New Years Eve with Auntie Deb

And I'm just the person who can provide you with it!

Read and learn! It could change your life!

And I saved the best bit of advice 'til the end.

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone!

Red Onions

Following the introductory course I took this fall in the art of coloured pencils, I did the next level and learned how to work with multiple coloured pencils. It is a very slow process to complete each assignment and I am still working on most of them, quite frankly, even though the course itself is now done.

However, this piece featuring red onions is finished so I am posting it today. It required the use of 17 coloured pencils in various combinations and layers on black paper.

The beginning stage --

The middle stage --

I am very proud of those onion tops. They almost have a photo-realistic quality, plus I managed to get a really good picture of them!

The final version --

The onion bulbs are okay but I want to burn that twine, LOL! My pencils were too dull and should have been sharpened so the twine would not be so thick.

Anyway, I will post the other course work individually as I slowly complete each piece.

[Art and photographs © Debra She Who Seeks, December, 2019]

Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming

MERRY CHRISTMAS

to all who celebrate!

Here's one of my most favourite carols

for this special day --

Under the medieval Octagon of Ely Cathedral in England,

the Gesualdo Six sing the beautiful German carol

Es ist ein Ros entsprungen

(Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming)

composed by Michael Praetorius in 1609.

English translation:

Lo, how a rose e’er blooming

From tender stem hath sprung;

Of Jesse’s lineage coming,

As men of old have sung.

It came, a floweret bright,

Amid the cold of winter,

When half spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it,

The rose I have in mind;

With Mary we behold it,

The virgin mother kind.

To show God’s love aright,

She bore to us a Saviour,

When half spent was the night.

O Saviour, Child of Mary,

Who felt our human woe,

O Saviour, King of glory,

Who dost our weakness know;

Bring us at length we pray,

To the bright courts of Heaven,

And to the endless day.

Christmas Eve

Do NOT leave beer for Santa tonight!

And do NOT leave your

"special brownies" for him either!

We don't want Santa to have an ACCIDENT

from IMPAIRED DRIVING, now do we?

Okay, that was in really BAD TASTE, wasn't it.

This next meme is for everyone who LAUGHED.

Light the Menorah!

I'm not Jewish.

My sister's not Jewish.

But that didn't stop her from sending me

this ultra-cute greeting card!

Happy Hanukkah to everyone who is

celebrating the Festival of Lights

which begins this evening at sunset!

Bonus cuteness:

Winter Solstice / Yule Blessings

Today is the Winter Solstice --

the longest night and shortest day of the year.

It marks the beginning of the pagan holiday of Yule.

After today, the light returns a bit longer each day . . . 

. . . and promises the eventual return of

Spring and the fertility of the earth.

During the twelve days of Yule, the Norse God Odin

leads the Wild Hunt across the skies,

riding his eight-legged horse Sleipnir and

accompanied by his sacred ravens.

The All-Father leaves gifts for children everywhere.

I think we all know who he became

when Christianity took over and . . . .

HEY! WTF IS GOING ON HERE?

EMERGENCY INTERVENTION BY
HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE CAT:

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, enough of this MALARKEY!

You don't have to believe all 

that MYTHOLOGICAL CRAP to enjoy

the holidays!

So for all you LEVEL-HEADED types out there

(unlike my hopelessly goofy human),

here are MY seasonal greetings to YOU --

Ho Ho Homo!

You know I can't let the holiday season

pass without some queer content!

After all, who is more "festive" than we are?

So, hugs to all my boys!

And smooches to all my girls!

And high fives to my gender fluid peeps too!

Christmas Checklist

✅ Trim the tree.

✅ Get gingerbread ready.

✅ Write letter to Santa.

✅ Watch favourite Christmas specials on TV.

✅ Buy Christmas gifts.

✅ Attend some Christmas parties.

✅ Extend sincere holiday greetings to all.