Hey Jude

Hey Jude, don't make it bad…

Today is Julian Lennon’s birthday. He turned 50. 5-0 years old! Wow!

I'm blessed with relatively young parents, in their early 70s. They got married right out of high school and I was born a year later. When I was three, my sister came along. They were kids with kids.

This kind of looks like my dad's hot-rod...the family car!

We’d cruise the drive-ins, windows down, radio blasting and the two of us, my little sister and I, feeling so important, sat in the back seat. Sometimes we’d hear country music and sometimes something more exciting, like the Beatles. We’d sing, “She Loves Me, Ya Ya Ya” or "I Want to Hold Your Hand", loud as we could until dad changed the channel.

It seems like it was just the other day. And now I hear Julian Lennon’s been around for half a century. I wonder where the time has gone. I turn on the oldies channel to hear the Beatles. Occasionally their songs are too old for even them! If they aren’t found I’ll put in a CD. I’ll sing along, loud as I can, and nobody changes the channel. And I think about the two little girls, singing off key, in the back seat.

Take a sad song and make it better…

Except for the clasp, I’m finished with the kumihimo cord for my pendant. The pendant came from Anthelion Jewlery and is beautiful!

Waiting on the clasp to finish this necklace.

I’m either going to have to figure something out with end caps, which is suitable, or wait for the clasps to come in. Oh the decisions…

Remember to let her into your heart,
Then you can start to make it better.

This is the Day...

This is the day,  

That the Lord has made.  

I will rejoice and be glad in it ...   

I know you’ve heard before that kids say the darndest things. Well, my kids are no different. In fact, most times I thought they were extremely clever! (It’s possible there could be a bias involved!)

When we first moved to this small town in West Texas, it was a temporary move. That was almost 32 years ago. My daughter was born in the hospital here but the boys were born in a small town about 90 miles away. They weren't delivering babies here at that time and my doctor had moved so I followed him. When Bryce was born my doctor asked my husband how he did that. He meant how we had a boy as he had three girls. Or maybe he was talking about Bryce being born, uh, peeing!

My daughter talked at an early age. She spoke very clearly as well, which sometimes wasn’t a good thing! A doctor once asked me if she was vaccinated with a phonograph needle! Therefore, Bryce didn’t talk. Or maybe it was he didn’t have to (or get to) talk because she was busy enough for the both of them! He did communicate verbally eventually and has proceeded to voice his opinion and speak his mind ever since!

When we moved outside the ‘city’ limits, about three miles, we had some wonderful neighbors named Joyce and Kenneth. Kenneth was a big man, loud and even a bit intimidating if you didn’t know him. I would never have wanted to cross him but he was really a teddy bear inside, especially where the kids were concerned. Joyce is one of the most creative people I know. She’s a true artist and a genuinely sweet person, inside and out.

Kenneth was my husband’s best friend. He was really the age of my parents, so he could have been Alan’s dad, but it didn’t matter; they clicked, from the start. They were a big part of our lives for many years.

One day the kids and I were going somewhere. We used to sing silly songs, either with the radio or just on our own to pass the time. The kids were in the backseat, both strapped in. We sang several songs then they wanted to sing a song they learned at Sunday school. It was simple, and we started singing together. “This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it…” We kept singing when suddenly Bryce sang, “Rejoice… and Kenneth” in his little boy voice. It was incredibly sweet and hysterically funny!

Kenneth and Joyce moved to another house in town. The kids and I didn’t see them as much but Kenneth and Alan were still the best of friends. Kenneth passed away several years ago and there are still days that Alan is sad because he misses him so much. Mama Joyce lives in Midland now and we seldom see or hear from her. We need to make the time because we miss her too. In fact, one of the last times I saw her she was talking about Bryce’s sweet song, "Rejoice...and Kenneth!"

I will rejoice and be glad in it...

I got my present from my Secret Santa the other day. I was expecting it and when I looked inside it was a great surprise! She was generous and gave me yarn, notions, a book and candy! Here’s a picture.

I don’t know what I’ll make with the yarn yet, but I’ll come up with something! And speaking of yarn, I entered a contest and have won yarn THREE times! It's all from Sweden! It's very nice yarn and quite exciting (to me!)since my luck usually runs to the extreme opposite direction!

Looking forward to having the time off from work so I can relax and maybe get a little bit of what I want to do done.

This is the day,

I will rejoice and be glad in it…

I'll Have A Blue Christmas…

Without you…
I'll be so blue thinking about you…

I was born in Lubbock. When I was around 3 years old, the family moved to Albuquerque. That’s where I grew up. But we always went ‘back home’, as my parents said, for Christmas. It wasn’t until after I was grown and married that I spent a Christmas in Albuquerque.

Albuquerque is the largest city in New Mexico and probably at least half of the population of the state lives there. It’s a pretty place. The Sandia Mountains run along the east side of the city, and the Rio Grande River flows through the city, from north to south. The town was originally built in a traditional Spanish village pattern. There is a plaza, located centrally and surrounded by buildings. The buildings were mostly government, then, but now are shops. Then there are homes, and a church. This area has been restored and preserved and is open to the public. It is referred to as "Old Town." The church was constructed in 1793. The church is still open and has regular services for parishioners and visitors.

San Felipe de Neri Church--http://www.itsatrip.org

Every year there is a Luminaria Tour in that area of town. Luminarias are part of a southwestern tradition. They started around the 1500s, when bonfires were lit along roadways to light the way to midnight mass. They were lit to commemorate the journey of Mary and Joseph as they found their way to the stable. They celebrate the birth of Christ. In the 1800s, people discovered it was easier to use a small paper bag rather than start bonfires. And the luminaria as we know it was born.

Luminaria display--http://www.itsatrip.org

It’s easy to make a luminaria. It starts as a brown paper bag, a lunch sack size. The bag is folded down at the top. Then sand is put in to anchor the bag so it won’t blow around. It also holds a small candle that is placed inside the bag. The candles are lit and a peaceful glow emits through the bag. I’ve seen them now, stuck over Christmas lights or made of white sacks with colored bulbs. All are pretty, but nothing beats the beauty of the traditional luminaria.

Paper bag luminaria--http://hubpages.com

When you go on the tour you can walk or drive your car, or you can ride a bus. We chose to ride the bus because it’s the easiest and it’s fun because we could all be together. That Christmas we got tickets and headed out for the tour. All of the lights are off, and the bus travels around 5 or 10 miles per hour. It’s warm and fairly comfortable and enjoyable.

That night, we were all together on one bus. We had an energetic bus driver who started carol singing on the bus. That’s when the kids found out their dad is really a funny fellow. The other day I asked them if they remembered the time dad sang “Blue Christmas” on the luminaria tour. They did. I could tell you the story, but Bryce wrote out his memory for me. He did such a great job I’ll share.

“I was in my Beavis and Butthead phase (thought still in single-digit age, I think) when during an Albuquerque family Christmas, the family decided to get tickets to the Christmas lights/Luminaria tour through the city. This was something I'd wanted to see for most of my life to that point so I was very excited to go. But once we boarded the bus, I was disappointed. This was because I had to take a seat near the back where instead of being arranged in rows, the seats were arranged against the wall, looking out across the bus...like the rental-car shuttle van that most companies use at airports. Just like how kids want to sit as close to the television as possible, I wanted my face as close to the window as possible and it was uncomfortable to contort myself in those seats. Maybe I was older than single digits...maybe I'd already hit my 4th grade fat stage...either way, I wasn't comfortable.

The neighborhoods participating in the light tour are in different parts of town so to keep interest and spirits up while driving between locations, the tour guide on the bus led the whole bus in singing Christmas carols. Now, when you really think about it, there are only about 10 Christmas carols that the majority of the population knows by heart. We made it through the first verse of the old standards like "Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Jingle Bells" but the more intricate songs escaped us. On this bus, we couldn't finished "The 12 Days of Christmas" because things fell apart when the dancing ladies threw a laying geese at a leaping lord or something.

The silent night was getting longer and spirits were slumping when Elvis broke into the opening bars of "Blue Christmas" with excellent accompaniment on the harmony.

I'll have a Blue--do doo do doo--Christmas...

In keeping with the bus's established standards of songs, the first verse was the only one we enjoyed but it was met with thunderous applause. During the next stretch of silence, others in the bus were heard muttering, "I want to hear 'Blue Christmas' again" but there was no encore that night. Maybe soon the long-awaited reappearance of Elvis allow us to again entertain some holiday goers looking for a little bit of a boost to keep their spirits up.”

Yes, Alan belted out Blue Christmas. And he did a good job! I’m not sure how much the song boosted the other riders' spirits, but it was fun and a good memory. And I may or may not know who sang the harmony!

And when the blue—do doo do doo--snowflakes start falling,
That's when those blue memories start calling…

December is winding down and when it ends it will be the end of the third strip! It’s kind of weird because this strip seems to be shorter than the other ones. I really haven’t measured, but just looking at them or maybe the feel of this one in particular makes me think so. Day 261, December 17, I go ahead and go to work. They get out early and it always irks me to give a full day up while they only work a little over half, if that much. I’m antsy, though, and ready to get out of there. It’s like a ghost building anyway. There aren’t many people in at all. I chose a turquoise and gray wool that I used as the fat part on a scribble lace. Day 262, December 18, I wake up ready to go. I’m ambitious and thinking positive that I’ll get everything done before Friday. I choose a bright multi color fun fur. It’s all colors going everywhere. That’s how I’ll be until next week. It’s December 19, day 263. I got a lot done yesterday and I’m determined to get even more done today. I have a basket of yarn I used for Christmas scarves beside me and a red, green and white Christmas yarn keeps calling me! It reminds me that there’s just a few days to go. Day 264, December 20 and it’s another busy day. I hate the rush and crowds. I only had 364 days to think about this. But it’s just like it always is. But I’m going to make it. I choose blue ribbon I know because of the funny story I’m thinking. But it’s fitting too. It’s a blue ribbon for the prize of getting everything ready! I just don’t have anyone to give it to me! But I’m pretty sure I’m doing all right. You?

You'll be doing all rightWith your Christmas of white,
But I'll have a blue, blue Christmas...do doo do doo...

Here We Come A-Caroling...

Among the leaves so green!
Here we come a-wandering,
So fair to be seen!

One thing I really like about Christmas is the music. When I was still teaching I would get Christmas CDs and as soon as Thanksgiving vacation was over I started playing them in class. I had every kind, mostly the cheap ones you can get at WalMart and Target and the like. There were a few ‘quality’ ones and then there were even some mixes that were good. Western Auto used to (and maybe they still do, I don’t really know), have a Christmas CD mix every year. It was cheap, like $5.00, so I had many years.

At first the kids would gripe. The ‘cool’ kids especially were irritated. I didn’t cave in. By the end of the first week I would catch them singing or humming along. I’d never let on that I’d caught them but it always made me smile. Some would whistle under their breath without even knowing they were doing it. At that time of year we were usually deep into a final project so it wasn’t a disruption. Soon they were asking for specific CDs to be played. Occasionally I’d hear a song or a whistle in the hall. I wonder now if any of them remember.

I like the traditional carols because I can sing along. I like some of the new or specialty songs that have come out even though I don’t know the words. I don’t really care for some of the improvision that has come about with some of the songs. It especially irritates me for a classic Christmas song to have some new, funky timing or to have a lot of oh-oh-oh-oh’s thrown in where they don’t belong. I was talking to my friend Carlos and he called it vocal gymnastics. He knows a lot about music and studied it in college. He also sang in some pretty impressive local groups. He said it’s a lot harder to hold a pure tone for a long time then to add all of the warbling. That makes me think that maybe some of the newer singers aren’t all that good and they use the warbling to cover up what they can’t do. But I suppose I should just keep quiet since I can’t sing at all!

Have you ever watched people sing Christmas carols? It’s kind of funny. Most everyone knows the first verse. Some know parts of the second but some don’t know any of it. Throw in a third verse and everyone is either mouthing “watermelon” or humming! When the words aren’t known people either make something up or sing what they think they hear. I can sing “Feliz Navidad” along with Jose Feliciano. But after the third “Feliz Navidad”, it says “prospero ano ici ici da.” At least that’s what my mouth says. It blends in well enough but it’s not right.

Someone asked me the other day what my favorite Christmas song is. That’s hard because I like many. So I posted the question on Facebook, just to see what others thought. I’m really fond of “Hard Candy Christmas”, but lots of people wouldn’t even count that as a Christmas song. I tried to think of all my favorites. Between me and my Facebook friends, I came up with a list, but the titles are a little confusing. Can you figure out if your song is there?

 

• Enquiry Of Mutual Auditory Perception
• Personification Fabricated of Compressed Mounds of Minute Crystals
• Altitudinous Celestials Acclaim
• Bantam-Male Percussionist
• Nocturnal Noiselessness
• Array The Corridor
• May The Deity Bestow An Absence Of Fatigue To Mild Male Humans
• Query Regarding Identity Of Descendant
• Give Attention To The Melodious Celestial Beings
• Covert Observation Of Matriarch's Scandalous Osculation
• The Quadruped With The Vermillion Proboscis
• Commencement Of Yuletide Complexion
• Far Off In A Feeder
• Red Man En Route To Borough
• Planetary Jubilance
• Sprightly Venerable Benefactor

Did you find your favorite in my list? Sing it loud!

Love and joy come to you,
And to you glad Christmas too!

It’s getting towards the end of the 9th month of knitayear. I can’t believe I’m still doing it. I know a lot of people who started but gave up. They either got busy or maybe just bored. But I’m going to stick it out. It’s a challenge! And, I like it! It’s interesting to check back and see what I was thinking when I picked a certain color or yarn. Some, I remember exactly why it was the one I chose. Others, I have to look. Day 258, December 14, I’m a bit apprehensive. I have a training today and it could be very uncomfortable, depending on who I have to be around. It’s Cooperative Learning and it’s not that I’m not cooperative. I don’t like touchy/feely things and when it’s with someone I’m not comfortable around it’s torture. In fact, the more I thought about it the closer I came to opting out. But I didn’t and I ended up with a good team. I can’t say I played completely fair on some of the ‘random’ grouping we were required to do. I can dodge fairly well! I chose some red fuzzy yarn. It’s from my novelty yarn days. It’s good in Christmas scarves though! And it seemed to fit. Day 259, December 15, is the second day of the training. Today I was eager to get there. I had the same group as yesterday to start with so it started good then when we changed I ended up with another good group. We had fun with our activities and laughed so much I was afraid the trainer was going to come stand by us. Discipline by proximity! But she never did. It was a great workshop and I wish I’d had the opportunity while I was still in the classroom. But there are still a lot of things that I can use with what I do now. I chose a yarn that is green with a gold thread woven throughout. The gold if the bright spot the teams I was with provided! December 16, day 260 is a finish up day at work. I have some registration things to take care of, some forms to turn in, some arrangements to make and a whole lot of stuff to get up off the floor. I put some boxes on top of the shelf on the desk. All of it went there and it didn’t look as bad or take as long as I thought it would. Maybe, just maybe, when we go back I can clear out the boxes and put the stuff away and not have boxes in the floor! Wishful thinking…we don’t have enough room for the junk we have. Oh well. I was prepared to get it all done and I did. Hooray for me! I chose another novelty yarn, an off white fur with colored bobbles. It reminded me of Christmas ornaments. I’m trying to get in the spirit! The Christmas music will end, soon enough. I’ll miss it. Enjoy your favorites! Feliz Navidad!

And God bless you and send you, A Happy New Year,
And God send you a Happy New Year!