Lillian Francis's Blog, page 133

Q is for

Quite Interesting* facts about many things Christmasy.

By Currier & Ives, New York
(The Pennsylvania State University, Online)
 [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Cooking with gas: Benjamin Franklin nearly killed himself in 1750 trying to electrocute a turkey for Christmas dinner.

Is that a kite or a turkey on the end of that string?











Gender confusion: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is a girl.

By Leif Jørgensen (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)], vi...

P is for

Plum Pudding*

*disclaimer. Does not contain actual plums. It appears that the plums in question (seriously I'm only just keeping a straight face here. I feel like I'm in a Carry On film) are actually raisins. Although they may have been prunes at some point in the pudding's long history. Or figs, considering the reference to figgy pudding in 'We wish you a Merry Christmas'.

Anyhoo, I had intended to post a long and elaborate history of the Christmas pudding. Long, confusing, and *jerks awake* S...

O is for

Oranges, satsumas, clementines and various citrus fruit.

By http://www.flickr.com/photos/calliope/ 
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/calliope...) 
[CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)], 
via Wikimedia CommonsI love small sweet easy-peel citrus and eat as many as I can in the short period before they become too tart or dry out.

But think back, why was there always a satsuma your Christmas stocking on Christmas day.
As with many of these traditions there is often...

N is for

Nativity 

Taken by Me!
Ahh, the nativity. Who can forget it? Snotty nosed kids in sheets and tea towels with their Dad's dressing gown belt marching across the stage with a stuffed sheep tucked under their arms. Or the kid at the back all in brown with ears and tail, and picking his nose 'cos the donkey has no lines and doesn't do anything. The darlings that have to be Mary or Joseph or the Angel, even when they don't want to be.

We can attribute the first nativity to St Francis of Assisi i...

M is for

Mistletoe
[image error] By Migula, Walter; Thomé, Otto W. 
[CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...) 
or Public domain], 
via Wikimedia Commons
I'm sure that Rick, my gardener cum handyman from Resonance would love this botanical drawing of Mistletoe.

European mistletoe, Viscum album, is native to Europe and Great Britain. A parasitic plant with white berries that are toxic to humans. And a plant that we humans have decided that we need to kiss under it, but why?

Mistletoe remains...

L is for

Love

Come on you knew I'd go there, didn't you.

By Iltaihminen (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

As Wet, Wet Wet once said 'Love is all around us'. And so it should be. Love is not finite. You aren't assigned a bucket of love and must dish it out sparingly. Love comes in many forms. Love for one should not and does not preclude love for another. Love your lover, your family, your friends. Love in thought and word and deed. In kindness to strangers and prayers for those we rare...

I'm over at RJ's blog today

answering questions about Christmas.

Oh and there's a giveaway too.

Check out the main post to see what else is on offer.

K is for

Kisses

By G.dallorto (Own work) [Attribution], via Wikimedia Commons

and Kinda finished
I've typed The End on my current WIP but, honestly, it isn't really finished. Before it can go off for the first round of beta reading I've got loads to do.Those pesky sex scenes that are so far just line sketches need to be filled in and colour and life need to be added. While tackling the end I had an idea for a scene earlier in the story, but I've no idea if it will fit and I doubt if I'll know for su...

J is for...

Jingle Bells.

A popular Christmas song written by James Lord Pierpont, Jingle Bells was originally published under the title 'One Horse Open Sleigh' in 1857. It was originally written for Thanksgiving and it was said to be a drinking song. It had racy lyrics for the time, certainly unsuited to an audience of children. It implied that during a sleigh ride through the snowy woods an unchaperoned couple could get up to all sorts shenanigans.

Jingle Bells

Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open...

Scrooge McStorytime

Reads of Christmas Present
Winter Wonderland by Heidi CullinanI’ve been waiting eagerly for Paul’s HEA since, well, since I finished the last page of Arthur and Gabriel’s story at the beginning of last December. I fawned over the cover and rejoiced when the blurb revealed who his Christmas beau would be. I added to wishlists, and snapped it up as soon as it was available for pre-order. On release date I downloaded it to my Kindle and then sat (im)patiently on the file until 1st December. So mu...