[Magdalen] Happy Christmas!

[Joseph Cirou]

Jim,

In case you haven't seen it elsewhere, you listgiv arrived on Christmas Eve
and I appreciate the cd from St. Bartholomew's I loved the card and I can
think of a few folks I would enjoy sending a magnificently wrapped package
of that designer coal!

Well I played three services at the Methodist Church on their mighty Wicks
(the people liked me and called it the mighty Mo in honor of the famous
instrument at our Fox Theater.)  I got home in time to rise for the Divine
Liturgy of St Basil at St John Chrysostom on Ponce in Atlanta. The service
was at 10AM not the usual 10:30. Very few were there at 10; so I became the
English chanter by default and the Arab chanter came in a few minutes later.

I may be able to go back this Sunday;  because I don't have gig and I'm
happy about that because the Sunday after Christmas is the Feast of St.
Joseph in the Byzantine Rite.

Thanks again for the gift

Joe Cirou

On Sat, Dec 27, 2014 at 10:17 AM, Jim Guthrie <jguthrie at pipeline.com> wrote:

> I opened the listgiv on Christmas Eve -- a nice collection of OLD Old-Time
> Radio shows, including one with a youngster named Betty White. Always great
> fun to listen to. Thanks Mike!
>
> We did not go to the Christmas Eve services -- I long ago gave up on
> "Midnight Mass" as being way past my bedtime <g>, and the 4 PM Children's
> service promised to be more a paean to the two children who constitute the
> St Luke's Sunday School than anything palatable.
>
> We caught the 7:20 AM bus for NYC on Christmas Morning, and arrived a bit
> ear;y -- so we scarfed down breakfast and went to St Bartholomew's  in Park
> Avenue -- our favorite C&E parish. I got my requisite dose of Ideo-ho-ho
> and Malcolm's "Mass at the Crib."
>
> We were greeted by a couple who used to live in NYC, moved to Chatham NY,
> and have moved to North Carolina in July. We had sat together at Easter a
> few years ago, and they come even farther than us each C&E  now. But of all
> the people in a crowded church, it's fascinating to see the dynamic of two
> C&E couples socializing twice a year for 5-6 years now!
>
> Then there was a really good-looking young man sitting in front of us. The
> church was warm so he removed is (very preppy, very expensive-looking)
> sweater and demonstrated just how buff he was in a tight-fitting
> undershirt. Albert and I found ourselves a  bit districted, and agreed he
> hade someone a nice Christmas present <g>.
>
> We then had an expensive but superb Christmas Dinner at Uncle Jack's Steak
> House (steak melts in your mouth; Albert had the Salmon) on Ninth Avenue,
> then took a subway down to our old neighborhood in Bay Ridge. I appears
> that they've kept everything the same since we left <g>.
>
> I had found a $128 rate at the Doubletree Hilton on 36th Street (including
> taxes!) so we stayed overnight. We were so tired we went to bed by 8 PM and
> woke up at 6 AM -- a good night's sleep for both of us.
>
> Yesterday consisted of some errands, an hour at the NYPL, and then
> treatment at MSK. We caught the 7 PM bus home and were here by 10 PM.
>
> A Happy Christmas Indeed!
>
> Cheers,
> Jim
>