Advent calendars...

[fajrdrako]

When I was a little kid, I remember being frustrated by advent calendars. They emphasized to me how slowly Christmas was coming. Only one window per day - ! And usually nothing exciting in the window anyway, though I remember one good year when my Advent Calendar had a chocolate behind each window.

So now, when times goes too fast anyway, Advent Calendars aren't so frustrating, especially ones that are online. A few years ago, a Dunnett-fan friend made a Dunnett-related advent calendar - with art and references from the books behind the windows. This year, I've found two good ones:

The BBC Doctor Who Advent Calendar - it has games; I just wasted a good five minutes doing an abominable job of guessing who was behind the Santa masks. Well, I got two wrong, that seemed abominable to me!

The National Gallery Advent Calendar, with assorted art from the National Gallery in London - which I would think is one of the best art collections in the world.

And now there is snow on the ground. It snowed most of the day yesterday, when it wasn't occasionally sleeting or raining. Talking about it, Pat and Sandi and Sheila and I all instantly thought of Camelot - "The snow it is forbidden till December, and exits March the second on the dot" - we'll see what happens on March the second. We then watched Camelot as part of Sandi's birthday, and I enjoyed it at least as much as ever - it's been years since I've watched it right through. Love the music. Love Franco Nero and Richard Harris, though not Vanessa Redgrave. Love the costuming. It made for a nice relaxing afternoon.

Coming home, I saw that more and more people on my street have pretty Christmas lights on their houses and trees. I love that: coloured lights in darkness.

So now I start to feel some Christmas spirit. Maybe I can find time this weekend to write Christmas cards, and put up some decorations. I won't be able to get many Christmas presents for people this year - I wish I could! - maybe I can think of present-substitutes.

Comments

[cupati.livejournal.com]

I got one wrong on the secret santa - but I'm going to go through it again, cos I spotted someting suspicious...

[cupati.livejournal.com]

Yep, I was right...

(http://photobucket.com/)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Heh heh heh.

[sollersuk.livejournal.com]

OMG. I nearly forgot Toby's calendar with special doggie chocs.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Doggie chocs - now, that's a Christmas treat. I wonder if there is an equivalent for budgies?

[medelle.livejournal.com]

Wooo!

I got all 10 correct! GO ME! :D

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I always figured you were clever.

[medelle.livejournal.com]

Nah, just good at reading faces. :)

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

We're having more rain than anything just now: had 3 or 4 times as much rainfall in November than we should have had.

Camelot: ah yes... Must put than on sometime, too! Mordred... another of my dashing but doomed pets! David Hemmings was rather cute in the role!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

There was lots of heavy rainfall two days ago - and the temperature was up to 15 degrees Celius - above zero. Then yesterday, snow. Today, clear and icy. Goodness knows what it will be like tomorrow.

Mordred... another of my dashing but doomed pets!

Yup, mind too, though another one where I don't think I've come across a satisfactory fictional representation of him. I like Mary Stewart's representation of Merlin but not of Mordred. I didn't really like T.H. White's version of anyone, though he has great scenes and great passages and I quite enjoyed his books.

David Hemmings was rather cute in the role!

I thought so. He's definitely one of my favourite characters in that movie, if not my very favourite. Everyone is interestingly flawed and doomed.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

My favourite fictional Mordred is in Joy Chant's The High Kings - she goes back to the early Welsh material, before the invention of Lancelot, in which he was Gwenhwyfar's lover. Which I think makes for a rather more interesting scenario!

Rhetorical question

[acampbell.livejournal.com]

But what is an Advent calendar without chocolate involved?

I love the movie, "Camelot".

Re: Rhetorical question

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

You must be young. They never had chocolate in them when I was a kid: just printed seasonal pictures. We used the same one, year after year.

Re: Rhetorical question

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

One can always treat oneself to chocolate as a reward for opening the window, pushing the button, or whatever. After all, it's for Christmas!

I love Camelot too. Just about everything about it except Vanessa Redgrave as Guinevere - I don't know why I don't like her much, but it's okay, she has lovely clothes. The music is superb and so is the cinematography and the choreography. They did leave my favourite Camelot song out of the movie - "Fie on Goodness" - but that's okay too. I adore David Hemmings in it - so young, so bad!

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Ok, I haven't seen Dr. Who but Dr. Finch... Giles?!

[cupati.livejournal.com]

As far as buzzruth was screaming at me, may moons ago - yes. Not that I've seen anything other than Doctor Who. ;)

[rosiespark.livejournal.com]

I got two wrong, that seemed abominable to me!

I got two wrong too! Which were your two?

I mistook Queen Victoria for Tony Blair. As you might expect, she wasn't amused, but I let out a shriek of laughter and frightened the cats... Then I thought Rose was Reinette. My only excuse there is that Ten fancies them both madly - and if he doesn't discriminate between them, how (and why) should I?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I got two wrong too! Which were your two?

I don't remember, though I remember being annoyed with myself. There's one of them I said was Pete, I think, and it turned out to be Jake. I got Queen Victoria right.

Ten fancies them both madly - and if he doesn't discriminate between them, how (and why) should I?

Well, of course? Equal opportunity love. And it's so difficult to remember which century is the 18th and which is the 21st....

[filkferengi]

"Camelot" rocks! I'm glad you're enjoying some Advent fun. Have you caught any good music?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Have you caught any good music?

Not so far, but I'm hoping to.

[raissad.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the National Gallery link.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

My pleasure!

[raissad.livejournal.com]

On the DW calendar, what does the script fragment behind the 7th say? I have spatial problems (Cerebral Palsy), and puzzles of that kind are more trouble than fun. Thanks.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

At the moment I'm at work and can't check it - I'll look and tell you tonight.

The DW Advent Calendar for Dec. 7

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Okay, I've got it for you now. I didn't get the whole puzzle - I'm no good at these either, and with no good excuse - I wanted to print it, cut it apart, and do it like a jigsaw puzzle. I'm good at those. I got it close enough that I could figure out what the words are. The picture is of the bride in "The Runaway Bride" standing beside the Doctor. The words say:

~ ~ ~

The Doctor - glasses on - peers at the playback screen.

THE DOCTOR: But... it can't be... Play it again.

RHODRI: Clever mind.

THE DOCTOR: But that looks like... That's impossible. That's... ancient. It's old that -

The Doctor looks up in sudden (horrified) realization.

HIS POV: Donna.

~ ~ ~

There you have it - whatever it means! Just a tidbit to whet our appetite, I suppose. (And it's working.)