AWOL & Favorite Christmas Carol

Oh, my gosh! I cannot believe it has been so long since I have made an entry on my blog site; NOVEMBER!!! By, the way - for those of you who voted on my favorite Christmas Carol, not one person voted for the one that was right. I had votes for all the ones that were wrong, though! Crazy..

O, Little Town of Bethlehem is my favorite - probably because I have been to Bethlehem. Especially at Christmas time, I can feel the cool night air, hear the sounds of busy traffic and smell the smells of that town as we walked to the Church of the Nativity that was built over the spot were they say the Baby Jesus was born. There is a special place w/i the Church that is kind of built out into a rounded area in the stone wall with special, and beautiful tiles on the floor, hanging lamps that hold candles, and a rail to keep you from stepping into it, that is supposedly where the actual stable was. It feels very warm and holy - standing there looking into that spot.

I cannot remember for sure, but I don't think I put as a choice, my second-most favorite carol. It is, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear. I love it for all the words - they are so beautifully written. But, there is a personal thing for me hidden amongst the verses. I showed it to my mother one night while in Church and she got quite a chuckle out of it.

As many of you know, I have struggled with back problems on and off for years. My back used to "go out" on me and I would be in bed and off work for a week every time. Then eventually, I had a ruptured disc and finally had to have a laminectomy after trying every conservative treatment. Then, I had my first back Fusion in 2003, my second in 2006 and my third/current one in December of 2008. I am still recovering from that one. So, this part of that song really, really fits me. It is the first half of verse 3 and goes like this:

"And ye, beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low;
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow...

Anyone who has dealt with back pain would so identify with those words in a heartbeat!

Well, I will soon be revealing the reason for my long hiatus.

Stay posted~~!