Once in royal David's city

So another Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols has come and gone. Things were a bit different this year: "Adam Lay Ybounden" wasn't sung; there were no less than three sightings of Benjamin Britten, no doubt in honor of his centennial; and several of the carols, including "A New Year Carol," were entirely new to me. All in all, it was a good service. (I'd been secretly hoping for "Personent Hodie," but, well, you can't get everything you want.) "King of quires supernal" remains a marvelous phrase.

All the cookies have been made and are ready to be consumed, starting tonight. We're on track for a more or less white Christmas, as temperature won't rise above freezing until around noon tomorrow.