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12/18/16 - NNHS Newsletter - Love Came Down at Christmas

(Fourth Sunday in Advent)

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

- John 13:34-35
(KJV)

Dear Friends and Schoolmates,

   Today is the Fourth Sunday in Advent, which this week emphasizes Love. In the last dozen years we've never used Love Came Down at Christmas as a theme. I'm not positive, but I think I learned the carol as a child at Trinity Methodist Church. At any rate, it popped instantly into my mind. I hadn't realized Christina Rossetti's sweet and simple poem had been set to music by at least four different composers, but this version is the gentle tune I remembered. I hope you enjoy it.

BONUS - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0-rt-i7SEg - Love Came Down at Christmas - Matt Oltman and CORO Vocal Artists

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Came_Down_at_Christmas: 

"Love Came Down at Christmas" is a Christmas poem by Christina Rossetti. It was first published without a title in Time Flies: A Reading Diary in 1885. It was later included in the collection Verses in 1893 under the title "Christmastide".[1]

The poem has been set to music as a Christmas carol by many composers including Harold Darke, Leo Sowerby, John Kelsall and John Rutter[2] and is also sung to the traditional Irish melody "Garton".[3] More recently, the poem was given a modern treatment by Christian band Jars of Clay on their 2007 album, Christmas Songs.[4] American composer Jennifer Higdon set the text for solo soprano, harp and four-part chorus.[5] A new setting by the British composer David J Loxley-Blount was performed in Southwark Cathedral on 8 December 2014 by the Financial Times Choir conducted by Paul Ayres. It was repeated by the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree on 11 December 2014.[6]

Studwell describes the poem as "simple, direct and sincere" and notes that it is a rare example of a carol which has overcome the disadvantage of "not having a tune (or two or three) which has caught the imagination of holiday audiences..."[7]

THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS:

   Happy Birthday today to James Strickland ('57)!

   Happy Birthday tomorrow to Durwood Adams ('57) AND   the late Suzie Bauz ('63) (deceased 11/03/14)!

   Happy Birthday this week to:

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;

25 -   Patsy Bloxom Meider ('57) of NC AND Doug Dickinson ('69) of VA! 

   Many Happy Returns, One and All!

http://www.nnhs65.com/Happy-Birthday.html 

100 YEARS AGO TODAY:
December 18, 1916 - World War I: The Battle of Verdun ended when German forces under Chief of staff Erich von Falkenhayn were defeated by the French, and suffered 337,000 casualties.

THIS DAY IN WWII:

December 18, 1939 - The Battle of the Heligoland Bight, the first major air battle of the war, took place.

December 18, 1944 - 77 B-29 Superfortress and 200 other aircraft of U.S. Fourteenth Air Force bombed Hankow, China, a Japanese supply base.

THIS DAY IN 1966:
Sunday, December 18, 1966 - Saturn's moon Epimetheus was discovered by astronomer Richard Walker.

Sunday, December 18, 1966 - Footballer and sportscaster Gianluca Pagliuca was born in Bologna, Italy.

Sunday, December 18, 1966 - Singer-songwriter and guitarist Mille Petrozza was born Miland Petrozza, possibly in Essen, Germany.

From My Friend, Susan, of NC - 12/17/14:
 
“As we seek Christ, as we find Him, as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always. We shall learn to forget ourselves. We shall turn our thoughts to the greater benefit of others.”

-  Thomas S. Monson, 1987
(b. 21 Aug 1927)

   Thanks so much, Susan!

  From Malcolm Davis ('65) of VA - 12/17/16 - "    Chip Clark (20 Aug 1947 - 12 June 2010): Celebrating 100 Years":

I was just web surfing and look what I found.

http://naturalhistory.si.edu/onehundredyears/profiles/Chip_Clark.html

   OHHH, thank you so much, Malcolm! It's my darlin' Chippy - my oldest and dearest friend! Someday when I have at least a fortnight to cry, I shall click on those links and listen to his voice again. That day is not today, of course, but someday soon, I shall give that a try. Meanwhile, I've added it to Chip's Memorial Newsletter:

http://www.nnhs65.com/06-16-10-NNHS-Chip-Clark.html



 

“Older people shouldn't eat health food, they need all the preservatives they can get.”

- Robert Orben
(b. 04 Mar 1927)

  From George Helliesen ('61) of VA - 11/20/16 - "Four Legged Soldiers (#28 in a series of 30)":

  MORE WOWZERS! Thanks, George!
 
 

 From My Niece, Shari, of VA - 12/09/16 - "Are we having fun yet with Santa? (#8 in a series of 19)":

  Thanks, Shari!
 
 

BONUS CHRISTMAS STORY:

From My Friend, Tammy, of UT - 12/07/14 - "Daily Christmas Story (#18 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 18, The Little Match Girl
 
The Little Match Girl

The weather was frosty and cold. It was growing dark, and a heavy snow had begun to fall. It was Christmas Eve. A little girl wandered in the darkening streets. She wore ragged clothes, and she carried a bundle of matches in her hand.

All day, the Little Match Girl had been trying to sell her matches. “A penny for a match!” she had called in a small, pitiful voice to shoppers on the streets. But the people just glanced at her and then hurried on their way. Now it was almost night. The poor girl had not sold a single match.

As she walked along, the Little Match Girl grew very cold. She wore only an old, thin pair of slippers. She had no socks, for she could not afford them. Suddenly, a voice bellowed, “Out of my way!” At that moment, she heard the thundering sound of horses’ hooves.

She scurried across the street, barely managing to get out of the way of a large carriage pulled by two enormous horses. When she stopped to catch her breath, the Little Match Girl looked down at her feet. In fleeing the carriage and horses, she had lost her slippers. Now the Little Match Girl had no shoes at all.

The Little Match Girl wandered through the streets as the hour grew later and later. Up ahead, she saw a light shining through the window of one of the houses.

The Little Match Girl looked in the window and saw a table spread with a white tablecloth and set with candles and silver. On the table was a grand Christmas feast -- a fat goose stuffed with the traditional apples and nuts, cakes and pies of all sorts, puddings, and every imaginable fruit. The Little Match Girl had never beheld such a feast.

A family came into the room and sat down at the table. The little girl wished that she could join the mother, father, and three young ones who were about to eat this beautiful Christmas dinner. How hungry she was! The Little Match Girl sighed and turned away, then continued down the street. Soon she saw a light shining from the window of another house.

This time when she looked inside, the Little Match Girl saw an extraordinarily lovely Christmas tree. There was a gold star at the top, and candles flickered on the branches. Gaily wrapped packages were piled beneath the tree. While the Little Match Girl watched, a group of joyous girls and boys entered the room.

They clapped their hands with delight when they saw the tree and all the presents. How the Little Match Girl wished she could have laughed and played with the children around the Christmas tree! As she turned away from the window, the Little Match Girl heard singing from a group of carolers nearby:

Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright. . . .

The Little Match Girl thought the music so beautiful that she followed the carolers down the street listening to their song:

‘Round yon Virgin Mother and Child,
Holy Infant so tender and mild.
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

When they finished singing, the carolers were invited to come inside a brightly lit kitchen. Standing near the door, the Little Match Girl could smell bread baking inside. Once again, she was all alone. Now it was growing late, and the Little Match Girl was very cold. To keep warm, she decided to light one of her matches.

She struck the match, and the light flared. In the bright glow of the match, she imagined herself sitting at a table eating a Christmas feast just like the one she had seen through the lighted window. The Little Match Girl was eating Christmas goose, with pudding and fruit and cake and pie. How warm and full and happy she was!

Just then, the match went out. The bright light was gone, and the Little Match Girl was alone again in the dark. She shivered with cold.

The Little Match Girl decided to light a second match to try to get warm again. She struck the match, and once more a warm glow and bright light appeared. In the light from this match, she saw herself with the boys and girls around the Christmas tree. She was about to open a Christmas gift wrapped in red paper and tied with a gold ribbon. She was anxious to see what might be inside.

Just then, the match burned out. Suddenly, everything was dark, and again the Little Match Girl was cold and alone. Except for the light from streetlamps, the night was utterly dark, and the Little Match Girl grew so cold that she decided to light the entire bundle of matches.

When she struck all her matches, the whole world suddenly seemed to light up. Stars shot down from the sky. The Little Match Girl felt warm and wonderful. As she looked around, the Little Match Girl had an amazing vision. She saw an angel dressed all in white. The angel was smiling and coming toward her with outstretched arms.

The angel picked the Little Match Girl up in her arms and smiled upon the small face. The angel started to walk, carrying the Little Match Girl. “Where are we going?” asked the girl. “I am taking you to a place where you will never be cold,” the angel replied as they rose slowly into the night sky. “It is a place always filled with light and warmth. We will go where there are only laughter and smiles, and where you will never be hungry again.”

The next morning, those who emerged from their houses saw the bundle of burnt matches lying in the snow. They wondered what had happened. What they could not know was that the Little Match Girl had gone to a place where she would always be warm and loved and happy -- so happy that every single day would seem just like Christmas!

  Thank you so very much, Tammy!

BONUS WINTER CROCHET PATTERN:
http://www.redheart.com/free-patterns/snowflake-pillow and http://www.redheart.com/files/patterns/pdf/LW3713.pdf - Nancy Anderson's Snowflake Pillow - "This stunning snowflake pillow will be enjoyed all winter long! Pillow cover is crocheted and snowflake motif is crochet separately then stitched in place."

BONUS CHRISTMAS RECIPES:

 http://www.mrfood.com/Pie/Gooey-Amish-Caramel-Pie/ml/1 - Gooey Amish Caramel Pie - "Got a sweet tooth? If you do, then our Gooey Amish Caramel Pie may just satisfy your cravings. The rich sweetness of the caramel mixed with the crunchy pecans goes perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side."

http://www.mrfood.com/Misc-Desserts/Cherry-Nut-Cobbler/ml/1 - Cherry Nut Cobbler - "Be ready for loads of compliments when you serve up this yummy Cherry Nut Cobbler. Lots of shortcuts make it easy for you, but they'll never know that you didn't really fuss!"

   From Me ('65) of NC - 12/17/15:

   This is so fast and simple to make, it's long been a great favorite of mine. It might help you during the next few hectic days:
 

Hamburger Stroganoff
 
1 pkg. wide noodles
2 lbs. hamburger, browned & drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup		 1 can cream of celery soup
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
1 lg. container sour cream
  
   Prepare noodles, rinse and drain.  Add four soups to cooked hamburger; heat for 5 minutes.  Add sour cream and heat for 5 minutes.  Combine hamburger mixture with noodles.

                                                       - Carol Buckley Harty, Hillsboro, MO, 198

FINALLY:

From www.ajokeaday.com - 12/17/16:

There are three ways a man wears his hair...

Parted, Un-parted, or Departed!

DATES TO REMEMBER:
1. Wednesday, January 11, 2017 - The NNHS Class of June 1942 meets at noon on the second Wednesday of every other month for a Dutch treat lunch at the James River Country Club, 1500 Country Club Road. PLEASE JOIN THEM. Give or take a few years makes no difference. Good conversation, food and atmosphere. For details, call Jennings Bryan at 803-7701 for reservations.

PRAYER ROLL:

http://www.nnhs65.com/requests-prayers.html - updated 12/12/16

 BLOG:

http://nnhs.wordpress.com/ - updated 03/13/11

   Y'all take good care of each other!  TYPHOONS FOREVER!  We'll Always Have Buckroe!

                          Love to all, Carol

==============================================

NNHS CLASS OF '65 WEB SITE: http://www.nnhs65.com

PERSONAL WEB SITE: http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/cluckmeat

==============================================
 
Carol Buckley Harty
7020 Lure Court
Fayetteville, NC 28311-9309
910-584-8802

"Never underestimate
the power of a drop
in the bucket."

THREE WAYS TO DONATE:  

1. Visit the main page (http://www.nnhs65.com), scroll halfway down, and click on the Pay Pal Donate Button (nnhs65@gmail.com);

2. Go to www.PayPal.com, log in, select "Send Money (Services) to nnhs65@gmail.com; or

3. Just mail it directly to my home. Thanks!  

Poem by Christina Rossetti (05 Dec 1830 – 29 Dec 1894), 1885

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine,
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and Angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,
Love Incarnate, Love Divine,
Worship we our Jesus,
But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,
Love be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and all men,
Love for plea and gift and sign.

 

"Love Came Down at Christmas" lyrics courtesy of  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Came_Down_at_Christmas - 12/17/16

Fourth Sunday of Advent (LOVE) Image courtesy of https://greenhillpc.wordpress.com/2014 - 11/26/16

Gold Leaf Divider Line clip art courtesy of http://www.wtv-zone.com/nevr2l82/bars4.html - 01/05/06

Animated Tiny Birthday Cake clip art courtesy of Sarah Puckett Kressaty ('65) of VA - 08/31/05
Thanks, Sarah Sugah!

Navy Seal clip art courtesy of http://www.onemileup.com/miniSeals.asp - 05/29/06

Animated Dancing Teddy courtesy of Sandi Bateman Chestnut ('65) of VA - 03/08/11
Thanks, Sandi!

Animated Ringing Christmas Bell clip art (designed by Art Holden) courtesy of http://www.animationfactory.com - 12/08/05

Animated BOO-HOO courtesy of Glenn Dye ('60) of TX - 08/28/09
Thanks, Glenn!

Jeffrey Holman's Image "A Drop in the Bucket" courtesy of https://tearsfromalonelygod.wordpress.com/2009/10/08/a-drop-in-the-bucket/ - 05/23/16

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