December 17

"O Christmas Tree"

played by Canada's very own

Oscar Peterson

bless his heart for making me love this tune again...

"...I have to do quite a bit of trimming

for it's Christmas Eve tonight

trim trinkles and drinkles and sklinkles of glass

Trim everything in sight

We hang everything on our Christmas tree

Ornaments big and bright

and all of these sparkling icicles

and twirling balls of white

I always hang a star on top

with angels in between

Here's how many lights we have--

Thirty-seven and sixteen...

Then I must lie down and smell the pine

and gaze at the Christmas star

Perchance to feel in these piney pine needles

just where

my presents are..."

--excerpt from "Eloise at Christmastime", by Kay Thompson

illustrated by the ingenious Hilary Knight