My effort at a double acrostic forced me to forego the rhyme factor, but I’ve tried to put together a Christmas message, using the first and last letters, read downwards. If we keep these things in mind, maybe we’ll help to improve someone’s life just a little bit.
And before you ask, no, it didn’t snow here, except up in the hills. This varied thrush visited the feeder a couple of years ago, but he looked so pretty on the snow, I wanted to put him in this post.
Knowing Yule is cominG, It's time to trim the treE, Now that I am senior, and the claN, Depends on mE. Need to fill the lardeR, Extra goodie-food will be, sO, Special in the coming dayS, So smile and so will I. (Yikes! Where's the rhyme? Gone to the North Pole.) And when it comes to Christmas nighT, No stores will open staY, Done with shopping, all's class A, Good times at home remaiN. If Christmas music fills our minD, Vast troubles leave us alL, In giving freely, as we dO No need for price on luV. Good will's enough and that is freE. Ta-dah-dahdah-deedee.
Y’all have a wonderful Christmas time, y’hear?
And don’t pay too much attention to what those birds say. Their jabbering is for the birds.
December 20, 2020 at 1:16 pm
We here in Southwest Oklahoma almost never have a white Christmas. I can’t remember the last Xmas snow but it must have been more than 10 or 12 years past.
Happy Holidays
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December 20, 2020 at 1:36 pm
It’s not all it’s cracked up to be anyway!
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December 20, 2020 at 1:36 pm
What a beautiful collection! Merry Christmas.
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December 20, 2020 at 1:36 pm
Thanks, Cindy. And to you, too.
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December 20, 2020 at 2:04 pm
Hi Lincoln, you’re looking handsome there buddy! 😊
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December 20, 2020 at 2:10 pm
Lincoln thanks you (between blushes).
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December 20, 2020 at 2:49 pm
❤️😬
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December 20, 2020 at 2:12 pm
That little thrush is a beauty! All the best for the holidays!
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December 20, 2020 at 2:13 pm
I think he looks bright against the snow. Thanks, Belinda.
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December 20, 2020 at 2:29 pm
Beautiful shots, Anneli. Wishing you and the Captain peace and joy this holiday season. xo
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December 20, 2020 at 4:07 pm
Same to you, Jill. This time it means a lot more when people wish you a happy and “healthy” new year.
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December 20, 2020 at 2:55 pm
Wow. That looks like a challenging poem. I can’t imagine trying to make it rhyme. And lovely photos to go along. I hope Santa comes your (and Lincoln’s) way. Stay warm and safe and enjoy the holidays. ❤
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December 20, 2020 at 4:09 pm
Santa came early to Lincoln with a whole load of walnuts. He’s down there in the woodshed chowing down right now, and he’s not thin to start with!
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December 21, 2020 at 6:31 am
My husband has started making friends with our squirrels. They don’t have names yet, but soon! Lol. It’s hysterical and makes me think of you.
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December 21, 2020 at 9:58 am
Just yesterday the Captain and I were talking about Lincoln and laughing about his strange name. It has made him unforgettable though. Now any squirrel we see is a Lincoln.
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December 22, 2020 at 6:34 am
Lol
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December 20, 2020 at 3:45 pm
Beautiful photos! Lincoln is looking very spiffy. 🙂 Good wishes to you and the Captain for Christmas. 🎄
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December 20, 2020 at 4:10 pm
Thank you, Lynette. Try not to freeze your buns off this Christmas! Have a good one.
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December 20, 2020 at 10:57 pm
Thank you for your up lifting thoughts. Here in Essex the weather has been quite mild with a little rain.
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December 20, 2020 at 11:55 pm
Very similar to here, but we might have it a bit cooler. I don’t think it will be a white Christmas except for up in the ski hills. Have a great holiday time.
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December 21, 2020 at 1:02 am
Brilliant, Anneli. Putting that poem together – which works so well, by the way – took quite a bit of ingenuity and an impressive ability with words. And the images of the birds (and you, Lincoln) are wonderful. I’m a bird enthusiast from many years back and I’d love to know what they are. Anyway, despite the weird times we’re all living in, have a really good Christmas.
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December 21, 2020 at 9:55 am
Thank you so much, Jeff. The birds from the top are varied thrush, Steller’s jay, and red-breasted sapsucker. It took a bit of extra courage to post that poem because I had to push it a little with the rhyme and rhythm, but some of the words just didn’t want to rhyme. Call it free verse where nothing has to rhyme. Have a wonderful Christmas and stay safe from the virus.
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December 24, 2020 at 4:15 am
Thank you Anneli for the bird names. Breeds you don’t get here in NW Europe – anywhere in Europe in fact, I think. Although there could have been very rare vagrant visits sometime – it’s amazing how far off track some birds can get. And by the way, I love the ‘Yikes’ line – that takes guts!
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December 24, 2020 at 8:45 am
Haha. The yikes line came easily from one who has not much of an ego to protect. 😉
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December 24, 2020 at 8:56 am
Excellent! Takes guts to say that too.
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December 21, 2020 at 4:57 am
Your poem is a piece of art and so are the pictures of your friends. Have a happy Christmas and stay healthy and warm. All the best to everyone!
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December 21, 2020 at 9:56 am
Thank you, Ursula. So nice of you to put up with my crazy poems! The best to you for Christmas.
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December 21, 2020 at 11:07 am
Wow. That blue bird is striking. What kind? Bluebird?
Thank you for the nice poem, the message, and the holiday greetings.
Merry Christmas to you and the captain. Sending kindness and warm wishes your way.
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December 21, 2020 at 12:08 pm
It’s a Steller’s jay. We don’t have the blue jay here, like they do in the east and central areas, but we have the cousin, the Steller’s jay. Thanks for visiting, Lori. Have a great Christmas holiday time.
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December 21, 2020 at 3:26 pm
That was amazing. How long did that take you???
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December 21, 2020 at 3:32 pm
Haha. That’s a trick question. It took me my whole life to get to the point of being able to do the poem in about 20 minutes. It was a bit disappointing when I realized I couldn’t make “so” rhyme with “I” no matter what I did. At that point I had to accept that it was more like free verse than like a jaunty little ditty. The main thing is that the message got across. Thanks for struggling through it. 😉
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December 22, 2020 at 5:15 pm
My goodness! The birds are gorgeous, thanks to your photography. And, the poem is wonderful. Thank you, Anneli.
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December 22, 2020 at 8:08 pm
I’m so glad you liked them, Jennie. I love to see them when they come to visit our yard, and sometimes they hold still long enough for me to snap a picture. Have a wonderful Christmas, Jennie. You deserve a peaceful break after such a stressful job. I was just saying to the Captain that I love January when the kids come back to school ready to take on new challenges and to work hard, all the anxieties of the holidays behind them. It’s a time of wonderfully channeled productivity and calm. All the best to you and your family.
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December 23, 2020 at 3:23 am
I do love birds! Thank you for your kind words and good wishes. Did I tell you our school is moving back into our newly renovated building? We’ve been at a temporary (but good) location for eighteen months, and the move is happening as we speak. Three days, and my body is sore, but is is good to get ‘back home’. So, Christmas break will be busy getting the new classroom ready. Very exciting!
Have a wonderful Christmas, Anneli. Give the birds extra treats.
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December 23, 2020 at 10:14 am
That’s wonderful about the renovations and a new start in the new year. Very exciting and motivating for getting back to work. So happy for you! I bet Gloria is really excited about the move! I’ll be watching to see how it goes in the next term when you blog about it. Meanwhile don’t overdo it with the moving. You want to relax a bit over the holidays too. have a great Christmas, Jennie. All the best next year,
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December 24, 2020 at 4:59 pm
Thanks for your kind words and good wishes, Anneli. It is exciting. I’m so sore! Yes, Gloria is excited (and a little nervous). I will keep you posted on how things go. Merry Christmas to you!
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December 23, 2020 at 11:53 am
We are utterly impressed with your poem, well done, Anneli! Love the cheerful birds – no; we don’t have snow either …
Happy Holidays to you and yours!
The Fab Four of Cley
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December 23, 2020 at 1:14 pm
Thank you so much. I’m flattered. All the best to you Fab Four.
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December 23, 2020 at 7:37 pm
Lovely message and your bird images are stunning! We don’t have birds like them here. Merry Christmas and sending you all the best wishes from Tasmania!
Thank you so much for visiting my blog and encouraging me, you have made the most comments on it this year and I really appreciate it 😀
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December 23, 2020 at 9:15 pm
Well, (bashful smile) I do talk a lot…. It’s been my pleasure to visit your blog and see how things are different and sometimes how they are the same in our two countries. I appreciate your visits to my blog as well. Have a wonderful Christmas and a great new year.
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December 23, 2020 at 11:37 pm
Thanks, while I don’t have heaps of spare time to spend online as I rather enjoy living an active and varied life, do try to pay particular attention to those that take the time to comment on my blog when I get the chance 🙂 I just finished work and am just beginning to enjoy the Christmas spirits – a Scottish Christmas spirit from the Isle of Islay and it’s very nice indeed! Cheers 😀
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December 24, 2020 at 8:43 am
That sounds perfect. I plan to do the same once I get the Christmas Eve supper and festivities under control. Cheers!
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December 26, 2020 at 7:09 am
Anneli, your talent and creativity is so refreshing. Happy holidays to you and all your loved ones. ❤
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December 26, 2020 at 11:24 am
Aw … I’m humbled by your compliments, Carol. Thank you. I hope you had a fine Christmas. All the best for the coming year.
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December 26, 2020 at 3:14 pm
Thank you, Anneli. ❤
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December 26, 2020 at 7:33 am
I enjoyed your poetic craft. Experiencing a White Christmas in central Ohio for the time in several years.
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December 26, 2020 at 11:27 am
I have to admit I struggled with this one a bit, but it was fun to try it. Thanks for reading it. So your snow would have come just in time for Christmas holidays. I hope you enjoy it and that it goes away when you’re tired of it and spring comes quickly.
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December 27, 2020 at 3:35 pm
What a lot of work. Those things are so hard to write. You did a great job. And the personalities in the photos are wonderful.
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December 30, 2020 at 6:25 am
Hope you had a lovely Christmas – what glorious photos! Varied thrushes are so pretty. And I enjoyed the acrostic poem 🙂
It’s thinking about snowing here but hasn’t quite got round to it yet. Might do tonight.
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December 30, 2020 at 11:16 am
This weather is so hard on the birds. I’m doing what I can to keep them happy. All the best to you in the new year, Adele.
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