Hang a shining star

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light

From now on,
our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on,
our troubles will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years
We all will be together,
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself A merry little Christmas now.

- Music composed by Hugh Martin, lyrics by Ralph Blane (1943)



This rather melancholic Christmas song is in my mind today after going this morning with Ralph to see his Dad, hopelessly bereft at the recent and unexpected loss of his wife, Ralph's mum, my ex-mother in law, and so the lyrics above are for her, for them.

Ralph and I talked about happier times during a nice enough lunch afterwards at The Angel.

Bro came to dinner this evening, Dad is a great cook whose homemade mushroom soup was a winner - after which the three of us watched "Scrooge" - Albert Finney - very dated now. My brother has a bit of a thing about Dicken's 'Christmas Carol' - I don't think there is a film version that he doesn't own!

The weather is appalling. Icy rain beating against the windows in a fierce wind.