{"id":4275,"date":"2020-11-28T01:05:13","date_gmt":"2020-11-28T01:05:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/?p=4275"},"modified":"2024-12-13T18:45:02","modified_gmt":"2024-12-13T18:45:02","slug":"boston-charlie-partridges-in-pear-trees-and-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/boston-charlie-partridges-in-pear-trees-and-me\/","title":{"rendered":"Boston Charlie, Partridges in Pear Trees and Me"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This is the season of jingle bells and mistletoe, cyber sales and glitter bows. Evergreen festoons and plastic reindeer strung above our streets remind us that Christmas is coming.<\/p>\n

America’s holiday season is in session.<\/p>\n

I was out, legally masked, for Black Friday shopping.<\/p>\n

More accurately, I was out shopping on Black Friday. I got gas and groceries, neither of which qualify as holiday purchases.<\/p>\n

Picking up yogurt and coffee reminded me of Walt Kelly’s rewrite of “Deck the Halls.” How or why that routine reminded me, I don’t know.<\/p>\n

Or maybe the words emerging from memory had more to do with Advent’s imminent advent than pushing a shopping cart.<\/p>\n

Either way, I’m still working on my ‘starting Advent’ post. It’s somewhat serious. What I’m doing here isn’t.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Yesteryear’s Peace, Light and Decking<\/h4>\n

Let us remember, as shopping days dwindle and holiday anxieties grow, these words from days gone by:<\/p>\n

“Deck us all with Boston Charlie,
\nWalla walla, Wash., an’ Kalamazoo!
\nNora’s freezin’ on the trolley,
\nSwaller dollar cauliflower alla-garoo!…”
\n(Walt Kelly (1948 or thereabouts)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/a>A Dozen Days and Uncle Ben<\/h4>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>Some folks prefer more conventional traditions.<\/p>\n

Let us therefore also recall a musical celebration of geese a-laying, leaping lords and pipers piping.<\/p>\n

“…On the twelfth day of Christmas
\nmy true love sent to me:
\nTwelve drummers drumming
\nEleven pipers piping
\nTen lords a leaping
\nNine ladies dancing
\nEight maids a milking….”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And let us not forget Yogi Yorgesson’s holiday ballad.<\/p>\n