O Come all ye Faithful

YouTube

O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles) at Westminster Abbey

I could not but upload this great version of this popular carol. I especially enjoyed the organ interlude.This is part of the Christmas Eve Service of Euchar...

Peppermint Bark (is a chocolate confection. Generally it consists of peppermint candy pieces, such as candy canes, in white chocolate on top of dark chocolate, but peppermint bark can refer to any chocolate with peppermint candy pieces in it)

Peppermint Bark with its layers of dark and white chocolate and a sprinkling of candy cane pieces is one of the most popular candies to make for Christmas because it’s easy and oh, so tasty!

INGREDIENTS
12 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
12 oz. white chocolate, chopped
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
8 candy canes, crushed 

DIRECTIONS
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Fill the bottom of a large pot with 3” water and bring to simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, then place a large heatproof bowl on top. Add semi-sweet chocolate and stir occasionally until chocolate has melted. Stir in extract. Pour into prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes. 
Over the same pot of barely simmering water, place another large heatproof bowl. Add white chocolate and stir until melted. Pour over set semi-sweet chocolate then top immediately with candy canes. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes. 

or you can just buy it......................

The Queen's Christmas Message (also known as The King's Christmas Message in the reign of a male monarch, formally as Her Majesty's Most Gracious Speech, and informally as the Royal Christmas Message) is a broadcast made by the sovereign of the Commonwealth realms to the Commonwealth of Nations each Christmas. The tradition began in 1932 with a radio broadcast by King George V on the British Broadcasting Corporation's Empire Service. Since 1952, the message has been read by Elizabeth II; today, it is broadcast on television, radio, and the Internet via various providers. It is usually broadcast at 15:00 GMT.

Queen Elizabeth II - 2021. She looks very good for someone 95 years old.

Queen Elizabeth II - first televised Christmas message in 1957

Rovaniemi (Welcome to Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland. Rovaniemi is an urban city surrounded by arctic nature, where Lappish culture and a wide range of activities meet. In Rovaniemi you can visit Santa Claus and cross the Arctic Circle every day of the year! Rovaniemi is the home of Santa Claus where he can be found along with his elves and reindeer 365 days of the year!)

Tourist sites................

Santa Clause Village

YouTube

Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi Lapland by air - home of Father Christmas on Arctic Circle Finland

Europe Video Production travel film: Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi Lapland by air - home of Father Christmas on Arctic Circle in Finland by drone. Visit S...

Santa Park.................................

YouTube

Visiting Santa Claus at Santa Park in Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland /

We started our "Winter trip" in Vilnius, Lithuania from where we later went to Latvia, Estonia and Finland. In this vlog, we went to Santa Park in Rovaniemi ...

c

Stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there. 

When I was about 5 years old a lady at our church made Christmas stockings for us kids with our names on them. Something very rare back in the late 50s. I cherished that stocking. Years later when my son was born, I made a Christmas stocking with his name on it. It also has Santa next to the Christmas tree with gifts under it.  When my daughter was born 3 years later, I did the same for her. Her stocking has a Christmas Angel because my daughter's name is Angie. In fact, I made Christmas stockings for all of my nieces and nephews. My son still has his Christmas stocking and insists that it hang from the mantle next to the fancy Christmas stockings his wife bought for their children and herself. That stocking is now in its 48th year and is looking a little "rough" but it makes me feel good each year when I see it hanging there. 

I was searching my daughter-in-law's Facebook account hoping to find a picture of the fireplace with the stockings, but I couldn't find one. However, her mother had posted one of someone sitting on the hearth and you can see three of the stockings at an angle. The stocking I made for my son is the white one to the far left. At this angle, you can't see his name or Santa, but you can make out the Christmas tree.

Other stocking pictures 

'Tis the Season Scent (From Bath & Body Works. A combination of Rich Red Apple, Sweet Cinnamon, Cedarwood with Natural Essential Oils)

This is my favorite scent for Christmas.................

"Up on the Housetop" is a Christmas song written by Benjamin Hanby in 1864. It has been recorded by a multitude of singers, most notably Gene Autry in 1953.

YouTube

1953 Gene Autry - Up On The House Top (Ho! Ho! Ho!)

CD audio, originally issued on Columbia single MJV-176 - Up On The House Top (Ho! Ho! Ho!) (Whitman) by Gene Autry, orchestra conducted by Carl Cotner

A Very Merry Mix-Up (is a 2013 American/Canadian romance television film directed by Jonathan Wright and starring Alicia Witt, Mark Wiebe, and Scott Gibson. Written by Barbara Kymlicka, the film is about a woman who flies to her fiancé's hometown alone to meet her future in-laws for the first time at their Christmas gathering. At the airport, after discovering her luggage has been lost by the airline, and her cell phone is accidentally broken, she meets her future brother-in-law by chance for the first time. He takes her to his parents' home, where she meets a warm loving family preparing for Christmas. Everything seems perfect until her fiancé arrives—and she realizes that she is with the wrong family. The film premiered on the Hallmark Channel on November 10, 2013)

The actress in this movie just recently lost both her parents unexpectedly.

"Winter Wonderland" is a song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith. Due to its seasonal theme, it is often regarded as a Christmas song in the Northern Hemisphere. Since its original recording by Richard Himber, it has been covered by over 200 different artists.

YouTube

Michael Bublé - Winter Wonderland [Official HD]

Listen to Michael's Christmas at Home Playlist: https://MichaelBuble.lnk.to/christmasathomeFrom the album 'Christmas' (Deluxe Special Edition)Stream or Downl...

xùn lù (Chinese for Reindeer)

Just call me Speedy O Flurry............................

Calling it a night......