Happy Christmas from Lunenburg

Just to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas from Lunenburg. I put this photo onto my Facebook and have to admit it isn’t my house.

It seems that even here in Nova Scotia, people suffer from the North American ‘tacky light syndrome’.

Lunenburg has more tasteful lights, with the little sponsored trees at the bandstand.

And the decorated  fishing boats at the harbour.

They make for a very pleasant walk along the front.

It has snowed here this morning and this is the view from our window into the garden.

We should have a white Christmas.

Jeff took this photo!!! It’s a bit out of focus! – but might make a nice painting.

Have a wonderful Christmas, and I’ll see what I have to report in the New Year.

Making Christmas Wreaths

Last week I joined the group from the Lunenburg Garden Club, to learn how to make a wreath for the door.

Svenja Dee arrived laden with everything one would need to make an exciting wreath.

Ribbons of reds and pinks …

greens, blues, yellows and golds.

Large rolls of net.

Walnuts, almonds, chestnuts ……

 

and dried orange and apple slices.

 

And so we arranged ourselves around the table, each with a wire ring, a roll of binding wire and a great choice of greenery in the centre.

 

The art seems to be in making small bunches and tying them onto the wire ring in a clockwise direction, so that the new bunch covers the stems of the previous one.

It was nice to add a bit of holly for variety.

I seemed to be the last person to finish  this project, but think that I’ll be better next year.

Everyone had their own unique wreath to take home at the end of the evening.

This one had lovely green balls and ribbons.

And these two wreaths are very different from each other.

 

Susan chose a bright red and gold ribbon to match the coloured balls.

These shells make a very natural finish to this very attractive wreath.

I thought I’d have to go with the nearest to a tartan ribbon and chose the cinnamon and nuts to complement the colours.

I took a walk round Lunenburg and photographed some of the wreaths on the homes.

 

The doorway is decorated inside and out.

 

These wreaths are on all the windows and doors of the pub.

 

And this elaborate green ribboned wreath, is at the door of Cilantro, the kitchen shop, occupying the famous green painted building in town.

And these are above the doorway of the raspberry building.

This one has a very fancy ribbon.

And this doorway and stairway have wreaths.

I finish with a photo of this large wreath in the window of Ironworks – featured in my last Blog.

And wish everyone a ‘Very Happy Christmas.’

A King’s Christmas at Lunenburg

On Friday night Jeff and I attended the King’s Christmas concert at St John’s Church in Lunenburg. Last year we were at the Concert of 100 Candles. The setting of St John’s Anglican Church is just magnificent and makes any concert a delight.

The  Chapel Choir of the University of King’s College in Halifax comprises of 20 choristers selected through annual auditions.  They entered the concert from behind us and sang Angelus Ad Virginem as they walked down the aisle.

The carols were interspersed with readings and poems.

A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas is one of my favourites and Christmas is never Christmas without listening to it.

Suzie LeBlanc, the renowned Canadian soprano, entertained us with some solos.

Then an amusing reading of The Twelve Days of Christmas, A Correspondence, by John Julius Norwich.  A different slant on the old Twelve Days of Christmas we all know.

25th December

My dearest darling
That partridge, in that lovely little pear tree! What an enchanting, romantic, poetic present!

Bless you and thank you.

Your deeply loving Emily

26th December

Mr dearest darling Edward
The two turtle doves arrived this morning and are cooing
away in the pear tree as I write.

I’m so touched and grateful.
With undying love, as always, Emily

27th December

My darling Edward

You do thinks of the most original presents:

whoever thought of sending anybody three French hens?

Do they really come all the way from France?

It’s a pity that we have no chicken coops, but I expect we’ll find some.

Thank you, anyway, they’re lovely.
Your loving Emily

28th December

Dearest Edward

What a surprise – four calling birds arrived this morning.
They are very sweet, even if they do call rather loudly –
they make telephoning impossible. BUT I expect they’ll calm
down when they get used to their new home.

Anyway, I’m very grateful – of course I am.
Love from Emily

29th December

Dearest Edward

The postman has just delivered five most beautiful gold
rings, one for each finger, and all fitting perfectly.

A really lovely present – lovelier in a way than birds, which do
take rather a lot of looking after.

The four that arrived yesterday are still making a terrible row, and I’m afraid
none of use got much sleep last night.

Mummy says she wants us to use the rings to ‘wring’ their necks – she’s only
joking, I think; though I know what she means. But I love the rings.

Bless you Love, Emily

30th December

Dear Edward

Whatever I expected to find when I opened the front door
this morning, it certainly wasn’t six socking great geese
laying eggs all over the doorstep.

Frankly, I rather hoped you had stopped sending me birds – we have no room for them
and they have already ruined the croquet lawn.

I know you meant well, but – let’s call a halt, shall we?
Love, Emily

31st December

Edward

I thought I said no more birds; but this morning I woke up
to find no less than seven swans all trying to get into our
tiny goldfish pond.

I’d rather not think what happened to the goldfish.

The whole house seems to be full of birds – to
say nothing of what they leave behind them.

Please, please STOP
Your Emily

1st January

Frankly, I think I prefer the birds.

What am I to do with eight milkmaids – AND their cows?

Is this some kind of a joke? If so, I’m afraid I don’t find it very amusing.
Emily

2nd January

Look here Edward, this has gone far enough. You say you’re
sending me nine ladies dancing; all I can say is that judging
from the way they dance, they’re certainly not ladies.

The village just isn’t accustomed to seeing a regiment of
shameless hussies with nothing on but their lipstick
cavorting round the green – and it’s Mummy and I who get
blamed.

If you value our friendship – which I do less and
less – kindly stop this ridiculous behaviour at once.

Emily

3rd January

As I write this letter, ten disgusting old men are
prancing abour all over what used to be the garden -before
the geese and the swans and the cows got at it; and several
of them, I notice, are taking inexcusable liberties with the
milkmaids.

Meanwhile the neighbours are trying to have us
evicted.

I shall never speak to you again.
Emily

4th January

This is the last straw. You know I detest bagpipes.

The place has now become something between a menagerie and a
madhouse and a man from the Council has just declared it
unfit for habitation.

At least Mummy has been spared this last outrage; they took her away yesterday afternoon in an
ambulance.

I hope you’re satisfied.

5th January

Sir
Our client, Miss Emily Wilbraham, instructs me to inform
you that with the arrival on her premises a half-past seven
this morning of the entire percussion section of the
Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and several of their friends
she has no course left open to her but to seek an injunction
to prevent your importuning her further.

I am making arrangements for the return of much assorted livestock.

I am, Sir, Yours faithfully,
G.CREEP
Solicitor-at-law

This was another top class concert held in our little town of Lunenburg. We are so lucky to have such wonderful facilities and entertainment.

We look forward to the next concert at St John’s.

More Music from St John’s, Lunenburg

Yesterday Louise and I attended a lunchtime concert at St John’s Anglican Church. This was the venue for the ‘Concert of 100 Candles’, I wrote about on 7th December. It is a beautiful setting for any concert.

It was snowing heavily but we decided to brave the storm and enjoy the music. Pamela Rogers, soprano, sang a selection of Christmas favourites whilst her father, Wayne, accompanied her on the piano. I thoroughly enjoyed the variations to some well know pieces. At the end of each song, I felt that we should show our appreciation, by applauding, but being a reticent Scot, I thought I’d wait for the others to lead – which they didn’t.

I was extremely confused when Pamela started to sing ‘Away in a Manger’ as the tune matched an old Scottish ballad. In my head I sang the words

Cauld winter was howlin’ o’er moor and o’er mountain
And wild was the surge of the dark rolling sea,
When I met about daybreak a bonnie young lassie,
Wha asked me the road and the miles to Dundee. —-Now try and sing the words of ‘Away in a Manger ‘to the tune of this.

For those who don’t know the tune then’ The Corries’ will help you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm5_jma2GMQ

(My friend, Kathryn and I were great followers of ‘The Corries’ at Dundee University Folk Club and even had the Aran jerseys!)

My thoughts strayed to Dundee, home of Jute, Jam, Journalism and Wallace’s pies, but were soon brought back to the concert with the next piece. All too soon Pamela was ending with ‘O Holy Night’ another song I recognised. I can’t find any link to Pamela Rogers, but you can hear

Celine Dion singing it here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jr-2eyRtV4

or, if you prefer Celtic Woman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ-8jYpa1-o&feature=related

or Mariah Carey’s own inimitable style www.youtube.com/watch?v=g64zUxkC_pQ

There’s no shortage of online concerts with this Christmas favourite.

This was a most enjoyable concert and I hope to have the pleasure of hearing Pamela Rogers in the future.