with Melea Beshires
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas! Do you have a favorite Christmas song? I have loved “Silent Night” ever since I was a little girl. I love the elegant way it sounds and insisted my mother help me learn to play it on the piano despite encouragement to try things much more in my wheel house like jingle bells. I learned from Sarah Eyerly in a Brittanica article that it was composed in an Italian style to sound like rolling water or waves. I share the lyrics below for your savoring.
“Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night, holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia
Christ the Savior is born
Christ the Savior is born
Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth”
Hope everyone stayed safe and warm in our recent blizzard and has safe travels during the holidays. Be sure to visit our city park Christmas lights if you have not done so. They are really spectacular this year!
I now share a humorous true story from Willard Beshires.
“Linda and I were driving peacefully on a back road, and suddenly, I heard a very loud noise in my left ear. As soon as I braked it stopped. Continuing on, it started again, and I could not figure out what it was. It kept on so I decided maybe I needed to go see a doctor. The nurse looked at it, and said that apparently my ear drum had burst. She called in the doctor to verify. The doctor examined it and said, “No sir, your ear drum has not burst; you have a bug in your ear. We will drown it out with alcohol.” A crowd had gathered around, and I was really creating quite the spectacle. After a bit, the nurse came back in and said, “Oh my goodness, the bug is crawling out by the side of your head!” There were some shrieks and laughter as lo and behold a Japanese beetle revealed itself. The nurse apologized for the wrong diagnosis. She said she was going to take it outside and release it into the wild. I told her if she put it between my thumb and forefinger she would not have to. She released it anyway. As I was leaving the office, the doctor called, “Don’t let anything bug you!”
Mayor Beshires wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and hopes his tale brought some good cheer!
