With apologies to Clement Clarke Moore.....

Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house,

Everyone was busy especially Countrymouse.

The stockings were made by Pip with great care

In hopes that more orders soon would be there.

Kittyb and Withy were nestled all SMUG in their beds

Cos visions of homemade sugarplums danced in their heads,

And WW in her uniform and HS in his hat

Had just settled down to a brandy slammer nightcap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter

SM sprang from her blog to see what was the matter.

Away to the window Milla flew like a flash

Thinking the builders were after more cash.

The moon on the breast of Pondie's new fallen snow

Gave a lustre to Jackofall and UPL below

And who else to our wondering eyes should appear

But Frances and Cowgirl and all those we hold dear.

More rapid than Broadband our friends had all came

And we whistled and shouted and called them by name.

Here's Elizabethd, Kathleen,Irisheyes, and Sally!

Ivy, Wooly and Pili - how awfully pally!

Come into the porch! Come into the hall!

Now chat away, chat away, chat away all!

As Faith's doves that in the winter wind fly

All beautifully white against the dark sky

So up to the house-top a shiny sleigh flew

And the driver and mate were from Purplecoo.

And then in a twinkling we heard on the roof

The stamping and wiping of Toady's chocolate boots.

Blossom drew in her head, Milkmaid turned round

And down the chimney our Zoe-girl came with a bound.

She was dressed in faux fur from her head to her feet

And her blogs were all Christmassy and a pleasure to read.

She brought a bundle of 'Walkers', all printed and packed,

And we whooped our congrats, thumping Jane on the back.

Amy's star costume twinkled! Camilla's greetings so merry!

Cait's blessings like roses! So witty was Fennie!

How Lixtroll's little poems were drawn up we don't know

And her 'I have blogged photos' showed berries in snow.

Reading the Orange Man blog we gritted our teeth

But purple love surrounded our hearts like a wreath.

Our dogs rolled in poo and were awfully smelly

And we shook when we laughed like bowls full of jelly.

Declan was chubby and plump,

Purplecoo's own baby elf

And we smiled when we saw him in spite of ourselves.

In Remembrance we weeded and dug flower beds

And Sue in Almondbury even got wed!

We partied and planned as our housework we'd shirk

And a chat room appeared as a lovely new perk.

Headmistress raised money cos her hubbie posed

And HS is yummy minus his clothes!

As we gather in the Common Room at the sound of her whistle

And chink-chink our glasses I will end this epistle,
But AA heard us exclaim ere we slumped (drunk) out of sight,

Merry Calpol to all, and from Cowarts, goodnight!

***

Love from Faith xxx

Apologies to all Purplecooers, old and new, if your name wasn't mentioned - impossible to get us all in!

Here's the original poem, if your memory needs refreshing! :


A Visit from Saint Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore

’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap;
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be Saint Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and Saint Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney Saint Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot

.A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

***