Monday, December 21, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Ten Favorite Secular Christmas Songs
1. And So This is Christmas (War is Over) by John Lennon
2. Feed the World (Don't you love it too? It came out my senior year in high school)
3. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by U2
4. What Christmas Means to Me by Stevie Wonder
5. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, especially by Judy Garland
6. Carol of the Bells by the Bird and the Bee (a newish song that I adore)
7. The Nutcracker Suite by Duke Ellington
8. Anything Wynton Marsalis Puts Out that is Christmasy
9. I'll Be Home for Christmas by Tony Bennett
10. Santa Please by Ella Fitzgerald *
*I teach, pro bono, for a non-profit preschool for low-income children. This is a cause very near and dear to my heart, and the children head to Kindergarten next year....with a wonderful, intensive preschool experience under their belts, that was FREE. Talk to me privately if you are interested in more information. One of the students is not as engaged and easy to love as the others, but he has become obsessed with Ella's version of this song. The teachers had him call my answering machine and sing it to me this week. I can't really comment except to say if someone knows how to preserve this somehow...FOREVER....I would want to know how to do that.
P.S. Lots of my favorite religious songs are sung by popular musicians - but I didn't list those. Do check out Gladys Night & the Pips RIDUNCULOUS version of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" and of course Sufjan Stevens' Christmas music is pretty much unparalleled. I like Sarah McLachlan's version of "Silent Night" a lot - I guess it was inspired by Sinéad O'Connor, but it somehow transcends The Bald One. "Greensleeves" is perhaps secular, and Vince Guaraldi's version is lovely...but it could be called "What Child Is This?". And my erstwhile favorite band Pedro the Lion has a sweet "I Heard the Bells" out there...they are a closet Christian band, like Sufjan.
2. Feed the World (Don't you love it too? It came out my senior year in high school)
3. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by U2
4. What Christmas Means to Me by Stevie Wonder
5. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, especially by Judy Garland
6. Carol of the Bells by the Bird and the Bee (a newish song that I adore)
7. The Nutcracker Suite by Duke Ellington
8. Anything Wynton Marsalis Puts Out that is Christmasy
9. I'll Be Home for Christmas by Tony Bennett
10. Santa Please by Ella Fitzgerald *
*I teach, pro bono, for a non-profit preschool for low-income children. This is a cause very near and dear to my heart, and the children head to Kindergarten next year....with a wonderful, intensive preschool experience under their belts, that was FREE. Talk to me privately if you are interested in more information. One of the students is not as engaged and easy to love as the others, but he has become obsessed with Ella's version of this song. The teachers had him call my answering machine and sing it to me this week. I can't really comment except to say if someone knows how to preserve this somehow...FOREVER....I would want to know how to do that.
P.S. Lots of my favorite religious songs are sung by popular musicians - but I didn't list those. Do check out Gladys Night & the Pips RIDUNCULOUS version of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" and of course Sufjan Stevens' Christmas music is pretty much unparalleled. I like Sarah McLachlan's version of "Silent Night" a lot - I guess it was inspired by Sinéad O'Connor, but it somehow transcends The Bald One. "Greensleeves" is perhaps secular, and Vince Guaraldi's version is lovely...but it could be called "What Child Is This?". And my erstwhile favorite band Pedro the Lion has a sweet "I Heard the Bells" out there...they are a closet Christian band, like Sufjan.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Ten Favorite Carols
I really don't have time to do this, but I want to stay seasonally connected to you, the Internet. Maybe tomorrow I'll do my favorite secular tunes....especially if we have a much-touted snow event!!!!
1. Lo, How a Rose Ere Blooming
2. The Coventry Carol
3. Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella
4. While Shepherds Watched
5. The Angel Gabriel
6. Away in a Manger (KIRKPATRICK melody)
7. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
8. I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In
9. Gesu Bambino
10. Angels from the Realms of Glory
1. Lo, How a Rose Ere Blooming
2. The Coventry Carol
3. Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella
4. While Shepherds Watched
5. The Angel Gabriel
6. Away in a Manger (KIRKPATRICK melody)
7. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
8. I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In
9. Gesu Bambino
10. Angels from the Realms of Glory
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Online & On Fire
Mad Men Illustrated Flickr set - c'est magnifique!
An anti-mommy blogger web site - quel damage!
A highly recommended gardening web site - c'est géniale!
Belle du Jour is no longer anonymous! I hope to find time to read the details after the holidays - mystérieux!
I got invited to Google Wave! Who else? C'est bon!
An anti-mommy blogger web site - quel damage!
A highly recommended gardening web site - c'est géniale!
Belle du Jour is no longer anonymous! I hope to find time to read the details after the holidays - mystérieux!
I got invited to Google Wave! Who else? C'est bon!
Friday, December 04, 2009
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Gone Away Is the Bluebird
Things I love right now are:
Our Advent calendars - three of them - one a magnet on the fridge, one a Westminster Abbey cutout from our London peeps, and one of the classic chocolate calendars with a coloring page on back. The children are sharing nicely.
Method holiday soaps. Just the right colors and festive smells.
Also, Mrs. Meyers Clean Day holiday scent - on sale at you-know-where this week.
Wynton Marsalis' new Christmas album. His first one has been a household staple here for lo these many moons. We met him on our first anniversary, you know.
White fudge-covered Oreos. I was able to withstand temptation for the last three or four years but with the war and the economy and Tiger Woods and everything, a girl's got to have some treats. Also on sale at my home away from home.
Our Advent calendars - three of them - one a magnet on the fridge, one a Westminster Abbey cutout from our London peeps, and one of the classic chocolate calendars with a coloring page on back. The children are sharing nicely.
Method holiday soaps. Just the right colors and festive smells.
Also, Mrs. Meyers Clean Day holiday scent - on sale at you-know-where this week.
Wynton Marsalis' new Christmas album. His first one has been a household staple here for lo these many moons. We met him on our first anniversary, you know.
White fudge-covered Oreos. I was able to withstand temptation for the last three or four years but with the war and the economy and Tiger Woods and everything, a girl's got to have some treats. Also on sale at my home away from home.
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