25/12/2007

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

One reason I'm writing this diary entry now is partly out of boredom and partly I have time to do it. No one's going to the morning Christmas service, don't really need to since we all went to Midnight Mass last night. I wasn't completely happy with it. See, my memories of 'things the choir did before Midnight Mass' involve a sort of mini party in the vestry. There used to be a guaranteed box of chocolates and a bottle of something (sherry one year) before we'd line up and go in. Well, this year there was no bottle and the chocolate didn't appear 'til after the service (which is actually more sensible). But everything was so rushed and hurried, partly because the choir went out to perform a mixture of carols before the service. We sing enough carols in the service as it is and I really didn't feel like singing at that point. Especially 'Up Good Christian Folk'. Nothing wrong with it; it's beautiful, old and something I've never sung before. We didn't practice it enough. It's a song that's deceptively easy so everyone sang it a bit shakily and well...when it comes to perfection I'm so fussy. Then instead of moi singing the first verse of 'Once in Royal David's City' Peter made Morgan do it. She has a good voice but she messed it up and how unfair it was that when I was younger I had to put up with the truth that it was always an 'older' girl who sings it (Tamesine!). Even when I joined this choir it was always Sarah who did it even though she's only 1 year older than me, so my only chance came when she went to Uni and I messed up on the night. I just want one more chance dammit, I swear I can do it right. (I've done the soprano solo for 'In the Bleak Midwinter' several times already)

It's so nice hearing carols downstairs. That always happens on Christmas Day :). Mum and Nathan are preparing today's lunch on/off. I was surprised this morning when I asked Mum when she would start, for the answer was 10:00. So I thought: 'That late? Don't you usually start earlier on Sunday Lunch? Maybe you don't have so much to prepare then?' Then Nathan came along later and said Lunch will be 1:30 rather than 1pm because there's "so much to prepare". *slaps head* That was a humongous mis-timing. Oh well, I'll live. I have no plans except for Lunch, presents and Doctor Who.

Out of curiosity, I checked to see if I did a Christmas entry last year. I did. There was something rather astounding to it. One was that I talked about a phone call from June, but I cannot for the life of me remember it. The other thing was how little I talked about the religious aspect of Christmas-the very reason Christmas exists and is celebrated. You see, when I think of Christmas, I think of Church and carols, which then leads to thoughts of Jesus born as a baby and placed in a manger. All the commercial bits come later. Thing is though, I enjoy complaining and I find very little to compain about when it comes to religion (except Satanism-that one's disturbing). Of course, staunch atheists the world over can find plenty to complain about in a religion. One thing they don't understand is that there are people in the world who need something to believe in and a spiritual guide in their lives. Comfort in rational thought and the knowledge/guarantee that there's always a sensible explanation is not enough to give some people the strength they need in this world or their spiritual centre. Though, ironically, that's how I often live my day-to-day life rather than rely on God's mercy, which is a core of my beliefs.