I Think I'll Take a Nap Now

In My Head...

The Gorge

The video says it all.

How come it took me until 2015 to discover this amazing sailing venue?

I have already booked my hotel for when I go back there in August.

Today in Newport

Who is that old guy with the beard?

Where did he get that hat?

Why does he have red, white and blue tape on his mast?

How did he manage to finish 5th (out of 43) in one race?

What did Tillerwoman have for dinner?

Sad News About Tillerwoman

Walking Round in Women's Underwear

I can't help it.

It's that time of year again.

Ride a White Swan

Marc Bolan, of T.Rex, had a big hit in the UK with Ride a White Swan.

45 years ago today, December 18 1970, T.Rex released their eponymous album T.Rex which included Ride a White Swan in its US version, but not the UK one.



I don't begin to understand what Marc was thinking about when he wrote this song. But, for me, the image of "riding a white swan" does have some relationship to sailing.

Ride it on out like a bird in the sky ways 

Ride it on out like you were a bird 

Fly it all out like an eagle in a sunbeam 

Ride it on out like you were a bird

Marc Bolan was killed in a car crash in London in 1977, two weeks before his 30th birthday.

Only the good die young.

The War on Christmas

Today, December 18, marks the day in 1620 when the Mayflower arrived in modern-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, and its passengers prepared to begin their new settlement, Plymouth Colony.

I know this because Facebook told me.

Actually Facebook told me that the Mayflower "docked" at Plymouth in 1620. But I don't think that can be correct. Who was there to build a "dock" for them? Surely the Native Americans didn't waste their time building a nice big dock on the off-chance that 130 refugees from Europe might need it one day?



Anyway, the Pilgrims arrived a week before their first Christmas in America which apparently passed uneventfully.

But some of the folk on the Mayflower were Puritans. The Puritans didn't really like Christmas. There was too much drinking and feasting and playing games and "wassailing" (whatever that is) for their liking.

On the second Christmas in the New World, the governor of the colony, William Bradford (who sounds like a bit of a sourpuss to me) told the colonists they had to work all day. Some newly arrived migrants from England didn't like that idea and the governor was appalled when he found them reveling in the street.  Governor Bradford was not a fan of reveling, especially on Christmas Day.

Governor William Bradford
Anti-Reveling Party - Massachusetts

Anyway, to cut a long story short, a few years later in 1859 the General Court of the colony banned the celebration of Christmas. Absolutely no Compotations, no Interludes, no Playing at Cards, no Revellings, and certainly no Mad Mirth was to be allowed. And if you got caught enjoying a bit of mirth on Christmas Day you could be fined five shillings which was a lot of money in those days.

Thus began the war on Christmas which according to Fox News is still rumbling on today.



Actually, the law banning the celebration of Christmas in Massachusetts was revoked by an English-appointed governor in 1681, which is just as well because four of my grandchildren now live in Massachusetts and it would be really sad if they weren't allowed to enjoy a traditional Christmas.

A Carol for Christmas

Tillerwoman - Copilot