Christmas Songs, Revisited

This past Friday, I made yet another visit to the dentist. Apparently, now that I am a man of a certain age (middle age is awesome!), some of the fillings I got as a child are wearing down. Rather than letting my mouth become a mini-Chernobyl due to the make up of said aging fillings, I've had to get some of them replaced.

As I sank into the dentist's chair for one of those replacements, my ears were assaulted with a kitschy cover of some Christmas song. The title and artist, a term I use loosely at best, escapes me now mercifully, but it was clear that the office staff had set the radio to one of those hideous 24/7 Christmas music stations. To say this thrilled me would be like saying Donald J. Trump is the most honest, most respectable and greatest thing that has ever happened to the United States. Spoiler alert: he isn't.

If you've been keeping up with things here in the Den over the years, you'll know I'm no fan of the treacly tidal wave of Christmas songs that begins in July, I think. Twice now, in posts in 2011 and 2012, I've written specific screeds about this musical assault. My attitude on the subject has not improved and as the dentist leaned in armed with a needle full o'novacaine, I said, "No need for it. The pain of that drill is going to be far less than what's on the radio right now." She giggled a bit nervously but went ahead with numbing me, which was probably the right decision. This did not, however, preclude her from discussing the merits or demerits of the various songs that droned on during my procedure with her assistant. Let's just say it was a good thing I wasn't able to comment at all on what their keen and insightful observations, like this gem, "Well, I just think 'Santa Baby' is one of the cutest Christmas songs ever." Spoiler alert:it isn't.

Lest you think my soul is as black as the lump of coal I get every year in my Christmas stocking (that is 100% true; that coal turns up yearly) because I don't think 'Santa Baby' is cute, I'm here to share with you an amazing album of Christmas music.

A Christmas Cornucopia

Annie Lennox

It is exquisite and just a little bit glorious. The album itself is now seven years old and it has aged beautifully. Annie's version of 'O Little Town of Bethlehem' is more than a little breathtaking. The whole album is just gem after gem. There's not one song that gives me Christmas music rage. That, my friends, is not easily done.

Do yourselves a favor and download this one. Enjoy it! It's enough to make you want to be one of the Merry Gentlemen!

On Christmas

Our Tree

As our Christmas Eve celebration drew to a close last night, The RM announced that the Christmas morning festivities would begin promptly at 8:00AM. He was as serious about that statement as I've ever seen him. Since he was a wee one, he has been our primary Elf on Christmas day and apparently after two years of missing out on his duties, he was prepared to take them most seriously.

Sufficiently warned, we took to our beds, thinking we'd close our eyes for just a moment in order to do the things Santa proxies do. We were wrong, as that moment turned into a full night's sleep. I awoke and did my Sunday morning thing, including two crosswords, a shave and a shower, when it dawned on me that A) we'd not done our duty as Santa proxies and the tree was looking pretty barren and 2) it was uncomfortably close to 8:00AM. I roused the stunningly patient and mighty fine SML from her slumber and we quickly got things taken care of before The RM woke up.

He woke up shortly before the appointed hour and he was immediately agitated concerned that not every one was manning their battle stations, as it were. We woke CAL and we proceeded downstairs to first see what had made its way into our stockings (Poo Pouri was a big hit with one of us! Guess who?). Then our six year old, I mean twenty one year old, insisted we get to the main event - the opening of the presents. Although he ceded the "Elf" role (gift distributor) to me because I was closest to the tree, he directed it (my pacing was no good so I think I will not be reprising my role). Even as a young adult, his reactions were classic. For CAL, most of her gifts were shipped to her place behind the Zion Curtain - lots of things to stock your new adult world. For the stunningly patient and mighty fine SML and I, the joy of Christmas came in having two-thirds of our children with us. It has been simply wonderful. Simply wonderful.

As we gathered at Church later in the day for a brief service, I ruminated over the the third verse of the carol, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,"

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."

and I was saddened that there is little peace in our world and hate is strong and sadly is only going to get stronger under the hate-based regime of the newly elected Fuhrer President of the United States, but I did see hope today. I saw it in my children, sat beside my wife and I as we worshipped. I saw it in the joy we felt as we opened our presents this morning. I saw it earlier this week as we relished being surrounded by dear friends during an all too quick visit to Chicago. Also earlier this week, I saw so much good as people from near and far rallied to help another dear friend find her missing father (delighted to report that it turned out beautifully).

So, yes, there is good in this world and there is yet reason to hope. Merry Christmas, my friends.

We missed these guys, but they're having a sweet Christmas
celebration behind the Zion Curtain

On Christmas Eve

The ghosts of Joan Rivers and Rabbi Krustovsky are a touch of genius!

It's Christmas Eve. It is on this night that we prepare to celebrate the birth of...well, let's see what Bart Simpson had to say about it:

"Aren't we forgetting the true meaning of Christmas? You know...the birth of Santa."

Suffice to say, Bart missed the mark on that one. But who can blame him? In our consumption soaked society, the real reason for the season, the birth of Jesus Christ, is, at best, an afterthought.

His birth for millions around the world is not an afterthought. It truly is the reason for the season. Tonight families and friends will gather in churches, in homes, or wherever to honor Him and prepare further for Christmas Day. In Little Havana, pigs that have been slow roasting for days in backyard pits will shortly appear on plates, laden with yuca, frijoles negros, and plantains and those people feasting will celebrate loudly and joyously. As a result, Christmas Day is the quietest day of the year in Miami. In our home, we dined on brisket and roasted green beans among other good things. We didn't celebrate as loudly as my Cuban friends but we did rejoice. Two of our children are home with us and it has literally been years since that has happened.

For that and so many other things, we are especially grateful this Christmas Eve. No matter how you celebrate, may this Eve be a special one in the lead up to an even better day tomorrow.

A short letter

Since we got to 'see' TMFKATB thanks to Skype on Christmas Day (P.S. Best gift of the year!), we got caught up on his week. So this week's letter was pretty brief. He shared the excitement of the baptism of someone they'd been teaching for awhile now. He was humbled by prayers offered. He affirmed that he's happy.

That was certainly true during our call with him. He's happy. He's funny. He's growing up. But he's still Parker. His insistence that his beard is savage (it is non-existent) and the smack talk between him and his brother-in-law confirmed he's still Parker. Hard to believe he'll be home in less than a year.

An Early Christmas Greeting

As we began Phase Two of Vacation Shenanigans 2015, we found ourselves in CAL's heavily laden ox cart of a Ford Escape emerging from the Zion Curtain, bound for the red hills of Utah's Dixie, St. George (I have no idea why it's called 'Dixie.' Maybe named for one of the polygamist wives that are all over the place here?). During that drive, we heard from TMFKATB. His letter, entitled Merry Christmas, was an early gift to us.

From the picture at the top of the post, our twenty year old son proves he is still a little kid. He failed to wait until Christmas morning to open the gifts we'd sent him. It made his mother and I smile, to be honest. So did the the thought of being able to Skype with him on Christmas Day. Talk about an awesome gift that's awaiting us. As for the rest of his update, it was good. It was a good week to serve! He talked about witnessing the power of friendship and how it helps people heal. It was great to read.

We, too, were reminded of the joy of friendships yesterday as well. Thanks to my inability to not post stuff on various social media sites on the Interwebs, we were able to connect with friends we'd not seen in nine years (since we moved from Temecula, CA). They just happened to be overnighting here in 'Dixie' on their way back to SoCal and we were able to spend some time together last night. As far as reunions with friends go, it was pretty darn sweet. It was an early and unexpected Christmas gift, for sure. Those are the best kind!

Snowed In

Allegedly that's TMFKATB
in that shower of laser lights

Residents living behind the Zion Curtain woke up to a pretty big dump o'snow this morning. Here in Connecticutistan, where we currently have zero snow and are enjoying spring-like temperatures, this morning The Weather Channel was covering the Utah snow storm with a fervor usually reserved for, oh I don't know, one of those "STORM OF THE CENTURY" epics that wind up being a whole lot of nothing. Why I was watching said channel at 430AM this morning is something we can discuss another day because it's kind of creepy and just a little bit sad.

With the snow in mind, it made sense that this week's letter from TMFKATB was titled, 'Looks snowy out there!' From what he said, they won't be getting out and about today, their day off. It sounds like they could use a day in as he said they did lots of walking in the past week, as they worked with people all over their area.  He's had some good experiences in working with people in some pretty challenging situations, adding to life lessons that will serve him well. He's pretty excited about Christmas and has been pretty pumped about sharing this video.

As always, it was good to hear from TMFKATB. As we will be with our daughters later this week, it will be strange to not have him with us, but we wouldn't trade this experience for the world. He's growing and learning, but so are we. Progress and growth is always a good thing.