*embarrassingly enough, it was more of a cackle, but there was no one to hear it but me and the cats.

So, to wish you a merry climb towards longer days, a few holiday links.

I love beatonna's humour. Check out her Scrooge holiday cartoon. This is the one that made me cackle-laugh.

Delightfully, Making Light has the text of Luke 2:1–14 in many languages. I loved the English evolution from Anglo-Saxon on.

A lovely winter story by Jenn Reese.

Astronomy Picture of the Day (gorgeous, as usual): Fox Fur, a Unicorn, and a Christmas Tree.

And As Ellen Datlow says, a toast to Harold Pinter. Reading him and watching his work made me feel smarter than I am.

Happy holidays to all, whatever you do or don't celebrate.