Can you tell he wanted to get me a rack for the top of my car?
Brent is also pretty good holiday company, we spent last night eating and watching old episodes of the Simpon's. It was exactly how I like to spend New Year's Eve.
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Best Escalade Ever
I've probably mentioned this before, but Brent is a really good gifter, even when giving cash.
Can you tell he wanted to get me a rack for the top of my car?
Brent is also pretty good holiday company, we spent last night eating and watching old episodes of the Simpon's. It was exactly how I like to spend New Year's Eve.
Can you tell he wanted to get me a rack for the top of my car?
Brent is also pretty good holiday company, we spent last night eating and watching old episodes of the Simpon's. It was exactly how I like to spend New Year's Eve.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
The Most Important Christmas Music
I am not afraid to admit that my Christmas music tastes have not evolved much since 1999. The most important Christmas albums to me are the one's my dad had us listen to while we were doing all the traditional holiday things (setting up the tree, ripping open presents, eating silver dollar pancakes...). The second most important album is the Hanson album I bought with the funds used to set up my savings account, because that's what I was really saving for. It should be obvious I have intense feelings about such, so I will share my favorite Christmas songs, in order of awesomeness, with great excitement and exaggeration.
1. THIS IS THE BEST CHRISTMAS SONG EVER AND DON'T YOU DARE DISAGREE WITH ME!!!
I have fond memories of trying to blast to play this song as loudly as possible in my projection booth, in that past life I had the movie theatre. Oh, it's amazing to listen to every time. And I recommend watching the video simply for the kittens. Kittens.
2. I don't know if I've ever mentioned my intense love of Hanson as a teenager. I know, a they had that long hair, and their music was really poppy.... That's why I love them! At the height of their awesome-ness, they released a Christmas album that is altogether amazing, here's a sweet selection from a TV special that I totally tuned into in 1997:
Oh, that hair. Love it so much! In the course of searching for videos I found this adorable song about a Christmas sweater Hanson did more recently: http://youtu.be/C8QqWYwwioQ
3. Andy Williams sang the best versions of Christmas songs ever! I get a little sad listening to them now though, because he died this year. Fortunately, his recordings live on.
It wasn't until today that I realized I like the singing/smiling/no-microphone way of delivering songs.
4. It's difficult to decide whether I like Manheim Steamroller or GRP more. I'm going to list GRP first, because their album is hardest to find, thus, more worthwhile to share here. I'm not a jazz fan, but this whole album just speaks to me.
The video I chose is probably the cheesiest on there (but watch it, there's a shadow and snow dancing segment that is amazing), but I definitely recommend looking through the rest of the playlist here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxX4bntdCXE&feature=share&list=PL5DC6145345724C65.
And if you ever find a digital version of Szaksci playing "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" let me know (the CD the listen to is scratched for the intro to that song and it's amazing!).
5. Finally, Manheim Steamroller. Because what would Christmas be without them?
I couldn't find a video of this song that made much sense (but there was an awesome YouTube effort composed almost entirely of pictures of Air Supply). But GrooveShark is pretty cool.
So there's a hefty dose of Christmas cheer for you.
1. THIS IS THE BEST CHRISTMAS SONG EVER AND DON'T YOU DARE DISAGREE WITH ME!!!
2. I don't know if I've ever mentioned my intense love of Hanson as a teenager. I know, a they had that long hair, and their music was really poppy.... That's why I love them! At the height of their awesome-ness, they released a Christmas album that is altogether amazing, here's a sweet selection from a TV special that I totally tuned into in 1997:
Oh, that hair. Love it so much! In the course of searching for videos I found this adorable song about a Christmas sweater Hanson did more recently: http://youtu.be/C8QqWYwwioQ
3. Andy Williams sang the best versions of Christmas songs ever! I get a little sad listening to them now though, because he died this year. Fortunately, his recordings live on.
4. It's difficult to decide whether I like Manheim Steamroller or GRP more. I'm going to list GRP first, because their album is hardest to find, thus, more worthwhile to share here. I'm not a jazz fan, but this whole album just speaks to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxX4bntdCXE&feature=share&list=PL5DC6145345724C65.
And if you ever find a digital version of Szaksci playing "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" let me know (the CD the listen to is scratched for the intro to that song and it's amazing!).
5. Finally, Manheim Steamroller. Because what would Christmas be without them?
I couldn't find a video of this song that made much sense (but there was an awesome YouTube effort composed almost entirely of pictures of Air Supply). But GrooveShark is pretty cool.
So there's a hefty dose of Christmas cheer for you.
Love.
WARNING: Much sappiness here.
I've spent much of the last few days ruminating over the violence we can do with our words, and the violence people actually carry out against one another, and that's been kind of depressing. However, I can't look around my apartment/office without seeing signs of all the love in my life, and that's awesome! There are even more signs of this because it's Christmas time. Every morning I turn on my computer and Christmas lights at the same time, and I think that has been the key to my productivity lately. Just look at the happy stuff I can find on my tree:
This is probably my favorite ornament ever. Every year my parents give me a bear-themed ornament. I've got lots of polar bear ornaments, as well as some black bears, stuffed bears, wooden bears and crystal bears. But this painted ceramic bear has long been my favorite. It's difficult to pin down why, I think it might go back to fond memories of decorating my parents house during the holidays and getting so excited to pull out the ceramics my mom had painted. I love the way they look and sound and feel. Especially the nativity set, I sure hope that's still around somewhere. This ornament seems to represent all my happy Christmas memories.
I love this ornament, too. It's something my grandparents got from Israel, that's really the only detail I know about it. More importantly, it reminds me of my grandparents and how they loved me. In fact, whenever someone calls me Rebekah, rather than Becka, I think of my Grandma Fisher. Usually about how she would prefer me to have bangs and go by my full given name, but I can see that those desires come from a place of love. As time passes, my dad's parents died when I was 8 and my mom's mom died when I was 15, it seems easier and more important to look back on all the time they shared with us and see how much they shared their love for me and my family.
I know, picture of a picture in a frame. But, this particular picture, especially in its place on my wall, brings me exceptional joy. I just love these kids, they're so funny and affectionate (when they want to be). And this might have been the last time the three of them cooperated in a picture, but that makes me happy too.
Turn out, Brent is an excellent present-wrapper. In particular, he is gifted at incorporating electrical tape not only as an adhesive, but as gift-decoration. I usually don't save wrapping paper, but I had to pull this off a present he gave me because it just makes me so happy every time I look at it. So happy, in fact, that I've taped it to my living room wall so I can be happy all the time.
No picture here, because it's really hard to take pictures of birds through windows....
I really am psyched that it snowed. I've spent the last few weeks wondering if my decision to buy a ski pass this season would prove a bad idea. But the local resort will actually be opening this week and snow makes everything better (except driving, which Phyllis the Forester can handle just fine). Also, whenever there is a storm, black-capped chickadees and dark-eyed juncos visit my bird feeders, and I dare anyone to watch a chickadee feed in their front yard and not smile.
So that's it, I live a happy, sappy life. Complete with camera and blog.
I've spent much of the last few days ruminating over the violence we can do with our words, and the violence people actually carry out against one another, and that's been kind of depressing. However, I can't look around my apartment/office without seeing signs of all the love in my life, and that's awesome! There are even more signs of this because it's Christmas time. Every morning I turn on my computer and Christmas lights at the same time, and I think that has been the key to my productivity lately. Just look at the happy stuff I can find on my tree:
This is probably my favorite ornament ever. Every year my parents give me a bear-themed ornament. I've got lots of polar bear ornaments, as well as some black bears, stuffed bears, wooden bears and crystal bears. But this painted ceramic bear has long been my favorite. It's difficult to pin down why, I think it might go back to fond memories of decorating my parents house during the holidays and getting so excited to pull out the ceramics my mom had painted. I love the way they look and sound and feel. Especially the nativity set, I sure hope that's still around somewhere. This ornament seems to represent all my happy Christmas memories.
I love this ornament, too. It's something my grandparents got from Israel, that's really the only detail I know about it. More importantly, it reminds me of my grandparents and how they loved me. In fact, whenever someone calls me Rebekah, rather than Becka, I think of my Grandma Fisher. Usually about how she would prefer me to have bangs and go by my full given name, but I can see that those desires come from a place of love. As time passes, my dad's parents died when I was 8 and my mom's mom died when I was 15, it seems easier and more important to look back on all the time they shared with us and see how much they shared their love for me and my family.
I know, picture of a picture in a frame. But, this particular picture, especially in its place on my wall, brings me exceptional joy. I just love these kids, they're so funny and affectionate (when they want to be). And this might have been the last time the three of them cooperated in a picture, but that makes me happy too.
Turn out, Brent is an excellent present-wrapper. In particular, he is gifted at incorporating electrical tape not only as an adhesive, but as gift-decoration. I usually don't save wrapping paper, but I had to pull this off a present he gave me because it just makes me so happy every time I look at it. So happy, in fact, that I've taped it to my living room wall so I can be happy all the time.
No picture here, because it's really hard to take pictures of birds through windows....
I really am psyched that it snowed. I've spent the last few weeks wondering if my decision to buy a ski pass this season would prove a bad idea. But the local resort will actually be opening this week and snow makes everything better (except driving, which Phyllis the Forester can handle just fine). Also, whenever there is a storm, black-capped chickadees and dark-eyed juncos visit my bird feeders, and I dare anyone to watch a chickadee feed in their front yard and not smile.
So that's it, I live a happy, sappy life. Complete with camera and blog.
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