CHRISTMAS STORY

Good afternoon Bloggets. Hello today to Albania, it’s been a while since your country visited my Blog page. Are you the same people? Seven of you today. If old or new, welcome why not have a glass of mulled wine or a cup of hot chocolate with me as I write of a Christmas story?

The Nutcracker and the mouse King, is a story written in 1816 by E.T.A. Hoffmann in which a young girl called Marie, had a favourite Christmas toy the nutcracker, which came alive. After defeating the wicked mouse king in battle, whisks her away to a magical kingdom full of dolls.

I went to the Nutcracker Ballet as a child in Russia on an annual visit to the Bolshoi Theatre. I saw Spartacus and of course, Swan lake, but the Nutcracker made a home in my heart and if you have been reading my latest blogs on our outdoor decorations, you will see that we broke the tradition of the seriousness of Moscow’s finest theatre. Just as Marie broke the spell of telling the nutcracker she would love him if he were real. And of course, he came to life, whisked her off again to the doll kingdom and married her making her a Queen.

A magical Grandfather clock is featured in the story. Gosh I love Grand father and Mother clocks. I thought the nicest one I had seen was our friend from America, but I loved that clock because it belonged to such a lovely man who is a true Gentleman and that clock had travelled around the world and belonged to his great aunt, so had seen so many changes in life, there is a part of me that believes clocks do have a memory from time gone by…. Pardon the pun. But that clock I loved for the stories it could have told. The absolute nicest clock I have ever heard and I can’t get it out of my mind, is my friend Pauline’s clock. Gosh I wish I could record it and let Hub hear it? The sound is like nothing I have ever heard from a clock. It’s almost like velvet! If I ever win the Lottery, I am going to buy a Grandfather clock. You can get some awful sounding ones though. One person we know has clocks and he has one that sounds OK, but most of them are really awful, tinny or annoying.

Christmas is a time to practice tolerance and respect, to teach our children about love and care. To say words so sincere for our children to remember and carry out those emotions for the following years passing down generations keeping the festive feeling alive. Sometimes it’s not easy, but as adults it’s our duty to prepare the nest for the tiny chicks to be strong happy and healthy and a healthy person is more than their level of fitness, our children should have healthy minds too, because society will do its best to murder any act of kindness our kids may have in them. Like the nutcracker, we hope they will grow up strong no matter what is thrown at them and what better time of year for this lesson to start than Christmas time.

We took our Son to the theatre the other night. It would have been less stressful easier for us to go alone, but though our boy is 19, we have to still fight for what should be tradition and what is right in life. Someone who will go to the theatre will be I hope a better Father than someone who is left to their own vice. It’s all about interacting!

A Christmas tree represents unity. Typically, in what I would say the old days, a Father brings the tree into the house, the Mother adorns it with decorations brother pokes sister with the needles and sister chases brother so interaction. Smile. I guess today it’s changed Father sometimes isn’t on the scene or the tree gets delivered in a box by the post person. Sometimes it’s already decorated even with lights. But still there is light in the room. Light creates warmth. And hopefully that will transpire into the hearts of our families.

Those who have lost someone or something very special to them near Christmas will need you. You will be their saviour. If only you can be selfless enough to do this. I promise it will leave you feeling better than you would if you had gone out and bought someone a gift.

Anyone can buy a gift. Not many can give their time, even for a short while, even if it comes in the form of a phone call, but a visit is so much better. Xx