What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? (written by Frank Loesser, so many covers!)

Happy New Year's Eve Day!  Whew, what a year (major understatement... 😝 )

Chico, Rob, and I (Eric has to work) will gather about 7:00 p.m. at Sarah's for sushi delivery, a bit of champagne, and maybe a Disney+ offering (ooh, kinda hoping for Taylor Swift's Folklore:  The Long Pond Studio Sessions documentary/concert?).  Definitely leaving there before the ball drops (Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen!), and crazy traffic and fireworks ensue.  Broward County actually has a 1:00 a.m. curfew.

Much more to say but, for now, I'll just wish you all a day/evening of reflection, gratitude, and anticipation as to what 2021 will bring.  Hoping that the stroke of midnight sees you in the arms of a loved one and, if that's not the case, hug yourself for making it through these difficult times.

Here's/cheers to Better Things... 💞

If you were able to look back at your most brilliant successes, stunning comebacks, amazing catches, and smokin' ideas, Susan, and you were to find that virtually all of them seemed to materialize out of thin air, when you least expected them, and that they had exceeded even your greatest expectations at the time, how excited would you be about the new year and whatever else I've got up my sleeve? 

Hubba, hubba - 

  The Universe

P.S. If I've ever helped you before, Susan, don't you think I can do it again… and again… and again… ad infinitum? Actually, it ought to be even easier next time, with your new saunter.

SONG:  What Are You Doing New Year's Eve (written by Frank Loesser, so many covers!)  Here's one of my favorites, by Mary Margaret O'Hara... 💖

BOOK:  Alchemy 2020: Concoctions of the Quarantine by Cheryl Poepping

POEM:  Twenty Twenty by Lana Hechtman Ayers

This was the year breath became death.

The year the grandparents and great grandparents left us by the thousands, taking their wisdom with them into the great oxygen mask of the heavens. This was the year we covered our mouths and smiled with our eyes if we were able to smile at all.

This year handshakes became passé and hugs a mass hallucination we once had.

This was the year we transformed into a tribe of screens.

The year we finally acknowledged how crucial delivery drivers and supermarket stock clerks are. First responders heroes now more than ever.

This was the year we remembered how to bake bread, learned how to garden.

The year we discovered different species of trees possess distinctive aromas.

This was the year we binge watched and wore out pajamas.

The year we took our pens up and our notebooks seriously.

The year we were speechless.

This was the year we discovered the Zen of handwashing, observed all the delicate shadows the moon tats across night lawns.

This was the year we cancelled weddings, Christmas, died without anyone familiar by our sides.

But this was also the year we took unscheduled strolls in the forest alone, attended the sea’s susurrus lectures, hiked higher than ever before.

The year we feared air and loved air and drove less, thus clearing the air. This was the year we did more fretting, more regretting.

We vowed to vote and kept our promises to ourselves and others.

This was the year we stood up to racial injustice in the myriad ways we could—in the streets, on Facebook, writing to our senators, calling for action against the police, donating to causes, celebrating artists of color, holding our white tongues so the underrepresented could be heard, acknowledged, admired.

This was the year we used our phones to make actual calls, voice to voice, not just for texts and emojis.

The year we cried and shook our heads and wrung our hands at the headlines.

This was the year we lost sleep, lost heart, found hope is action.

This is the year we said I love you over and over.

Sometimes to the person on the other side of the glass.

Sometimes to songbirds.

Sometimes to ourselves.

The year we said I love you to our fragile Earth.

Said I love you, I love you to the universe, and I love my humble place in it, no matter what.

QUOTE:  "If there was a time machine and I could tell my younger self what I'd be doing in 2020, there's no way I'd believe it." ~ Jonny Kim

I'm Reading a Book (Julian Smith)

Very few days of my life go by in which I do not read.  I learned at a very young age; even when it was just memorization in the early stages, I understood the power of words and that all one had to do was turn the page to continue the adventure, the escape, the inward musing.

Retirement + pandemic = lots of leisure time, not to mention that for me (although there were moments of lack of focus and loss of concentration), it has become one of my primary coping mechanisms during this self-imposed Shelter in Place the past 9 1/2 months.

For years, I have opted in to the Goodreads Challenge, choosing a-book-a-week (52-a-year) as my goal.  Some years I've gotten close, a few years I've achieved, and this year I will have almost doubled!

When I realized last week that I was at 95 I decided that, if there was ever a time to get into the triple-digits, this was it.  So I am pushing, not cheating, to make that happen.  I confess that the last five books were 200 pages or less, but still legitimate books that were on my Want to Read list/pile anyway.  This is where My Year in Books (2020) currently stands (hoping that, even if you are not on Goodreads, you can see this).  Here's/cheers to 100 books... 💖

I consciously decided to make World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Fumi Nakamura (Illustrator) (a Christmas present from my dear friend Michele), my last book of 2020 (starting it tomorrow morning).

Day One all over again on January 1, with my first book of 2021, A Promised Land by Barack Obama, which I am very much looking forward to.  I carefully curate how I wish to spend my time with the written word, and already have many potential novels as well as works of non-fiction earmarked for my ongoing journey.  I am setting my goal as per my usual book-a-week, thinking positive that I will one day have a social life again, and therefore less time for reading (but I've loved every hour/minute/second of page-turning... 😍 )

NR:  She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs by Sarah Smarsh

SONG:  I'm Reading a Book by Julian Smith (ignore the annoying bagpipes in the last 15 seconds!)

BOOK:  Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany by Jane Mount (Illustrator)

POEM:  The Nobel Prize for Reading by Nicanor Parra

The Nobel Prize for Reading

should be awarded to me

I am the ideal reader,

I read everything I get my hands on:

I read street names

and neon signs

bathroom walls

and new price-lists

the police news,

projections for the Derby

and license plates

for a person like me

the word is something holy

members of the jury

what would I gain by lying

as a reader, I'm relentless

I read everything - I don't even skip

the classifieds

of course these days I don't read much

I simply don't have the time

But - oh man - what I have read

that's why I'm asking you to give me

the Nobel Prize for Reading

as soon as impossible

(antitranslated by Lis Werner)

QUOTE:  "My personal hobbies are reading, listening to music, and silence." ~ Edith Sitwell

Merry Something to You (Devo)

Checking in a few days after the holiday to share that we had a lovely get-together at Sarah's on Christmas Day!  One of my favorite family traditions is that we limit our gifts for each other to $25 and, even with a cap, everyone chooses such thoughtful presents.  Something new in the last handful of years is that our three adult children take the time to write heartfelt and inspirational greetings in their cards to us and each other which, we all know, is the best gift of all.  I wept (as I always do) at their words of joy, hope, love, and gratitude.

We are leisurely with opening presents, one at a time, so we can appreciate what everyone is receiving.  About halfway through, Colin started having a meltdown, perfectly understandable as he'd had a looooong day, with a very short nap.  In an attempt to help, Eric said, "I love you, Colin!", and C replied:  "no love me!", and we all cracked up at his two-year-old reaction.  Sarah immediately suggested we still-pause the gift exchange and go outside for a while so he could run around and release some energy, which was totally effective (she's such a good and intuitive mom... 💗 )

Adorable and typical (as any parent can tell you) is that Sarah gave Colin five Santa presents, and attached to each was a Dollar Tree plastic animal (he loves animals of all kinds):  zebra, elephant, giraffe, hippo, and tiger... and of course that was all he wanted to play with the entire day (not the actual presents... :-)

Because we were inside, albeit masked, socially-distanced, and doors and windows open, we ordered Chinese food for dinner; dessert was a ginormous box of Russell Stover chocolates from the two girls' soccer teams that Chico coaches (along with a generous gift card).

Running jokes throughout the course of the day, sure to elicit a smile/guffaw for months to come:  "I got a robe" (Rob shared the hilarious SNL skit with me last week!) and "Colin's fake hot dog has gone MIA".

Yesterday a friend and I were having a text discussion re: Post-Holiday Blahs/Blues/Winter Doldrums, and I followed up with this e-mail:

"I've got 'em too, but not nearly as bad as I thought I would.  For one thing, the only holiday "trappings" I brought out were the front-door wreath and the doormat, and those can easily be tucked away again on the Monday after New Year's (or even the Wednesday as, when we lived in Puerto Rico, Christmas wasn't *really* over until January 6, The Epiphany).

I have let so many things go this season, when the former me might have had a few more meltdowns along the way.   Both Sarah's *and* Rob's presents to me were slowed down in the mail system (as was my friend Judi's!), and my new Delayed Gratification/F*ck It self just thinks, "well, I will enjoy them when they *do* arrive!".  My mantra these days seems to be "Who am I and what have I done with Susan?!?"  I am trying so hard to be Kinder, Gentler, Softer, More Patient, More Forgiving, More Understanding, More Aware... <3

I am also working very hard on my communication skills, with family as well as friends.  Attempting to "say what I mean, mean what I say, and do what I say I'm going to do"... which I learned in a parenting seminar when Sarah was in middle school (25 years ago).  Hey, if the foo sh*ts, right?

Had a great talk with L last week, and we discussed that, during this challenging time, we are both going to focus on meaning and purpose in the New Year.  I greatly miss having a true sense of both.

So, yeah... I have the blues/blahs/mullygrubs but I seem, so far, to have shaken off the need to wallow.  I do possess:  family (however flawed, as am I... except for Colin, who is perfect!), books (so many books!), music (beautiful songs!), friends (so very dear), healthy food choices, a dependable body that allows me to take it out for hour-long walks (almost) every day, boundless sunshine, hot cocoa and Kahlua (just a splash!), FakeUggs, comforting and colorful scarves, enough earrings to sink a battleship, intelligence, kindness, humor, integrity, gratitude, an appropriate balance of joy and sorrow.  And just like that... counting my blessings has moved my blues, if not off the table completely, at least to a back burner (mixed metaphor, anyone?... :-)

I am going to hit Send before this turns into War and Peace.  Whoops, too late!"

And... Nothing Says Christmas like Parlour Vegan's Non-Binary Gingerbread Person... 💖

NR:  Between the World and Me by by Ta-Nehisi Coates

SONG:  Merry Something to You by Devo

BOOK:  December Holidays from around the World by Baby Professor

POEM:  December 26 by Kenn Nesbitt

A BB gun.

A model plane.

A basketball.

A ’lectric train.

A bicycle.

A cowboy hat.

A comic book.

A baseball bat.

A deck of cards.

A science kit.

A racing car.

A catcher’s mitt.

So that’s my list

of everything

that Santa Claus

forgot to bring.

 

QUOTE:  “Have you ever held a three-year-old by the hand on the way home from preschool?” “No.” “You’re never more important than you are then.” ~ Fredrik Bachman, Anxious People

Merry Xmas Everybody (Oasis)

Merry Christmas, Everybody!

Received the following text from Sarah at the beginning of the week:

Hi Family! Wanted to chat regarding Christmas Eve Day. Whoever is free, could maybe come over for a pajama brunch at 10 am? I was going to make pumpkin pancakes, decorate a Gingerbread house, read the Polar Express, Hot Chocolate, leave cookies and milk for Santa and have a dance party to holiday music :)

And we (well, unfortunately Eric had to work, but the rest of us) really did do all that yesterday (✔✔✔✔✔✔✔).  She made sure the pancakes were vegan; we sipped on homemade (also vegan) coquito (a coconut-flavored eggnog which we used to drink when we lived in Puerto Rico) that a co-worker of hers had made and gifted her for Christmas; I wore my mother's red nightshirt printed with little white snowflakes atop my Christmas lights leggings; we were each supposed to choose three holiday songs for the dance party (mine were Santa Claus is Coming to Town covered by Bruuuuuuce, Merry Christmas from the Family by Robert Earl Keen, and Juliana Hatfield's Make It Home, which I first heard on an episode of My So-Called Life a bazillion years ago); Rob read from his copy of The Polar Express, given to him by my "friendRobby" (that's what they called each other) when he was four; the gingerbread house is constructed and still has to be decorated (later today!). 

When I walked down to my car to head home, I discovered that my battery was dead; someone (me!) had left their headlights on.  thankyoujesus for AAA, and Brandon to the rescue.  Quick fix, and a lesson on perspective.

Came home to a nap, then my walk (got rained on; f*ck it, I kept going!), a hot shower, leftover chili for dinner, and finally curled up with Love Actually, which I hadn't watched yet this season.  Oh, and wrapped presents (i.e. put in gift bags and topped with tissue paper.  Ha!).

Today we are headed back to Sarah's (as soon as I hit Send!), still masked, still socially-distant, doors and windows open, for our present exchange.  Temps will have dropped substantially, with a high of 60, and a low of 43; mmmm, time to drag out the FUggs (Faux Uggs... ;-)  I've been watching Martha Stewart's new show on HGTV (Martha Knows Best) and bought all the fixings to make Marthatinis.  Yum!

We also have a short Zoom call planned with extended family in the Atlanta area (zippity!), and will order Chinese food to be delivered about 4 or 5 p.m. and take it outside to eat.

Wishing you all a most spectacular holiday, however and with whomever you decide to spend it, and love Love and MORE LOVE... 💞

SONG:  Merry Xmas Everybody by Oasis

BOOK:  Merry Christmas Everybody! (A Sesame Street Golden Super Shape Book) by Constance Allen, David Prebenna (Illustrator)

POEM:  When Giving Is All We Have by Alberto Rios

                                              One river gives

                                              Its journey to the next.

We give because someone gave to us.

We give because nobody gave to us.

We give because giving has changed us.

We give because giving could have changed us.

We have been better for it,

We have been wounded by it—

Giving has many faces: It is loud and quiet,

Big, though small, diamond in wood-nails.

Its story is old, the plot worn and the pages too,

But we read this book, anyway, over and again:

Giving is, first and every time, hand to hand,

Mine to yours, yours to mine.

You gave me blue and I gave you yellow.

Together we are simple green. You gave me

What you did not have, and I gave you

What I had to give—together, we made

Something greater from the difference.

QUOTE:  "Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around." ~ the opening lines of Love Actually, spoken by Hugh Grant's character (which always make me cry, and last night was no exception)

The Lights and Buzz (Jack's Mannequin)

[click photo to "biggen", as my friend Pat used to say! ]

Well, obviously... these 2020 holidays have wreaked havoc with tradition, ritual, and get-togethers.  We can invoke the time-honored cliches of "lemonade from lemons", "make the best of it", "Plan Q"... but there's going to be a wrench in our hearts when we remember what was, and what could have been, and what won't happen this year.

I think I'm a funny person anyway (some of you may not agree), and I seem to be invoking humor a *lot* these last 9 1/2 months, trying not to be snarky but, at the same time, making it real.  The pandemic has forced us to be more creative in how we celebrate and how we gather, and my catch phrase has become "Nothing says Christmas like...", which is now a game:

~ Nothing says Christmas like... Jurassic Quest in the BB&T parking lot which, crazy as it sounds, was a super-fun outing Sarah invited me to share with her and Colin... and about 50 animatronic dinosaurs, complete with roars, squeaks, and an audio narration as you drive along at bumper-to-bumper speed, much slower than the 5-miles-per-hour they discourage you from exceeding!

~ Nothing says Christmas like... Disney princesses, Mickey Mouse, Ninja Turtles, and Olaf, right?  There is (pictured above) a house in our old Pembroke Lakes neighborhood that has been overdecorating for twenty years, adding new features along the way and, this year, making the path one-way in an attempt to keep things safer for all.  Just when you think you've seen it all, you haven't.  They even featured the leg lamp from A Christmas Story.  Fra-gee-lay... 😍

Nothing says Christmas like... seeing Santa at Bass Pro Shops, two concepts you'd never think to hear in the same sentence.  There was plexiglass involved... sigh, and hooray... 💞

Nothing says Christmas like... watching Holidate, a hilarious and irreverent film (on Netflix) that is surely the anti-Hallmark (and that's a good thing for me, Martha!), which you realize in the first seven minutes when one of the characters has a line of dialogue that's not repeatable here, but make sure you're not eating or drinking anything so as to avoid a spit-take.  I loved it, but your mileage may vary (which won't keep me from loving it!).

The non-snarky events of these last few weeks:

~ Listening to the Hipster Holidays Pandora station on my phone while I'm out on my walk

~ Surprising Rob for his birthday at his job in Pembroke Gardens 

~ Enjoying an Extended Family (the MossFam6 plus my sister, her husband, daughter and daughter's roomie; my brother couldn't make it) Zoom call.  How lovely to see everyone, even virtually, as it had been much too long... and we've vowed to do them regularly!

"It's good to be alive!" indeed... 💖

NR:  The Caregiver by Samuel Park

SONG:  The Lights and Buzz by Jack's Mannequin

BOOK:  Share Some Kindness, Bring Some Light by Apryl Stott (Author, Illustrator)

POEM:  Yellow Glove by Naomi Shihab Nye

What can a yellow glove mean in a world of motorcars and governments?

I was small, like everyone. Life was a string of precautions: Don't kiss the squirrel before you bury him, don't suck candy, pop balloons, drop watermelons, watch TV. When the new gloves appeared one Christmas, tucked in soft tissue, I heard it trailing me: Don't lose the yellow gloves.

I was small, there was too much to remember. One day, waving at a stream — the ice had cracked, winter chipping down, soon we would sail boats and roll into ditches — I let a glove go. Into the stream, sucked under the street. Since when did streets have mouths? I walked home on a desperate road. Gloves cost money. We didn't have much. I would tell no one. I would wear the yellow glove that was left and keep the other hand in a pocket. I knew my mother's eyes had tears they had not cried yet, I didn't want to be the one to make them flow. It was the prayer I spoke secretly, folding socks, lining up donkeys in windowsills. To be good, a promise made to the roaches who scouted my closet at night. If you don't get in my bed, I will be good. And they listened. I had a lot to fulfill.

The months rolled down like towels out of a machine. I sang and drew and fattened the cat. Don't scream, don't lie, don't cheat, don't fight — you could hear it anywhere. A pebble could show you how to be smooth, tell the truth. A field could show how to sleep without walls. A stream could remember how to drift and change — next June I was stirring the stream like a soup, telling my brother dinner would be ready if he'd only hurry up with the bread when I saw it. The yellow glove draped on a twig. A muddy survivor. A quiet flag.

Where had it been in the three gone months? I could wash it, fold it in my winter drawer with its sister, no one in that world would ever know. There were miracles on Harvey Street. Children walked home in yellow light. Trees were reborn and gloves traveled far, but returned. A thousand miles later, what can a yellow glove mean in a world of bankbooks and stereos?

Part of the difference between floating and going down.

QUOTE:  "After church on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, my family would go chop down our Christmas tree. Once it was home and placed in its stand, Mom and I would painstakingly decorate our tree. It took hours to place the tinsel, string the lights, find the perfect spot for my favorite macaroni and felt ornaments from kindergarten." ~ Molly O'Keefe

Solstice Carole (Wyrd Sisters)

From the New York Times Weekend Briefing:

Today is the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the longest, darkest night of a long, dark year.

This winter’s darkness is as literal as it is metaphorical, with the catastrophic toll of Covid-19, and fear and dread for what is to come. But as our faith and politics reporter writes, it also serves as a reminder that for millenniums, “humans have turned to rituals and stories to remind one another of hope and deeper truths.”

There is some solace for the darkness: On Monday night, Jupiter and Saturn will almost kiss in the night sky, appearing as one bright planet. The last time they came this visibly close to each other was in the year 1226. Go out and look southwest in the hour after sunset.

For those looking for greater meaning, “this is the end of an era and the beginning of a new one,” said the astrologer Chani Nicholas.

Do you have a Solstice ritual?  I know my friend M does.  Maybe I'll start one this year.  I certainly have candles, herbs/sage, and the Internet to find blessings and words of wisdom.  As good a time as any to chase away the darkness and to conjure light in these troubled times, right?

NR:  Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

SONG:  Solstice Carole by Wyrd Sisters

BOOK:  The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper, Carson Ellis (Illustrator) 

POEM:  A Winter Solstice Prayer by Edward Hays

The dark shadow of space leans over us

We are mindful that the darkness of greed, exploitation, and hatred

also lengthens its shadow over our small planet Earth.

As our ancestors feared death and evil and all the dark powers of winter,

we fear that the darkness of war, discrimination, and selfishness

may doom us and our planet to an eternal winter.

May we find hope in the lights we have kindled on this sacred night,

hope in one another and in all who form the web-work of peace and justice

that spans the world.

In the heart of every person on this Earth

burns the spark of luminous goodness;

in no heart is there total darkness.

May we who have celebrated this winter solstice,

by our lives and service, by our prayers and love,

call forth from one another the light and the love

that is hidden in every heart.

Amen.

QUOTE:  "Both the Winter and the Summer Solstices are expressions of love. They show us the opposition of light and dark, expansion and contraction, that characterize our experiences in the Earth school so that we can recognize our options as we move through our lives." ~ Gary Zukav

Christmas Everyday (The Frights)

As per my post a few weeks ago... I seem to have lost my concentration a lot lately (ha ha ha ha ha!).

A dear friend recently said:  "Sometimes this COVID life feels like Groundhog Day, one pretty much identical day after the other", which I think is a spot-on description.  It's been described as Corona Fatigue, and we're all just so d*mn tired, both physically and emotionally, that it's easy to let go of our safety standards of masks and social distancing... but, this is why the numbers of illnesses are creeping up again, and why 300,000 people are needlessly dead.  Stay the course, people!

This has definitely been a weird holiday season, and I personally have felt no desire to decorate.  What's the point, when the only person who's been inside our condo since mid-March is the Total A/C guy?  I did at least visit our storage unit down the hall and dragged out the Jingle Bell wreath and the Joy doormat for our front door/entrance.  From the outside, we appear festive... :-)

The Santas will not be making an appearance this year, but I have vowed to head back to the storage unit, rummage through the Rubbermaid containers, and find:  the Santa hat for my Buddha; a few holiday candles; holiday gift bags (I did buy presents that need wrapping, you know!); and the ceramic light-up tree that always reminds me of my mom's.  Okay, maybe a few holiday mugs, the better to drink my hot cocoa with vegan marshmallows and a splash of Kahlua in.  Maybe a holiday dishtowel or two.  Okay, that's it!  No more!  Just trying to walk that fine line between Ho Ho Ho and Bah, Humbug.

And, of course, typing all this, I am reminded of the passage from How the Grinch Stole Christmas:

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,

stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? 

It came without ribbons. It came without tags. 

It came without packages, boxes or bags. 

And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. 

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. 

What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. 

What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

I think many hearts will grow three sizes this holiday season and, as much as we will miss certain traditions and regret the opportunity to gather in larger numbers, we will cherish who and what we have to be grateful for, and count our blessings that we are not among the 300,000... and we will continue to strive for non-fear-based precautions, knowing we are making smart decisions to find our way to the other side of this, however and whenever that is defined.

For now, let's just find whatever coping mechanisms work for us, and enjoy this special time of year the best we can... 💖 

NR:  Conjure Women by Afia Atakora

SONG:  Christmas Everyday by The Frights

BOOK:  Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May

POEM: Next by Jeffrey Harrison

It wasn't until we got the Christmas tree

into the house and up on the stand

that our daughter discovered a small bird's nest

tucked among its needled branches.

Amazing, that the nest had made it

all the way from Nova Scotia on a truck

mashed together with hundreds of other trees

without being dislodged or crushed.

And now it made the tree feel wilder,

a balsam fir growing in our living room,

as though at any moment a bird might flutter

through the house and return to the nest.

And yet, because we'd brought the tree indoors,

we'd turned the nest into the first ornament.

So we wound the tree with strings of lights,

draped it with strands of red beads,

and added the other ornaments, then dropped

two small brass bells into the nest, like eggs

containing music, and hung a painted goldfinch

from the branch above, as if to keep them warm.

QUOTE:  "The thing about Christmas is that it almost doesn't matter what mood you're in or what kind of a year you've had - it's a fresh start." ~ Kelly Clarkson

That Was the Worst Christmas Ever! (Sufjan Stevens)

I just sent out the following e-mail to select family and friends.  Feel free to count yourself in that Circle, although I may not have had your e-address.  Enjoy (or, to quote The Princess Bride:  I do not think that word means what you think it means"... :-)

Happy Holidays!

Many/Most/All (?) of you have received a tape-segued-to-CD mix from me over the years.  I consider it a SuperPower and love finding, compiling, and sharing songs of joy, inspiration, relevance, all of the above.  I've been making *holiday* mixes since the late-90s, and kept up the tradition through 2016.  Then Life with a Capital L seemed to get in the way and I allowed myself to get off track (a hard drive crash, a grandbaby, retirement, now the pandemic, insert excuse-of-choice here).  This is the time of year I drag them all out and listen, chronologically, to the message my Ghost of Christmas Past was trying to impart along the way.

I can't even remember why 2012 was so sh*tty, but I re-discovered this playlist I made just for myself that year, never sharing it with anyone! Being that 2020's pandemic has turned all holidays and traditions upside-down, it seemed a good time to finally get this out into the world. I invite you to feel all the feelings, look in the rearview mirror, and then... Let. It. Go.  But, two songs with mournful banjos?  Be still, my melancholy heart!

On the flip side, I realize we all have *so* much to be grateful for:  loving family (immediate and extended), dear friends (locally and across state lines), health, happiness, peace... and don't even get me started on what happens January 20, 2021... :-)

Wishing everyone a satisfying wrap-up to 2020, and a New Year filled with continued coping mechanisms, growth opportunities, and the ability to differentiate between the things we can control and the things we can't.  Oh, and love, Love, and MORE LOVE... <3

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/22VpETOxXclALhwENUkmVZ?si=4aQKyzGBS-i_tZJ9T5CRuw

[I joined Spotify years ago, but this is my first time making a Playlist via their service.  I signed up for a three-month Premium trial (meaning ad-free) but not sure if that will translate for your listening pleasure through my link.  If there are commercials, I apologize.  Hoping you have this service already; if not, the tracklist is below so you can find the songs on YouTube or elsewhere.]

1.   Just Because It’s Christmas ~ Skiffle and the Piffles
2.   Christmas Eve Can Kill You ~ Everly Brothers
3.   Christmas in a Chinese Restaurant ~ Diamond Rugs
4.   Christmas Day (Time to Let You Go) ~ Russell
5.   It Doesn’t Feel Like Christmas ~ Sam Phillips
6.   Merry Christmas Anyway ~ Scotland Barr and the Slow Drags
7.   Christmas Morning ~ Lyle Lovett
8.   Like the Snow ~ Kristin Andreassen
9.   Listening to Otis Redding at Home During Christmas ~ Okkervil River
10.  Angel Hair ~ Sam Baker
11.  A Holiday Song ~ Lisa Loeb
12.  So Much Wine ~ The Handsome Family
13.  Still Drunk, Still Crazy, Still Silent Night ~ Scott H. Biram
14.  Merry Xmas (Thanks for the Roses) ~ Winterbloom (featuring Antje Duvekot)
15.  Christmas Eve, Driving Home ~ Frontier Ruckus
16.  Carry Me Home ~ Hey Rosetta!
17.  All I Ever Get for Christmas is Blue ~ Over the Rhine
18.  Let Me Sleep (Christmas Time) ~ Pearl Jam
19.  That Was the Worst Christmas Ever! ~ Sufjan Stevens

NR:  Anxious People by Fredrik Backman (sooooo good!)

SONG:  That Was the Worst Christmas Ever! by Sufjan Stevens (worth the 5-minute story/introduction!).

BOOK:  Grumpy Cat's First Worst Christmas by Golden Books, Steph Laberis (Illustrator)

POEM:  Down in the Valley by Joshua Mehigan

It was her first time coming home from college.

She headed downtown for a drink or two.

Her girlfriend went home early. That was Christmas.

Now, under sapling pine trees in the clearing,

snowdrops are coming back to their old places.

They had been gone a lifetime. Now they stand,

poised like a choir on the verge of singing:

Nature is just. There’s nothing left to fear.

The worst thing that can happen happened here.

QUOTE:  "My worst Christmas ever was in 1987 when Santa brought me and my sister a dose of chicken-pox. And my worst present ever was a Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner! I don't like to sound ungrateful, but I do find vacuuming difficult to get excited about." ~ Sophia Di Martino