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The
Creative Spirit Newsletter
December
1, 2001
Here
on the Eastern side of North America we are having summer-like
temperatures-- and no sign of snow at all! It's not very seasonally-inspiring,
so maybe this newsletter will help get us into the Christmas
spirit!.
These lovely winter
scene photos are from Dave Grant and were
taken in January, two seasons past, in Canada. Thanks, Dave!
Would you
like to know more about the original Christmas offerings? Well, we
have some information on that here too!
And if you are a cat-person you will
enjoy this cute poem, 'Twelve Days of "Cats"Mas!' Would
anyone like to try a 'dog' interpretation on this? I think there is
some potential here. 
Warm
(yes!) wishes.......... Cheyenne
Gold
and Myrrh and Frankincense
In
his "Sermon on the Epiphany of the Lord" the tenth century monk
Aelfric writes: "The astrologers went into the child's inn, and found
him with his mother. Then with prostrate bodies they worshipped
Christ, and opened their treasure-chests and offered him threefold gifts:
gold, and incense and myrrh. Gold befits a king; frankincense
belongs to the service of God; with myrrh they treat the bodies of dead
men so that they decay less rapidly.
These three astrologers
worshipped Christ and offered him significant gifts. The gold
signified that he is a true king, the frankincense that he is the true
God, the myrrh that he was then mortal; but now he remains immortal in
eternity."
Fragrant and resinous plants were used in ancient
times for both cosmetics and medicine. Frankincense and myrrh were
grown in abundance in northeast Africa and southern Arabia, and then
brought to the cities along the caravan routes.
THE
TWELVE DAYS OF "CATS"MAS
On
the first day of Christmas my mistress gave to me
a pheasant under glass beneath the tree.
On
the second day of Christmas my mistress gave to me
two chicken breasts and
a pheasant under glass beneath the tree.
On
the third day of Christmas my mistress gave to me
three quarts of milk
two chicken breasts and
a pheasant under glass beneath the tree.
On
the fourth day of Christmas my mistress gave to me
four strutting birds
three quarts of milk
two chicken breasts and
a pheasant under glass beneath the tree.
On
the fifth day of Christmas my mistress gave to me
five litter pans
four strutting birds
three quarts of milk
two chicken breasts and
a pheasant under glass beneath the tree.
On
the sixth day of Christmas my mistress gave to me
six cans of sardines
five litter pans
four strutting birds
three quarts of milk
two chicken breasts and
a pheasant under glass beneath the tree.
On
the seventh day of Christmas my mistress gave to me
seven pounds of catnip
six cans of sardines
five litter pans
four strutting birds
three quarts of milk
two chicken breasts and
a pheasant under glass beneath the tree.
On
the eighth day of Christmas my mistress gave to me
eight dogs on leashes
seven pounds of catnip
six cans of sardines
five litter pans
four strutting birds
three quarts of milk
two chicken breasts and
a pheasant under glass beneath the tree.
On the ninth day of Christmas my mistress gave to me
nine frogs a-leaping
eight dogs on leashes
seven pounds of catnip
six cans of sardines
five litter pans
four strutting birds
three quarts of milk
two chicken breasts and
a pheasant under glass beneath the tree.
On
the tenth day of Christmas my mistress gave to me
balls of yarn all tangled
nine frogs a-leaping
eight dogs on leashes
seven pounds of catnip
six cans of sardines
five litter pans
four strutting birds
three quarts of milk
two chicken breasts and
a pheasant under glass beneath the tree.
On
the eleventh day of Christmas my mistress gave to me
eleven mice a running
balls of yarn all tangled
nine frogs a-leaping
eight dogs on leashes
seven pounds of catnip
six cans of sardines
five litter pans
four strutting birds
three quarts of milk
two chicken breasts and
a pheasant under glass beneath the tree.
On
the twelfth day of Christmas my mistress gave to me
twelve toys from Macys
eleven mice a running
balls of yarn all tangled
nine frogs a-leaping
eight dogs on leashes
seven pounds of catnip
six cans of sardines
five litter pans
four strutting birds
three quarts of milk
two chicken breasts and
a pheasant under glass beneath the tree.
~author
unknown~
Quote
of the Day
"The
only real blind person at Christmas-time is he who has not Christmas in
his heart."
~
Helen Keller ~
Snow
globe by Cheyenne--a gift for you to download!
Merry
Christmas!
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