Out with the old, in with the new

Or so goes many a new year toast. I've become much less of a new year brouhaha person as I've gotten older. I've always hated black eyed peas and greens and am happy to let other people scarf them down. One felicitous year, my roommate and I decided M&Ms were ideal new year treats.

But this time I'm feeling ill and I'm really just exhausted from life, not to mention a difficult year. I go back to work Tuesday and I have more I want to get done. It's also really COLD out, for south Texas. So best to hibernate.

I wanted to send all my hopes for good health, love, and happiness. As Mr B once put it, "there are three things in life that are important: youth, health, and someone to love you". We may not have youth always, but I wish all the other 2. Keep looking up!

"Yup, let's just bury 2017 out in the back 40. No one'll notice" 

As we descend into December slumber...

..allow me to offer you, dear Reader, a holiday/ Christmas gift from the nominally-at-least Catholic Lionel Barrymore and me--a version of his A Christmas Carol and one of A Visit from St. Nick. Both are well worth a listen. Mr. B did his Scrooge on radio from 1934-1953 with only one (possibly 2 depending on the source, but he definitely missed 1936, when brother John took over for him) miss.

Mr. B loved this role and took great pleasure in doing it. He was supposed to be cast as Scrooge in the film version that starred Alistair Sim, but was unable to due to pain/injury. He did recommend Sim to the producers, but for almost 2 decades, the voice of Christmas was the voice of Lionel Barrymore.  Give 'em a listen!

Click below for the 1939 version of the Campbell Playhouse December show:
A Christmas Carol, Mr. B & Orson Welles as narrator

He always dressed for the part--this is post-1938 LB

Click below for:
A Visit from St. Nick and a part from the gospel of Matthew, "No Room at the Inn"

Happy Holidays of your choice, y'all! :)