Love was born at Christmas

This is the design for my Christmas cards this year, and on the inside I have printed the words of Christina Rossetti’s famous poem "Love came down at Christmas" on the left hand side.

I had planned to start writing the rest of my cards this morning (having done the overseas ones yesterday) but when I went downstairs at 6.45 it quickly became apparent that our boiler wasn’t working. It transpired that the pipe which takes the condensed water from the boiler to an outside drain had frozen, which caused the boiler to cut off for safety reasons.

Which is why, very early this morning, I was outside in my dressing gown wrapping hot wheat bags round the pipe to defrost it! By 9.30 our son had arrived with some foam pipe lagging, and by 9.45 the pipe had cleared, the boiler had re-started itself and our son had lagged the pipe beautifully neatly. Quite why the pipe wasn’t lagged when the boiler was installed five years ago is a mystery to me, but I’m very grateful it is now. 

Love Came Down at Christmas

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine,
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,
Love incarnate, Love Divine;
Worship we our Jesus:
But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,
Love be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and all men,
Love for plea and gift and sign.

Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)