Bang!

What a lovely Independence Day. I got to spend it with family, eat lots of good food and shoot off a bunch of beautiful fireworks. It was just a spectacular day. Hope all of you had a great one!

1776

Happy Fourth of July, everyone!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone! Hope you have a wonderful Christmas Day. Feel free to post a favorite tradition of the day in the comments…

Last Minute Shopping?

Check out OFB's gift buying guide for last minute gift ideas. While you are over there, here are some other Christmasy things you may want to read:

• Mystical Advent-ure by Ed Hurst
• Nothing So Sweetens Christmas Memories as the Passage of Time by Dennis E. Powell
  

Gifts of Christmas

• Fujifilm F70EXR by Dennis E. Powell
• 3G Netbooks by Timothy R. Butler
• Macs and Accessories to Go With by Timothy R. Butler
• HTC Pure on AT&T by Timothy R. Butler
• Eris is Not Just Droid “Lite” by Timothy R. Butler

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had an especially good Thanksgiving. It has been a roller coaster ride of a year… and while quite a bit of it has been rough, I am really thankful for where things are now. The last few weeks have been a much needed time of healing and refreshment; I am thankful for that.

I am thankful God has taken that roller coaster to get me closer to where I believe he wants me to be. I am also thankful that I have been blessed with such a great family and circle of friends. In so many ways, my cup runneth over.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving

I have far more to be thankful for than I deserve, though too often I don't reflect enough on that. Just this very day has been a day with much for me to thank God for.

Blessings to all of you on Thanksgiving!

Happy Fourth!

I hope everyone had a good time filled with fireworks!

Happy Easter!

He is risen!

I hope all of you had a great Easter.

Happy Epiphany!

Well, given the day, my subject of posting seems quite obvious given that I've been lingering with Christmas carols for the past few weeks. With the usual disclaimers of accuracy, let's bring on “We Three Kings” to wrap up the festival of carols. Just for Ed, I'll include the whole thing, too.

Happy Epiphany, and, once more for this season, Merry Christmas!

We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy Perfect Light

Born a King on Bethlehem's plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to rein

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

Frankincense to offer have I
Incense owns a Deity nigh
Pray'r and praising, all men raising
Worship Him, God most high

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes of life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

Glorious now behold Him arise
King and God and Sacrifice
Alleluia, Alleluia
Earth to heav'n replies

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

The Twelve Days of Christmas (Day 12/Twelfth Night)

A great while ago the world begun,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain;
But that's all one, our play is done,
And we'll strive to please you every day.

—Feste the Fool (William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night)

Well today is Twefth Night, a day we do not usually celebrate in America (or at least, not that I've noticed), but perhaps we should. At any rate, a quote from the Bard's play concerning this night seemed appropriate. Better yet, it fits nicely as we wrap up my twelve days of carols via a quote from perhaps the greatest fictional person ever to wear motley. Do with it “what you will.”

So, on to the carol, “the Twelve Days of Christmas.” Do you love it? Hate it? What do you make of it? A lot of people have tried to explain its symbolism, but usually those explanations are found sadly to be false. Alternately, if you want, feel free to post what your true love gave to you for Christmas (hopefully it didn't include pipers piping and a bunch of partridges).

1.
On the first day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me1
A partridge in a pear tree.

2.
On the second day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Two turtle-doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.

3.
On the third day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Three French hens,
Two turtle-doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.

4.
On the fourth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Four colley birds,1a
Three French hens,
Two turtle-doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.

5.
On the fifth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Five golden rings.
Four colley birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle-doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.

6.
On the sixth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings.
Four colley birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle-doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.

7.
On the seventh day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings.
Four colley birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle-doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.

8.
On the eighth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings.
Four colley birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle-doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.

9.
On the ninth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings.
Four colley birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle-doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.

10.
On the tenth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Ten pipers piping,
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings.
Four colley birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle-doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.

11.
On the eleventh day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Eleven ladies dancing,
Ten pipers piping,
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings.
Four colley birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle-doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.

12.
On the twelfth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Twelve lords a-leaping,
Eleven ladies dancing,
Ten pipers piping,
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings.
Four colley birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle-doves and
A partridge in a pear tree.