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12/17/14 - NNHS Newsletter - Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains
“Somehow, not only for Christmas but all the long year through,
- John
Greenleaf Whittier |
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Dear Friends and Schoolmates,
Today's theme song, Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains, is the only major Christmas Carol of which I am aware which was composed by a Latter-day Saint, John Menzies MacFarlane.
Today is also the 207th Birthday of John Greenleaf Whittier; hence, the quotation.
Michelangelo Caravaggio's 1609 Painting, "Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence" has almost as exciting a history as the artist himself.
I hope you enjoy all three.
BONUS - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnZYTc-iiJI - Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far,_Far_Away_on_Judea%27s_Plains:
| "Far, Far, Away on Judea's Plains" was originally written for
an 1869
Christmas program in
St. George, Utah, when
John Menzies Macfarlane desired a new song for his choir.[1][2] "Far, Far, Away on Judea's Plains" was first published in the Juvenile Instructor on December 15, 1889.[1] The hymn has since become one of the few Mormon hymns to become accepted in the broader Christian community.[2] The hymn's accompanying melody, "Chatterley," was also written by Macfarlane. |
THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS:
Happy Birthday today to
Norma Helmick Burks ('63) AND 
Tom Oxner
('65) of AR
Happy Birthday tomorrow to James Strickland ('57)!
Happy Birthday this week to:
19 - Durwood Adams ('57) AND
The late
Suzie
Bauz ('63)
(11/03/14);
20 -
Ellen Carney Manson ('63) of SC;
21 -
Ray Stinnette ('63) of VA;
22 -
Kitty Norman Haskins ('57) of VA
AND Elliott Schlosser ('63)
AND
Dottie Pegram Daniels (NNHS /
George
Washington HS - '64) of WV
AND
Harry Barritt ('64) of VA AND
Dale Mueller ('64) of VA
AND
Bill Rash ('67) of VA;
23 -
Tom Flax ('64) of VA AND
Joyce Lawrence Cahoon ('65) of VA
AND
Holly Hill Campbell (Hampton Roads Academy -
'72) of VA;
24 -
James Gay ('57)
AND
Ann W. Hutcheson ('57)
AND
Malcolm Davis ('65) of
VA
AND
Sandye Jordan
Frost ('67) of NC!
Many Happy Returns, One and All!
http://www.nnhs65.com/Happy-Birthday.html
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THIS DAY IN WWII: |
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December 17, 1939 - Battle of the River Plate – The Admiral Graf Spee was scuttled by Captain Hans Langsdorff outside Montevideo. December 17, 1941 - Japanese forces landed in Northern Borneo. December 17, 1943 - All Chinese were again permitted to become citizens of the United States with the repealing of the Act of 1882 and the introduction of the Magnuson Act. December 17, 1944 - Battle of the Bulge – Malmedy massacre – American 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion POWs were shot by Waffen-SS Kampfgruppe Peiper. |
THIS DAY IN
1964:| Thursday, December 17, 1964 - Singer-songwriter and guitarist
(The
Wildhearts,
Ginger & The Sonic Circus, and
Silver Ginger 5)
Ginger was born David Leslie Walls in
South Shields,
Tyne & Wear,
England. Thursday, December 17, 1964 - Ice hockey player and coach Frank Musil was born František Musil in Pardubice, Czechoslovakia. Thursday, December 17, 1964 - Sportscaster Michele Tafoya was born in Manhattan Beach, California. Thursday, December 17, 1964 - Basketball player and coach Joe Wolf was born Joseph James Wolf in Kohler, Wisconsin. Thursday, December 17, 1964 - Physicist, academic, and Nobel Prize laureate Victor Francis Hess (b. 24 June 1883 in Schloss Waldstein, Peggau, Austria-Hungary) died from Parkinson's disease in Mount Vernon, New York at the age of 81. |
From Christine Wilson Starkman ('68) of CA -
12/16/14 - "Goldstone
Pendant Necklace":
 |
OOOOH!
That's gorgeous, Chris!
 I know! I'm in love with these beads! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldstone_%28gemstone%29 Oooo-OOOH!! Carol, since you were the first one to comment (about this on Facebook), I've named this "The Carol!"
GASP!?! WOWZERS!
Chris, I'm speechless! That is so enormously flattering! What a beautiful job
you did! Thank you so much!
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From
Don Jett (NNHS / Warwick HS - '60) of FL -
| Best wishes for a "Blessed" and Happy Christmas and a bright and healthy 2015. |
I will be making a conscious effort to wish everyone
a
Merry Christmas this year ...
So I am asking my email buddies,
if
you agree with me,
to
please do the same.
And if you'll pass this on to
your
email buddies, and so on...
maybe we can prevent one more Christian
Tradition from being lost
in the sea of "Political Correctness."
To One and All...
PEACE and JOY...
Thanks so much, Don!
Merry Christmas
to you, too!
And of course we here will be wishing one another Happy Hanukkah, Good Yule, and
even Happy Festivus at the appropriate times as well, because we like to
celebrate everything together as one big happy Typhoon Family!
From Sarah Puckett Kressaty ('65) of VA - 12/15/14
- "The First King Size Bed":
 |
TRUE!
Thanks, Sarah Sugah!
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From Susan Gary (Warwick HS / NNHS - '61) of VA -
12/16/14:
 |
Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus!!!
Thank
you, Susan!
This
Simon Dewey painting,
"His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful," is one of my very
favorites!
| |
From My Friend, Daniel, of UT - 12/15/14:
| “He came into the
world . . . clothed with double power---power to die, which He derived
from His mother; and power to resist death, if He had so willed it,
which He had inherited from His Father. Thus He had power both to live
forever and also power to pass through the ordeal of death, that He
might suffer it for all men, and come forth out of the grave to a
newness of life-a resurrected being, to be clothed with immortality and
eternal life, that all men might come forth out of the grave unto life
eternal.”
-
Joseph F.
Smith |
Thanks so
much, Daniel!
From Jimmy Smith ('62 / '63) of VA -
12/16/14 - "To be 8 again":
|
TO BE 8 AGAIN A man was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching his wife, who was looking at herself in the mirror. As her birthday was not far off he asked what she'd like to have for her birthday. 'I'd like to be eight again', she replied, still looking in the mirror. On the morning of her birthday, he arose early, made her a nice big bowl of Cocoa Pops, and then took her to Adventure World theme park. What a day! He put her on every ride in the park; the Death Slide, the Wall of Fear, the Screaming Roller Coaster, everything there was. Five hours later they staggered out of the theme park. Her head was reeling and her stomach felt upside down. He then took her to a McDonald's where he ordered her a Happy Meal with extra fries and a chocolate shake. Then it was off to a movie, popcorn, a soda pop, and her favorite candy, M&M's. What a fabulous adventure! Finally she wobbled home with her husband and collapsed into bed exhausted. He leaned over his wife with a big smile and lovingly asked, 'Well, Dear, what was it like being eight again? Her eyes slowly opened and her expression suddenly changed. "I meant my dress size, you blithering idiot!!!!" The moral of the story: Even when a man is listening, he is likely gonna get it all wrong. SEND THIS TO ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO NEED A LAUGH.
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From
Bill Hobbs ('66) of Northern VA
-
12/16/14 - ''I Knew It!":
| I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!
Finally a study that makes sense.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2542894/Brains-older-people-slower-stored-information-time.html
SO THERE!! We Are All Brilliant!
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From Barbara Woods Spiers ('61) of VA - 12/16/14
- "Pineapple Coconut Cake":
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http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pineapple-coconut--cake?keycode=ZPIN0214
OH! YUMMY AND LOVELY!
Thank you, Barbara!
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Laughs for the day………..
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BONUS
CHRISTMAS STORY:From My Friend, Tammy, of NC - 12/07/14 - "Daily Christmas Story (#17 in a Series of 24)":
| This year I decided to
share some of my favorite Christmas stories and quotes. It is a
tradition in our family to read a Christmas story every night in
December culminating with the Nativity on the 24th.
Christmas Story Day 17,
The Wishing Star |
| The
Wishing Star
Davey looked out the window at the falling snow. Usually he loved
snow, but today he was sad. It was Christmas Eve, and the snow was
so deep that it might ruin Christmas for Davey. Because of the
snowstorm, Davey was afraid that his older brother Josh would never
make it home for Christmas.
“And I have such a special present for him!” Davey said to himself.
“If only he could get here!" With his best crayons, Davey had drawn
a picture of the barn on their farm. He was going to give it to Josh
for Christmas to hang in his room at college. Davey turned away from
the window with a sigh.
Just then, Dad called, “How about some help shoveling the driveway? We’re going to try to make it into town to finish our Christmas shopping. We also have to buy our tree, don’t forget.” Davey ran to get his boots and coat. He followed Dad out into the snow. Davey picked up his small shovel and set to work, while Dad used his bigger one. Helping Dad shovel the snow made Davey feel better.
Soon, Davey and Dad and Mom were on their way to town. Because of
the snow, they had to drive slowly. “I brought my picture for Josh
with me,” Davey said as they rode along. “Maybe I can find a frame
to fit it when we get to the store.” “Good idea,” said Mom. “I’ll
help you look.”
When they got to town, they went to the Christmas tree lot. Davey was the first one out of the car. He ran over to a beautiful, glossy, tall tree. “Look at this one!” he shouted to Mom and Dad. “Josh will love this tree!” Then he remembered. Josh probably wouldn’t be home at all. Davey felt sad again. Mom and Dad came over to see the tree Davey had found. “That’s a great tree, Davey,” said Dad with a smile. “I think you’re right. It’s the one we should get.” Mom added, “And even if Josh doesn’t get here to see it, he’d still be happy we have such a beautiful tree.”
Later, at the store, Mom took Davey to the counter where picture
frames were sold. Davey looked at all the frames. Finally he said,
“I like this wooden one. It reminds me of the wooden barn in my
picture.”
The wooden frame was just the right size for his picture. Davey was very pleased. “I’m getting this just in case Josh makes it home for Christmas,” he said. Mom patted him on the shoulder. “I know how much you want Josh to be here tonight,” she said, “but it is still snowing hard. I really don’t think hell make it. So you mustn’t be too disappointed.” “At least I can wish he’d come,” Davey said. As they were about to leave the store, Davey saw a crowd of people. “What are all those people looking at?” Davey wondered. He ran to get a closer look. Looking around the man in front of him, Davey could see what was at the center of the crowd. It was Santa! Children were sitting on Santa’s lap and talking to him. “Can we get in line, please, Dad?” begged Davey.
“Well, we’re kind of in a hurry. We need to be back home before the
snow gets too deep,” said Dad. “But since this is Santa, I guess we
can spare the time.”
Davey gave Dad a big thank-you hug and ran to get in line. It seemed to take forever, but at last it was his turn. When Davey climbed up on Santa’s lap, Santa said, “Well, well, and what would you like for Christmas?” “I wish my brother Josh could get home for Christmas,” Davey said. “But the snow is so deep that Mom and Dad don’t think he can make it.”
“I don’t usually deliver people on Christmas Eve, just toys,” said
Santa. “But I’ll tell you what. Tonight, before you go to sleep,
make your wish on the biggest, brightest star in the sky. That’s the
Wishing Star.”
On the way home in the car, Davey saw that the snow was coming down
harder and harder. When he and Mom and Dad were almost to the house,
Davey talked about Santa’s Wishing Star. “We all make wishes every
now and then,” said Mom, “but sometimes they just can’t come true.”
“I’m going to try, anyway,” insisted Davey. That night after dinner, Dad put the Christmas tree in its stand, and Mom and Davey joined him in decorating it with colored lights and balls and lots of tinsel. While they were working, Davey thought sadly, “It would be so great if Josh were here to see our beautiful tree.” Dad put a golden angel on the very top. “I think this is the best tree we’ve ever had!” he exclaimed.
Davey went over to the window and looked out. The snow had stopped
falling. And there, right overhead, was a star Davey had never seen
before. It was big and bright and sparkling. It was the biggest and
brightest star in the sky, just as Santa had said.
Davey looked at the star and said, “Wishing Star, please let my Christmas wish come true. I wish that Josh would come home tonight, so we can all be together for Christmas.” Then Davey closed his eyes and wished as hard as he could.
Too soon, Davey heard Mom’s voice. “Time for bed, little one. If you
go right to sleep, it will be Christmas morning before you know it.”
Davey hung his stocking by the fireplace. He kissed Mom and Dad and
started up the stairs to his room.
Later that night, when Davey was finally in bed, he looked out his
window. Sure enough, the Wishing Star was still high in the sky.
“Thank you, Wishing Star,” he whispered. “I knew you could do it.
You’ve made this my best Christmas ever!”
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Thank you so
very much, Tammy!
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