Angels Among Us

Let me share a memory that not a lot of people are aware of.

Newly divorced and living in a new town with no friends, I celebrated my first holiday with just my darling boy and me. I wasn't working. I was a broke-ass college student. I was depressed and not looking forward to Christmas. There was no tree. I had put up a few decorations, but there was absolutely no gifts. I felt like a shitty canine mom.

I'm never one to ask for anything because I'm a big believer in only taking what I earn. However, I was a member of a Facebook group and I asked for prayers, positive energy, and good vibes. What ended up happening showed me more love than I can express. This group of people from around the world came together to make Diesel's Christmas a special one. He got presents from around the world. He got a new dog bed, toys galore, a new leather collar, treats, and so much love.

What's funny is that we haven't been the only recipients of the generosity. So many people have been blessed. Even this year, I got a message from a friend who asked if there was anything we needed. I told her that I didn't, but she still sent us gifts. The love continues to grow and I am blessed to be in the presence of angels. My sincerest wish is that someday I will be able to pay all of these blessings forward.

Today's first choice is sort of an obvious choice:

This song always brings a tear to my eye. The message is so deep and profound. Not all angels have wings that are visible. Oftentimes, we are entertaining angels unaware.

And my second choice is this one:

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

There are few times that you could find me scheduling my evening around a tv. Christmas was one of those times. Charlie Brown and the gang, Rudolph, the Heat Meiser, Santa Claus, Jack Frost...you name a holiday special and you would find my butt planted in front of the television screen.

To this day, Rudolph is one of my favorites. Santa Claus is Coming to Town is another and we can't forget A Year Without a Santa Claus.

Rudolph was a misfit, just like me. With his red nose, he stuck out and made me feel like I wasn't so alone in this world. And when he went to the Island of Misfit Toys...OH! MY! GOD! I wanted to take a blanket and build a fort there with misfit toys. When you throw in Yukon Cornelius and Herbie, well, those are my people!

So, today's first choice is an obvious choice:

I always loved how Clarice accepted Rudolph and wondered if I would ever find the one who would accept me being a misfit. Yes, even back in the day, I was a romantic at heart.

Here's my second choice because I can't stop singing this one:

The Spirit of Christmas

Can I tell you how much fun I'm having with this? I'm wondering who is enjoying it more, my mom or me. Every new post triggers a new memory for both of us. And every new memory leads to a new post. So here we go for today:

If you've been reading along, then you know that I am over the commercialism of the holidays. I'm very glad to not have television so I miss out on the holiday bombardment of advertisements. But once upon a time, I knew a man who embodied the very spirit of the Christmas season. He was a truck driver my parents had befriended. He was the sweetest of people. We had spent weekends with his family and went to his daughter's wedding. A very generous family. How this whole thing started I can't remember, but I do remember the way this man would don a Santa suit and provide a holiday for children who wouldn't have had one otherwise. There was a meal and presents, a visit with Santa, and box of food to take home so these families could have their own holiday meals.

The very first year, we delivered boxes of food to families via an RV. The next year, it grew and grew. My mom was baking cookies for this man and his brother to sell on their route. They took the money and funded part of the celebration. They added donations from the boss and others as well as putting in their personal financial contributions. It was amazing!

As a kid who didn't come from a wealthy family, the generosity shown was how the spirit of Christmas was represented. Sure, this man wasn't the "real" Santa, but in my book, it was as close as you can get. And the heart of this man was touched each and every year...enough so that he would excuse himself, take off his Santa beard, and have a bit of a cry. He knew he was making a difference, I just don't think he realized how much of one until he was in that moment and he made a child's  (or a parent's) holiday.

This man kept the spirit of Christmas alive for a young woman who wasn't sure about believing in the miracle of Christmas after a certain age.

And this is how I came to this addition for today:

This is one song we used to sing every year at the Christmas sing. We would wind up the evening with this one:

Cabbage Patch Christmas

It was the Christmas where Cabbage Patch dolls were the "must have" toys. Like any little girl, I wanted one. As I'm sure you've figured out, my family wasn't financially well off. I knew the likelihood of me getting one wasn't good, but a little girl could hope. My mom was one who loved attending craft fairs (still does) and often made things to add to the table her ladies group had. This particular year, she found a doll for her little girl. She resembled the popular brand, but had a cloth face with her facial features painted on. She had blond yarn hair with pink ribbons. She had brown eyes and an outie belly button. Her dress was white with pink rosebuds and she wore white bloomers. She was perfect and I loved her. My best friend got a Cabbage Patch doll. I remember thinking that I had gotten the best gift because there was no other doll exactly like mine. I did that a lot...feeling sorry for my friends who didn't get homemade gifts. (Did I mention that I was an odd duck?)

Here is my first choice for today's musical collection:

I've always had a special affinity for winter. I love how the snow covers the world in this perfectly clean blanket and makes everything look so pristine. The light bounces off each individual snowflake, making beautiful rainbows in the snow. 

My second choice is this one:

For me, there is nothing like getting snowed in with the person you love. There's playing in the snow, homemade hot cocoa, snuggling up in warm jammies under the blankets, reading books, flickering candlelight, long talks...you see my point. I love the romance of the winter season!

Small Town Christmas

I'm from a small town called Marshall. It used to be a quiet little town with the pharmacy which still had their soda counter (no longer in use), the bakery with the most scrumptious goodies, the banks where the tellers knew you, the Five and Dime store, and you would stop to talk to everyone as you walked from shop to shop.

This is what my hometown looks like during the holidays:

I could lie and tell you that this is the Norman Rockwell version, but I won't. I have to admit that this is probably one of my favorite places to be when it comes to the holidays. This is home and nothing can compare. 

I've hung out on this street on Friday and Saturday nights. I've shopped these stores. I've walked this street in parades and for my high school graduation. However, nothing beats Marshall during the holidays!

In light of this feeling of nostalgia, I'm going to share two Christmas songs that make me think of home.

This video is a win/win for me. Not only do I love this song, but it has Bob Hope in it. He was one of my grandma's favorite people. Many a night was spent on her lap, watching this man and the television specials he used to have.

My second choice is this one: 

For me, there was nothing like walking down Main Street and watching all the windows come to life with snow, winter scenes, Christmas trees, ribbons, and bows. It seemed like the season arrived once the windows began to show their holiday spirit.

I hope you enjoyed my choices for today!

Memories

I made one post about Christmas memories and my mom reminded me of another. One holiday season, we couldn't afford to buy Christmas cards. My mom decided to harness her children's talents (my brother could draw very well). He drew the pictures for the front of our construction paper cards while I wrote the verses for inside. I didn't realize how poor we were. I just thought it was another thing Mom wanted to try. The thing I remember about that holiday was the comments everybody made about what an incredible card they received from our family.

This is my first song choice for today:

I remember singing this in church during my first Christmas program. I was in kindergarten. We certainly didn't sound like the video, but we stood in front of the church and sang. Made our parents proud. I think :)

This is my second choice: 

Once again, we didn't sound nearly as good as this, but I remember singing this in the choir. Mrs. Riccinto was my choir director and she had to explain to us how to sing the "Excelsis" part since none of us knew Latin. We had a huge piece to sing in the Christmas program and the Excelsis part was throwing us all off. She told us to sing it as 'eggshells". To this day, I chuckle whenever I hear this song.

I hope you enjoy my choices today!

Musical Memories

If you've been following me for any length of period, you know that music has always been a big part of my life. And you're also aware that the holidays aren't necessarily my favorite times of the year. However, I promised to let you a little further into my world by showing you the holiday music that means a lot to me.

This song used to play on the local radio station when I was a kid. I remember thinking how silly it was to want Santa to deliver a hippo. Eventually, the radio station stopped playing it. I hadn't heard it in years until I was sitting at a gas station in Pennsylvania, waiting on my then-husband. This song came on and I was all smiles when my childhood made a brief reappearance.

Yes, I'm a little silly. I'm also very wicked and dark. This next song is the perfect example of that. This is a song that was on a CD my then-husband had. I remember him getting the CD and playing me some of the songs. This one stuck out because it made me laugh. Yes, the hysterical belly laugh which shows the twisted sense of humor that resides inside of my cold black heart.

This is the beginning of a fun couple of weeks as I bring you some of the favorite music of the holiday season...at least, in my world. You'll see the silly, the dark and twisted, the serious, the tear-jerkers, and the love that filled my life.

I hope you enjoy the journey I am going to take you on! Hang on and enjoy the ride!