by Bill Roushey | Dec 24, 2019 | Christmas stories, Holiday, Uncategorized
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me four calling birds. An old English version of the song refers to them as “colly” birds. Colly, refers to something covered with coal dust, something completely black. After taking a quick tour of...
by Bill Roushey | Dec 18, 2019 | Christmas stories, Holiday, Uncategorized
The lyrics of the song continue…”On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me three French hens.” Some suggest this is a theological reference to three virtues of the Christian faith: Faith, Hope and Charity. From an animal husbandry...
by Bill Roushey | Dec 10, 2019 | Christmas stories, Holiday, Uncategorized
“On the second day of Christmas my true love gave me two turtle doves.” From what I’ve read, the term turtle dove refers to a group of old world doves that includes ringed doves and mourning doves. In literature they are associated with innocence,...
by Bill Roushey | Dec 7, 2019 | Christmas stories, Holiday, Uncategorized
More than likely you are familiar with the song, “The twelve days of Christmas.” This Christmas season I search for a deeper, more personal meaning to the lyrics of this song.tree.” The first gift my true love gave to me was a partridge in a pear...
by Bill Roushey | Jan 17, 2019 | Christmas stories, Model Railroad, Uncategorized
Last month I attended a local model train show for some much needed inspiration. I hadn’t touched my train layout for almost three years due to Mom’s declining health and dealing with her affairs following her death. At the train show, watching what...
by Bill Roushey | Dec 18, 2018 | Christmas stories, Holiday, Uncategorized
Written by Carolyn S. Bailey. If you were a Russian child you would not watch to see Santa Klaus come down the chimney; but you would stand by the windows to catch a peep at poor Babouscka as she hurries by. Who is Babouscka? Is she Santa Klaus’ wife? No, indeed. She...