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"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn......And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." - Luke 2: 7, 10-12 |
12/25/14 - NNHS Newsletter - Merry Christmas! ![]() |
"Now it came to pass that when Nephi, the son of Nephi, saw this wickedness of his people, his heart was exceedingly sorrowful.... And it came to pass that he cried mightily unto the Lord all that day; and behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying: Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world.... And behold, the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given." - 3 Nephi 1: 10, 12-14 |
Dear Friends and Schoolmates,
I do hope your
Christmas Day has been one you will always cherish.
BONUS #1 - Away In A Manger - Susan Boyle, Christmas in Rockefeller Center, 2010
BONUS #2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrX2oHgLqe8 - Away In A Manger - King's College Choir, Cambridge, 2010
BONUS #3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vftEpuxUo1E - Away in a Manger - Celtic Woman
BONUS #4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v8vBmbGlis - Away in a Manger - Kids Stuff and Things
BONUS #5 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKj_nllFR_k - Away in a Manger - pipe organ
BONUS #6 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4FDxTtNSWU - Away in a Manger - D.W. Solomons - interesting video
BONUS #7 -
Away in a Manger -
Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra, 2013
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Away_in_a_Manger:
Of the 41 settings listed by Richard S. Hill in his article entitled "Not so far away in a Manger, forty-one settings of an American carol," published in the Music Library Association Notes (second series) III, no. 1 for December 1945,[3] the one most commonly printed in the U.S. is Murray's, which is typically given the name "Mueller." The first half of the melody is identical to the beginning of the second theme of Waltz #4, transposed down a fourth, in G'schichten aus dem Wienerwald, Op. 325 by Johann Strauss Jr., composed 19 years earlier.[8]
"Away in a Manger" is a
Christmas carol first published in 1885 in Philadelphia and used
widely throughout the English-speaking world. In Britain it is one of
the most popular carols, a 1996
Gallup Poll ranking it joint second.[1] The song was first published with two verses in an Evangelical Lutheran Sunday School collection, Little Children's Book for Schools and Families (1885), where it simply bore the title "Away in a Manger" and was set to a tune called "St. Kilda," credited to J.E. Clark.[2] For many years the text was credited to the German Protestant reformer Martin Luther. Research has shown, however, that this is nothing more than a fable.[3] In the book Dainty songs for little lads and lasses for use in the kindergarten, school and home, by James R. Murray,[4] (Cincinnati, The John Church Co., 1887) it bears the title "Luther's Cradle Hymn" and the note, "Composed by Martin Luther for his children, and still sung by German mothers to their little ones."[5] A possible reason for the spurious attribution to Luther is that the 400th anniversary of his birth was in 1883. The words were either based on a poem written for this anniversary or were credited to Luther as a clever marketing gimmick.[6] This song has never been found in Luther's works. The third stanza, "Be near me, Lord Jesus" was first printed in Gabriel's Vineyard Songs (1892), where it appeared with a tune by Charles H. Gabriel (simply marked "C"), thus these words are probably by Gabriel. Gabriel credited the entire text to Luther and gave it the title "Cradle Song." This verse is sometimes attributed to Dr. John McFarland, but since the popular story dates his contribution to 1904 (postdating the 1892 printing by 12 years), his contribution is highly questionable.[7] The tune "Cradle Song" was written by William J. Kirkpatrick for the musical Around the World with Christmas (1895) and is an adaptation of the melody originally composed in 1837 by Jonathan E. Spilman to "Sweet Afton". One example is Sergio Franchi, who covered it on his Billboard Top 40 RCA Victor album, The Heart of Christmas.[9] Thus, there are two different melodies for "Away In A Manger". Each setting has a harmony version for S, A, T, B. The two tunes actually fit together quite well. An arrangement by Christopher Erskine combining both settings (harmony), first heard in 1996 in Canberra at the annual pair of joint Carol Services in Manuka, performed by the choirs of St Paul's Church (Anglican) and St Christopher's Cathedral (Roman Catholic). In this version the Kirkpatrick setting is sung by one choir, and the Murray setting by the other choir, alternating through the first two verses. Both settings are sung together for the third verse. A very popular arrangement in Britain and most other English-speaking countries, is Sir David Willcocks' version of the carol. This version is often performed by the English choirs. German eurodance group Cascada recorded a version for their 2012 Christmas album, It's Christmas Time. |
THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS:
Happy Christmas Day Birthday
today to
Patsy Bloxom Meider ('57) of NC
AND
Happy Birthday this week to:
27 -
Gary Farnsworth ('58) of NV
AND
Anita Morgan Becker ('66) of VA;
28 - Bob Stalnaker ('63);
29 - Roy Tate ('57)
AND Ginny Goolsby James ('63) AND
Kenny Lipscomb
('63)
of VA AND
Michael Artman ('66) of VA;
30 - William Gwynn ('57)
AND
Ron Miller ('59) of NC
AND
Lucy Southall Propst ('63) of VA
AND
Carole Althaus Tanenhaus ('65) of
MD
AND
Joyce Tedder Rossman ('68) of PA
AND
Sarah Stewart Vance ('69) of VA;
01 - Gloria Hand
Burns ('57) AND
Bill Fitzgerald
('58) of VA!
Many Happy Returns to You All!
http://www.nnhs65.com/Happy-Birthday.html
200 YEARS AGO TODAY:
December 25, 1814 - Rev. Samuel Marsden held the first Christian service on land in New Zealand at Rangihoua Bay. |
100 YEARS AGO TODAY:
December 25, 1914 - A series of unofficial truces occurred across the Western Front to celebrate Christmas. |
THIS DAY IN WWII:
December 25, 1941 - Admiral Chester W. Nimitz arrived at Pearl Harbor to assume command of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
December 25, 1941 - The Battle of Hong Kong ended, beginning the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong.
December 25, 1941 - Admiral Émile Muselier seized the archipelago of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, which became the first part of France to be liberated by the Free French Forces.
THIS DAY IN
1964:Friday December 25, 1964 - Tenor
Ian Bostridge was born in London, England. Friday December 25, 1964 - Footballer and manager Gary McAllister was born in Motherwell, Scotland. Friday December 25, 1964 - Director Tim Royes was born. On August 13, 2007 he died at the age of 42 after being struck by a vehicle in Manhattan in the early hours of the morning. Friday December 25, 1964 - Keyboard player, songwriter, producer, and journalist (Saint Etienne) Bob Stanley was born in Horsham, Sussex, England. |
HEALTH UPDATES:
From
Me
('65) of NC -
12/24/14:
Just as I finished
announcing the Happy Festivus
Newsletter on Tuesday evening, I was thinking, "Hey! I feel better! YEA! I'm almost
well!" Suddenly
- VERY suddenly - I was struck by a headache, a tightening and sharp
burning pain in the left side of my throat, and the almost certain
knowledge that I had a fever.
That was not exactly what I had in mind. I crawled back into bed as my condition rapidly declined, with some interesting wheezing thrown in with some very painful coughing. I was SO miserable throughout the night, that frankly, I was rather surprised that I awoke at all Wednesday morning. I went out in the miserable weather to see the doctor at 2:30, who said that along with an acute upper respiratory infection, I had acute bronchitis. Lovely. She prescribed a battery of medicines for me, including a powerful antibiotic for which I was very thankful, as I truly don't think I would have survived without it. Meanwhile, my sister,
Christmas at the Harty's has been... postponed. Should you find yourself developing similar symptoms, please be careful and seek medical attention! This one is not to be taken lightly. |
From My
Daughter, Adrienne Harty
(Hillsboro HS,
IL / American School, IL) of NC
- 12/24/14:
Merry Christmas Eve and soon to be Christmas everyone! We Harty's on
the East Coast are gonna celebrate at a later time. Mama has
bronchitis. Dad and I both have some lovely bug. So, yah...Christmas
is postponed for us till later notice. That being the case, it
really doesn't feel like Christmas to me..... I just watched the majority of It's a Wonderful Life. That movie and A Christmas Story... are like the Harty's "go to" Christmas Spirit movies. lol
Anyway, It's a Wonderful Life is about a man who has a rough life,
but keeps going until he can't seem to take it anymore. Just as he
is about to give up, he is given an opportunity to see what would
have happened to those he loved had he never been born. Obviously he
made quite the impact on several lives. He came to the realization
that he really did want to live and continue to endure any hardships
that came to him as long as he could be with his loved ones again.
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This reminded me of a Doctor Who quote: "You know that in nine hundred
years of time and space I've never met anybody who wasn't important
before."
I suppose what I'm trying to say here is that despite what you may feel about your existence - you mean the world to at least one other person. I know that if you truly think about it, you actually mean the world to many people and you are loved far more than you can possibly realize. Remember that the One who loves you unconditionally is also the One who gave His all for you. It is this time of the year that we tend to be more mindful of Him. Remember Him. Remember what He has and will always do for you. He loves you and wants you to return to Him...but please don't go before your time is up. There are many here that benefit tremendously by your very presence. They need your love as much as you need theirs.
SO TRUE!
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"The Savior's Birth" by Jeremy Winborg | ||
It is important to remember that not everyone is surrounded by large wonderful families. Some of us have problems during the holidays and some of us are overcome with great sadness when we remember the loved ones who are not with us. Many people have no one to spend these times with and are besieged by loneliness. We all need caring, loving thoughts right now. ![]() |
From
Glenn Dye
('60) of TX -
12/24/14 - "CHRISTMAS WISH":
Want to wish you all
and your Family a wonderful MERRY CHRISTMAS and the New Year Coming
up 2015.
Thank you,
Glenn!
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From John Patterson
('59) of TN -
12/24/14 - "Necessity, Chance or Design":
The more we increase
our knowledge, the more it becomes apparent that God exists. Merry Christmas, John http://player.vimeo.com/video/111335043
AMEN!
Thank you so much, John!
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From George Helliesen
('61) of MI - 12/24/14 - "Flash Mob: at the Smithsonian":
Turn your speakers up! Flash Mob: at the Smithsonian Merry Christmas to you and yours. Here's a glimpse of what America is really about. Cherish it and protect it. Click and enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/embed/-cKE8pyfcZc
Thank you, George!
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From My Friend, Sherri, of NV - 12/24/14:
Imagine
if there had been room for Mary and Joseph at the Inn? The quiet reverent beginning would have instead been crowded and noisy. Too noisy, to most likely have heard the angels sing, too crowded for the shepherds to have been invited in to bear witness of the new star and the angels' declaration. No animals to adore and testify that even they, lowly creatures, knew the infant was the Christ, Son of God. No reverence fit for the King of Kings. Maybe, maybe not, but humble as that stable was, it allowed a silent, even holy night, to invite the dawn of the redeeming grace our Savior, Jesus Christ and I am ever so grateful. Merry Christmas everyone. |
Thank you so much, Sherri! ![]() |
From Mayim Bialik (North
Hollywood High School,
CA - '93) of CA -
12/24/14:
My friend Jyllian
wrote about the ups and downs of being born on Xmas for @kveller.
Neat read! Well done, J!
http://www.kveller.com/blog/parenting/the-ups-downs-of-being-a-jew-born-on-christmas/
Thank you, Mayim,
that's certainly food for thought!
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From Jimmy Hines ('64) of VA -
12/24/14 - "Hey, Paw Paw...":
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From My Friend, Tina, of SC - 12/23/14 - "The Cat's Prayer":
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From My Husband, Paul Harty (Bardolph HS, IL - '61) of
NC - 12/02/14 - "Some Grins (#13 in a series of 15)":
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Laughs for the day………..
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From George Helliesen
('61) of MI - 12/22/14 - "Modern Times (#1 in a series of 30)":
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How sad!
INDEED!
Thanks,
George!
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From
Me
('65) of NC -
12/24/14 - "Christmas 1953":
Christmas
1953 The Christmas I was six years old will probably forever stand out in my mind as the most memorable. It had been a very bad year, and my parents had no reason to believe that Christmas would be any better. Probably to relieve this bleak feeling, it was decided that we would return home for Christmas - home, to Richmond. We had spent the year in a small mining town in Appalachia called Clintwood. Serving as the only general medical practitioner, Daddy was nevertheless somehow not paid $5,000.00 which had been promised him by the hospital owners, and that, as they say, was a lot of money in those days. It was a 400-mile trip back home, and I rather think it was a sudden decision, somewhat unexpected on both sides. I'm not sure Sudie and Virginia were expecting us, mainly because I recall we had no stockings to hang out for Santa Claus, and had to use a pair of Virginia's nylon stockings - which stretched endlessly, making them almost impossible to fill, no matter how many delights were stuffed within. I remember a bustle of activity shortly before we left Clintwood. Mama had taken me shopping, and knowing we had had a very rough year, I asked for nothing. But Mama wanted to go look at the dolls (she was a real doll lover), and despite my best attempts to remain politely passive, I was doomed in that effort, because, suddenly, there she was - The Most Beautiful Doll in the World. She was, I think, a 24" doll, which was touted as "life-size". She came in her own red vinyl stroller, which alone was quite exciting. Her dress was of sheer nylon, pale yellow with a light green (my favorite color!) apron built right in. She was strong and robust looking, not wimpy and silly as were most dolls. She had gorgeous medium brown "real rooted hair" which could be combed and styled - a real luxury feature in those days. But what drew her to me, what struck me deep in the heart, what betrayed me by causing me to suck in my breath with an audible gasp, was the expression on her lovely face. It was proud and haughty. She as much as screamed her unattainability, and combined it with a tilt to her eyebrows (above her pretty blue eyes with "real" eyelashes!) that said, "I am above all this; I simply do not care that you can never own me." She was, after all, The Most Beautiful Doll in the World, and for all I knew, probably the most expensive. After some few moments of admiring her as millions must have admired the equally unattainable Mona Lisa, I bid her goodbye, knowing my life had been enriched by the very meeting. I believe that same day we left for Richmond; I may be wrong. On the trip we stopped for dinner - a late dinner - at a roadside restaurant in Marion called the Virginia House. The restaurant had an adjoining gift shop (how thoughtful!). While we were there, Eleanor saw a steel blue circular music box, which had almost the same effect on her twelve-year old being as the doll had had on me. The top was designed to hold dusting powder, and came with a big, white, fluffy puff concealed inside. When wound it played a wonderful tune of undetermined origin. (I remember it even now, although I have never been able to identify it.) She lovingly placed it back on the shelf, and the two of us returned to the car with Daddy. Mama, for some reason, had to lag behind. Back in Richmond, Daddy's sister, Virginia, knowing it had been a very bad year, and we would have no Christmas, bought a complete Christmas for Eleanor and me. And Mama's sister, Frances, knowing it had been a very bad year, and we would have no Christmas, bought a complete Christmas for Eleanor and me. But by some indomitable will, Mama had somehow managed a rather decent Christmas on her own. We arrived at Sudie's late on Christmas Eve, after the usual feast and gift exchange were over. Sudie's brother, Mark, was there, and her baby sister, Neville, too. Well, they lived there now, didn't they? This was the year I was privileged to sleep in Neville's antique trundle bed. What a treat! So we hung up our very strange stockings and went off to bed, hoping Santa Claus might somehow figure out where we were, 400 miles away from where he was surely expecting to find us. But, come Christmas morning, it was apparent to everyone that he had certainly found us. When the adults assembled downstairs rang Neville's cowbell tied to the bottom of the steps, thus signaling Eleanor and me that the time had come to go down, I remember running down the first few stairs, and flying down the rest, scaring the daylights out of my poor Sudie. But I had seen an unbelievable sight. The entire front parlor floor was filled with one treasure after another - incredible, wonderful toys for Eleanor and me; forbidden toys that Mama never would have bought us. There were toys that had lots of little pieces (which Mama hated, because of their habit of getting lost), toys that were wrapped and toys that were unwrapped, puzzles and games and joys untold. And there, like a queen, surveying it all, in her wonderful red vinyl stroller, sat The Most Beautiful Doll in the World. And in the background came the strains of Eleanor's magnificent music box. And we knew that Santa Claus was real, forever and undeniably real. And we never went back to Clintwood again. We were home. ~ Carol Randolph Buckley Harty, 12/23/98 |
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Southern Spicy Ginger Bread
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