While not prompted by Kim to "guest host" on her blog, I thought I would nevertheless update her (no doubt)anxious Web audience as to our activities of late.
Last night, Kim went to bed at 7pm and slept for 12 hours.
I'm on the home stretch of the fall semester (less than two weeks remain), and all I can think about is gardening.
It is snowing. On again, off again.
Merry is almost six. She's a big help around the house (a couple mornings ago she took Elspeth downstairs, changed her diaper, and got her breakfast), and outside the house: On Saturday, she helped me move a bunch of bricks around ... uh, more gardening misadventures.
She said at dinner last night, "I've always loved the smell of Daddy's breath."
Elspeth's verbal ability increases daily. She loves to sing, and remembers countless tunes. Now she approximates the words, too ("The Bobble tells so"). Also, she's chewing on things she ought not to chew on. Just today, I found her knawing a AA battery, and Kim discovered her chomping at a DVD (from the library).
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Moving on. 'Tis the season for your favorite radio station to give up its usual playlist in order to spin endless covers of Christmas carols and songs. I mean, really, what Advent would be complete without hearing "Happy Christmas (War is Over)," "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas," and Amy Grant's loathsome rendition of "Sleigh Ride" ad nauseum until the big day arrives?
And, of course, you won't be able to darken the door of a Target or Gap without a smattering of holiday cheer via the intercom speakers--the better to put you in a mood for buying. (I know whenever I hear "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," I can't help but head on over to Electronics, or pick up a pair of straight-leg khakis.
I stumbled upon this irreverant (read at your own risk) roasting of popular and sacred Christmas music: The Tris McCall Report: Christmas Abstract.
And in honor of all this, I thought I'd publish my top five Christmas carols. In no particular order:
--In the Bleak Midwinter
--I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
--Good King Wenceslas (is this truly a carol?)
--The First Noel
--God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
The first three are often conspicuously absent from church hymnals. Why? Wenceslas isn't my favorite tune, but the lyrics are powerful and probably guilt-inducing. I can see why we don't sing it much. Who wants to be reminded that, "Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing/Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing"?
You won't find that one on rotation at Wal-Mart.
Honorable mention to Hark, The Herald Angels Sing, The Holly and the Ivy, and O Come, O Come Emmanuel (Tho it is oversung).
My least favorite--I know this will be contentious: Silent Night, Away in a Manger, O Holy Night (would be better if not so bombastically performed), We Three Kings.
I invite you to lay into me for my choices--or better yet, present your own Top 5.
And for further amusement, this link to proofs for Santa's ability/inability to deliver the goods: The Physics of Santa Claus.
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5 comments:
I also like the old English Carols.
"Good King.." is a favorite, when I was a kid though I figured it was about some kind of German slaw.
"First Noel" is probably my favorite, and I still like "Three Kings"
"O Come Immanuel" still gives me goose bumbs when sung well, and "Three Ships" is cool.
Manheim's "Pat a Pan" is a really good song, they also have done wonderful versions of some other really rare old carols. We saw them a few years ago here in Raleigh, great memory.
Transiberian Orchestra will be here on th 20th, we are pondering going to that.
We love Christmas, secular merchandising warts and all!
I agree with you whole heartedly on anything by Amy Grant or Sandy Patti, and if I hear
"So this is Christmas" or the insipid
"Feed the World (Let them know it's Christmas time)" by that crew of jaded Rockers I have been known to get rather violently ill.
I have to say that "Joy to the World" is my favorite Christmas Carol, but I always get a good chuckle out of Dar Williams' "The Christians and the Pagans"...what better time to teach tolerance than Christmas? I also remember fondly the Johnny Mathis Christmas Album...the only Christmas music I can recall my Dad playing while I was growing up!
Just a couple weeks of school before break...hooray! Have a good one!
Tonya
I guess "So this is Christmas" is what I was calling "Happy Christmas (War is Over)"--either way, a good example of Lennon's self-indulgence apart from the Beatles.
And I agree wholeheartedly about Three Ships; I just forgot to mention it!
Maybe we need to look into the Mathis album. Kim was saying yesterday that NONE of our Christmas cds were worth listening to.
Lo, How a Rose Ere Blooming
Good Christian Men, Rejoice
O Little Town of Bethlehem (the Ralph Vaughan Williams version)
Of the Father's Love Begotten
The Snow Lay on the Ground (Venite Adoremus)
Can you tell I was raised an Episcopalian?
This comment was interrupted by an urgent request to go photograph my two snow-frolickers and their new snowman. Ngaire said, "I built a snowman, and [now] go take a nice warm shower." So that's what they're doing now.
Chris and I are working our way through the Advent and Christmas carols in the hymnal with Ngaire every evening ... we're amazed by how many we don't know. I guess a few just get (over)played ... over and over ... whilst other are forgotten.
~ Jordana
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