Haul Out The Holly

It's that time of year.

For a "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend," here is Angela Lansbury and friends singing "We Need a Little Christmas" as it was first heard in the 1966 musical "Mame."

Peace:



Hat-tip: Rev. Gerardo Ramirez, who made mention of this tune yesterday on Facebook.

Guadalupe's Day

Many months ago, I spied this Instagram photo (snapped by our friend James) showing a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Thought I'd share it for today's feast day:

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.

Uncle Joe's Centennial

My great-great uncle, Joseph Berger, was born 100 years ago today on December 10, 1914, in McDonald, Pennsylvania.

Uncle Joe was the youngest sibling of my maternal great-grandmother, Mary Berger Vincenti (1911 - 1999).  He died in 2012 at the age of 97, making him the longest-lived member of my family.

At the time of Uncle Joe's 95th birthday in 2009, I penned a post on his life.  Among other details, it notes he was the son of immigrants from Belgium.

It was through Uncle Joe and Grandma Vincenti and their sister, Ann Berger Barrick, that my generation received a sliver of connection to that immigrant history (including a delicious recipe for thick Belgian galettes).

Here's to keeping their memory alive for many years to come.