A Christmas Tale: Can I have some Figgy Puddin’, please (i.e. The Classic Holiday Story)

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“Sometimes, the classics are the best of tales, even in reposts. Happy holidays to One and All!” Gun Roswell

The year was 1845. I was about ten years of age and working as a stable girl. Our family lived and worked in Lord Hamilton’s manor house. It was Christmas time and as a gift for the servants, the Lord arranged a feast for the staff and their families.

Mommy had the children dressed in their Sunday best. My two brothers were complaining about the stiffness of the shirts. Starch was itchy and could cause rash, especially if one scratched the itch.
I had my favourite dress on and my younger sister was a bit jealous of the red and green colouring. She was wearing a plain blue coloured hand me down.

After all the fuzz and hassle with the wardrobe, the whole family was finally set to go to the main house and start with the Christmas dinner. Us servants would be dining in the large kitchen. Several long tables were brought in with extra seats as well. This wasn’t a large household. With around fifteen servants and their families, well not all had children and spouses, all in all around sixty people in total crammed around the tables. The two cooks had had their hands full with the preparations and naturally every one that could had chipped in.

But now it was time for celebration. Everyone was finally sitting down and getting quiet. After grace the noise level rose again. Food containers were passed around and everyone was filling their respective plates. After all, it wasn’t often we got to eat in this manner and variety.

After a while, everyone had cleared their plates and it was time for dessert. My favourite was the Figgy Pudding. If possible I opted for seconds. As I got my plate of the delicious substance before me, I licked my lips and dug into it with gusto. It did not take too long for the food to disappear from my plate.

My mom looked at me with a smirk. I looked back at her and passing my bowl I asked: “Is there any Figgy Puddin’ left?”

I was smiling widely, feeling exhilarated, when the bowl was passed back to me with an other helping.

When the final bits were eaten, it was time for the traditional sing along. The farmhand brought out his accordion and after the first few tunes, we all joined in. The evening was spent singing, chatting and finally picking up the tables. We all went back to our dwellings, thanking the Lord for the special meal.

Merry Pudding and God bless us everyone!

Mrs Claus to the rescue!

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“Santa has it real easy. I plan and buy all the toys. He gets all the credit just for them deploying!” Mrs Claus

Mrs Claus to the rescue!

Mrs Claus
Without any kind of applause
Doing her bid
Without earning a single quid
Because all of this so called Yuletide
Without the bride
Of this, so called Santa
Would be just banter
No kind of jolly
Or celebration type folly
For neither me
Nor you

Without the one we never calling choose
Mrs Claus

The Eve of all Eves (Xmas style)

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“The holiday season for some, those celebration begins, on this very Eve…” Gun Roswell

The Eve of all Eves (Xmas style)

‘Twas the night before Christmas
Nothing stirred,
No sound was heard
No human, nor animal, in sight
Even the mice had taken flight
The only ones about their business
Were the little green men from Mars
They had to be really careful
Their nature a little bit fearful
For the holidays not to turn into a farce
It was their turn to spread wholly
Presents and a great amounts of jolly

In a mighty hurry
No time for blurry
Their sleigh filled
Up to the hilt
As it took off
With a big bang
And a huge puff
As they all sang
The yuletide carols
As they rolled off

Children and grown-ups
Getting lots of stuff
As the little green men
Working collectively
Their derrières off in zen
As the Xmas spirit
Now duly delivered
All around the world
At least,
That is what we heard

Take a hot steam bath in a Sauna (Happy Independence Day Finland!!!)

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“It is always warm in the sauna, the temperature close to subtropical, even more so, when pouring water onto the heated stones, the sizzling sounds, the steam, all of it, making it hard to breathe, at  least for a moment there, before it all settles and there is nothing more of to care, the ol’ brain having gone all mushy, and isn’t that just blissful!” Gun Roswell.

Take a steam bath, in a lukewarm Sauna

The Finns do love their sauna, there is really nothing there, holding trauma, simply the sense of family and calm, the warmth, water and smells of heated wood, filling the small dark corner of a nook, where the weekly grind will slowly but surely slide, off of any kind of skin, and it’s really not a sin, to just let all the worry go, take things slow, for a moment in time, even if needing to steal the spell, to have for oneself, then becoming one with the cosmos, as the fuzzy steamy atmosphere descends upon the small room, the place which the whole family shares, for just this one fleeting moment, letting go of all, embracing the nothingness and into it fall, until it is time to put another log into the fire, stir the steamy stones and wait for another heatwave to hit.

Happy Independence Day Finland! (established 1917)

Thoughts on the Day of Birth

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“Even the Eternal Entity needs a day of… rest?“ Gun Roswell

Thoughts on the Day of Birth

Eternal or not

Cartoony or Spock

Sometimes life is a lot

Alas, happier thoughts

Despite the weight

Of one more year of age

Be it on the waist

Or somewhere else 

The eyes still see

The heart still feels

The brain… 

…well, that is a whole other can of worms

Literally, don’t even try to check it out

Alas, I digress!

Happy something something day

To the one who wrote this poem to celebrate!

Cake? 

Coffee?

Yes please! 

And keep it pouring at least

Until the clock chimes twelve

On the twenty-seventh 

(The day of hell???)

Young, old, eternal, in prime?

We all need our day to shine!

May Day!

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“The day fir workers to relax? To enjoy some time off? Well, I know I’m still working so?” Gun Roswell

May Day!

“May Day! May Day!”
The clock blared
As the alarm went off
I woke up with a scoff
“What the F…!”
As this, was supposed to be my day off!

Clearing my throat, with a cough
I quickly got up, in a huff and a puff
Waking, this early in the morning, was tough

I looked at the clock on the wall
Figuring some way, to stall
But the only option, was my ass outside to haul

First view from the window
Did my foggy mind blow
As I rubbed my eyes, little did I know
The only thing I would see, was more snow

What the hell was going on?
I thought May was summer’s dawn
But this plan has one big flaw
The winter has raised its ugly claw

It must have been because of the weather
My alarm clock had made this error
Waking me up early, knowing
I only, could this task endeavour

So now, it was up to me
The land and air rid of the freeze
To bring forth the sunshine and warm breeze
Just had to figure out, how this task to seize!

If I only had powers of magic
I would just pull out some gimmick
But unfortunately, my witchery has a limit

So, for now, I just taped on an image
Onto the window with a view quite idyllic
A summery green meadow,
The warmer weathers to mimic

A Very Happy New Year!

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A Very Happy New Year!

Colourful burst of noise filled blinding light
Filling the darkened day, soon turning into a night
The clocks, on the walls, and everywhere, are quickly churning
As the long awaited coming of a new year starts slowly turning
Time itself stopping, for a blink one an eye
As all the wishes and hopes, for a better life
Fill the airways, from every which possible way
Letting go of the passing year and all its fear
Because now looking forward, is a reward
Of this special midnight, which will make everything alright

Out with the old, in with the new!

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“Another worthless year I accomplish absolutely nothing!” Gun Roswell

Out with the old, in with the new!

Somehow, managed to muddle through real life, work and family

And for that I had an extra kind of remedy

Getting totally lost in the very land of, fantasy

And staying there for as long as possible

Watch so many favourite shows during the year

Over and over and over, without any fear

The familiar episodes bringing tears but also joy

And that my dear readers, was indeed the ploy!

Managed to output some things too

Stories, articles, poetry accumulating but a few

Over six-hundred-k words typed with bleeding fingers

But seeing someone cheering out there, sent me good shivers

People a few, really good ones too, did I meet

Not that socialising was the thing I was out there to seek?

Becoming somewhat of a hermit, a recluse, pardon the excuse

Of a certain viral strain raising havoc across the plains

Managed to get a few great friends 

And over the internets no less!

We may never see each other face to face

But hey, as long as we share our favourites

That is all I really for the daily grind need

And so, without a doubt
Happy New Year, just the same!

Holiday Seasons Greetings

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“A very short time for a celebration and holidays, but hey, I’ll take it!” Gun Roswell

Holiday Seasons Greetings

When the two days of pleasure, puts on a lot of pressure

Because hey, it’s just a few days, and packing in all to slay

The checklist done earlier this year, just in utter fear

Of loosing out on some of the important things to be done

During over three hundred days, packed with all and maybe fun

But then, the fatigue hits and all you can do it just sit

And watch as the candles softly flicker, forgetting all the bigger

Worries and what nots and simply, sipping some eggnog

Because that, is what this season, is really all about!

Xmas Eve

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“It was the day before the real  xmas, or at least, in some countries it is so, at least” Gun Roswell

Xmas Eve

Up here, in the North, we celebrate the Xmas time without much of a ball

Even if the trees might have some, but we, us dwellers, prefer not to have too much fun

As peace and quiet, is the key word, so not to cause any kinds of riots

As Santa Claus or Father Xmas, which ever way you prefer without, still class

Has that one dude, who will bring us, well not food, but at least some stuff

And hey, that all should be quite enough, for this time of the year

When we are mostly gathered, together, in a sort of a celebration, without fear