Show & Tell Tuesday: Christmas Playlist

So, I had a birthday on Saturday, and it was a darn good one.

I stayed in my pajamas all day long, and well into the next day. (Yes, I skipped church. No judging.) They were my really cute, Victoria Secret Fair Isle pajamas. And currently fit me a heck of a lot differently than when I first bought them, but that’s okay.

I lay on the couch in my pajamas with my dog, drank copious amounts of coffee and looked at the Christmas tree while my husband did the lion’s share of caring for our girls.

See–here I am. My dog really likes it when we twine up together on the couch. Man, I love that dog.

May I get up?

 

 I didn’t have to cook at all that day. Now, I realize that by writing this, it makes it sound like I cook a lot. But hey–putting ANY sort of food together is cooking, right? And I didn’t feel like doing it on my birthday. So we ordered out for lunch and dinner. And then I got to watch The Family Stone, which has become one of my personal Christmas classics movies. The casting alone in that movie is perfection. And the writing? Sigh. Just wonderful.

Moving on….

It was a pretty awesome birthday. A birthday, in fact, that I would’ve completely forgotten about if my husband hadn’t reminded me the day before.

Come the end of this week, things are going to get a little nuts in my world. We take off for Christmas travels to both sets of parents/grandparents, come home for a day or two, and then I fly to Vermont for my 11-day winter residency at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and my MFA in Writing program.

This is what I think about every time I pack for Vermont in the winter:

So, there may be no regular posts here for a bit, seeing as how the day after I return from Vermont I begin teaching again, and am back to work on my MFA. Plus, you know, the parenting of the children.

Basically, I ain’t makin’ no promises. (Imagine I just said that in the voice of Sam Elliott. Whom I love with all my heart and soul.)

Which comes to my first thing to share:



filmous.com

1.) The movie Prancer

Yes, this is the cheesy movie from 1989. But I swear to you: watch it again, look past the cheese, and your sweet little Christmas heart will swell to its rightful size. I promise. And listening to gorgeous Sam Elliot in his gorgeous gruff voice and that sexy moustache read “A Letter to Santa Claus” won’t hurt.

Here’s a taste (skip to 2:00 to hear him read the letter):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yma8WXTjhS8

I turned 12 years old in December of 1989, when Prancer came out. We rarely went to movies as a family, but when we did it was usually at Christmas time. I will never forget walking out of that movie theatre and into the dark parking lot, my family laughing and talking about the movie. I looked up into the night sky, and there was a huge silver white moon, clouds streaked across it. It was magic.

2.) New Apple Christmas commercial

Late last night, when I was sitting at my desk, my husband came rushing in with his laptop. “You have got to watch this,” he said, smiling. If this ad from Apple, called “Misunderstood,” doesn’t make you wipe your eyes or even sniffle, I’ll eat my Santa hat. (After we watched it, my husband he told me he wanted more kids.)

3.) My Christmas playlist

I love a good Christmas song. Over the years I’ve collected Christmas albums, including mixed CDs from friends and family. Here’s an eclectic list of my favorites this Christmas season:

1. Darlin’ (Christmas is Coming) ~ Over the Rhine
2. Santa Claus is Back in Town ~ Elvis
3. Ave Maria ~ Harry Connick, Jr.
4. All That I Want ~ The Weepies
5. Beautiful Star of Bethlehem ~ Emmylou Harris
6. Winter Song ~ Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson
7. Maybe Next Year ~ Meiko
8. All Alone on Christmas ~ Steven Van Zandt
9. Donde Esta Santa Claus? ~ Guster
10. Christmas All Over Again ~ Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
11. Joy to the World ~ Aretha Franklin & the Fame Freedom Choir
12. I Saw Three Ships ~ Sting
13. Somewhere in My Memory ~ John Williams
14. Song for a Winter’s Night ~ Sarah McLachlan
15. Auld Lang Syne ~ James Taylor

A very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!