And So It Came

37°f, about 2.5°C, I think? Overcast all day. Warmed to 45°.

And finally, it is Christmas day. We slept in until 8:30 this morning, and just had pastries for breakfast. Then coffee by the tree to open gifts from each other, and it was time for Larry to take the dogs for a long walk while I started preparing for our visitors. 

They arrived promptly at noon, and I was just about ready! I do love it when people come hungry.

This is my favorite punch. It is non-alcoholic but of course could be spiked. It combines apple cider, orange juice and ginger ale, and I float fruit slices and cinnamon sticks on top. I didn't think to take photos til it was half gone. This evening I added champagne to mine. Delicious. 

Derek took over with the ham, helped by Haley.

The desserts end of the table.

I had fun making a couple cheese balls. I have never bothered with them before. And the cranberry spread (in the center top of the photo) was a big hit. 

Larry did the meat and cheese board, and the pickle dish for me.

So, good food, much talk and laughter, gifts, more food...lovely.  Now everyone has gone home, we have finished cleaning up, I have got my feet up, and the house is quiet.

Covid Journal, Day 265: The Christmas Tree

Lovely morning, 30 when I got up, but almost 50 now. Sunny and bright. We had a little snow the other day, and sleet, but it only stuck on the deck, vehicles, and the like.

Finally my tree is up and almost finished. The topper is all wonky and crooked so I need to fix that and add a few more balls near the top. I need a bigger tree! Next year, I have promised myself to make that happen. It's pretty bad when your faux tree has bare places from lost needles. I bought this little tree almost 10 years ago, maybe longer ago than that, for five dollars at an auction. It's certainly been a little trouper. 

I added a few other smaller trees last year, and have them up too. I'd like to do a few more small trees, decorated with different themes. I have a silver one, and two green, one with all ornaments made or given to me by friends, and one with small vintage ornaments. I'd like one with crocheted snowflakes which I have but am not using this year, one with all cookie cutters, and one with the fabric ornaments made by my friend Suzy who makes a new one every year. I think I have at least 20 of her ornaments now, and love them. The thing is, where would I put all these little trees? A dilemma for another day, since it's not going to happen this year.

Christmas trees. Such memories around them, aren't there? Do you remember the trees of your childhood? Or from your early years of marriage? I need to dig through my photos and find some old pictures of my trees to post. We used to have live trees every year until I realized I was allergic to them; now I can only use live pine boughs outside the house, sadly. But at least I get to enjoy their scent. 

The tree has been such an American tradition, we tend to think that they have been part of our celebrations for much longer than they actually have been. Christmas trees didn't really become part of the general celebration of the season in America until the late 1800's, during the Victorian era. There were earlier trees in the homes of German immigrants who brought their tradition of the lichtstock with them, but the decorated tree was a later arrival. 

From a Winter Solstice post I wrote in 2018: "In early Germany, plays called Paradise Plays were staged and the stages were lit with wooden pyramid structures on which candles were mounted. These "trees" were called lichtstock. The play also called for a tree hung with fruit as the story of Adam and Eve was part of the play. So an evergreen hung with apples was used for this purpose, and these were called Paradise trees. While people in Germany and other parts of Europe traditionally brought an evergreen branch inside in winter for decoration, the branches were not lit, and they certainly were not full trees. Eventually the evergreens became incorporated into the lichtstock, and it is easy to see how the transition to an evergreen tree happened. So, if you have artificial tree and feel a little guilty about not having the real thing, rest easy--the original "Christmas tree" was a wood pyramid, and not a tree at all!"

One of our funniest memories of a Christmas tree happened about 10 years ago. We went out to find a real tree, and found one on our road. It had snowed about 4", not a lot, the kind of snow that clings to branches and looks so pretty. Larry got the axe and walked over to the tree while I watched. It suddenly occurred to me that when he hit the tree with the axe, the snow was going to come tumbling down. As I opened my mouth to warn him, he struck the first blow. Sure enough, down came the snow, covering him from head to toe. The look on his face as he turned to look at me was priceless. I couldn't say a word. I was doubled over with laughter, tears streaming down my face. We still laugh about that--I'm laughing now just remembering the moment.

Not Larry's tree, but every time I see a snow-covered evergreen, I remember that day.

Memories are really what our trees are about, aren't they? The ornaments, even the light strings, often have stories attached. The tree itself, our memories of finding it, buying it, putting it up--so many memories, and it doesn't matter if it's a real tree or a fake like mine. I love my little stalwart tree, bare though some of its branches be. It's weathered many a storm with us. Some ornaments are older than me, some from my parents' tree, some I made, some my mother made. Two beautiful beaded ones were gifts from a young friend, whose Greek grandmother made them. 

I hope your tree plans are going well. I sure wish I could travel to each of your homes to see how you do your tree. Maybe one day, when this pandemic is over and life is something like normal again, we'll be able to get out and about. Until then, I'll enjoy everyone's trees that I see posted online. And be happy knowing we're all still safe and well.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

The Return of the Light: Welcome Solstice

Welcome, Winter Solstice! The day has finally come when seconds by seconds, the days grow longer. 

I have learned to appreciate December's darkness, and to anticipate the return of light, counting down almost as children count down for Christmas. There is comfort in knowing that come what may in our troubled world, Nature will continue on its circle through time, the planets will continue to move, the moon cruise along on her journey, and the earth's tilt will bring back longer days and eventually the sun's warmth. (There is a good, simple explanation of the phenomenon of Solstice and Equinox on this site.)

This year Larry has gone all out with lights, stringing them everywhere. I prefer the small white lights, but he is all about color, so what we have is a mix of both. Works for me. I think that putting up Christmas lights allows our inner child to come out to play. I love homes where it is obvious the man of the house has really gotten into it, exuberantly hanging lights and putting up displays all over the place. Men so seldom play in this artistic way, it seems. You can tell the homes where the woman has had to do the trimming too--usually (although not always!) the lights are limited to around doors and windows and on bushes, easy to get to places. When men do it, the whole house might be lit up! I know, I'm stereotyping but I think I'm pretty much on target. We have had to leave off of trimming around the roof as there comes a time, or an age, where that becomes not a good idea.

Not the best photo, but you get the idea. On the right, that blur is Larry redneck tree, with a Santa behind it who is apparently decorating the tree.

 Around the world there are many festivals celebrating light. We celebrate on Winter Solstice and throughout the Christmas season by hanging lights on our houses, lighting Christmas trees, placing candles in windows. Whole towns string lights and sponsor light shows during this, the darkest time of year. The Jewish Hanukkah, Diwali in India, Festival of Lights in Lyon France, China's Lantern Festival and many more all celebrate the importance in our lives.

In Ireland, people gather at the large burial tomb Newgrange to watch as the sun's first rays penetrate the passage into the tomb and light up the center. 

In early Germany, plays called Paradise Plays were staged and the stages were lit with wooden pyramid structures on which candles were mounted. These "trees" were called lichtstock. The play also called for a tree hung with fruit as the story of Adam and Eve was part of the play. So an evergreen hung with apples was used for this purpose, and these were called Paradise trees. While people in Germany and other parts of Europe traditionally brought an evergreen branch inside in winter for decoration, the branches were not lit, and they certainly were not full trees. Eventually the evergreens became incorporated into the lichtstock, and it is easy to see how the transition to an evergreen tree happened. So, if you have artificial tree and feel a little guilty about not having the real thing, rest easy--the original "Christmas tree" was a wood pyramid, and not a tree at all!

So, as I posted this morning on Facebook, "The Oak King will be triumphant, the Holly King in retreat, and the year will turn toward the light. The great wheel of life, Yule, rolls on. Light your Solstice fire tonight with your Yule log, burn the remains of last year's mistletoe, and hang the new year's bunch aloft. 

Kisses for all my friends!"

Green Man, Tewksbury Abbey, England, from Wikimedia Commons

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Walking to Bethlehem

I have my manger scene set out, with the Wise Men and the animals and the baby. It's a far smaller set than that my parents had. Mom had a huge manger scene which would be displayed on a shelf Dad built specifically for it. Her "host of heavenly angels" probably numbered at least 50 by the time she stopped collecting and they moved to a smaller house.

This old stained photo shows the early days, 1971, to be exact, when the scene was just beginning to grow. As you can see, there are a good lot of angels already. The baby has arrived, so this was after Cgeistmas, but I don't see the Wise Men yet.

Mary and Joseph would journey all around our living room and entry hall during the month of December, and would not reach the creche until the evening of December 24. The baby would not appear in the manger until midnight. The manger was lined with straws, usually plucked from the broom--we children were tasked with doing good deeds all month, and for each good deed we could add one straw to the manger. Some years the baby had a hard bed indeed.

The Wise Men journeyed too, but their trek was longer. They did not arrive until January 6th, Old Christmas.

This was just one of the many traditions Mom maintained for many years. Slowly over the years she stopped doing many of them, but during my childhood Christmas was made an exciting, special season not just because of presents but because of Mom and Dad's efforts to keep up the old traditions they remembered from their childhoods, Dad's in Louisiana and Mom's in Caldecote, England. I still do many of these things, although not the Bethlehem journey--but greenery, lights, mistletoe, mincemeat, fruitcake, and so many more continue to make this season merry, bright, and magical.

To close, here is one of my favorite carols, Angels We Have Heard on High.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

And Finally, Mistletoe!

Mt husband had an appointment for routine tests today at the VA in Huntington, which is about  2-hour drive down the Ohio River. I went with him because he was getting his eyes dilated. We both remembered that we'd seen mistletoe--lots of it--in trees along this route, so today we drove with our eyes searching the treetops.

Because it just isn't Christmas without the kissing ball being hung with mistletoe, right? My mother made one every year, and it is part of my many fond memories of Christmas. Some years back I made one for our home, and at first it held just plastic mistletoe. Then we discovered some close to home. But over the years the patch has dwindled and I've been searching for another source. Route 2 along the river is like the motherlode of mistletoe, but getting it is not so easy.

We noted locations as we drove today: that tree too close to the railroad tracks, those trees too far over a steep bank, those too close to houses and probably on private property. But we spotted one that looked possible. It was off the road a bit but still on the right0of-way, no houses nearby, and on level ground. Larry had brought along his shotgun but we didn't want to use it because it's very noisy and might upset people. So we figured we'd chuck rocks up into the tree and maybe knowck down a few bits--just enough for my kissing ball.

 We stopped on our way back, and lo and behold, there was plenty, right on the ground! Other tire tracks suggested someone else had been there, so maybe they dropped some.

Or maybe the extreme temperature changes over the weekend, along with some brisk wind, broke it loose. Some even had berries.

So once again my kissing ball is full of mistletoe, and hung in a doorway to catch the unsuspecting. It's these little things that make the season for me--the memories, and the traditions we keep alive.

Stop by, and maybe you'll get lucky and get a kiss!


Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Crankie! Or, Why I've Been So Quiet

I've wanted to make a crankie for a long time, ever since seeing them demonstrated at the Augusta Heritage Workshop in Elkins, WV. So last month I cajoled my hubby into making the box for one. Then I found a song that would work with it, and finally last week I started my part of the crankie.

What is a crankie? It's basically a simple folk theatre, operated manually with a crank that turns the spools that the story is rolled on. It is usually, but not always, lit from behind with a lamp or other light. Larry remembers that his music teacher had one when he was in elementary school. He hadn't thought of it in years, but it came back to him when he watched the online videos for making one. They're older than that, though (even though he'll tell you he's as old as dirt).

According to the website of The Crankie Factory, the "moving panorama" became popular sometime in the 19th century. Some were quite small, possibly made for a child, and eventually there were some so large they could fill a stage. Some of the makers of crankies took their shows on the road. There are examples of crankies in several museums. Henry "Box" Brown, a slave who escaped by literally shipping himself to freedom in Philadelphia in a shipping box, created a moving panorama to tell the story of his escape and took it on the road until the looming battle over slavery made him leave the US for England. There is much more history of crankies at The Crankie Factoy's page.

So I suppose you could say that crankies were the forerunner of motion picture, in a way. I was enchanted with the ones made by Ellen Gozion, Elizabeth LaPrelle and Penny Anderson when they were demonstrated at Augusta. That was three or four years ago so you can see it took me a while to get around to making one myself.

I learned a lot of what not to do on this first attempt, but I am happy enough with the end results. I hope to use this one at some of the Christmas shows that Jeff Seager and I have coming up this month. And I think I'll make another one for this summer's library programs.

I will try to make a video soon of my crankie in action. Right now, I have to wash marker and pencil off my hands, and then practice, practice, practice. Just wanted to show this because I thought it was so cool.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

And Now, Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Blog!

It was a blast posting Christmas stories from so many storytelling friends, but now it's back to what passes for normal around here. I had hoped to have stories from West Virginia writers to post for New Years, but so far I've had no submissions, so that idea might not fly.

So, what's been going on around here while the storytellers were telling their tales? All the usual getting-ready-for-Christmas activities, of course! Baking, cleaning, wrapping gifts, and even completing a few projects.

My third son and his three children were here for Christmas dinner, and we had a great time.

I love getting out all the pretty dishes and putting them to use, and these three really enjoy a pretty table too. It makes a meal feel like an occasion, like something special, and my mother always said food tastes better fro a pretty dish. I think she was right.

The weather has made it easier to do the outside things that needed to be done. It has been a strange winter so far, very warm--apparently the warmest winter since records began being kept in the 1880's. It is so warm, in fact, that my flowering quince bush is blooming.

I went out to cut a few blooms for the Christmas table and had quite a set-to with the honeybees who were working the flowers like crazy.

 The quince is not the only thing blooming. Heal-All, periwinkle, and forsythia are all sporting a few flowers. And the bees are after all of them. We've been putting out honey water for the bees too, to give them something to work.

A small but satisfying project was making a few changes in the bathroom. We plan to paint it within the month but I wanted to get something done in there so we put up the vintage medicine cabinet and another cabinet that we really needed, along with a new light fixture.

I added some glass in there too--a mix of Blenko, Bischoff and other makers, all in greens and blues, and some lights behind them. I love it. It will all have to come down again when we paint, of course--cart before the horse, as my mother would say, but I needed to get the glass put somewhere, and this is as good as any place else to keep it. And it looks so pretty.

I have lots more to tell you in the coming days. For now, enjoy your Boxing Day!


Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

I have heard people complaining about being burned out by Christmas; others say they are ready for the season to be over, and some have already taken down their trees and decorations. With so much pre-season hype, it's no wonder that the "twelve days of Christmas" are almost a thing of the past; the months prior to the holiday are so strident with efforts to pump up anticipation, pressure to shop and blaring music that people just get tired of it before Christmas even arrives.

It occurred to me that there are several reasons why I don't get burned out on Christmas. First, we don't watch television. We have a TV set but only to watch DVDs. So we're not bombarded by commercials, Christmas movies, "specials" and so on. We check out movies from the library and own a few favorites that we watch each year but other than that, media doesn't impact our Novembers and Decembers.

Second, we don't do a lot of shopping. We tend to keep gifts small and I shop year-round so there's no stressed out last-minute craziness. We might be in the stories on Christmas Eve but it's mostly to enjoy the energy, excitement and the surprisingly happy mood of the last-minute shoppers in our town. This is a small town and if one stays away from the Wal-Mart, the mood is generally pretty mellow. We did venture into Wal-Mart one evening to pick up some paint supplies and both of us noticed how strained and unhappy people looked in that store. Was it the fact that the store is huge, and means long walks to get everything? Or that the floors make people's legs and feet hurt? (They sure make mine hurt, I can tell you.) Or was it the pressure of feeling like they needed to buy so many things, putting a strain on tired minds and stretched finances?

Third, we don't go to malls. I don't think I've actually shopped in a mall in 10 years. That means we avoid traffic snarls and grouchy people. The nearest shopping malls are an hour away, and not worth (to me, anyway) the hassle of the drive, paying for parking, and walking miles to look at "stuff." No thanks. I'll take small local shops any day.

I'm not a Grinch about the holiday. I love Christmas. I love the lights, the anticipation, the music, the cooking, the colors, and the decorations. I love the sense of awe of realizing anew every year the magic and mystery of the season. But I have learned to keep it in balance and to enjoy the specialness of this time of year, even to appreciating the dark days around the Solstice. I look forward to all the traditions and the memories. And I hate to see it all packed away, even though I know that I can look forward to doing it all over again in about 11 months.

Right now we're just beginning the Twelve Days. They won't end until Old Christmas/Three Kings Day/Epiphany, whichever you call it, on January 6th. I know my tree and decorations will be up until that day, just to extend the pleasure of the holidays a little bit longer. We'll be back to normal then and I hope we'll have enough memories to carry us through to the lighting of the tree in 2015.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Christmas Wishes for All My Friends

For this wondrous day, I share with you a letter written by Fra Giovanni i to his friend Countess Allagia Aldobrandeschi on Christmas Eve of 1513. His words still bring hope and peace, even 500 years later. 

Dear Friend,

“I salute you!

There is nothing I can give you which you have not;
But there is much that, while I cannot give, you can take.

No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today.

 Take Heaven.

No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present instant.

Take Peace.

The gloom of the world is but a shadow;
behind it, yet within our reach is joy.

Take Joy. 

And so, at the Christmas time, I greet you,

with the prayer that for you, 

now and forever,
the day breaks 

and the shadows flee away.”

(Fra Giovanni, 1513)

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas, and all that life can bring of contentment, joy and peace.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

 I am wishing for some snow this Christmas season. Today is so warm I have the front door open while I bake cookies but it seems wrong when it's Christmas cookies I'm making. Isn't the snow supposed to be blowing about the eaves, the wind howling, the fire blazing? But no, none of these is the case. 

I know I should not complain. After all, winter is only a few days old and the cold and wind and all the rest will surely be here soon. In the meantime, I'll make do by sharing one of my favorite poems for this time of year, a poem written by Christina Rossetti published in 1904 posthumously, and set to music by Gustav Holst around 1906. I do not find winter bleak at all, but her poem captures winter so well--earth as hard as iron, water like a stone, snow on snow on snow. Beautiful. And spiritual too, with her

In the Bleak Midwinter

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,

Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,

In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;

Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.

In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed

The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,

Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;

Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,

The ox and ass and camel which adore.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,

Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;

But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,

Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;

Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

You can listen to a perfectly beautiful rendition of the song by Susan Boyle here. 

Enjoy while you finish your holiday preparations--and I'll save some cookies for you too.

Another from 2003--it was a pretty winter that year.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

The Holly and the Ivy

This weekend was travel time--to Maryland, northern Virginia and eastern West Virginia, presenting the Here We Come A-Caroling! program with my friend Jeff Seager. I had two new songs ready and was really looking forward to being able to share them. Jeff had also been working on a new song or two, and with these additions we had a fresh program to offer our audiences.

 I do love to sing! The first of these is one I've had on my mind for several years to add to my repertoire, The Holly and the Ivy. I've been singing The Holly Bears a Berry, but the other kept calling to me and I finally got down to it and learned not just the song but a little of its history and more of the folklore about these two evergreens. For example, did you know that holly was once a forage shrub for livestock? It's hard to imagine cattle being happy about munching thorns, but there are actually about 400 varieties of holly, some less thorny than others. And new growth is less prickly so perhaps it was more palatable than we think.

Holly, in early Britain, was considered a male plant (today we know that there are actually male and female holly plants, and that it takes both to produce any red berries) and ivy female, probably because of its clinging nature (humph!). Holly was for good luck, ivy was believed to be bad luck. Ivy was never brought into a home where someone was ill, and any holly or vining plants would be removed if someone fell ill.

Young ladies would use a pin to etch the name of the one they loved onto a holly leaf and sew the leaf into their nightgown. Supposedly it would help them dream of their love, and perhaps telepathically convince him to fall in love too. That just sounds painful to me--but then, perhaps this was one way to teach girls that love could be a prickly affair!

Here's one I plan to try this year: pick a fresh holly leaf and place it on a glass of water on New Year's Eve. Check it 24 hours later; if the leaf is still fresh and green it portends a good year. But if it's spotted and/or turning brown, gird your loins my friends because bad luck is coming your way.

Greenery was never brought into the house in the old days until Christmas Eve. This is because people believed the veil between the spirit world and the living world was thinnest and even torn at this dark time of year; if evil spirits saw merriment being planned, they might show up and wreck the fun. This was the time for ghost stories, and there are several old tales that were often told at this time of year.

All holiday greens needed to be disposed of by burning, because doing anything else might bring bad things to you. Now, I'm not telling you what to do, I'm just sayin'.

But back to the song. Here are the lyrics, and here's a link to a beautiful rendition of it on youtube.

The Holly and the Ivy

The holly and the ivy, when they are both full grown,

Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown.

Refrain:

Oh, the rising of the sun and the running of the deer,

The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a blossom as white as lily flower,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to be our sweet saviour

Refrain

The holly bears a berry as red as any blood,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to do poor sinners good.

Refrain

The holly bears a prickle as sharp as any thorn,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ on Christmas Day in the morn.

Refrain

The holly bears a bark as bitter as any gall,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ for to redeem us all.

Refrain

The holly and the ivy, when they are both full grown,

Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown.

Refrain

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Holiday Memories: Catching Up with Photos

I posted little during the last week of December, so here are some catch-up photos.

 I had to make more vanilla; I hope it gets ready soon, since that smaller bottle is all I have left.

The local park had a fantastic light display-I loved this weeping willow.

 The blue tree changed colors and ran patterns, all running on solar power!

We could tune in to a local radio station that provided a driving tour of the light show.

The "little tree" at the house is one of my favorite decorations. We bought it used after Christmas for a couple dollars at a thrift store, and I just love it.

The table on Christmas morning...

and a few days later as we prepared for our rescheduled Christmas party of songs, food and merriment.

The cookies are orange-chocolate shortbread, with a design pressed with the bottom of my sugar bowl.

Blog friend Connie who writes at WV Fur and Root. This was the first time we'd met in person, and I know it will not be the last.

Jeff Seager, my partner in the carols program, sang us the wonderful song by Louden Wainwright, Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road. I love that song! This was of course, after the carols.

About a dozen or so people came from places as far as 70 miles away and we all had a wonderful time. I need to have more parties; I really like doing this. Sherrell, who writes the blog Sherrell's Poetry came from Parkersburg to join us.

Grandchildren James and Michaela made sure the cats were well cared for.

Snow came the following day, and I was glad to see the beautiful covering reappear after a few days of bare ground.

And then we ended the year with our annual bonfire, burning the troubles of over 50 people, plus our own.

And then to the quiet of New Year's Day.

Tomorrow I'll post photos of the changes to our booths--that's the other things keeping us busy. For now, I think I've got some junking to do. Have a fun weekend, everyone!