Olham 164 Posted December 19, 2010 (edited) The year 2010 is coming to it's end, and it was a troubled year almost everywhere on this small blue planet. Economical crises, terrifying speculation with currencies, unemployment, violence against nature, natural catastrophies - so many bad news have been flooding our eyes, ears and brains; and then there were still in addition to all that our own personal problems. Sometimes really I wonder, how much we must bear sometimes - and how much we manage to bear. From recent posts here, I know that for some of you this Christmas will be different than you had planned or hoped. Make the best of it. Originally, Christmas was not a time of feasting well with lots of food and drink - but rather a time of contemplation. We all need to find new ways - personally and world wide. I wish for us all, that we may find some peace of mind, some warmth and some comfort. Silent Night The original lyrics of the song "Stille Nacht" (Silent Night) were written in Austria by the priest Father Joseph Mohr and the melody was composed by the Austrian headmaster Franz Xaver Gruber. The carol was first performed in the Nikolaus-Kirche (Church of St. Nicholas) in Oberndorf, Austria on December 24, 1818. Mohr had composed the words two years earlier, in 1816, but on Christmas Eve brought them to Gruber and asked him to compose a melody and guitar accompaniment for the church service. According to the song's history provided by Austria's Silent Night Society, one supposition is that the church organ was no longer working so that Mohr and Gruber therefore created a song for accompani- ment by guitar. The Nikolaus-Kirche was demolished in the early 1900s due to flood damage and because the town's center was moved up the river to a safer location. The carol has been translated into over 44 languages. It is sometimes sung without musical accompaniment. The song was sung simultaneously in French, English and German by troops during the Christmas truce of 1914, as it was one of the few carols that soldiers on both sides of the front line knew. I know I had posted this only recently, but I think it belongs here - true Christmas spirit. Merry Christmas - Frohe Weihnachten - Joyieux Noel - Feliz Navidad Edited December 19, 2010 by Olham Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hasse Wind 46 Posted December 19, 2010 Not much to add to Olham's post. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everybody. This is a great community and I wish only good things to all of you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Von Paulus 8 Posted December 19, 2010 Merry Christmas to you all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr_Dirt 1 Posted December 19, 2010 Well said Olham, Merry Christmas and warmest Blessings to all and their families. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
carrick58 23 Posted December 19, 2010 Hear, Hear, I agree , I dont have the eloquence to ad anything, but My best wishes to all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
von Baur 54 Posted December 19, 2010 As Olham said, some of us are quite well off as Christmas approaches and others are not. For those who are, remember the humility behind the story of the first Christmas. For those who are not, remember the hope. For all, remember the lessons of peace, charity and faith taught by the one who's birth we commemorate. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr_Dirt 1 Posted December 19, 2010 Well said Von Baur Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Herr Prop-Wasche 7 Posted December 19, 2010 God rest ye merry Gentlemen (and Gentlewomen)! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RAF_Louvert 101 Posted December 19, 2010 . Wonderful post Olham. I will simply add these wishes from my family and myself to all of you and yours: "A most merry Christmas and a joyous New Year." Lou . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TaillyHo 2 Posted December 20, 2010 Festive Greetings and thanks,Olham. Nice sentiments expressed here. Merry Christmas to all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nbryant 8 Posted December 20, 2010 Olham you are indeed a scholar, gentleman, and compassionate soul. Thanks you for your post. In addition my thanks go out to everyone in this community. Dedicated kindred spirits sharing our thoughts and experiences from within the game. Yet it becomes more then that. We share joy and grief, anger and enlightenment, as if we are with family. Because in some respects we are with family. To all the blessings of the season, the joys of family and friends, and the faith that good things will come to all. Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Morris 2 Posted December 20, 2010 Merry Christmas Olham, Thanx for your great friendship. m Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UK_Widowmaker 571 Posted December 20, 2010 And a HAPPY NEW YEAR! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slartibartfast 153 Posted December 20, 2010 Bah Humbug... still 5 days to go. Seriously though guys Have a great Christmas and New Year Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted December 20, 2010 Thank you all, guys! Now it's 00:18 h Berlin time, and in eleven-and-a-half hours, I will hopefully be on the train to Ostfriesland. I say "hopefully", because the German railway - Die Bahn - seems to be totally surprised and deeply shocked about - winter! God, it's almost a year ago we had it, and so they must have forgotten, that winter would come back! If my train will go off at all, I may still have to calculate 1 - 2 hours delay. Merry Christmas! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Paarma 0 Posted December 21, 2010 I wish Merry Xmas and Happy New Year all our wonderful members who has keeped the forum alive. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flyby PC 23 Posted December 21, 2010 They say it takes 37 muscles to frown but only 22 to smile. I doubt it's true, but it's the thought that counts and makes you smile. Merry Christmas all. On the other hand, it takes 45,375 muscles to put your winter woolies on when they're still a bit damp from yesterday and it's -16 degrees outside, - but as I recall, just 3 muscles to put on jeans and a tea shirt in the summer! C'mon summer, c'mon big fella, I miss you, sooo much.....and it's only December....sigh....sob....whimper. A chuckle is one thing, but this is a nightmare. Not withstanding the economy, (don't get me started), I need 4 degrees and rising to build anything with lime mortar, and no threat of frost. Not had that since October. Temp bobbles between -4 and -16, usually sits between -8 and -10. I can't even dress stone because it's welded to the ground, and the bridge saw is frozen solid anyway. Besides, you try holding a 3/4" frozen bit of steel all day. Frozen stone just doesn't cut right either. Bit fed up with the travel chaos on the TV all the time. What's so important about our airports? They're important to those trying to fly, but there's a lot of stuff closer to home I need to know about before the conditions of the bleeding airports. -7 is it? So why is the thermometer saying -15? I can travel fine, but there's SFA to do when I get here - except burn stuff. Bearing in mind this winter crap didn't clear away last year until April, that's me been on half time for a whole year already. Back in October I lost my complete workforce I'd just spent 4 years building up. And that was before all this rubbish started. 2010? Can't finish soon enough. Disaster from end to end. Personally I'm big and ugly enough that I can take it,.... just not sure the business can. Doing my best, but if we recover at all it's going to take years. It's amazing how quick you adjust to the weather though. Temp stayed at -8 all day yesterday, never moved. I still can't do anything, but after -16 last week, -8 feels ok. For those who want a heart felt merry chistmas, then I hope you do have a Merry Christmas. For those facing despair and uncertainty this year, well, I know that some years Christmas can just make things even tougher. So for those folks, just look after yourself this year. You want to opt out of Christmas? Do it. It's ok, and there's no lasting harm done. (but whatever you do, the occassional smile will help ). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vonOben 55 Posted December 22, 2010 Well said Olham! This is a great community and I would like to which a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you and your families! Cheers vonOben Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wels 2 Posted December 23, 2010 (edited) Hello, good post, Olham. Just wanted to thank you all, and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ! < Nicolaus Also certainly to the OFF team, keep up the good work with Phase 4 ( http://www.youtube.c...h?v=q4fOsL-KYVQ) Best wishes, Catfish/Wels/Kai P.S. We will be leaving tomorrow, let's see how far we come in all this snow; and then it's 5 days without a PC and internet .. lol Edited December 23, 2010 by Wels Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tranquillo 10 Posted December 23, 2010 Best wishes to you and yours, everyone. Happy holidays. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redkite 0 Posted December 25, 2010 Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2011. Hope Santa/Christkindl has been good to you. ( Is that correct Olham?) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
themightysrc 5 Posted December 28, 2010 My best wishes to Olham - maybe the best poster here - at Xmas and New Year. f*** it. My very best wishes to everyone who strays in here and reads this. May the future be so much better than the present. My best, Si Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Siggi 10 Posted December 28, 2010 Happy new year guys, may it be the best that it can be. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UK_Widowmaker 571 Posted December 28, 2010 Have to say I wont be sorry to see the arse end of 2010 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RAF_Louvert 101 Posted December 29, 2010 . Here's hoping that 2011 will be a banner year for all those who deserve one, and a real son-of-a-bitch for those who mucked up 2010 for everyone else. HAPPY NEW YEAR! . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
