Author Archives: malcolmsmusingscom

Scrooge is finally confronted by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Shrouded in black it has neither face nor voice. Scrooge exclaims, ‘Ghost of the Future! I fear you more than any spectre I have seen.’ We had a great Christmas Day yesterday. There were eight of us. We enjoyed much laughter, food, conversationContinue reading “The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come”

It’s Christmas! The second ghost, the ‘Ghost of Christmas Present’ takes Scrooge to his clerk, Bob Cratchit with his poor but happy family. Tiny Tim, their youngest, crippled son says the well-known words, ‘God bless us every one’. Yesterday Mark cut my hair; due to new Covid restrictions Mark doesn’t know when his shop willContinue reading “The Ghost of Christmas Present”

Scrooge would be haunted by three spirits. The first was the ‘Ghost of Christmas Past’…. For many this year Christmas will be very different. Covid restrictions will mean that families, usually together, will be apart. The ‘Ghost of Christmas Past’ will come as previous Christmases are revisited. Years of laughter, ordered chaos and happy memoriesContinue reading “The Ghost of Christmas Past”

‘It’s humbug still!’ said Scrooge. ‘I won’t believe it.’ His colour changed though, when, without a pause, it came on through the heavy door…. ‘I know him! Marley’s Ghost!’ Scrooge encounters the spirit of his long-dead business partner Jacob Marley. Scrooge initially humbugs the supernatural… I’m musing on ‘Revelation’ in my Bible – heaven, thrones,Continue reading “Marley’s Ghost”

‘…every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips should be boiled with his own  pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.’ I’m no literary expert. ‘A Christmas Carol’ is the only Dickens I’ve read; but I do love the way he paints Scrooge’s character. I’ve often identified withContinue reading “Scrooge”

Churches yesterday celebrated the fourth Sunday in Advent, lighting the fourth candle – the candle of the angels. Christians remembered angels appearing to shepherds announcing, ‘Peace to all men’. So it’s also known as the ‘peace candle’. It’s easy to respond to the human aspects of the Christmas narrative – engagement, pregnancy, journeys, working shepherds,Continue reading “Angels and Fairies”

Come they told me pa-rum-pum-pum-pum A newborn King to see pa-rum-pum-pum-pumOur finest gifts we bring pa-rum-pum-pum-pumTo lay before the King pa-rum-pum-pum-pumSo to honour Him pa-rum-pum-pum-pum When we come. Yesterday was difficult. Boris’ announcement that Covid is spreading faster has resulted in further restrictions for Christmas. Arrangements will have to change; long awaited family gatherings abandoned;Continue reading “The Little Drummer Boy”

When Covid-world started last March there were rainbows – in homes, supporting NHS staff… We remembered the ‘Wizard of Oz’ and Dorothy singing:        Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blueAnd the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true Times may be tough, but we’ll pull together. Rainbows meant hope. The worldContinue reading “Return to Oz”

Yesterday was a mixed muddle… Watching our bird feeders I saw a ‘blackcap’ for the first time. That’s exciting! We prepared shepherds’ pie for 30 at our church café – given to folk in the local community. We were reminded of foodbanks, poverty, hunger, accommodation for the homeless… We heard of a local man involvedContinue reading “Life and Love in a Mixed Muddle”

British pantomime traditions are bonkers – the dame (a man dressed up as a woman), the chief boy (who’s really a girl), contrived story lines, questionable jokes, animals characters… and audience participation, with compulsory exchanges of ‘O no he didn’t!’ and ‘He’s behind you!’ In this morning’s local paper ‘Christmas Cards For Care Homes’ describesContinue reading “He’s Behind You!”