I have yet to play any Christmas music. There, I’ve said it. My intentions are good – I just don’t get around to finding the cds, and putting them in the player (which is our combo dvd/cd player – ever since the iPod, our jukebox cd player seems to have “dinosaur” written all over it). The upside is, I tend not to get sick of holiday music. The downside is, my son is not getting songs beaten into his head so that when he’s an adult, he’ll know them. Plus, my favorite songs are not the traditional tunes – A Charlie Brown Christmas album excepted. So, what are my go-to songs for 2006?
- Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses – I can listen to this while running and not get sick of it before early January.
- Put the Lights on the Tree by Sufjan Stevens – new for 2006 – and I think I like it!
- The Nutcracker Suite
- White Christmas (album) by Bing Crosby – my parents played this when I was a child and it’s therefore burned in to my memory. That voice!
And for a non-song favorite, you must, must, must find a copy of the David Sedaris cd “Live at Carnegie Hall”. While all the stores are worth a listen, the Christmas story that will have you in convulsions of laughter is “six to eight black me”. Trust me. Find it. Buy it.
Looking for a quick read? This week’s New Yorker has a comparison of the BBC and NBC versions of the Office (currently, my favorite show). You can read Tad Friend’s article at the New Yorker website. Or perhaps you’d like to read about neurotic hosts, and the lengths they go to so that guests don’t destroy their homes. I felt a lot better about myself after reading “Welcome … Oh, but Don’t Sit There” (nytimes.com). Clearly, I am not the most neurotic person out there, or the NYTimes would have found me. Challenged hosts seem to be the hot topic lately. Domino magazine also featured a fearful host in its December/January issue.
Don’t have time to read, but you’d like a cup of coffee (or tea)? Starbcuks is hosting Cheer Parties at its shops today – call your preferred location for the time. May I recommend my current favorite drink? Brewed chai tea with a top of eggnog: it’s delicious, and addicting. Cheers!
It’s a cold Monday morning here, but thankfully, school is in sesson. I’m still chipping away at the Christmas to-do list. Wrote ten Christmas cards over the weekend, and our tree is in the front hall – thawing, and strung with lights. Decorating the house can bring out the Scrooge in me – I prefer the “minimal” feel the house gets in January when all of the stuff comes down, and the rooms feel so much bigger. But I am slowly recovering from Scrooge-yness, thanks to my son’s enjoyment of it all. Christmas is really for kids, don’t you think?
I also need to find a good recipe for a cookie exchange. Can’t decide! Any ideas?
If you were to open my front door this morning, this is what you would see. (and it’s already been shoveled and snow blown once!) Needless to say, there is a very happy 9-year-old at our house right now. No school! Lots and lots and lots of snow! (I’ll be happier once the roads are cleared.)
For the Flickr Five my choices are:
- cardinals + birches such a lovely holiday card!
- thanks, abby love the wrap
- abby’s cards the contents of photo #2
- Pegman the perfect superhero
- Tasty Technicolor Treats so vivid!
But that’s not all for this snowed-in edition – you also must check out the December Design*Sponge shop! I’ve already purchased the lovely 12 Days of Christmas cards ….
And later today, Maria updates the port2port press shop with her final holiday offerings. Check it out here.
Now, it’s off to shovel some snow, and snap a few more pictures. Have a wonderful weekend wherever you are!
The lovely string of spring weather has left – and today, Chicago is watching the skies for the “big snow” that has been predicted. If you are 9, there is nothing more exciting than the prospect of a snowstorm. If you are 40, and trying to get Christmas shopping done and errands run, you prefer warmer weather. Such is the struggle at our house. Since it’s December tomorrow, the 9-year-old in me is hoping forsome snow. Having lived in the midwest all of my life, Christmas = cold + snow, and that is that. It’s hard to plan for the reality of the 25th when it’s 60 degrees outside — it leads to major denial and procrastination!
So, here’s to a beautiful first snow to motivate me (and thrill my son), followed by a melt that will allow me to get stuff done! We’ll see what happens ….
