A Holy Thing (Victoria Williams)

Speaking of counting one's blessings... there's been a Jane Siberry thread on Star Maker Machine the last few days... and I remembered I had bought a CD (titled after the song) a few weeks ago, prompted by something I read (on the Joni-list, perhaps?) - I unearthed it today and have been enjoying it thoroughly!

Impressively subtitled "A Live Recording of Seasonal Music by Holly Cole, Rebecca Jenkins, Mary Margaret O'Hara, Jane Siberry, (and) Victoria Williams." Originally a CBC/NPR radio broadcast from Christmas '93, this summit session featuring some of the most unique female performers and voices in the world (accompanied by Lyle Lovett pianist Tim Ray) is an atmospheric treasure. While individual performances shine, the ensemble work is particularly stellar. The repertoire blends standards and more obscure traditional fare selected by the participants with three originals: O'Hara's "Never No," Siberry's "Are You Burning Little Candle," and Williams' "A Holy Thing" (written mere hours before the taping). ~ Roch Parisien, All Music Guide

So... today is December 1 - last year, I vowed to use only holiday songs in my blog post titles for the entire month of December... and I'll try it again this year, although I have fewer from which to choose. I could use the challenge - gotta think outside the gift-wrapped box... :-)

It's been a very nice 24 hours, as I vowed to get back on track with my eating and exercise habits, which went understandably by the wayside Wednesday through Sunday of last week in all the Thanksgiving hoopla - ate very healthfully all day, did my 3-mile walk, caught up on laundry, straightened up the house, got my computer consultant out here to work on some minor but nagging issues I'd been having... and dragged some holiday decorations out of the garage to be put around the house tomorrow.

I'll also begin our holiday cards, my annual holiday mix CD and some online shopping - although we've set a monetary limit on presents this year, creativity, personalization and love go a long way!

P.S. SMM here and here...

SONG: A Holy Thing by Victoria Williams (can't find the lyrics anywhere... but song samples of all the tunes can be listened to here...)

BOOK: Christmas Meditations on the Twelve Holy Days: December 26-January 6 by Merry C. Battles

POEM: Words and the Diminution of All Things by Charles Wright

The brief secrets are still here,
and the light has come back.
The word remember touches my hand,
But I shake it off and watch the turkey buzzards bank and wheel
Against the occluded sky.
All of the little names sink down,
weighted with what is invisible,
But no one will utter them, no one will smooth their rumpled hair.

There isn't much time, in any case.
There isn't much left to talk about
as the year deflates.
There isn't a lot to add.
Road-worn, December-colored, they cluster like unattractive angels
Wherever a thing appears,
Crisp and unspoken, unspeakable
in their mute and glittering garb.

All afternoon the clouds have been sliding toward us
out of the
Blue Ridge.
All afternoon the leaves have scuttled
Across the sidewalk and driveway, clicking their clattery claws.
And now the evening is over us,
Small slices of silence
running under a dark rain,
Wrapped in a larger.

QUOTE: "Remember this December, that love weighs more than gold!" ~ Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon