Musical Monday: CHRISTMAS MUSIC!

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday, where every American, no matter where they are, where they're from, what they believe, or what they look like can gather together in a spirit of goodwill and gratitude and eat wonderful food with family. I love the time spent gathering together, preparing the meal, and sharing stories (some for the first time some for the five-hundredth) over a meal together.

Thanksgiving also means that you can start listening to Christmas music!! Or at least start listening to it publicly =)

Unfortunately, while Christmas classics are wonderful, it can be way too easy to overload on the same 12 songs the radio plays ad nauseum in the next month or so, but that's why we have Musical Monday! (so we're not trapped by iHeartRadio's attempt to indoctrinate our tastes to a formulaic algorithm that makes it easier for them to make money off of artists)

Luckily, there's YouTube, Spotify and tons of other ways to create your own Christmas playlist. There are also independent media outlets like KEXP or RELEVANT Magazine that put out  Christmas music you can freely stream. RELEVANT even allows you to freely download the entire two-volume album of Christmas songs!

Check it out here:
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/the-drop/very-relevant-christmas-vol-5-part-one

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/the-drop/very-relevant-christmas-vol-5-part-two

This album is full of amazing new songs and wonderful reinterpretations of holiday standards. Volume one is a little more upbeat while volume two is a bit smoother and slower to allow for introspection. I've already downloaded and played these all several times and have some new favorites for Christmas seasons to come.

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Need even more Christmas music in your life? Check out this Christmas-themed Musical Monday from the ghost of Christmas Past

Foto Friday: Wreaths Across America

 soooo, it's been awhile... again. I can't say I've been to busy to post but rather too distracted and a little bit of ennui stuck again, especaially because I planned a rather intricate/long post that just never solidified.  But now I'm back. For how long? who knows!

Today's Foto Friday comes courtesy of Wreaths Across America, a volunteer organization that uses donations and volunteers to place a Christmas wreath at every grave marker (minus the Jewish ones demonimated with a star of David because we want to respect their religion aside: we should get little menorahs for them too) (I don't know if any Muslim graves were marked or how, but they likely got wreaths)) in Arlington Cemetery.  This year was the first year they accomplished this goal, on the 150th anniversary of Arlington Cemetary opening. 

I participated with my sisters and a sister's boyfriend, who is in the Air Force and who plays on a military softball team called NotForgotten honoring those KIA or MIA. There's a lot of cool history about the cemetery but I think the most powerful aspect about the cemetery is the imagery. There are SOOOO many grave markers it is humbling to think of the big picture and then to lay a wreath on an individual marker and think of their sacrifice was awe-inspiring, but what really brought it home was a visit to the most recent grave markers, where family members of the fallen decorating trees, markers and visiting with one another made the whole experience all too real. 

THANK YOU to every soldier who took the oath to defend our nation and constitution and no expression of gratitude can encompass the debt owed to those who lost their lives doing so.

Foto Friday: Walking (to Court) in a Winter Wonderland

So this past week we had some winter weather here in DC (and apparently in most of the country as well). On Monday I had a hearing in Alexandria Court. While Old Town Alexandria is normally picturesque, (and filled with incredible historic minutiae) with the snow & ice it looked magical!

I tried not to be too creeper and I avoided pictures of people's awesome indoor decor (cause that would've been too much). Here are a few shots from my journey to and from Court:

Blue Christmas: Thank God for Kids

Because it's Christmas. Because there are 27 people whose murders shocked the world.  Because many were beautiful innocent children.  Because they are near to my heart right now and should not be forgotten. Because, the darkness threatened to overshadow the light, but the Light has and will always conquer the darkness.

Because in the midst of asking how this could happen, we can all thank God for the gift of children everywhere, and for the joy and laughter and smiles of those kids in Newtown, Connecticut shared on this earth before they were taken from it.

Oak Ridge Boys: Thank God for Kids

If it weren't for kids have you ever thought
There wouldn't be no Santa Claus
Or look what the stork just brought
Thank God for kids

And we'd all live in a quiet house
With out Big Bird or Mickey Mouse
And kool aid on the couch
Thank God for kids

Thank God for kids, there's magic for a while
A special kind of sunshine in a smile
Do you ever stop to think or wonder why
The nearest thing to heaven is a child

Daddy, how does this thing fly?
And a hundred other where's and whys
I really don't know but I try
Thank God for kids

And when I look down in those trusting eyes
That look to me, I realize
There's a love that I can't buy
Thank God for kids

Thank God for kids, there's magic for a while
A special kind of sunshine in a smile
Do you ever stop to think or wonder why
The nearest thing to heaven is a child

And when you get down on your knees tonight
Thank the Lord for His guiding light
And pray they turn out right
Thank God for kids

Thank God for kids.

Musical Monday: Christmas Unicorns!

So today's blog is brought to you by Christmas non-human entities =). We have Christmas Unicorns, Christmas Ghosts, Christmas Hippos, and of course that magical snowman who lives on the edge!

Sufjan Stevens: Christmas Unicorn

A song about how we're all uniquely outcasts, and don't quite feel we deserve Christmas in our own ways, but that's why Christmas happened and happens every year! Even if you're wary of artsy, indie, angsty music, it is totally worth getting through the first 5-6 minutes to the slow build to a dance-tastic, "It's alright, I love you" filled joyful groove (the beat finally drops about 6:30). I love how Sufjan is constantly changing and experimenting with his sounds and so evolves as an artist with each song. I would've LOVED to have seen his latest tour but he was in DC over Thanksgiving & I couldn't convince Grandma to go =)

A Muppet Christmas Carol: It Feels Like Christmas

So i pretended to be a celebrity and totally live-tweeted my first (of many) viewing of the movie this year, that's how much I love it! The message of this song is so wonderful to: "in all the ways that you show love it feels like Christmas... the message if you hear it, is make it last all year!"

Gayla Peevey: I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas

I LOVED this song growing up because imagining a Hippo standing next to a Christmas tree is just too hilarious! Just picture it: a real live, aggressively irate (hippos are not Chill Charlies, like they want you to believe) hippo standing with a giant bow on its head or around it's stomach, too funny!

Bing Crosby: Frosty the Snowman

And it's just not Christmas without good old Frosty the snowman. A reminder that life is short so why not enjoy it and have fun (although I'd draw the line before provoking a traffic cop, but then again I'm not quite as bold as an animated snowman)

What are some of your favorite songs of the season? I'd love to know in the comments section!

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