Cards , Clowns, and Letters (along with Soup and Snow)

At this time of year we get lots of cards and end of year letters from friends, and even though I try to have as little to do with Christmas as possible - it is a religious holiday, but not a Christian one (see the link below) - I do try to reply and send non-specific cards and letters just to keep in touch.  

https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/when-was-jesus-born/

As usual I am behind and so far, for my own records, have written to Bob and Helen, Elizabeth and David, Gale and Richard, and hope to finish one to Dougal today.  I have still got some lovely clownfish cards made from photos Col took during our Maldive years. So that gives me an idea for a pic to head this blog.

But we now need some more cards made up and I must have a browse through the photos on his website.  I have probably said this before, but it was so heartbreaking to watch - in that David Attenborough documentary - the families of Clownfish - fathers, mothers, children - all working together on the reefs, helping and supporting each other, and knowing how this passion for aquarium fish was going to disrupt and destroy so many of those little families.  I guess that movie about Clownfish did not help either.  I didn't see it as I try to avoid the product of Hollywood.

And, note to myself, the Dougal card was done, dusted and posted. Though with all the strikes on at the moment its not clear how and when the mail will get through.

Saturday morning was really frosty and I did not make it to the field service group - terrified of ice, which at my age is "a terror in the way".  I also attended the Thursday night meeting in Zoom for the same reason.  I got all ready, got down to my car, found it iced up, and chickened out.  But I did join my congregation siblings for home made soup at lunchtime on Saturday.  Soup delicious - company good - and I came away with a good new soup idea - adding some harissa paste, it gives just the right amount of spicy heat.

It snowed briefly on Sunday afternoon, but did not settle. Captain M-B said it snowed heavily out Ditchling Way (where he and the lads were out detecting), and Nute sent a photo of the bungalow garden 'oop North, deep in snow.

Reading the paragraph below from the article I linked above made me wonder if maybe Jesus was born on the same day/date that Adam first opened his eyes, in that paradise garden, in Eden:

In early fall

 We can estimate when Jesus was born by counting backward from his death on Passover, Nisan 14 in the spring of the year 33 C.E. (John 19:14-16) Jesus was about 30 years old when he began his three-and-a-half-year ministry, so he was born in the early fall of 2 B.C.E.—Luke 3:23.

I don't know, as the Bible doesn't say.  And if God had wanted us to celebrate Jesus' birth no doubt he would have made the date clear to us. But maybe it is one of the infinity of things I shall learn about if I do "inherit the earth" and live forever upon it.  And let me add as always that I hope we all will. 

Then the earthly creation will be able to live in peace and happiness, including all those dear little clownfish families.  They will be no predators of any kind, human or animal, to disrupt their lives.