The Hobbity Yule Calendar 2019

Are you dreaming of a hobbity Yule?
Let’s make that dream come true – together!

In the past two years, the hobbits of the Grand Order of the Lost Mathom kinship have put together a hobbity Yule calendar, sharing their Yule-themed pictures, recipes, songs, poems and videos to others each day from 1st to 24th December. The calendar has been quite popular, getting people into a cheerful Yule mood. So it would be lovely to organize the calendar this year as well!

This time though, we would need your help. Do you have something to add as a calendar entry? Here are some examples of entries:

• A Yule-themed picture, LOTRO screenshot, slideshow, drawing, or a video made by you
• A Yule poem, story, or a song
• An introduction to a local Yule tradition you’d like to share to other hobbits
• Your favourite Yule recipe
• Yule decoration ideas, riddles, games…

Feel free to get creative as well! Each entry is valuable, so don’t be shy to share your stuff. For inspiration, you can take a look at the previous Yule calendars from 2017 and 2018.

Let the Quickpost deliver your entries to pycellawoodberry(a)gmail.com. Please send your entries as early as you can, so that the calendar preparations can be made in time. This year, the Yule calendar will be hosted as a blog, and not on the kinship forum. More information to come!

Please help us make the hobbity Yule calendar and spread cheer among hobbits and other folks!

The Yule Man

Once there was a small hobbit family, only consisting of a father and his small son. Sadly, the mother had passed away when the boy had been just a baby, so the father cared for the boy all by himself. The boy meant all the world to him. The father did his best so that his son would live a happy life, even without a mother.

But like most small hobbit lads, the boy was sometimes a bit unruly. The father did his best to keep the boy in control, but many times, he noticed that he didn't have the courage to scold him and be too strict as a parent. That's why the father invented "the Yule Man". Every time the son did something he wasn't supposed to do, his father said:
"If you don't behave, the Yule Man won't bring you any presents on Yule."
That seemed to work too. To make the Yule Man seem more real, the father and his son wrote a wish list for him before every Yule. And each Yule, there was a pile of presents beneath the Yule tree, left there by the Yule Man. Hence the boy believed in the Yule Man with all his heart. It was clearly a situation in which both parties were happy – so the father kept it that way.
"It is only an innocent lie, it does no harm," the father thought.

But as boys get older, they tend to do more thinking and even get suspicious. One Yule, the boy asked his father: "Why doesn't the Yule Man bring you anything, pa?" he asked.
The father looked a bit baffled, but then replied:
"Oh, it must be that I have never wished for anything, dear son."
That seemed to settle the matter then, but it didn't end there. One autumn before Yule, the boy had been playing with his friend. When the boy came back home, he looked very upset.
"Pa, my friend says that... the Yule Man is not real, that he is only a fairy tale."
The father shook his head and comforted his son. "That's nonsense, we both know he is real. He brings presents every year."
"Yes, but couldn't that be anyone? We never see him in person, just the presents!" the boy said and continued: "This year, I want to see him myself! And I won't make a wish list that could fall into the hands of fake Yule Men. I will wish for something inside my mind. If the Yule Man is real, he can read my mind and see what I wish for."
"Well, this made things a lot more complicated," the father thought.

He started to work on a Yule Man outfit: a pointy hat, a thick coat and a fake beard made of tangled wool thread. The outfit was the easiest part though; he also had to figure out what the boy was wishing for Yule. The father kept a close eye on the boy, but he didn't reveal any clues about his wish. Time passed, and suddenly, it was the evening before Yule day. As the boy had fallen asleep in his bed, the father crept outside. He sneaked into a cottage near the Brandywine and changed into the Yule Man clothing. Looking like a meagre dwarf, he came out and sat on a pile of snow in the winter night.
"What should I do?" he thought. "I still don't know what my boy wants! He will never love me again!"
Suddenly, his mourning was interrupted by a crashing noise and loud screaming – it was coming from the icy Brandywine! The father ran down the bank and saw that someone had crashed through the thin ice that covered the edges of the river. Quickly, he removed the messy wool thread beard from his face and rolled it into a rope. "Take this, and I will pull you up!" he shouted and threw the other end of the rope to the person in the icy water.

The father was able to pull the person out of the water into safety. He had to hold his breath, because it was the most beautiful hobbit lady he had seen in ages. He gave his thick Yule Man outfit to the lass and changed back into his own clothing. "You better come to my burrow and warm up. What did you do on the ice, dear lady?"
The lass blushed. "I wanted to skate in the wintery moonlight, silly me... I'm so happy you saved me!"

Back at the burrow, the father led the lady to the fireplace and brought her some tea. Together they sat on the rug and stared silently into the fire. Then the father heard a noise: his son had woken up and stood behind them. The father sighed: "I am sorry, son, I think the Yule Man..."
But the son beamed. "The Yule Man is real! He was here just now!"
"What?" the father gasped.
"He came to my bed and apologised that he never came to see me before. And he told that I would find my present here, next to the fireplace..."
The father looked around, but didn't see any presents. "What do you mean by that?"
"I wished something for you! You never remember to wish anything yourself, silly pa."
The father gulped. "What did you wish for, son?"
The boy pointed at the drenched hobbit lady. "A wife for you! You should have waited for me before you unwrap her!" the boy added sternly.
The father blushed crimson, and the lady even more.

And crimson red were the roses in her hair when the two married during the next summer.
So, be careful what you wish for, because you might just get it.
And above all, remember this:
Don't skate on thin ice, and be nice.
The End.

Miss Rosemary's Yule

This is a story about a sweet, elderly hobbit lady, Miss Rosemary.

Even though Miss Rosemary had grown quite old, there was no grumpiness in her. On the contrary: she was very sweet, a motherly character loved by all. She was always helpful; be it babysitting, tailoring, dishwashing... She was loved by all.

But above all, Miss Rosemary was known for her spectacular Yule feasts. Each Yule, she arranged a Yule party for all fellow villagers. She served many different dishes during the feast, but the star of the Yule table was her Yule cake. She never used the same cake recipe twice, but always amended the cake a little, and the result was always stunning.

This year, Miss Rosemary wanted to exceed everyone's expectations. She sat in the Great Smials library for days and went through several cook books, trying to find something special. And then she found it: the recipe for the "Cake of True Happiness".
"Sure it can't get any better!" Miss Rosemary thought and copied the recipe with care. Most of the ingredients were easy to get, but one of them was quite special: the wild mountain berries.
The recipe said: "For the cake, only the frozen, wild berries of the western mountains should be used. These can be found on the mountains to the west, one day hike from the Southfarthing."
Miss Rosemary shrugged. "If it brings happiness to all, it must be worth it!"

She started her preparations well in advance, as usual. But every now and then, someone came to ask for help. A small hobbit lass came to ask for a story, so she told her one. Or two… A mischievous hobbit lad needed to have his hat tip repaired, so she mended it. And so on... So she had to postpone her own chores, as she didn't want to say no to others.

Days passed like this, and Yule was getting near. It was a day before the Yule Eve when she realised that she had forgotten about the berries.
"Oh my, and I still have so many chores to do!" she sighed. "But the cake is paramount, I can't disappoint others!" So she packed her bags and departed for the mountain hike.

The journey to the mountains went pretty well, but she could feel how a chilly wind was starting to blow.
"The winter is near", she concluded. "We might get snow soon."
Using the instructions in the recipe, Miss Rosemary found the berries on the mountain cliffs. They were frozen and dried up, but it didn't matter, they were in perfect condition for the cake. Miss Rosemary smiled and picked up as many as she needed.

But the journey home wasn't an easy one. The snow began to fall heavily. It was already Yule eve, the day when the feast was supposed to take place. But Miss Rosemary was still on her way, fighting through the snowy winter storm. Even an old, wise hobbit can get lost in a storm like that, as did Miss Rosemary. She was standing in the middle of a dark forest and had no idea where she was. She started to feel afraid; it was cold. "I am such a fool," she thought. "It is cold and dark, and I cannot stay here. No one will ever find me here."

Then, Miss Rosemary saw some movement between the trees – a strange figure. When it came closer, she saw that it was a small man, even smaller than a hobbit. He had the pointiest hat and longest beard Miss Rosemary had ever seen.
"Hullo there!" Miss Rosemary said. "I am so glad to meet you, Mister...?"
But the little man didn't say a word, he just stared at Miss Rosemary, with no expression on his face.
Miss Rosemary didn't mind. "I am afraid that I am lost... Would you be so kind and show me the way to Southfarthing, my home?"
The little man stared Miss Rosemary for a while. Then he picked a small bottle from his pocket and took a long sip, which made him hiccup. Then the little man turned and started to walk away. Miss Rosemary watched him walk. The little man stopped and beckoned Miss Rosemary to follow. And she followed.

The little man led her through the forest and fields, determined and without a word. From time to time, he stopped to take a quick sip from its bottle and hiccupped along. Whoever the little man was, he seemed to know the route: finally, Miss Rosemary could see her burrow! When she approached it, she realized how many chores she had undone... And it was time for the feast, and she hadn't even baked the cake.
"Oh well, at least I am not lost anymore," Miss Rosemary thought.
She turned to thank the little man, but he was gone.

But when she reached her burrow, she could see light streaming out the windows, there was voices and music... As she stepped in, everyone started to cheer! The other villagers had arranged a party for her!
"You are always so helpful to us," they said. "That is why we wanted to arrange a Yule feast for you!"
Miss Rosemary blushed. "I am sorry that I couldn't finish my cake this year, the 'Cake of True Happiness!'"
The villagers smiled. "That recipe in the library? It was a part of our plan to get you away from your burrow! We wanted to send you away, so that we could arrange everything and surprise you."
"And what about the little man?" Miss Rosemary asked. "The one who led me home?"
The villagers looked baffled. "What are you talking about?"
Miss Rosemary scratched her head, but then she laughed.
"That must have been my poor sight! Probably just a squirrel I saw..."

The feast was wonderful and lovely. In the morning, Miss Rosemary woke up happy and wanted to take a peek outside. The ground was covered in snow, all was peaceful... Then she saw the empty bottle on her porch. The same bottle the little man had carried... And there were small footprints...

She started to follow the small footprints that led out from her yard. On and on she went, all the way to the village of Bramblebury. The footprints led to a yard, and there, a small garden dwarf stood in the snow. Miss Rosemary was sure that the dwarf was still having a hiccup.
The End.

Old Miss Holly's Yule Eve

It is another cool Yule eve
And Old Miss Holly sips her tea
Her thoughts go well back in time
To other Yules, so sweet and fine
When her old cat still was here
Those times were ever dear.

Holly shakes her head promptly:
“Yule’s no time to feel lonely”
“Let me go and see my neighbour”
“Hear their children play in laughter.”
So she steps out into the cold
And starts to plough through the snow.

There, she sees the children play
Enjoyin’ the cool winter day
She joins the snowball battle rage
Quite forgetting her old age
In the end, they go back inside
And dig into pork and pies.

Yet a small lass saves some pork
And pours some cream into a mug
She takes them out, to the porch
Lays them beneath a festive torch
Old Holly asks: “Tell me, little Miss:”
“For whom do you leave this feast?”

“For the Yule Man, I know he’s real”
“Every Yule, he comes here and eats”
“He comes at night, and ere the dawn”
“All the pork and cream are gone.”

Old Miss Holly smiles at the child
How can imagination be so wild!
Yet when she goes home, ever careless,
Something is making her feel restless
So she puts a cup of cream on the snow
Back inside, she waits by a window.

And when she is almost sleeping
She sees a strange creature creeping
She darts outside, can’t believe her eyes:
It’s her old cat, with a creamy smile!

“Hullo Holly, and a merry Yule!”
“I’ve been thinkin’ a lot of you”
“Sweet mem’ry from my previous life”
“You always treated me so nice.”
“Thank you for those lovely days”
“Now, back to my mysterious ways…”

And so, the cat was gone in a breeze
It all seemed like a peculiar dream
But Holly smiled and whispered to herself:
“Merry Yule to you, my dear old friend.”
“Maybe we’ll meet again one day”
“When we’re both cats, as they say.”

Yule for Miss Elloeze

It's Yule for Elloeze
As she walks the snowy road
No kids are playing on the fields
All have gathered in their hobbit holes
No noise is breaking the holy peace
That Miss Elloeze needs

Her eyes wander on the starlit skies
Her ears enjoy the unbroken silence
Yet something is making her restless
She hurries to her own comfy home

It's Yule for Elloeze

"Good Yule, Miss Elloeze"
She whispers to herself
Wrapped in blankets by the warm fire
She holds her favourite book in her hand
Yet somehow her mind is not at ease
Something is missing still

Then there's a loud knock on the burrow door
She runs to see who the heck has come there
But all she sees is a wrapped package
With biscuits and a small written note:
"Good Yule, Miss Elloeze"

About the song

Some time ago, an elderly hobbit lady used to visit the Green Dragon on Fridays. Most of the time, she was sitting and hiding behind her book, grumbling at the loudness from time to time. Here is a Yule song I wrote for her. It is best sung (quietly) to Ave Maria. Below is a Finnish version of the song.

 

Jarkko Ahola – Ave Maria

Walking through the Woods

I'm walking through the woods
I've wander'd so far from home
The trees are watching me
As I plough through the snow

It's getting very dark
I feel my limbs are getting weak
All I dream about 's some rest beside a hearth

Then I see a light
It's shining through the snowy trees
I'm holding my dear breath
I reach a magic world

Snowbeasts lie on the ground
Sleeping peacefully
Snowy grims floating on the icy ponds

I feel I'm getting close
The snowmen are all greeting me
This must be Winterhome
Where no one feels alone

Music streams through the air
Calming, full of joy
Snowflakes dance merrily
In endless whirls

Then, the dream is gone
I wake up in my hobbit hole
Yet I have the strongest feel
That Winterhome is real

About the song

This is another song for the Badgers Yule songpack. You might hear us perform it near the snowhobbits at Winterhome. It is best sung to a similar song, Walking in the Air.

The Snowman – Walking In The Air

Purple Snowbeast's Yule Eve

It’s Yule eve in the woods
Where the snowbeasts roam
In their lair they sleep
In caves so dark and deep
But one small beast stays up
She wants to go straight out
A purple snowbeast
Who just wants to have fun

When others snore quite loud
The beast sneaks swiftly out
She sniffs the cold air
Snow falls on her hair
And then she hears the sounds
Someone toots loud
She hurries to join
the party in good time

The Badgers are playing their favourite songs
All foxes and birdies are humming along
Creatures of woods having fun in all peace
They just concentrate on their musical needs
“Dear snowbeast, come forward, join our grand band”
 “Here are some instruments, take one in your hands”
So she grabs the bagpipes without second thoughts
Her snowbeast lungs can toot them all night long

And together they played and sang until the break of dawn
It was the best Yule eve of she ever saw

The trees were swaying, their hearts were melting
The songs warmed up the cold winter night
The stars were smiling, blistfully shining
And bears they all grumbled, asleep in their pens

And together they played and sang until the break of dawn
It was the best Yule eve a snowbeast ever saw

And when came the morn
The snowbeast hurried home
But she was filled with joy:
She’d found a new toy
It was the bagpipes she clung to her arms
And from that day onwards
She tooted bagpipe songs

Every day she played all her favourite songs
It was the best Yule gift she ever got

About the song

Around Yule, you might see a pink or a purple spot in the snow, hiding in the woods. And if you go closer, you might get hit by a snowball! It's the purple snowbeast, having fun. Here is a Yule tune for that little rascal. It's best sung to the Fairytale of New York, as performed by the Pogues.

 

The Pogues – Fairytale of New York

On Yule Morning

On Yule morning
On Yule morning
When it’s dawning
On Yule morning
I’ll wake you with hugs and kisses
This will be a special day
This will be a very special day

On Yule evening
On Yule evening
When day’s ending
On Yule evening
When feastin’ and playin’ is all done
Rest down here, in my arms
Come and rest right here, in my arms
On Yule evening
On Yule evening…

On this Yule night
On this Yule night
When you sleep tight
On this Yule night
A star lights up in the sky
And it’s shining down, just for you
It will shine its light just for you
On this Yule night
On this Yule night
On this Yule night

About the song

Here is a simple and sweet song for the Yule day. It is best hummed to Pie Jesu. Here is a lovely version by Miss Tarja.

 

Tarja – Pie Jesu

Merry Berry Yule

Yule's time for badgering, Winterhome wassailing
Fillin' hearts with joy and cheer
All come dance and drink some beer
Music's streaming in the air
Badgers make it very clear:
Every Badger Yule is a merry berry Yule

Let us toot and bang the drum
Give you some hum de dum
Squeak and hop and strum along
Come and join our Yuleish song
Dance until your feet are done
Have grand Badger fun, because
Every songful Yule is a merry berry Yule

Join us, whether young or old
Sway until you feel no cold
See which drinks are being sold
Kegs and flasks are being rolled
Mulled wine may make you bold
Drink some more, lo and behold
Every carefree Yule is a merry berry Yule

It is time to munch and eat
Every day needs seven meals
Forget all dishwashing deeds
Enjoy tasty bread and cheese
Berries are what a badger needs
Join this special Yuletide feast
Every tummy full makes a merry berry Yule

We use funny instruments
Squealing gorns and pea shooters
Brandy drops from clarinets
Let's blow off spider webs
With untamed pipe quintets
The drummers give all their best
Every noisy Yule is a merry berry Yule!

Ooh...
A songful Yule is a merry berry Yule!
Ooh...
A tummy full makes a merry berry Yule!
Ooh...
A carefree Yule is a merry berry Yule!

Music is our gift for you
Can't escape the merry mood
Feel like you're a badger too
Say goodbye to solitude
Yule had never felt this good
It is widely understood that
Every Badger Yule is a merry berry Yule

Ooh...
This is our Yuletide song
Feel free to hum along
Music is the strongest bond
Between friends in all the world
Every Badger Yule is a merry berry Yule

About the song

Each Yule, our Brandy Badgers band packs up its Yule tune scrolls and heads up to Frostbluff, the Winterhome of LOTRO. There, they go wassailing: singing Yule songs on the snowy streets, spreading the hobbity Yule cheer. Here is one of them songs, and one of my favourites! Hum it to the Mike Oldfield tune, In Dulci Jubilo.

Mike Oldfield - In Dulci Jubilo

Magical Yule Ball

It's Yule eve again
Old hobbit is in town
Lost in his thoughts
He walks the snowy streets, all alone

But then a thing catches his eye
A light streams from a great hall
He goes to the window and sees a grand Yule ball

Magical Yule ball
Where all seem to dance alone
The lad is so… baffled
“What is this strange dance?” he asks

But when he steps inside, he can see all those dancing ghosts
He sees the folks are swaying with dear ones they have lost
Their people can come and dance here
With the dead, one more time
The magic of the Yule brings them to life

Old couples sway happily together
The children join their lost parents in dance
But not a single tear is shed
The lad stares them, he can’t believe his own eyes
It’s the most magical Yuletide ball

Then he feels a touch on his shoulder
Turns around and there, he’s facing her:
It’s the lass he lost long time ago

Now they dance in the magical Yule ball
Where no-one ever sways alone
Tonight in the magical Yule ball
No-one ever feels alone

About the song

Here is a Yule song I have written for the Brandy Badgers band. I got my inspiration for it from the They Dance Alone tune. However, this one is best sung to Yule tune Do They Know It's Christmas:

Band Aid 1984 – Do They Know It's Christmas

Magical Yule Porridge

 Here is a tale by Miss Almi, my former nanny. Nowadays, she helps at my pie shop. She told this story at the Green Dragon around Yule.

~

It was Yule eve, and I was putting up the last decorations in Miss Pycella’s burrow. Pycella sat on the armchair, going through some recipe books and preparing the Yule day menu. Suddenly, she stopped reading. ”Hey, I think we have never tried this one before!”
”Which recipe do you mean?” I asked and attached a ribbon onto the stuffed bear’s head.
”The Yule porridge! Quite perfect for Yule breakfast, I think!” Pycella said, smiling.
”Ah, that one”, I grunted. ”No, we are NOT making that one, never.”
”Why not?” Pycella asked. ”It’s sounds good, and it’s even healthy! How can you say no to hearty porridge?”
”I have had my share of that porridge in my youth”, I said. ”’s nothing but some common porridge, nothing fancy and festive about it.”
”But…” Pycella started, but I interrupted her.
”We had that porridge for breakfast every two days in me childhood” I sighed. ”Grew quite sick of it.”
”But this porridge is special” Pycella insisted. ”You put a lucky almond into it, and whoever gets it will get something really sweet as a price!”
”You think that the almond makes the damn porridge any different?” I said, starting to lose my nerve.
”’s the same wrecked porridge still, and I won’t eat it never EVER again.”
Pycella sighed. ”Well, I’d like to give it a go. You can have somet else for breakfast instead.”
I shrugged. ”Well, whatever you say. But still, you’ll be disappointed, lass.”

The porridge was slow to cook, so I decided to prepare it in advance on the evening before Yule day. I sat down by the stove and guarded the porridge pot. The scent filled up the whole kitchen… a scent full of memories! I smiled. How long had it been since I had smelled this scent the last time?

I closed my eyes, and suddenly I was many, many years younger, a young lass, back at my childhood home. It was Yule morning and my ma had summoned all to the breakfast table. I saw myself sitting at the table, looking at my porridge bowl.
”Time to eat now, Almi”, my mother said. ”Ye might be the lucky one to catch the almond this time!”
I sighed. ”Why do we need to eat this porridge at Yule table, ma?”
”We eat it every day! Couldn’t we have something more special on Yule at least?”
”The Whitfoots have pork patties, and the Brandybucks eat catfish cakes! Why can’t we have a breakfast like that?”
My mother looked at me patiently. ”I am sorry, but we can’t afford those things for breakfast, dear.”
”But the porridge has been cooked with love and hope for better days. Think of that while you eat it.”
My eyes filled with tears of hate. It wasn’t fair that I had to eat this, while the others had something special for breakfast!
I stared at my bowl. ”Ma? Can I maybe… go out and eat this there, in the fresh air?”
My ma sighed, probably knowing what her daughter was about to do, but she nodded. “If you feel like it, dear… Just remember to bring the bowl back.”

I went outside and wondered where I could scoop the porridge from my bowl. The nearby forest could be a good place to hide it. Maybe I could find some late berries for breakfast there. As I reached the forest border, I heard sniffing sounds from behind the bushes. I crept closer to see what it was and saw two rabbits facing each other next to a tree. It looked like they were talking to each other… and they were!
“Don’t worry, Daisy”, the other rabbit said. “I am sure the kids will find many other fun things to do.”
“But that won’t be quite the same, Lilly!” Daisy sniffed. “They only want to see the wonder of snow! Nothing else can replace that joy for them.”
Lilly sighed. “I know. But there hasn’t been snow in the Shire for years!”
“Aye. And they demand that we should go and visit their cousins in the north!” Daisy sniffed.
“I would love to, but the journey is very dangerous. But the little ones don’t understand that.”
“Well, I am sure you can come up with somet that will distract their thoughts from this topic, Daisy,” Lilly said and patted Daisy’s front paw.
“Yule is the time for magic and miracles. Remember that.”

Then, the rabbits hopped into their holes, and I was left alone. I remembered my porridge bowl and looked at it. It was milky white and soft. I ran back inside.
“Ma? Could I have some more porridge, please?”
I could tell that I had just triggered my mother’s shenanigans alert, but she scooped more porridge into my bowl. “I thought you didn’t like this porridge, dear”, she said, raising her eyebrow.
“Well, it is porridge is more magical at Yule, ma!” I said and ran out before she could ask more questions. I left the overfilled porridge bowl near Daisy’s rabbit hole, and went back inside.

Next day, I came back to the forest edge to see if the porridge had disappeared (and get the bowl back). I saw the two rabbits, Daisy and Lilly, again, talking.
“You should have seen those smiles!” Daisy chuckled.
“I think it’s a bit strange though!” Lilly said. “I have never received a snow delivery!”
“Well, you said that Yule is the time for magic and miracles, didn’t you?” Daisy smiled.
“Someone sent us snow! The little ones dived into it immediately.”
“And later, they had a small snowball fight too! I think they threw one or two balls at the shirriff who was passing by.”
“And I never thought that snow would taste that good”, Daisy said. “We got fun and a feast in the same package!”

Then, I woke up again beside my oven, and hurried to stir the Yule porridge. It wasn’t burnt, and it still had the scent of my childhood. I had quite forgotten about the rabbit thing. Did it really happen? ‘s hard to tell. Talking rabbits…

One thing was clear though: this porridge was magical. It had taken me back to my childhood, making me remember forgotten memories.
When I sat at the table next morning and ate the porridge, my eyes watered again. But this time, not for hate. Oh, and I brought a bowl of it to the forest edge again. I bet the forest creatures need a Yule feast too.

So remember this, young ones: There might be places, things and people that you try to avoid due to some unfortunate and bad incidents in the past. But behind those bad memories, there might be some golden ones hidden. Our memory is selective and betrays us. So give the past a chance.
Merry Yule to you all! And remember to eat yer porridge!