In a break from the "routine," eleven of us met at Anne's home on Friday afternoon to share seasonal readings, and sweet and savory goodies. The reading were varied, some comical, some less so, and all were much appreciated by the participants:
Stopping to Smell the Pine Boughs, by Garrison Keillor, from the NY Times editorial page Christmas, poem by John Betjeman
The Loudest Voice, chapter from a book by Grace Paley
Description of the 3 masses and the 13 desserts, “provençale tradition”
Christmas Bells, poem written during the Civil War by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A Child's Christmas in Wales, poem by Dylan Thomas
A Christmas Carol, selection from a chapter by Charles Dickens
The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Clause, poem by Ogden Nash
The Frozen Thames, chapter (year 1142) from a book by Helen Humphries about the 40 times the Thames froze over
How the Grinch Stole Christmas, children's story by Dr.Seuss, pseudonym of Theodor Seuss Geisel
Description of the 3 masses and the 13 desserts, “provençale tradition”
Although all the readings were in English, one of our French members shared with us the “provençale tradition” of the 13 desserts. She prepared for us a tray of the 13 desserts including the “pompe à l'huile” and explained what they represent:
