Come On Now, Y'all

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC...

Now that we have sucked the marrow out of life and celebration

let's just have another round of cheer and strike up the band!

Let's usher in the new year

and PARTY DOWN! Or up, rather....

Come on now Gretta, I know you have it in you girl....

I will even attempt to play the piano...anyone in the mood?

Can you all tell I am bored and miss you all?

Happy New Years my dear friends; it was a wonderful year. Anita

De Dans Van de Speculaas en Hoe Thee Rat Kerst Gewonnen or The Dance of the Sugar Cookies and How Tea Rat Stole Christmas

Please click on all images.

This is the tale of a humble little theatre tucked away in a corner of Nowhere, that glimmers with the magic of the Cirque de Noël . However, shimmering costumes and the twinkling hearts of dancers fair cannot outshine the enduring inner glow of true friendship for the grand finale.

Our story begins before the show


TEA RAT: Oh come now old thing and join us at the theatre tonight. We have quite the line-up and everyone is buzzing about it; won't you make an effort and come?

RATTUS: I'm in no mood for your buffoonery tonight! I am spending MY CHRISTMAS here by the fire, ALONE. Besides, I don't like the theatre.

TEA RAT: COME AGAIN? Theatre critic extraordinaire? The GRAND POOBAH of Vaudeville, Ombres Chinoises and the Big Top? Come son, and enjoy yourself, on me. Go get your shabby old coat and...

RATTUS: Oh leave me now! You are not going to steal my Christmas!

Meanwhile downtown...

THE ROYAL THEATRE OF NOWHERE PROUDLY PRESENTS TO YOU

DE DANS VAN DE SPECULAAS EN HOE THEE RAT KERST GEWONNEN

Do you have your ticket? CHECK!

Then please follow our Prima Ballerina and usherette, Miss Bebe from BEBE'S CORPS DE BALLET (and charm school)

this way please



DANKE. GOOD EVENING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN and welcome to our CIRQUE DE NOËL



featuring a host of performers


from the GREAT CIRQUES DE PARIS

and

the illustrious HILLTOP!

Now, without further ado, we present to you

THE DIVINE MISS MOUSSIE


singing, I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

accompanied by the smooth tones of none other than

TEA RAT



OH! Here it comes.... the high note that only THEY can hit together

"....may your days be merry and BRIIIIIIIIIGHT


and may all your Christmases be white."


Oh that was smashing! ENCORE! ENCORE!


And now, do we hear the shuffle of DUTCH SUGAR COOKIES, otherwise known as SPECULAAS gracing our stage?


Gracefully led by BEBE


followed in a neat little queue by Gretta the Great, Basile the Rat, Tea's cousin on his mother's side, twice removed and followed by MOZES who SUPPOSES HIS TOZES TO BE!


And tip-toeing in after Mozes we have.....er......ummmm.....

(meanwhile backstage)


TEA RAT: "What do you mean Racoon broke his leg? He was to do the final SPECULAAS SOLO after Mozes! Oh dear, this role requires GREAT SKILL and FIT OF LIMB! And I AM, of course, the only one who is able to stand in, BUT I'm preparing myself for THE GRAND FINALE to accompany RACOON'S ROUTINE!"

(back on stage)

AH! Here we are ladies and gentlemen! AND FOLLOWING Mozes we have....uh.....is it....is it RATTUS?



YES! RATTUS SCRIBUS HIMSELF, CIGAR AND ALL!



RAT-TUS! RAT-TUS! RAT-TUS! RAT-TUS! RAT-TUS!


And the crowd went wild folks...and as the BIG COOKIE OF THEM ALL, TEA RAT, IN HIS GRAND TEA CUP, DESCENDS FROM THE RAFTERS...

...the two old friends are on the stage for THE FIRST TIME EVER and blend ever so beautifully, like a fine cup of PG Tips and the perfect dunking cookie.

AND NOW, a few words from Miss Moussie:



My friends,

Dank U

Merci Beaucoup

Obrigada

Gracias

THANK YOU and a round of applause, PLEASE, to Miss Bebe, Nowhere's Sweetheart and her CORPS DE BALLET


and to our VERY SPECIAL and last-minute understudy, RATTUS SCRIBUS for executing the most difficult dance moves ever seen on stage OR screen!



MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, and to all, a good night! Tea and Speculaas in the lobby for everyone!


That night after the show



TEA RAT: Rattus...

RATTUS: Yes?

TEA RAT: Thank you.

RATTUS: For what?

TEA RAT: You came. But not only did you come to see the show, you helped me, your old mate, your comrade, your friend. Did I steal YOUR Christmas old thing?

RATTUS: You GAVE me Christmas tonight old chum. What can I say but that I feel young again and I thank you for.....



TEA RAT: Oh Rattus!



RATTUS: CHEESE AND CRACKERS! Whatta ya doin'?

TEA RAT: You had your arms out, I thought you wanted a huggy...

RATTUS: Did you ever read that incorrectly! COMPORT YOURSELF OLD THING!

Friendship like a cup of tea

and sugar cookies crumb-e-ly

are sweet and sometimes hard to chew

but ever worthy, precious and few...



MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

All corny text, poetry, poor photography and drawings by Anita Castles Crowns and Cottages ©

EXCEPT for the darling illustration of Bebe by Penny at Angelswings

and image of Miss Moussie and idea of Mozes the Bear by The Dutchess

Image of Gretta by the imagination of Jackie at Once Upon a Fairyland

Idea of Racoon by Patricia Cabrera at Woolytales

AND RATTUS SCRIBUS is the brain child of RUBEN RIVERA from

Heavenly Minded and Earthly Good

Please stop by his blog to read a REAL Christmas message!

The First Baby Picture!

Gretta has been snappy-happy taking her camera every place she goes. Last month she made the big announcement that her sister had her baby hedgehog and the first baby picture is in! Gretta looked over at Mozes as he cracked a smile and simply said..."If she likes milk, I'm gonna send her some of my Grandma Mozes honey!" Gretta had a spine tingling moment where she felt a bit jealous of all things! "Mozes, if it isn't too much bother could I have some too?" Mozes picked Gretta up with his big paw and said..."Of course Gretta, what's good for a baby is good for you!"

"Ode To A Cheese Wedge"

"Ode to A Cheese Wedge"

By Rattus Scribus© 9 Dec 2010

Performed by Tea Rat

I think that naught on earth can please,

so much as a glorious wedge of cheese.

Naught girlish skip nor boyish romp,

can scarce compare with just one chomp,

of a-ged Cheddar's sharp report,

or Cottenham Stilton, brute forte.

Baked French Brie for mild of heart.

Dutchman's Edam, slightly tart.

Italian Livarno, cow or goat.

German Limburger, load the boat.

Queso de Cabra from fabled Seville.

Alouette de Paris, I remember her still.

Queijo Canastra de Minas Gerais.

Queso Blanco Mexicano on beans and rice.

Swedish Bjursholm from the milk of three Moose:

Juna, Haelga, and Gullan, but the price, an abuse.

Oh, so many cheeses, but so little time,

to evangelize the world to cheeses sublime.

Preach, “Blessed are the Cheesemakers” at home and abroad.

For cheese was inspired directly by God.

From towering mountain to bottomless sea,

tell every creature the power of cheese.

Whilst living on earth till to heaven transferred,

nothing compareth to processing curd.

Should the whole world forsake its call, faith and pledge,

I commit unto death, oh thee my cheese wedge.

Blessed are the Cheese Makers!

Gretta emptied her knapsack and was out the door to the Chester's Cheese Factory...she was in such a fitter ditter...Christmas was coming and she hadn't even started her shopping. Now Tea Rat had announced the big theater event on December 18th and she had Mr. Gasket and all Gretta's friends from the land of Gothere to attend. They were traveling up for the show! She jumped into the cheese case to make her three choices...Gruyere for Rattus perhaps? The old chap could smell good cheese five and a half miles away! Tillamook to share with Bebe perhaps? Yes! By golly wolly that's it! I'll stuff it in her stocking!

A customer passed by the cheese case as Gretta posed at a Cheeseball...all of a sudden Gretta had to sneezeeee! Her spines began to tingled and she knew she couldn't hold it in...

Aaaaaa...choooo...eeeee...."Oh, excuse me ladies...Blessed are the Cheese Makers at Chester's Cheese Factory...what would a hedgehog do without them?" The customers shrieked and ran...Gretta giggled and kept shopping...Smokey Gouda for Mozes...and on and on she shopped...

WHERE'S MY TUTU?

Tea Rat: "AHHHH! PERFECTOMENTO! Now, if I could just reach up into the corners....VOILÀ! Please click on my playbill to see the details!



FINI! Now to rummage through my old box of costumes from when I played RATLET at the Thespian Society Theatre at Oxford.."

Rattus: "What in the bloody he..."

Tea Rat: "MIND YOUR MOUTH OLD MAN...it's Christmas and I have much to do for the BALLET! Well don't just stand there, son. Help me find my tutu!"



Rattus: "Well then old thing, I must make sure all of our friends have their tickets; ON WITH THE PREPARATIONS!"

The Candy Cane Exchange

Hello, Merry Christmas! I would like to know may I exchange this candy cane for a ticket please to the theater? I have three boxes at home in Gothere....lets see...that would be 12 x 3 = a whole lot of tickets for Gretta please...one for cousin Gooey, one for Garbo and Gretel and Gollywog and Gertrude...Gamma and Gentry and dear Mr. Gasket my old neighbor...

There we goooooooooooooooo..

Coming to get those tickets...

-O wait a minute..Mozes..I forgot my scarf....
-That;s better...thank you for reminding me Bebe..its ever so cold today..
There we goooooooo agaaaaaaaiiiiiin.....