohen, recorded an album in 1984 he titled, “Various Positions.” One track from the album did not do very well for Cohen yet found much popular and critical success after being covered by other artists, most notably by Jeff Buckley who recorded a version of the song in 1994 after hearing a John Cale adaptation. Over 300 recordings of various revision have been made of Leonard Cohen’s song, Hallelujah.
Now I’ve heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do ya?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing “Hallelujah”
Cohen authored around 80 verses when composing Hallelujah and was known to sing differing arrangements, using some of the unrecorded prose, during live performances. Hallelujah is said to describe an argument with God from the perspective of somebody who feels as though they always disappoint other people. Deep and thought provoking, not overly uplifting; apart from a soulfully magnificent melody. Christians have set their own lyrics to Hallelujah’s rising, powerful sound and emotive cry of, “Hallelujah!” creating beautiful spiritual song.
Which brings us from North America to the isles of the United Kingdom.
In Northern Ireland rests a special school called Killard House. Established 1958, Killard House moved in 2009 from it’s original family home location in Newtownards into their present school facility located along Cannyreagh Road in the bay town of Donaghadee, Ireland. The student body of over 200 pupils range in age from 3-19; some have speech and/or hearing challenges that make learning difficult, others have found diagnoses all along the autism spectrum. Like most schools, Killard House has a full array of programmes and activities for the children to enjoy, including a cherubic school choir performing songs of the season for a Christmas Concert. It’s a beautiful holiday experience for many Christian families, listening to the pure, sweet voices of uniformly garbed children raised in unison and praise. The Killard House School Choir offers all of the usual pleasures found at a Christmas concert performed by children, bringing a wee bit more fidgeting about than might be observed during chorale presentations enjoyed in most local schools and churches. This Irish school choir has more than restlessness to distinguish them from other children’s singing groups, there is also a tender treasure in their class named, Kaylee Rogers.
Little Kaylee is a primarily non-verbal autistic child, also diagnosed with ADHD. A shy child, she barely spoke a word her whole life, all thoughts and feelings trapped inside her head, unable to find a way out using verbal expression. Until, she was taught how to sing. This amazing young girl is able to enunciate thought and phrase when same is set to song. She is also able to learn and memorise the words to songs and sing her little heart and soul out! Freedom from entrapment! Kaylee’s spirit soars when she sings, and she brings every listener with her, lifting hearts with her most gracious gift of song.
A few years ago, Killard House had their Christmas concert professionally filmed and produced so as to create a timeless keepsake for students and their friends and families. After going public with the video on YouTube, the school could no longer keep their secret to themselves. We all have opportunity to enjoy a joyous moment with then, ten-year-old Kaylee Rogers and the Killard House School Choir as these precious children celebrate God’s great gift to mankind that we call, Christmas.
Hallelujah!
(YouTube link: https://youtu.be/Bmx–WjeN7o)
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Just some random Christmas trivia today.
May you all have a Merry one!
Take the quiz below and share your results!
It’s that time of the year. Merry little angels are working miracles anyplace that needs a little Christmas, right now. Not even Facebook is able to escape their joyous mechanisations! A San Diego area florist named Jenelle Brinneman, and her Facebook network, have found themselves caught up in the magic as they bring some much-needed Christmas to the Valley Center Cemetery.
See Also: Tulsi Strikes Again
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Last Friday, 18 December 2020, Ms. Brinneman discovered a local non-profit organisation that places Christmas wreaths on military grave markers would not be observing the annual tradition because of COVID-19 restrictions. In the Valley Center Cemetery, final home for over 300 veterans, there would be no Christmas bedecking of veteran’s markers this season.
“Our hearts dropped, because we know how much it means,” Brinneman told KGTV.
When COVID-19 restrictions had impeded traditional honors being placed at grave markers on the Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day observances, Brinneman and her associates raised enough money to pay for and place a rose at every veterans grave marker in Valley Center, themselves. The compassionate florist knew how such a seemingly small gesture made a big difference. Not just for those who may visit a beloved resting warrior, the sight was a moving reminder for all the members of her community.
“There were strangers thanking us. People were crying, watching us put roses down,” said Brinneman, when speaking of her Memorial and Veteran’s Days missions.
After digesting the Christmas decoration news, our industrious florist got to work. Putting together over 300 wreaths would probably be more than she could pull off, time and expense-wise, so she bugled forth a plea for donations to make wreath sprays. The sprays would not need anywhere near the amount of product an entire wreath required and are quick to assemble. Brinneman posted her idea and request for funds to her Facebook account on Friday and set out to enjoy scheduled weekend plans. Upon returning home Saturday evening, Jenelle Brinneman’s eyes took in a miraculous Christmas sight.
“I just started crying right there. Our town is amazing … My driveway was filled with pine, cedar, ribbons, and wreaths companies were about to throw away,” said Brinneman. “This is what the Christmas spirit is all about.“
Dozens of community elves signed up to work safe distancing shifts in her pop-up driveway workshop, assembling the bounty into gifts for the warriors of Valley Center Cemetery. On Christmas Eve, Jenelle Brinneman will be able to place a wreath spray at every military grave marker in the cemetery.
“They deserve to be recognized. Seeing the wreaths on the grave markers is something unexplainable. Because of the community, loved ones will see those wreaths,” said Brinneman.
It’s not unexplainable . . . it’s Christmas magic! 🎄👼🏻🎄
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Links to all three of Jenelle Brinneman’s Veteran’s Grave Marker honor efforts, if interested (click title):
‘Rose Campaign’ delivered to thousands of grave markers at national cemeteries
‘Rose campaign’ launched at North County cemetery after Veterans Day program is canceled
Valley Center community rallies to save Christmas tradition honoring veterans at cemetery
Shooting guns at people is generally a No-No; certain circumstances excepting, of course. Shooting them at the people you rely on for your daily needs? From your wheelchair? Lisa Beach, Activities Director at Continental Manor Nursing Home in Blanchester Ohio, thought that would be great fun! From the looks of things, she was right.
As staff members at Continental began decking the facility with boughs of holly and artificial Christmas trees, Ms. Beach sustained a thought-related shot to the heart; let’s take some residents to the woods and go hunting.
“I got the idea to turn our dining room in to a forest and bring out all of the Christmas trees before we decorated them. It was such a blast,” Ms. Beach said, per SunnySkyz.
Gathering the necessary gear, she outfitted a delighted group of Great White-Haired Hunters with colorful weaponry before scaring up game from all around the Home. The hunt was on! Residents gleefully gathered and took turns launching soft-tipped arrows from their Nerf guns toward a small herd of reindeer gallivanting through the Dining Hall Christmas decor. Reindeer named Megan Nicole, Jackie Feirl and Andria Slone – staff members who volunteered to take a shot for the team. And, create mountains of smiles that go on for miles and miles . . . enjoy the fun, vicariously!
Three videos from the Continental Manor Facebook account – I am not able to embed Facebook videos – might try to figger out how one day, that won’t be today. Please click the links if interested in viewing the fun!
WAY TO GO DEER HUNTERS!!
RESIDENTS HAD FUN DEER HUNTING TODAY!!
BIG THANKS TO THE DEER!!
Lisa Beach, Megan Nicole Jackie Feirl, and Andria Slone . . . the real People of 2020. 🙂
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