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There is an epidemic around here, and it's not the flu, swine or otherwise! What we have is a rampant rash of really weird dreams. Today Colleen was sharing her crafting nightmare where she engaged in underwater origami. Which I'm certain will be the next trendy wave in crafts, classes organizing soon at a Hobby Lobby near you. So frustrating, she said, how the paper kept tearing. You just can't achieve a nice, crisp fold with soggy paper. Underwater origami. Hey, that would be an excellent name for a rock band!
The cheery, white view through my patio door. There will be no grilling any time soon. Hibernation, anyone?
Reid with his DS Lite, probably playing around with Scribblenauts. Michael and his Droid, probably taking over the world. Big boys and their electronic toys. Sometimes Santa brings just what you want. You may get too big to sit on his lap and whisper in his ear, but you never get too big to believe in the possibilities. And, yes, Virginia, that's what it's all about. Unless it's the hokey-pokey. And that would be a great disappointment.
How many people dreaming of a white Christmas are required for a winter storm of this magnitude? You do the math, I'm too full of cookies to think. Listening to James Taylor dueting with Natalie Cole on Baby, It's Cold Outside. How appropriate. The boys and I have all retreated to separate corners to engage in internet activities. We are happy to be inside where it's warm and there are cookies and cinnamon rolls and chocolate and all variety of things that are drinkable. Last night I opened a bottle of 7 Deadly Zins and consumed half of it all by myself. It was yummy. Which means I have half a bottle of yummy to go! We feasted on salmon and basmati rice and broccoli with lemon butter and fresh-baked dinner rolls. We opened gifts and watched a movie and stayed up late. I'm still wearing my new pink penguin jammies. Well, I'm not going anywhere, so I thought I'd be comfy. It's a casual dress Christmas stirring about this house, no ties or pantyhose required. The trees are all lit and the pink flamingo and palm tree in the front yard are peeping out of a massive and still growing snowbank. Next up is home-made pizza and I should think another movie is in order. This has been a quiet and enjoyable holiday. With any luck, I won't have to go anywhere until Monday morning when it's time to go back to work. That will roll around much too quickly. I hear the Zin calling and am unable to ignore it's cry! Merry Christmas!
At some point yesterday, between 8:30 in the morning and after five in the afternoon, Santa left a little something in my locker at work. I am completely baffled as to who it might be from. I have queried the usual suspects, and nobody is owning up to this lovely little gift. The funny thing about it is that this isn't a random sort of cute thing. The plaque is so me, so how I live, so how I think and feel. And the Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Squares, they just happen to be my favorite seasonal treat. My mystery Santa Claus either knows me very well or reads me very well and has made a couple of right-on choices. I am delighted and perplexed. So thank you, you know who you are. I haven't a single clue to go on, not even a handwriting sample. As you can see, the attached card is blank. I love presents. And surprises. But anonymous gifts make me crazier than I already am!
Tis the Solstice night! The longest, darkest night of the year here in the northern hemisphere. I believe a glass of wine and a little holiday music are in order! For those of you who have had your fill of holiday music, you should probably flip over to the sports page. For those of you who just can't get enough of seasonal tunes, read on for my short list of favorites.
The Jethro Tull Christmas Album (2003)
Ian Anderson's take on traditional carols as well as his own material. It just sounds like a classic Dickensian British Christmas. Takes the chill off like a nice cup of warm mead. Makes you want to spend the holiday in a castle, if only one was available.
SheDaisy, Brand New Year (2000)
Sisters Kassidy, Kelsi and Kristyn Osborn do a lovely job on a number of songs. Their signature harmonies are delightful and their takes on the familiar are, well, not so familiar. Which is why I like it so much! They save a beautiful a capella piece for the very end, and they make you wait for it. There is a full three minutes of silence after what you think is the final track, and then dessert.
A Charlie Brown Christmas, Vince Guaraldi Trio (1988)
This is the original soundtrack for the beloved CBS television special that first aired in 1965. Love, love, love it. I can't stop myself from dancing about, especially with track 4, entitled Linus and Lucy. You know, that odd little dance move where you toss your head from side to side while doing a little shoulder shrug. Go ahead. You know you want to. Nobody's looking.
Amy Grant, Home for Christmas (1992)
I can't say that I'm an Amy Grant fan. I'm just not fond of her music, not the fluffly pop secular stuff, not her contemporary Christian music. I can't properly explain why I like her Christmas album. I just do. Proving that one doesn't have to be a Christian to appreciate the songs.
Patrick Stewart, A Christmas Carol (1991)
Two cd's, nearly two hours. That's right, it's Captain Picard performing Charles Dickens' timeless Christmas story of the transformation of one Ebenezer Scrooge from skinflint to generous soul. This is a studio recording of his critically acclaimed one-man Broadway show. He does a wonderful job with the story which he adapted for the stage, does all the voices, truly makes it come alive. For several years, back in the married days, we would send the boys to the family room on Christmas Eve with a new movie to view. Then pop the cork on a bottle of champagne and feast on smoked salmon and shrimp while listening to this masterful storyteller. I know, it's not music, but it certainly fits the season.
Holiday Jam, that is. I'm a sucker for event tshirts, particularly when the proceeds go to a good cause. In this case, the funds raised through the sale of tshirts as well as actual jam in jars went to the Backpack Project, where food goes home with a child in a backpack for over the weekend. As you can see, my cat Einstein is showing considerable self control in leaving the tree decorations alone. How was Holiday Jam, you ask? It was an amazing, unconventional seasonal smorgasbord of music. It was jazzy, it was rock-n-roll, it was a full tilt, toe-tapping experience. I enjoyed it immensely!
