Tuesday 21 December 2021

Guzzle, Gulp, Swallow – a rare bird …

 I just wish everyone a very merry Christmas, and then during the festive season: a peaceful and blessed time.


A self-portrait (1858)
So many need our help at this time … this seems 'revolting' – yet displays excess, as seen 170 years ago … when trade routes were bringing in 'more and more' goodies for the western world to learn about …



Seen here on ships sailing in: 

Spices / Sugar / Coffee / Tea



George Cruikshank's 'A Swallow
at Christmas'

Waiting to be poured: Champagne / Hock / Port / Gin / Rum / Whiskey … to be drunk by the tankard: Frothy Beer …



Then happily standing in line waiting to be guzzled, gulped, swallowed: 

Fishes (mock turtle soup available too); 

birds various; pies; breads; cheese …

and numerous 'I don't knows' – notations too small or indistinct for me to work out …



Portmeirion tea-cup ... for that 
Christmas relaxing cuppa
The Spitalfield's Life blog brought this to my attention – and as I love the caricatures as illustrated by George Cruikshank (1792 – 1878) … they can be seen on the link … and more can be found in Wiki


A coloured print can be seen here in AntiquePrintMapRoom - December a Swallow at Christmas - Rara Avis in Terra


With a lot of hopeful thoughts to those in the world who need care, love and compassion ... 




Glad tidings to you all – be safe and see you the 31st – cheers!


PS Once again - no drink (yet!) ... but those wretched fonts have done their thing and faffed around with size etc ... 


Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

40 comments:

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Greetings back at you, Hilary... enjoy it well, but not excessively!!! YAM xx

mail4rosey said...

It's almost the big day. Merry Merry to you!

Elephant's Child said...

Tidings of comfort and joy to you dear friend. And an elegant sufficiency of Christmas cheer.

Liz A. said...

That last image is great.

Joanne said...

Now the font excuse is getting old...blame it on a glass. We'll raise one to you. Ha!
Just kidding. Merry Christmas to you and yours. Enjoy the season and see you on New Year's Eve.
Thanks again for all of your posts- always lovely to read.

Anabel Marsh said...

Season’s greetings, Hilary - have a lovely time.

Hels said...

Whiskey waiting to be drunk by the tankard? hehe I don't think so :)

Hopefully everyone's new year will be healthier, happier and safer than 2020 and 2021.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Yam - I will, definitely not excessively enjoy myself! you too ...

@ Rosey - thank you ... it'll be quiet, but merry too ...

@ EC - thank you ... we certainly need tidings of comfort and joy - and some sufficiency to tide us over to 2022.

@ Liz - thank you ... yes I enjoyed that image.

@ Joanne - I suspect that font excuse is going to hang around a while longer - it needs brains to adjust somehow! Thank you - always happy to see you here ... you enjoy your first Christmas on retirement ...

@ Anabel - you too with some peace and gentle memories ...

@ Hels - well back in the 1800s ... who knows, they could be drinking whiskey out of tankards or the bottle?! Per Cruickshank's drawing.

I certainly hope we will all have healthier, happier and safer times than 2020 and 2021 ...

Thanks so much for visiting - take care to each of you and your families ... and I do hope 2022 will rock around to normality (or life back in its normal box) for us all ... Merry Christmas - Hilary

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Hels - I now see what you mean ... the tankards refer to the frothy beer being drunk out of them - per the picture ... though the image I've put up isn't that clear - the coloured one found on the AntiquePrintMap site ... I hope this clarifies my thoughts ... cheers Hilary

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Thanks for these exquisite prints, Hilary. I wish for you an excessively wonderful holiday season, with good food, drink, companionship and mirth. All the very best from Miriam and me. David xo

Sandra Cox said...

Glad tidings to you, Hils:)

Rhodesia said...

Hi Hilary, sorry I am not keeping up with blogging very well!!! I wish you all the very best for the holidays and the coming New Year, may things get back to some sort of normal living very soon. Cheers Diane

Botanist said...

Season's greetings, Hilary. I wish you a happy and peaceful Christmas.

J Lenni Dorner said...

Are fonts changing on you when you paste? Try ctrl+shift+v instead of just ctrl+v to paste. That keeps your formatting matching. The only other method I know involves checking the HTML code.

I'm enjoying #WRiTECLUB2021 over at DL Hammons blog. The entries are fun to read and vote on with feedback.
Plus, I'm currently reading Patricia Lynne's Being Human. (The IWSG Goodread's book club choice for December.)
And I'm scheduling debut author interviews at Operation Awesome.
I hope you have some fun plans for the rest of 2021. 🎄🎆⛸🥁✉🥂⛄ May your days ahead be merry and filled with positive experiences.

Debbie D. said...

An interesting array of information! I always learn a lot here. ☺ Wishing you and your family a lovely time. I'm going offline for a few days but will also be back on the 31st. Cheers!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ David - cartoons from the past eras, are fun to see ... amazing artists/ illustrators. Thank you for your thoughts - I too hope we can get together ... covid is a-beating at the door. I'll cope - but really look forward to seeing your posts in 2022 ... with Miriam's excellent photography and your commentary - and free the virus through the world.

@ Sandra - many thanks - you too ...

@ Diane - no worries: I know your connections are not good - so frustrating for you, as I remember back in the day. You and Nigel have a peaceful happy time at home ...

@ Ian - thanks so much ... you have fun with the family ... looks like it's snowy and cold over there!

@ JL - I use the basic ... no fancy code ... but I see you've suggested another way - I'll try next week! If not I've a friend coming to help in the New Year with the Mac and other pertinent things.

@ Debbie - just happy to have you here and while here enjoying yourself with the read. Have a rest and a happy time.

Thanks so much - cheers and happy times to you all - Hilary



Keith's Ramblings said...

Wishing you the happiest of Christmas's Hilary!

Susan Scott said...

Glad tidings to you Hilary! The print/type came out perfectly fine once I hit your link to see full post! A verrrry merry Christmas to you! And a wonderful 2022. Susan (hic)

Dan said...

It is a good time to think about those in need. I hope we can keep them in our thoughts beyond the holidays (or do something to help them escape their situation).

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, Hilary and a very happy season. We’ll get to New Years when it’s closer.

Jemima Pett said...

The fonts have been funny in my email notifications of your posts from the start, but they seem to be relatively recent on the blog post itself.

A suggestion: Go into the posts menu, and open one of the recent posts to edit it. Click on the pencil top left to change it to html view, and see if you have loads of 'style' things in the arrow brackets for html code. Delete them all and the brackets, including the ones with a backslash/ in front of them

Or even delete all the html code that isn't about photos or links.

Save it, take a look at it 'live' and see what the fonts are like. Then edit that normally if you need to put in headings etc again.

Next time you start a post, look at the blank page in html before you start and check it really is blank.

Something odd is going on, and it's probably hidden there somewhere.

So that's a little something to keep you from getting bored over the Christmas-New Year extended period.

Have a wonderful Christmas and see you on the other side :)

Jemima Pett said...

Oh, and I see J explained about it picking up other fonts from copy and paste... yes that could be it :) taking out style tags will do the trick.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Thanks Keith - all will be well I hope - though there's covid nearby and has scuppered one couple(not seriously ill though) ... but that's the way it's going at the moment ...

@ Susan - I don't understand it ... and almost don't worry about it - but I have someone coming to tutor me a bit re the Mac in the New Year and will read the Seniors!!! book in the meantime ... I'm looking forward to moving into 2022 I must say ... so I'll enjoy a hic hic along the way ...

@ Dan - it's essential to think of others and like you we do what we, the extended family, can ... but if only governments would help us all 'lead' everyone to help reach joy and peace ... I live in hope ...

Yup - the New Year is not here yet - so I'll enjoy these last days of 2021 ...

@ Jemima - thank for these notes ... I'm illiterate as far as doing much on the computer is concerned - I work my own way round. I have no idea about Html - I'm sure I would if I'd ever worked in an office when I needed it - but that never occurred.

I'll check your ideas, as too J's above ... but I am not remotely going to be bored over Christmas!! That Mac for Seniors book is awaiting me ...

I hope to get some reading in too ... as didn't do nearly enough of that this past year ...

Thanks so much to you all - we're now in full damp mode, at least not by the bucket load. Stay safe and enjoy yourselves - cheers Hilary

Computer Tutor said...

Merry Christmas to you, too, Hilary. I'll see you again after the new year!

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

Another bloody good post, I hope your Christmas is all you hope it will be

Lisa said...

Hello Hilary! Merry Holidays to you and yours! Mock turtle soup is something I haven't tried and don't really want to! I too, hope we all have a festive and safe holiday season this year. We're all tired of Covid, and what it has brought out in our societies. I guess it was the same back in the flu pandemic, sadly. We didn't seem to learn from that experience.
However, your post is as always fun and interesting to read. Thanks, and have a wonderful December into 2022! Blessings...

retirementreflections said...

Hi, Hilary - I agree with you that now is the time to focus on those in need. If we all did this in earnest, we could truly tilt the world toward peace!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Jacqui - many thanks ... I'll be around - see you then ...

@ Jo-Anne - thank you ...

@ Lisa - lovely to see you. Mock turtle is an interesting concoction, which I'll leave at that! Life has certainly been challenging for so many, but we just need to adapt and accept it by doing what we can to avoid it ... yet of course we realise there are things we'd like/need to do. I hope we'll learn - hope being the word to learn.

Thanks - I'm glad you enjoyed the post ... cartoonists can be so clever and thought provoking ...

@ Donna - we certainly can help those in our neighbourhood to get through this winter time ... there are more and more who need our help and our prescient understanding of things that are happening so we can share the burden of this pandemic a little.

Thanks so much to you all and like you I hope life gets easier for all those in the world - stay safe and have a happy time - cheers Hilary

bazza said...

Wishing you a peaceful and healthy Christmas Hilary!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Bazza - I hope you and the family have a lovely day ... cheers Hilary

Shannon Lawrence said...

Blogger does such weird things with font sometimes. What really drives me nuts is when I copy/paste and it highlights all the words in white. Merry Christmas! I love the deer and the birds. Such a sweet image.

Jz said...

Just popping in to say Merry Christmas!
Hope you're staying safe and enjoying the time.

Pradeep Nair said...

Hi Hilary - Season's greetings and the best wishes to you and everyone near and dear to you. Enjoy the festive time!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Shannon - oh that copy and paste whiteness happened to me a while ago - not sure how I combatted it - oh yes ... I think that's when I put my post up, and then added in the photos - and then reviewed each one, as it went in ... so 'it behaved itself'??

If you copy and paste in near an image - is where the coding goes haywire - I don't use html ... but follow my first para.

Yes - I was delighted to find the reindeer with robins resting ...

@ Jz - thank you for popping by - I've just been over ... and as you'll have seen all safe and well here ...

@ Pradeep - great to see and thanks for your festive greetings ...

Cheers to you all - enjoy the run up to New Year or year end first perhaps! Stay safe - Hilary

Deborah Weber said...

Merry and Happy wishes Hilary!

Patsy said...

Wishing you all the best for 2022, Hilary.

Sandra Cox said...

I love the birds and deer meme. Heartwarming.
Here's to a truly Happy New Year.
Cheers,

Michael Di Gesu said...

Hi Hilary!

I hope you enjoyed Christmas and Boxing day! You are so right about so many unfortunates at this time of year especially as sad as the world is today. May God bless them and keep them close to him. We are so fortunate to have a home, food, clothes, and some sense of normalcy.

Wishing you a joyous, healthy, and safe new year. May this be the end of this horrific disease plaguing all of us. HUGS!

Michael

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Deborah - great to see you and thanks for your thoughts ...

@ Patsy - you too ... I've obviously lost the link to your blog - I'll check things out!

@ Sandra - thank you ... I just loved the card - so put the pic up ...

@ Michael - we are, as you say, fortunate to be warm, dry and fed, along with family and friends ... and cannot disagree with your comment ...

Cheers to you four - I do hope we can have an easier 2022 - take care - Hilary

Sandra Cox said...

'So many need our help at this time.' So true.
Happy Holidays, Hils.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Thanks Sandra - and this year ... so many more will need help this year - cheers Hilary