Christmas music #2

The Manhattanites puzzled by overnight developments in South Korea. Add on the logjam in the French parliament and the stalemate in the German one and you can understand why they are more than happy to keep their investments at home.

It's the first day of the winter graduation ceremonies. We're in town early to find a parking space, do the shopping and have a coffee before the crowds show up. Downsizing the car has, on balance, been a blessing. It fits into the parking spots with lots of space to spare on all sides. Depending on the light the new car looks green, at others blue. In this mornings pre-sunrise half light it looks grey. We find this chameleon like quality to be really quite remarkable. 

A brass band is bringing the Christmas spirit to a motely collection of dog walkers and visiting parents. The parents seem to enjoy this festive start to their  day and, from what we can see,  prove to be healthy charitable givers. Visiting parents seem to fall into two categories. Those who want to experience all that a small seaside town on the North Sea coast can offer and those who shelter from the cold in the warmth of their hotel room for as long as humanly possible.

Down by the bandstand a well wrapped up couple and their dog are sitting taking in the view over the beach. They don't seem to notice the chill wind nor the occasional shower. Visiting passers by look at them bemusedly in a way that seems to say ' You must be 'Scotch folk'. 

We went to this Path of light two years ago. It still surprises us there's such a thing as a Pagan Chaplain .... even an Honorary one. We thought the path might be lit with candles but it turned out to be strings of fairy lights which could be pulled out of the ground by inquisitive toddlers. Once one toddler discovers they can do this - they all want to. This did little to accentuate the magical.

Give it a few more days and we'll be into full on Carol Service season. You'd think the students were too cool for things like this but they're oddly more traditionalist ( quite possibly much more traditionalist )  than you'd imagine.

This years Svenskt Tenn trivets have an oddly English flavour : https://www.svenskttenn.com/se/en/range/table-setting/placemats-trivets-coasters/trivets/trivet-bless-this-house/102925/

Christmas song #2 played cheerfully joyfully by Yo-Yo-Ma :https://youtu.be/wGuv9comstQ?t=91

Not for everyone but mathematicians might find this fun :https://bristoliver.substack.com/p/the-final-cut

And here, although not Christmas music , is Scotlands gift to love poetry as sung at one of yesterday small graduation ceremonies :https://youtu.be/TaWxPHEMtnY?t=4694