Reasons to be cheerful

[antongould]

Hear! Hear! Best wishes to all Forumistas and visitors.

Indeed Very Best Wishes to Everyone .....

[vinteuil]

Happy Christmas, all: and a better New Year.

... and forgive us our Christmases, as we forgive them that Christmas against us


.

[oddoneout]

Jauchzet, frohlocket!

Christmas present from JSB

On Early Music Now yesterday.

[gurnemanz]

On Early Music Now yesterday.

Thanks, just listened. Whole Weihnachtsoratorium available on Arte from St Thomas, Leipzig with Thomanerchor and Gewandhaus. We saw Cantatas 1-3 there in early 70s. The current Thomaskantor, Gotthold Schwarz, Bach's successor, was a regular soloist at the time.

[muzzer]

... and forgive us our Christmases, as we forgive them that Christmas against us

.

Yes indeed! Happy Christmas one and all!

[zola]

Seasons greetings from Eric Idle ( parental guidance advisory )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csYnMGiB_5M

[gradus]

Seasons greetings from Eric Idle ( parental guidance advisory )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csYnMGiB_5M

Just wonderful!

[Alain Maréchal]

Reasons to be cheerful: the annual telephone round up of my surviving cohort of cronies reveals one total knee replacement, a hip replacement, two Parkinsons, one prostate cancer and a triple bypass. It makes my Diabetes insignificant, and I suddenly feel a lot healthier. Ironically the fittest of us all is the Guestmaster at a Cistercian Monastery of the Strict Observance - which must be telling us something.

I am this evening dining with a large family group including a Grande Dame celebrating her 100th Christmas. Unfortunately none of her genes descends to me, but I can hope her enormous appetite for life encourages me.

[Pulcinella]

Reasons to be cheerful: the annual telephone round up of my surviving cohort of cronies reveals one total knee replacement, a hip replacement, two Parkinsons, one prostate cancer and a triple bypass. It makes my Diabetes insignificant, and I suddenly feel a lot healthier. Ironically the fittest of us all is the Guestmaster at a Cistercian Monastery of the Strict Observance - which must be telling us something.

I am this evening dining with a large family group including a Grande Dame celebrating her 100th Christmas. Unfortunately none of her genes descends to me, but I can hope her enormous appetite for life encourages me.

Might depend on what they observe so strictly, Alain.
A nightly slug of some health-endowing liqueur, perhaps?
Do the Cistercians produce their own equivalent of Benedictine?

Hope you enjoyed your meal!

[Alain Maréchal]

Might depend on what they observe so strictly, Alain.
A nightly slug of some health-endowing liqueur, perhaps?
Do the Cistercians produce their own equivalent of Benedictine?

Hope you enjoyed your meal!

Thank You - the meal was convivial but exhausting as always. Old Catherine left the table at daybreak to take her dogs out, and none of us dared leave before her.

These monks observe Silence. It is a fallacy that Trappists do not speak, but there is a "Grande Silence" during the night (which for them of course is not devoted to sleep). The idea is that speech should only be used when necessary - and having spent time with them it is surprising to realise how much speech is unnecessary.
Unfortunately this particular Abbey does not produce liqueur, but a vast range of conserves, honey, cereal products, and cheeses sold at high cost in most supermarkets around here, and online.

[subcontrabass]

Do the Cistercians produce their own equivalent of Benedictine?

Trappist beer.

[Serial_Apologist]

Trappist beer.

No fizz?

[Alain Maréchal]

Trappist beer.

French Trappists very sensibly leave beer production to the country which knows how to brew it properly!

[Sir Velo]

French Trappists very sensibly leave beer production to the country which knows how to brew it properly!

Good to know there are some things which the French admit the British do better,

[Alain Maréchal]

Good to know there are some things which the French admit the British do better,

You jest sir! (But on this day forgive all trespassers).

Tripel Karmeliet!
Rodenbach!
Leffe!
Westmalle!
Westvleteren!

...and that just mentions the ones sitting waiting for me at home right now. I shall be visiting the source of all happiness next week, and filling the car for the return journey. I may even find room for proper Advokaat for Madame (as opposed to the watery yellow muck you consume in those benighted isles).