The Adventure of the Stable Dog

                  (video of images of choir spaces. 

                        Lyrics at bottom of post.)

I joined in on a discussion about favourite Christmas Songs and was surprised to find that my favourite was a Canadian Carol that  no one had heard of ... The Carol of The Stable Dog ... it actually moves me to tears. I can't sing it because if I do the tears start to come before the end of the first verse, so it's a 'listen to' carol for me. Joe and I play Christmas Music starting somewhere near the end of November until just a little after Christmas. We play NO Christmas Songs ... no 'Frosty,' no 'Rudolf,' no 'Jingle Bells,' we do the gay apparel thing but we don't 'Deck The Halls.' The only exception to this is when the kids are here - they love Rudolf with a mad passion. 

Ruby and Sadie are both into Christmas ...

Picture of Mother and Father casually dressed with two girls, one three in a sparkly red dress, one six in a Santa dress

... as you can see from the picture of Mike, Marissa and the kids at Ruby's Christmas pageant where she and her class performed a song. We weren't able to make it but Ruby has promised us a reprise when she's here this weekend. And this weekend, I'm going to introduce the kids to the Stable Dog. I've got activities planned and everything - Joe shakes his head and mutters about me having been a camp councillor in my youth - and verily I was, and even more verily, an experience that has served me well.

So tonight we are diving into quiet because the weekend is going to erupt into sound and chaos. We're all going to see Snow White, the panto, on Sunday and the girls are getting their hair and nails done on Saturday getting ready for the event. It's going to be a fun weekend and we love the anticipation of the arrival ... or, should I say ... the advent.

Lyrics to Carol of the Stable Dog:

“Why do you look so sad,’ Mary asked the stable dog.

“I have nothing, nothing to give a king.

Nothing that shines, nothing to bring,

here at the feet of God.”

I’m so afraid in this foreign land,” Mary said to the stable dog.

“Fear not, kind mother, know no alarm.

I will protect you - keep you from harm,

here at the feet of God.”

And all through the night he stayed at her side

And he kept them safe with his heart of gold,

and he kept them warm in the winter’s cold,

and the gift he gave was his faithful soul,

there at the feet of God.

“Do you hear sweet caroling?” Mary asked the stable dog.

“It’s the tiny angels as they fly,

singing your son’s first lullaby,

here at the feet of God.”