December 25, 2014

Tidings of Good Cheer and Spiked Eggnog


Bah, Humbug! As enjoyable as the December holidays can be, it can also be a stressful and sometimes lonely time of year. To help ease the "bah, humbugs!" I'm bringing tidings of good cheer for the holiday season...for Christmas, Chanukah, and let us not forget Festivus!

So take a break and have a relaxing mug of holiday eggnog topped with nutmeg and spiked if you like with a bit (or more depending on the day) of rum or brandy. Sit down in a cozy chair by the fireplace ...or just close your eyes and pretend you're by a warm fireplace with the glowing embers dancing as the logs burn. Just enjoy the moment. Now don't you feel better already?  

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Christmas Cheer

Something traditional and perfect for sitting by the fireplace (or your pretend fireplace...works either way!).


 Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days...and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home!
~Charles Dickens



Christmas Bells 

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men.
      ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


from Snowball by Shel Silverstein


The Grumpy Old Punks make a Christmas song! 

Posted with thanks to Linda of Elleroy Was Here 


I'll close the Christmas part of my post with a poem in memory of my sweet pups, Roscoe and Coco, both gone now (Roscoe March 2013, and Coco April 2014) but never forgotten. 

Christmas Dog
Tonight's my first night as a watchdog, 
And here it is Christmas Eve. 
The children are sleeping all cozy upstairs, 
While I'm guardin' the stockin's and tree. 

What's that now---footsteps on the rooftop?
Could it be a cat or a mouse?
Who's this down the chimney?
A thief with a beard---
And a big sack for robbin' the house? 

I'm barkin', I'm growlin', I'm bitin' his butt.
He howls and jumps back in his sleigh.
I scare his strange horses, they leap in the air.
I've frightened the whole bunch away. 

Now the house is all peaceful and quiet again.
The stockin's are safe as can be.
Won't the kiddies be glad when they wake up tomorrow
And see how I've guarded the tree.
~ Shel Silverstein

Roscoe

Coco
Miss my pups, they really loved getting treats in their Christmas stockings! 

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Chanukah...the Festival of Lights

Eight days the light continued on its own: A miracle, they say, but not more so than ordinary lives of flesh and bone, consuming wicks burned ashen long ago. ~Nicholas Gordon




A Chanukah classic!


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Festivus

Festivus began as a holiday parody introduced on a December 1997 episode of the TV sitcom, Seinfield, and quickly became a holiday classic with the slogan: A Festivus for the rest of us!  Festivus features an unadorned aluminum Festivus pole, the "Airing of Grievances," a holiday dinner, "Feats of Strength," and a Festivus miracle.

Festivus explained
  
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Wishing you a Happy and Peaceful Holiday Season and New Year!



©2014 JerseyLils2Cents

27 comments:

  1. Great holiday post with various warm/cheerful messages. And that lovely playful poem for Coco and Rosco. I know they meant so much to you!
    Merry Christmas Madilyn! I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

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    1. Yun, thank you for the lovely comment and Merry Christmas to you! I’m glad you enjoyed the cheerful messages, I wanted something upbeat for the holidays. The Christmas Dog poem reminded me so much of Roscoe and Coco, I just had to include it. A wonderful holiday season to you too! :)

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  2. I am sending you lots of loving hugs in memory of Coco and Rosco.Christmas is indeed a very emotional time of the year... and the memories of childhood and life keep coming back. The inner worlds that belong to the unique land of our memories. The one that only exists in our dreams and thoughts...
    Thank you for this lovely post.
    Thank you for our wonderful interactions. I am thankful that I met you in this blogging world.
    All the best for 2015, dear Madilyn.

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    1. Thank you so much, Julia, and loving hugs for you too! :) I used to write a lot in my blog about Roscoe and Coco before they both became ill and went to the great dog park in the clouds. They were my best buddies and I especially miss them this time of year. Yes, they now “belong to the unique land of our memories,” well said, and they will never be forgotten (along with our husky-mix, Princess, gone since 2008).

      Julia, I am so glad we came friends in the blogosphere and I have really appreciated our interactions on your blog and mine. Wishing you a wonderful 2015, my friend!

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    2. Thank you, Madilyn.
      Your words about Roscoe and Coco brought tears to my eyes.
      Hugs.

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    3. Oops, just noticed I made an error in my comment above…meant to say “became” friends! Julia, that’s very sweet and when I think about Roscoe, Coco and Princess it brings tears to my eyes too. I know there will be more adopted pups in the future.

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  3. Roscoe, sorry. I didn't spell it correctly.

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  4. Theses are some great reminders of the season... I hope your Christmas was merry and that you are enjoying the holiday with loved ones ♡

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    1. Thanks Launna! Hope your Christmas was wonderful and Happy New Year to you! :)

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  5. Thank you JerseyLil for an absolutely gorgeous post. The poem for Coco and Rosco were tenderly honest. Blessings and a wonderful Christmas season to you! I adore the snowman as well, now I understand why the bed was wet :)

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    1. Nickey, I’m very happy that you enjoyed my holiday post, thanks! When I saw the Christmas Dog poem I just knew I had to include it for Roscoe and Coco. That snowman poem is so funny and really cute. Wishing you a wonderful Christmas season and Happy New Year! :)

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  6. Awesome reminders of the season----the music, the eggnog, all of it! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you!

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    1. Thank you so much, Marcia! Eggnog (especially with nutmeg on top and spiked with some rum or brandy) is my favorite holiday drink. When I sat down one day with a mug of eggnog, I snapped a picture and that inspired me to write a holiday blog post. :) So glad you enjoyed all of it. Hope you had a very Merry Christmas and wishing you a fantastic New Year!

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  7. This was fun! I especially liked the Shel Silverstein poem dedicated to Coco and Roscoe. Hope you and Chuck had a great Christmas!

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    1. Thanks, Kris, I wanted to make a fun holiday post! The Shel Silverstein poem dedicated to Roscoe and Coco was my favorite part of the post and I’m glad you really liked it. Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to you and Brad! :)

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  8. Good to see you're baaaaack bigger and better than ever. Now there's something here for everyone, but I felt unreasonably drawn to the "Grumpy Old Punks"........what a hoot! Great work Madilyn, as always.

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    1. Thanks Neil! The "Grumpy Old Punks" were so funny. Hope you had a fine holiday season and a very Happy New Year to you! :)

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  9. Happy New year JerseyLil. Wishing you all the best for 2015 and you're the first blog I've read this year. It's so sad about both your dogs but at least they had a wonderful life with you and were truly loved pets, that had a great life while it lasted. Anyway, I've got to go for now, but hope to visit again soon.
    Why not get yourself a new pup, not replace the other two, but just to give it some love and a good life...

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    1. Hi Rum-Punch Drunk and Happy New Year to you! I am delighted to hear from you, I was thinking about you over the holiday season. And I’m delighted too that I am the first blog you read this year. :) Yes, very sadly, both Roscoe and Coco, who I’ve written about in the past on my blog, are both gone now. They were much loved and are much missed. About a new pup…well, I actually wanted to adopt one for Christmas but my husband wanted to wait until winter is over. So sometime in the spring, I expect there will be a new pup in our home, adopted from a shelter or rescue group.

      Btw, I plan to move my blog from Blogger to WordPress for a better blogging platform and will put the link here on this blog when that happens. Glad you stopped by!

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  10. Wow, Marilyn! So much fun, cheer and love went into this post. I got a great belated holiday kick out of it. Happy New Year, to one of BC's finest.

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    1. Thanks, Marty, and Happy New Year to you! :) I’m so glad you enjoyed my holiday post. I wanted to make it fun, and the part about my dogs, that in particular was from the heart. Hope you have an excellent year!

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  11. I hope you had a wonderful holiday season Madilyn! Happy New Year and thanks so much for including the Grumpy Old Punks video!

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    1. Linda, your husband’s Grumpy Old Punks Christmas video was hilarious!! It was fun including it in my post. Thanks, and wishing you and your family a fantastic New Year! :)

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