I need to lie fallow for a while, so logging off again.

I didn't put off work in December. The university shut for two weeks and I (and hopefully my colleagues) had a break. Of course, the work is still there and, like a dough starter, growing daily. It's that second bit that has to change. Anyway, I'm staying in my burrow 'cos it's cold outside.

And when you say medieval history...

We have six Magi and a camel in the church crib. The smaller children can't manage the big figures, so I handed out the knitted ones, too. After all, Matthew says 'wise men from the east', but doesn't specify how many. 1/

I picked a good day to put Bluesky back on my phone. Might just take it off again.

Right. Church flower arrangement accomished, Christmas Morning rehearsed. To do: practise crib service talk, finish assessment, so logging off now. Merry Christmas when it comes.

Final Great O this morning: 'O Emmauel' youtu.be/wdu0HjiLEn4?... Still in Advent, remember! Bonus Gesualdo Six in the reply.

Not just a national asset but an international asset. Trashed, ignored, diminished.

Medievalists: has anyone ever written on the impact that C19 vicars had on the editing and discussion of medieval sources? I’ve no idea where to start with this, but recently wanted to explore it as a side project… 🧐

Harvard referencing: bleurghh. What a surprise it as usless for exegesis as it is for any other thing I have to write... Also, belurggh e-books as I now have a footnote that reads: 'Page references to Perkins are regrettably approximate due to the formatting of the e-book available via the Hub.'

Great end to the year for our Oswald project with an essay in the 75th anniversary edition of @historytoday.com. #MedievalSky @kingsartshums.bsky.social

Today: writing my final assessment for this term's preaching course module. Let's get this done.

The penultimate* Great O is 'O rex gentium'. youtu.be/5GvDvgfLoUo?... You might have noticed that I love the Great Os: waiting, longing, hoping. *Unless Sarum etc.

A worthy winner #GameOfWool. No spoilers just in case people will watch on catch up. Any of those finalists could have won.

Fabulous hats from all the knitters - all deserve to win. #GameOfWool

Show stopper of a hat!! My goodness, a challenge that makes sense. Plus hats! This is the only thing that has made sense in this show. Except if course that they only have 12 hours... #GameOfWool

Put that lamb down, Tom Daley! #GameOfWool

Tonight on the #GameOfWool final, contestants must put their knitting skills to the test by needle felting usable knitting needles which must then be fired into Di's hair. Impaling her will result in instant disqualification. They have one Jupiter day and must construct them from dental floss

#GameOfWool final and what on earth is Tom Daley wearing? And what the everliving f... is Di wearing in her hair? And yes, Holger, my feelings exactly on the subject of post box toppers.

In which Maths Half and I wrestle with the Christmas tree. Thankfully we have Bach and I have tea.

Am I the only one who gets a real kick out of citation chains? Reading people's writing and footnotes, and making assessments and notes, finding the sources in the footnotes and reading them yourself, and making more notes? I...love it?

Ladybird Artists Advent Calendar, window 21 Artist: CF Tunnicliffe (What to Look for in Winter, 1959)

Today's Great O: 'O Oriens' - dayspring. It is my favourite. youtu.be/1BsZH7e27Dg?... Bonus MacMillan in the reply.

This crocheted Christmas tree knitted by a community of extraordinary women in Goa, India, is adorned with over 1,000 unique, hand-crafted squares. It took 4 months to create.

This beautiful Saturday morning is brought to you by 'O Clavis David', the next Great O www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDg2... Let's hope we have a similarly glorious day for O Oriens tomorrow.

And that is work done for 2025. Any chance that 2026 looks more calm is receding my the minute.

Today's Great O is 'O radix Jesse'. You might have a Jesse Tree in your church or seen one of the marvellous depictions of one. youtu.be/VFE7B-DZ8_w?...

Moved to email Radio 3 to complain about egregious guitar versions of 'Diminutive Equid' and before Advent 4, too. Bah!

Oh Radio 3, how could you do this to us? A guitar version of diminutive equid. Are you taking the pics or just cruel?

Dog-whistle and factually incorrect. Ladies, raise your hand if you were sexually assaulted by a boy at school? I’d wager this or a family member is most women’s first experience of sexual violence

I forgot to post today's Great O, so here it is 'O Adonai'. www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn1c...

A lovely thread about a train journey in winter.

And now 'Panis Angelicus' for which I used to play the 'cello obligato when my dad sang it. Ok, I'm always a mess at this time of year, but Radio 3, you are really not helping. Still, I suppose it is good to be reminded of happier times.

A papier-mâché boar's head, Radio 3? My sister had to carry a real one (provided a friend's dad who was a butcher) while singing the Boar's Head carol! Radio 3 really dragging up the memories this week...

'An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the Russell Group university “does not have appropriate arrangements in place” for managing workplace stress and was unable to demonstrate that it is managing the risks associated with excessive workloads.' 1/2

The cricket...

'Relativising' and 'putting in perspective' only gets one so far. Things are, to quote my dad, 'most provoking, vexatious even'* *As in 'I'm on my limit here and am likely to blow up at any moment'.

A tune so ancient, it's positively prehistoric. #CursedCarols

Not the whole picture ofc but he following actions don't help: - getting rid of frontline professional services staff in favour of apps - removing individual offices where students can drop-in to see academic staff for tutorials - shoving academics in no-entry-to-students workstations

'O Sapientia' today* youtu.be/8ngcQDQfhlA?... Praying Wisdom comes quickly. *Unless you are following the Sarum rite, in which case it was yesterday.

'Relativising' and 'putting in perspective' only gets one so far. Things are, to quote my dad, 'most provoking, vexatious even'* *As in 'I'm on my limit here and am likely to blow up at any moment'.

Best news of the day.

Sum up your feelings going into the 3rd Test via the medium of a GIF. (I mean, it's not as if anything horrible has ever happened before in Adelaide is it)

Oh thank you computer for just shutting down without any warning whatsoever. That really helps. Thankfully, I've only lost half a para of edits, but... Damn, they were good words, too.

Book editing progressing slowly to the accompaniment of Radio 3. 'Angelus ad virginem' on playlist This induces yet another flashback to childhood musical panic. Church choir used to sing it accompanied by me on recorder & sister on tabor. She absolutely shot off & we had no option but to follow.

Everything feels utterly impossible today. Please send tea.

Did you hear about the concrete barge that won dieter of the week at Weight Watchers? Apparently it was a stone lighter.

Reminder. BBC has a beautiful radio drama of THE DARK IS RISING by Susan Cooper. You can enjoy it now with (found) family and friends. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w...

An early medieval organ, drawn c. 825 (perhaps that sent by the Byzantine emperor to Pippin III in 757, suggests Erik Goosmann).

Well, that's the Crib Service booklet done. Things left to do: - Crib Service talk (I have until Christmas Eve - phew) - prayers for this evening's carol service - sermon reflection and exegesis for preaching course - write more book - rest? - write more book.