A Christmas present from the Supreme Court

12/20

Daisy made snowflakes

Danielle has been working with Daisy helping her to make snowflakes.

Just before people arrive for our after work, rush hour caroling event, we get the word. The Supreme Court, in it’s last minute before Christmas break action, approved our manse sale. We will make our 12/31 deadline. We will begin the New Year with a fresh start. My life will move out of suspended animation  and we can all start moving forward again.

Leila has given Danielle one of her hand dyed scarves. 

Danielle with Leila's scarf

We lift our glasses in celebration. And we also toast Danielle who has kept us going through some really tough spots and never gave up hope.  It will be a new year.

A toast: Jamie, Danielle,Leila and Don

Tonight’s Open Mic has a holiday theme. RL interjects with his very short seasonal poems. Sort of a poetic form of the latest urban is it myth or is it real game knockout.

Wayne is back again with his smooth spiritual offerings and I discover we share a Pittsburgh background. There is something very gentle about him.

Singing with Marc

As for me, I go with the ancient and weird Cherry Tree Carol, explaining its roots in the books  that got voted off the island in the survivor gospel series, namely Thomas and James.  And for good luck, the Koran. Then I wonder as I wander, with a respect to John Jacob Niles, classic collector of Appalachian songs. And then with Marc’s help. I finish with I’ll have a blue Christmas without you.

RL reads

The real coup de noel however is RL’s Red Ryder and the Fat Woman. He asks me to introduce it, since that was kind of his real beginning here, coming back to read at the conclusion of Amanda’s first Balcony music series in our freezing cold, boilerless sanctuary. And once again, RL tears up as he reads. And for the rest of us, it’s hard not to.

When next we gather, it will be the third night of Christmas.

Scroll to the bottom of this post to read about my first hearing of RL's story:http://west-parkpress.blogspot.com/2010/12/advent-iv-today-we-lived-in-church-that.html

and for the reprise one year later:

http://west-parkpress.blogspot.com/2011/12/three-days-of-peace-love-and-music-and.html