Stuff and Moonshine

Had Xmas-Eve lunch with Mom, Aunt Marg & Uncle Dave, and the cousins. My cousins’ eldest was a bit quiet but kept looking at us, and eventually got interested when Andrew started talking about fossils. Middle child had just completed her first embroidery-stitch sampler (I had brought along a cross-stitch I’ve been working up from an image I found online), and youngest kid (4) has a very impressive visual memory and trounced us at Concentration.

I particularly enjoyed my Yuletide gift this year – Anonymous really threw themselves into getting it tone-perfect: The Snarkout Boys and the Chess Game of Evil 

At Shane MacGowan’s funeral, a glorious performance of 'Fairytale of New York' by the remaining Pogues. There’s also a video of them singing “The Parting Glass” but I haven’t watched it yet. I assume my eyes will sting.

Been listening to some Kinks the past couple of weeks. I wonder whether somebody who’d never heard of the Kinks, encountering them for the first time, would have trouble determining if they were a real band or a fictional one. Anyway here’s 'Father Christmas.' 

I expect most of you have already seen/heard it, but: The Monkees' a cappella 'Riu Riu Chiu.'

I’m terrible at sending thank-you letters myself, but I’ve always found this Kids In the Hall sketch oddly charming: “Dear Peter: Dearest Peter, my dear boy-- have you found that folle sauvage terrible you were looking for?” 

ETA— Three Yuletide fics this year in the fandom ‘The Lyke-Wake Dirge!’ This one is hilarious.