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Monday 28 December 2015

Y is for Yuletide

Some folks get to December 26 and automatically stop listening to Christmas-related music. Of course, they may have been hearing it since late November, on US Thanksgiving, or even earlier. Whereas I don't even START until December 6, when and play it until Epiphany.

A dictionary definition of yuletide is the period extending from December 24 to January 6. Yule is a "a festival observed by the historical Germanic peoples, later undergoing Christianised reformulation resulting in the now better-known Christmastide."

Here's another description.

One Christmas song that use the word is Deck the Halls - "Troll the ancient Yuletime carol." What does that mean?!
"According to the OED, one of the meanings of 'troll,' in use since the 16th century, is 'to sing in a full, rolling voice; to chant merrily or jovially.'"

Another Yule reference is in The Christmas Song, perhaps better known as Chestnuts Roasting By An Open Fire: "Yuletide carols being sung by a choir."
You can hear and read about the song here.
This is a lovely story about co-writer Mel Torme.
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Monday 21 December 2015

X for Xenophobia

ABC-Wednesday-17aMrs. Nesbitts' ABC-Wednesday
 Round ~ 17X 

Hello and good morning, -afternoon, -evening, dear people  who all participate is this wonderful photomeme, which is a joy to me, week after week, after week. I'm always curious to what you come up with!

This week's challenging letter is X and the word i've chosen is XENOPHOBIA 

 Although this is a word wich is actual everywhere all the time... throughout historie even... its now present and very actual in the country where i live in, The Netherlands, as in surrounding countries in Europe. Maybe even outside Europe too, maeby even in the country you live in?! 

Lots of people spread malicious stories for the one and only purpose to create more hate and whatever more they want to achieve. Those people make me afraid, sad, and yes, angry even. 

One might expect that the people who work for Radio- & Tv-stations, or other media who spreads news ... might bring objective news, weaned from their personal opinion, but sadly enough that is not the case. Lots of 'media' are actually contributing to the fear lots of people allready  have. 

Maybe I see it all wrong but does not everyone have the right to exist? Does not everyone have the right to have a roof above their head, food in their stomachs, a bed to sleep in and lots of stuff more that we take for granted most of the time?  

Why, I wonder, is it so hard to have compassion for our fellow human being?  I, for approximately 40 years now, do work as a volunteer, all those years now I try to do the best I can in helping another person who needs help... in a way I'm able to provide. I realy don't care what colour of skin that person has, which belief he has (or not), what his origin is, what the level of his intelligence is, or what capabilities he has or lacks. All I see is a person who needs something what i can provide; it's that simple.... right? To me it is, obviously!

Of course, I am not stupid. I am aware of the misery lots of people do to another person..... I even can tell experiences of my own about horrific things... but... the harm-doer is NOT a foreigner by definition.

I hope and pray... that all of you are well and blessed, I wish you that you will stay that way, that no harm comes to you and that you do no harm to another!  And most of all, I wish that if it might happen that you come into a position where you need help... that there will be people who help you with whatever you need!!

Have a nice ABC-day / ABC-week
♫ M e l o d y ♫
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Monday 14 December 2015

Introduction W.

 I introduce this letter because  my maiden name starts  with W. I saw Roger do this game, when the G was having its turn.


1.Family name? Wouters! This is also my maiden name. In the Netherlands the family name of the husband comes first, followed by the maiden name of the married lady. In my case it'll be:"Francois-Wouters".


2 First name? Wilhelmina. At the time when I was born we had a Queen Wilhelmina,  I was not named after her but after my grandmother.


3 An animal?A wolf, spelled the same way in Dutch and English.


4.A boy’s name:Wim ( short for Willem, which is William in English)


5 A girl’s name:Wil, Wendy, Winny, Wanda,etc...


6. An occupation?:A watchmaker, a weaver....


7. A color?White...


8 Something you wear? Wellingtons


9. A beverage? Whiskey


10. A food?Water-melon


11. Something found in bathroom?Warm water  (same spelling in Dutch or English),a wash basin.


12. A town? Washington


13. A flower? Wistaria

































14. A country? Wales, a Celtic country in the United Kingdom




If you join us, please show us a photo, poem or article beginning with W, and mention this meme in your post or in the sidebar. We like to welcome you in our bloggingcompany.

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Monday 7 December 2015

V stands for Verse, and Virus.


There was an old man of  Vesuvious

 Who studied the work of Vitruvious

When the flames burnt his book

 To drinking he took

 That morbid old man of Vesuvious !
The Old Man Of Vienna.
There was an old man of Vienna
Who lived on a tincture of Senna
 When that did not agree,
 He took Camomile tea
That nasty old Man of Vienna.
 
 
 The above Nonsense Verses are from one of my favourite poet's collection,
 Edward Lear,  reknown for his writing 
 of silly limericks .
 
 
 
Virus.
My apologies for the meagre offering re my introduction but I have been struck low with a nasty Virus, it has erupted like  Mount Vesuvious ( see picture above at the beginning) . So it's back to bed, now that I've managed to scramble this together.
 Best wishes Di.
 
My sincere thanks to the vivacious Denise for devising ABCW and the veritable Roger for doing what he does each week with such valour. Thanks also to the team of helpers who assist Roger with the visits to other contributors. 
 
 
 

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