As I sit here enjoying a Guinness, I have been reflecting on this year that is quickly drawing to an end.
While there are several things I’d like to forget, there are also several things I’ll always fondly remember.
One of those things is discovering this community and all my new friends that are members of it.
Merry Christmas to all of you, and thank you for bringing a smile to my face during these troubled times.
I drink a toast to all of you, and wish you all the very best in the coming new year.
I’m just resurrecting last year’s post rather than wasting time writing a new one… I’m rather shocked that it went a whole year without a single reply.
Just recently I’ve started participating in the chat room. Almost without exception, folks have been quite friendly, and the conversations lively. I know once my regular schedule gets back into swing I won’t have this kind of time to play around in the chat room, but it’s been very nice, and I’ve been able to make friends (you know who you are or BAN!) I’ll keep in touch with via email or PM or even chat for a long time to come.
It’s nice that despite the problems with internet communications, Dale and Rich (too bad Rich doesn’t go by ‘Chip’) have given us a forum which has allowed us to form a true community. Sometimes that gets lost in the struggles and verbal posturing, but underneath it all we’re united by our admiration for one of the simplest of all instruments, the whistle.
I hope everyone else has as nice a Christmas as I have, whether it has religious significance for you or not. I hope for a quick resolution to conflict, be it at home or abroad, great or small.
Gary,
I must have missed your post last year. I have to say I’ve made some genuine friends on this board, though I haven’t met most of them in person. The occasional photo is nice to see. Keeping up with peoples’ lives over a couple of years makes it real. (I have fairly regular email correspondence with several of you.) People have shared their ups and downs with me and I worry about people from time to time. A few people have had job woes lately. Anyway, I thought I should check in here on Christmas morning. We opened our presents, had a quick bite and coffee. Now, I have to get ready for church. I’ll have some time to practice later before heading to my sister’s for early dinner and festivities. I’d like to share that the season has brought out the best in a lot of my coworkers and I feel fortunate to be working with a great group of people (doctors, nurses, medical staff, and receptionists at an internal medicine clinic at a giant hmo). I may look back on this time as one of the best in my life. My family is healthy and crisis free at the moment. The only dark cloud is the threat of war and seeing other peoples’ suffering around me. Time for more serious praying. Best to you all,
Tony
This seems like the best thread to express my Merry Christmas wishes to all of you. I hope you each have at least one moment where it all comes together and has the meaning that we seek.
I finally had my moment last night listening to Michael Crawford (?), the musical guy, singing O Holy Night with some children on an otherwise odd rock-n-roll xmas show. The guy gave a perfectly beautiful rendition of the song.
All the best from yer Daily Weekender,
Lance Beeson
Michael Crawford, formerly of the comedy show “Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em”. What a talent! In the seventies he was a great comedian and stunt man, now a great singer. He has followed the same path as Harry Seacomb of the Goon Show.
Merry Christmas, Raindog! I have learned so much here on C&F, it just boggles my mind to think of how little I knew of Irish music this time last year. And I’ve made some wonderful friends here as well, much to my pleasant surprise.
Happy New Year to you all, and here’s a cyber Guinness for you all. (_)>
Hi, Raindog! Last year at this time, I had no idea what C&F might be, nor any clue to the meaning of “nollaig”. Happily, when I saw your post this morning, I know both, and even though it’s past Christmas, wish you a Happy New Year, lots of Guiness, and a bottle of Tullamore Dew to warm you on a cold night.
Slainte!
Bill Whedon
Last year at this time I was a brand-newbie to the board, having only joined a couple weeks before… reading this post now gave me pause for thought on how much I’ve grown to enjoy my time spent here, and how much I enjoy interacting with the wonderful people that inhabit this space. I too have only recently begun visiting the chat room, and it has brought a whole new level of levity to my life!
To all the lovely people that bring a smile to my face quite often-- Serpie Pie, James Peeples, Teri-K, Kim in Tulsa, Avanutria, Bloomfield, Walden, Tony in FL, Marguerite, 'Enders, chattiekathy, Tyghress, Lee Marsh, and all the rest of you too-- I wish you a new year filled with happiness, joy, love, prosperity, and of course lots and lots of music!!
