Blessings for you and Patrick this season.

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* that does not mean "better sheep", just in case anyone was wondering

¡Y más ovejas y mejores!

May all sentient beings be blessed. Joy to the world.

Get well soon!

I do hope you feel better soon, and that the bug is mild enough to warrant much catering to your whims while allowing you the energy and awareness to enjoy dreaming up more and more whims.

I'm currently wending my way slowly through the back archives of The Boston Globe's Big Picture, which seems to be well suited to slow-minded browsing, without being overly dull or frustrating to the more lively -- perhaps it might also distract you ;)

I hope you feel better soon!

Hope (a) you feel better (b) the bug doesn't spread to PNH or the rest of Brooklyn (c) you wind up having a merry Christmas, happy New Year, and glorious Patrick's Birthday.

"God bless us, every one!"

Hope you're feeling better soon.

I hope you feel better soon.

Especially since you need to be healthy to come to Boskone to celebrate my Big Birthday.

xxxJane

Chicken soup is all very well, but don't neglect the codeine, either, or similar as suits your metabolism.

Hope you have plenty of reasons, and occasions, to celebrate in the coming year.

May you have the best of Christmases, may your lamps stay lit, and may the long night once more be turned away.

And now, I'm going back to bed.

Veni, veni, Emmanuel, captivum solve Israel, qui gemit in exsilio, privatus Dei Filio.

Veni O Sapientia, quae hic disponis omnia, veni, viam prudentiae, ut doceas et gloriae.

Veni, veni, Adonai, qui populo in Sinai legem dedisti vertice in maiestate gloriae.

Veni, O Iesse virgula, ex hostis tuos ungula, de spectu tuos tartari educ et antro barathri.

Veni, Clavis Davidica, regna reclude caelica, fac iter tutum superum, et claude vias inferum.

Veni, veni O Oriens, solare nos adveniens, noctis depelle nebulas, dirasque mortis tenebras.

Veni, veni, Rex Gentium, veni, Redemptor omnium, ut salvas tuos famulos peccati sibi conscios.

R: Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel nascetur pro te, Israel.

May the flame of Yule burn in all our hearts; may it warm the chilled, cleanse the sick of all illness, and spring forth as joy in our eyes, to be shared with all in need!

A student arm of GT (PFRC, at Michigan Tech) used to celebrate Christmas in late December. As in December 45th or so. Trying to fit a Christmas party into the three weeks between Thanksgiving and Winter breaks was difficult at best, and often impossible, so we'd extend December. (I've used 'celebrating Orthodox Christmas' to explain belated Christmas events for years.)

And as we close out Advent, here is a lovely site about the O antiphons and "Veni veni Emmanuel."

(And in both Latin and English here for those whose Latin is rusty.)

One night last week in Walmart I was in the craft section (where they had Valentine stuff!) when suddenly the PA system started playing "O Come O Come Emmanuel," and I rejoiced that they were actually playing a song appropriate to the actual liturgical season!

-schap is generally used to noun* an adjective, but I can't say I have enough feel for the language to place it to "shape". (Native speakers? Feedback?) The other word with it that I most often use is gemeenschap, which means "community"†.

Schaap, of course, is sheep.

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* Yes, thank you, I am Teh Eeeeevul for using that
† Gemeen means common, with much the same range of meanings as in English

(I loved your Christmas card.)

(The UK is officially in the worst flu outbreak for 8 years, which, coinciding with a norovirus outbreak, is making hospitals over the festive period very un-fun places indeed; and given the level of international travel these days, I'm expecting to see word of a US flu outbreak real soon now. On the other hand it's H3N2 Brisbane flu, the current UK vaccine covers it, and it looks like we've dodged the H5N1 bullet for another year.)

I hope this might cheer you up!

And while you're sick, you might listen to the songs of The WHO*, such as "Phleghmball Wizard", or "Flu Together", to take your mind off your troubles.

*As in World Health Organization, not some strange musical group no one's ever heard of.

(Me? I'm hoping for a healthy, boring 2009, myself.)

I thought you'd missed an 'n', and were telling Teresa that she'd probably feel better with the application of some Kirschwasser....

Best wishes,
Faren

...which is 'mouton' in French.

With good luck (which so many of us wish you), this could happen in time for you to Celebrate some of the latter ten days of Christmas, or at least the Feast of The Epiphany.

...I understand that hot buttered rum is quite therapeutic.

May Santa bring you all the chicken soup you desire, and a quick recovery.

So you have enough chicken soup already. (Is that possible, even?) Hot and sour is a good booster; ginger for your stomach's sake; but to get you strong and back on your feet, go the congee, with egg in if'n you want protein strength. And when you're cold and miserable, then eel will get heat into your bones (or hot toddy and mulled wine <g>).

'Veni O Sapientia', yes indeed. And much praise to Hagia Sophia, close to my heart.

Speedy healing to those ill, strength and comfort to them afflicted, and peace and joy to my fellow entities around the round globe as the day flows across it.

I recommend Sweet and Sour Eggs, a recipe from the German half of my family. It has nice strong flavors that you can actually taste while congested, making it a lovely thing while sick. As my father says "It looks awful in its blackness, but is delicious."

Heat a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil in a deep nonstick frying pan. (Use a bland, generic oil that has no taste.) Add 1 cup of sliced onions, and 1 cup of sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until it is a deep brown - darker than peanut butter, but not as dark as dark chocolate. Say a good quality milk chocolate.

Add 1 cup of white vinegar. The sugar and onions will promptly solidify and turn black, stir until this dissolves. The vapors as this happens are wonderful for cleaning sinuses.

Add 1 cup of water, and simmer about 10 minutes.

Poach eggs in this, cooking until the yolks are well done. Serve with lots of boiled potatoes or rice.

I usually double the sauce, as it is quite easy to reheat and poach a couple more eggs as needed.

(The Hallmark card for flu years! Now in carbon-friendly electrons!)

Bill, just for science, did yours knock you down like you'd been poleaxed?

If you mean, did it leave me completely uninterested in climbing out of bed for about 24 hours?, yes. If you mean, was the onset sudden?, no, it stretched over many hours.

Saturday night we were visited by a family who had spent the previous week battling a stomach bug. They thought they were over it. Monday morning, Kelley and I came down with the same thing, nearly simultaneously.

No fever, I think.

We've had our traditionally British Christmas dinner (roast beef, roasted potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding - but on the Eve) and are now watching Hogswatch. Someday, we'll have to be in England over Christmas to see if we do anything differently.

That reminds me; Dr Who Christmas special!

Teresa, get well. Hope I don't catch it (wash hands after posting).