Christmas Cheer: Put up the tree so you can rock around it!

I need some inspiration, need to get the Christmas tree up.

Last year, the tree was up and a certain kitten decided that the ornaments looked better on the floor. She also decided that her being perched in the tree was the best look.

Christmas Cheer: That’s a whole lotta nuts

Sometimes it is all about the simple things in life.

I don’t know why, but one of this year’s Target Christmas commercials keeps cracking me up. It’s a simple commercial featuring a nutcracker buying a bunch of nuts. It makes me laugh every time I see it. It isn’t really funny, but I find it hilarious.

Christmas Cheer: One Little Christmas Tree

Time to deck the halls and spread some Christmas cheer. Today is the first day of Christmas cheer on the blog. Each day leading up to Christmas I’ll share a little Christmas cheer that brings me joy in the hopes it brings you some joy as well.

Today, One Little Christmas Tree. In a way, an inspiring song about how the little things can make a big difference and inspire us.

But Santa Dear We’re In a Hurry

So maybe I’m not in a huge hurry for the actual Santa part of Christmas, but I’m ready for the festive part of the season. I’m already rockin’ my Christmas carols. According to iTunes, I have about 4 days worth of Christmas music, just shy of 1,600 songs of the season. Those are just the ones I liked enough to save to my computer, I also have a mountain of CDs that aren’t in my iTunes.

I was trying to decide what my favorite Christmas song was. Impossible. Each year I seem to have a new set of favorites. Turning back to my iTunes, I looked at my play count to see what songs I was playing the most, a few songs took top honors from last year:

• Away in the Manager, Brooke White
• Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), Darlene Love
• Hallelujah Chorus, Mormon Tabernacle Choir
• Jingle Bells, Barbara Streisand
• Mary’s Boy Child, Oh My Lord, Boney M
• O Holy Night, Ella Fitzgerald 
• One Little Christmas Tree, Stevie Wonder
• The Holly and the Ivy, Natalie Cole
• We Need a Little Christmas Now, Angela Lansbury

What are your recent or all-time favorites?

Say It Ain’t Snow!

According to my not-so-much-anymore friends at NBC Connecticut Weather, Connecticut could see a snow/rain mix overnight into tomorrow and throughout the day.

Just as a reminder, snow is a four-letter word, especially this early in November. Trying to find the positive, this may get me in the mood to start working on my annual Christmas CD gift.

Christmas Quote of the Day

“Sorry if I left the price tags on some of the gifts. Me and Jack (Daniels) wrapped gifts together.”

Ahh. Christmas with my mom. Have a great one everyone!

Merry Christmas

 

 

“Christmas Bells”

This poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow has been made famous by it uses as lyrics in “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” Often the most despairing stanzas of the poem are omitted from the song, however it is a poem that was designed to express a sense of lose and desperation, yet ring through with hope.
Longfellow composed the poem on Christmas day in 1864, during the Civil War. He had just received word that his son, a soldier, had suffered wounds in battle. This news came at an already difficult and low time for Longfellow, who had earlier lost his wife. He chronicled his despair and depression in his journals. However, he had renewed hope upon hearing the ‘Christmas Bells’ toll on that Christmas day.

I have found new meaning in the poem the last few Christmases as we find ourselves at war and the news filled with so many grim stories. The Christmas season is a time that reminds us of the hope of the good that the world does have; a hope of the good yet to come and the blessings that abound each of us.

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Christmas Bells
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Must be Santa…

Sunday morning, around 10 am, I kept hearing fire trucks all around for over an hour straight. I wondered “What the heck is going on?”. I forgot that before Christmas the Ansonia fire departments escort Santa around the neighborhoods and he gives out candy and treats to all the good little boys and girls.

I can remember as a child being so excited on the weekends when Santa would come by tossing out popcorn balls and candy canes. Fun times.

Christmas & Ghosts

Went to a jazz concert on Friday night at the John Lyman Center @ Southern. My friend and I saw Brain Culbertson’s “A Soulful Christmas” featuring Bobby Caldwell, Eric Darius, Warren Hill and Ray Parker Jr.

It was a great (and long) concert featuring jazzy holiday tunes mixed with selections from each of the five jazz artists collections. They really put on a great show and Brian Culbertson was a master of the stage. 

I do have to say, I was disappointed with Bobby Caldwell‘s singing. He was a true lounge lizard and maybe if I had a few cocktails in me he would have sounded better. But he didn’t seem to fit in with the other artists. Eric Darius really performed well and brought down the house with his sax’ed up version of Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You.” When he announced what he was going to play I said to myself “You can’t come anywhere near Alicia Keys on your sax buddy.” He proved me wrong. I hate to say it, but I think he one-upped Alicia with his sax solo.

Warren Hill, whose sax tones are a bit more sensual and soft, wasn’t really my taste, but he did put on a nice show. I did, however, truly enjoy his stirring rendition of “O Holy Night.”

Last, but certainly not least, Ray Parker Jr also puts on a great show – mind you all the guys sang and performed together, with each of them taking one or two solos. Ray probably left a lingering impression with everyone, not only did he come out into the audience mingling and dancing, but he also had the last hurrah at the concert. Everyone went home singing “Ghost Busters” which is Ray Parker’s trademark song – which the gang performed and he sang as the final part of their encore.

It was a great evening, I would have enjoyed one or two more Christmas songs, but all-in-all we had a great time and were impressed with the concert.