Happy New Year

There are certain experiences that should not be missed. These aren't the climbing Everest type, just human places to be a certain times. A couple of them involve the New Year. If at all possible, find a group of real Scots, at least one of whom should be a dark haired man as you will need him after 12:01 a.m.  I have a few that I wouldn't slam the door if they came calling in the wee hours, particularly if they were carrying really good scotch.  I'll light the fire and hang on to the coal for later as any of these guys could start a fire without help.

Now Scots are modern people.  They wear jeans not kilts except for special occasions, don't play bagpipes daily and know how to use ATMs. On New Year's Eve they dig back into their past of the last 500 years and invest something special into the event. In modern day Scotland the street parties in Edinburgh or Glasgow are a sight to behold. In the small towns, the bonfires burn to bring back the sun.

In all of the places wherever they gather around the world, at midnight you cross your hands across your body and form a circle, and you sing only one song (all of it).   Each person in the circle represents all who can't be there except in memory and the circle circles the world with each ticking of the clock and time zone.  Even though it is Burn's version that is sung, he said that he was only recording a folk song that streched way back in time. It is a song that looks backward to childhood and forward to old age. It is a wistful melody for things lost and things gained. A loose translation is provided after each verse.

Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

Translation:  Should past acquaintances and times now gone be forgotten and never thought of again?

And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp,
And surely I'll be mine,
And we'll tak a cup o kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

Translation:  You will have a drink and I will have one.  Together we will toast those times remembered.

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine,
But we've wander'd monie a weary fit,
Sin auld lang syne.

Translation:  In the past we ran around the hills and picked the daisies but since then we have traveled far apart

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn
Frae morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin auld lang syne.

Translation:  In the past we went boating from dawn until evening but wide oceans separate us now.

And there's a hand my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o thine,
And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.

Translation:  So here's my hand my trusted friend and give me your hand.  We will take a drink together to salute those still remembered times.

Once the New Year turns, the dark man bearing gifts of survival is welcomed at the door. It is considered fortunate if your first visitor on the 1st January is a tall dark stranger, armed with a lump of coal and a bottle of whisky. To this can be added the options of salt, shortbread and/or a black bun. That he should be dark is said to hark back to when a blond arrival might be a Viking, not always with the best of intentions towards home and family.

If my selection of dark haired callers after midnight don't suit you, feel free to suggest a few of your own. 

A Mimi Memory

Queen Mimi of Bloggingham Castle is on a vacation in Never Never Land.  To emphasize this excursion, she posted the picture below.  Little did her majesty know that this would stir up a very special memory.

For a whole variety of reasons, I rarely lived with my mother.  When it happened, it was always an adventure when something magic might happen.  1955 was one of those years.  My birthday is March 2 and the live version of Peter Pan was to be shown on NBC in color in March.  Unfortunately, while I was looking forward to seeing the musical, all we had was a tiny black and white TV. An hour before the show, mom dashed in saying we had to go shopping.  Despite wails of protest over missing the show, she dragged me off saying it was the only time she had to buy clothes with me for a belated birthday, but we had to stop for an appointment first.

Something struck me as weird when we dashed into a furniture store, but she told me to sit in a lounge chair and wait and she walked off leaving me sulking over missing the musical ... that is until a man came over and turned on the TV in front of where only one child was sitting just in time for the first full color, live television broadcast of Peter Pan.

Unfortunately, no color copy of the 1955 or 1956 broadcast exists, but there is a copy of the 1960 version with a slightly different cast of what I saw that evening.  Lucky for you, 50 years later thanks to modern technology, you can get that version on DVD or watch on You Tube or just sit back in your chair now and imagine you are seeing a live musical in full color for the first time with the great Mary Martin as Peter and Cyril Richard as Hook and you have a mother who knew how to make magic.

Holiday Update

Merry Christmas

5 On Friday - Stocking Stuffers

Going up early as there will be all sorts of goings on through the weekend. Besides, you might want to do some more last minute shopping after reading this. Travis of Trav's Thoughts has created this lovely meme so that we can all share music.  To join in, simply click on the link for rules and sign in so everyone can visit you.

This week I'm stuffing the Christmas Stockings with music you shouldn't miss.  Whether you are gifting with ITunes cards or actual CDs, these are good albums to pass along as well.

First up my newest acquisition:  The Union, Elton John and Leon Russell here with "If It Wasn't For Bad"



If you love musical theater and don't have the Memphis soundtrack, get ready to get up and dance to some Rock and Roll just as good as the original sound of the 1950s. It deserved to win the Tony for Best Musical, so do your ears a favor and if a road production comes near you, go see it. The story of the time period and civil rights involved are just as good as the music. Here is one of the gospel sounding numbers: Make Me Stornger. You Tube has cuts of all the songs in the show



The next one you will need to jump to the link as embedding is forbidden. It is Neil Young's new album "Le Noise" with a great acoustic guitar work on Love and War.

I just recently discovered Kid Rock while hunting for music after watching the Aid for Haiti concert. Better late than never.  As luck would have it, he has a new album: Born Free. Here is the title cut.



Just realized that I haven't mentioned the ladies. Here is Taylor Swift (another performer I'm just starting to explore having resisted American Idol for all of its seasons). The album "Speak Now" and the title song



And Just one more.  Robert Plant's latest album:  Band of Joy, here with "Angel Dance"



For genres that you like that I might have skipped over, here is Rolling Stone's 30 Best Albums of 2010

Happy Holidays From Our House To Yours

Snowbound Scotland

Pictures in the Snow

Courtesy of Scotty at Scotland Rampant here are some beautiful pictures that find Scots somewhat chilled.

The snow is falling heavily in this picture and kept on like that for a number of hours. It was that wet kind of snow that clings to branches and leaves - and is ideal for making a snowman!

At this stage I was taking photos from inside the house - I worked quickly as even opening the windows to avoid reflections created an icy blast inside!

The local squirrels must be getting puzzled by the way the snow arrives, departs and comes back again. Rather like the Transport Minister, they don't have any TV weather forecasters to give them prior warning...

There is a small hill nearby and local children and some parents were taking advantage of the snow to go sledging. Needless to say, local shops ran out of the plastic sledges very quickly.

I always feel sorry for the folk who live on this hill. It is a dead end and so doesn't get a lot of traffic to churn up the snow.

Queen's Meme - Boop Boop I Doop

Not quite sure what has gotten into her majesty.  She just may have been spending a little too much time by the holiday punch bowl.  Anyway, instead of the usual "staid?" Queen's Meme has been replaced by The Mimi Boop Meme.  So hop on over to Bloggingham to sign in but beware of high flying high heels ... there's a whole lot of boopy doopy going on.

1. I am good when I hunt for things.

Need something found, Call me! Some people Google, I am the Yo Yo Ma of the search engine.

2. I am naughty when


I procrastinate. Anything worth doing can wait until I get around to it.

3. The world would be a better place if people would


Deck the Halls with home made decorations instead of commercially bought stuff.  Don't just sit there, whittle another wood ornament for the tree!

4. Have you ever snuck into the living room in the middle of the night, unwrapped your gifts and wrapped them back just to see what was under the Christmas tree for you? Come on.....you can tell me.

 No, but a lot can be determined by shaking vigorously.

Sidenote: I've always wanted to know what really goes on in the Gingerbread House after dark. I've never seen any cookies come out of that place. Have you?

 Life expectancy of anything inside a Gingerbread House is sadly very limited.

5. Have you ever been stuck in a chimney?

No.  I did get stuck in a crawl through space in Pepper Sauce cave once.  Dark except for a flashlight is a wee bit discomforting when you are wedged between two rocks. 

6. Who would you like to stuff in a stocking and why?

I've pretty well said, "Get Stuffed" to all who deserve it.

7. Could you name the 12 Disciples Days of Christmas, the 3 Musketeers Wise Men and all of Santa's medications Reindeer if your life depended on it? OK wiseguy. Prove it.

I always get Gaspar, Balthazar, and Melchior mixed up with Athos, Porthos, and Aramis.  Then D'Artagnan shows up brandishing his sword and the next thing you know Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, and Blitzen end up as reindeer steaks.


8. On the 13th Day of Christmas my true love gave to me

I know there is a true love lurking around here somewhere ... What are you giving me buddy?  The queen wants to know!"

9. Imagine that Santa Claus really does exist for a moment. (I can say that this week. Baby Boy is not listening right now ) Anyway, if the Big Guy could grant you any wish, what would your most hedonistic and self-centered wish be? (You can say it. I won't tell. I'm Mimi Boop today.)

It's a mere $2.5 million dollars and can be seen by clicking      here.

10. When you make your list, do you check it twice and find out who's been naughty or nice or do you just get everybody a box of chocolate covered cherries and call it a day?

As it happens my son in law is addicted to chocolate covered cherries, so I have to put them in all the boxes with the presents.

If you're reading this meme, consider yourself tagged. That is my Christmas present to you!! And don't try to hide from the queen.  She has a list and knows who has been naughty or nice.

Children Will Listen

This week's Take This Tune is "Children Will Listen"  from Stephen Sondheim's "INTO THE WOODS".  To join in on the meme, sign in on the Take This Tune link and tell us a story.

The whole last half of the show is devoted to what happens after happily ever after.  Just as in life, it is seldom what you expect and is often cruel or heartbreaking.  Sometimes all we have to sustain us are the lessons learned in childhood.  Children Will Listen is preceded by a great song called "Your Fault" where all the adults blame each other leading to the witch reminding them that there are other ears hearing every word.  Too often it seems that adults forget the power of words. Some of them can hit as hard as fists and leave even deeper bruises.

One of my favorite quotes is from Tom Stoppard:  .  'Words... They're innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other ... If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little or make a poem which children will speak for you when you're dead.' 

Imagine what children will do with the painful, angry and bitter words.  Before you speak the next time, consider carefully because children will listen, they will believe, and they will echo them in their words and actions when you are dead.

Holiday Eating Tips - Oldie But Goodie

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately and go next door where they're serving rum balls.


2. Drink as much eggnog as you can, and quickly - it's rare. You cannot find it at any other time of year. So drink up! Who cares that it has 1000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat - enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think - it's almost Christmas!


3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.


4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.


5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food free. Lots of it.


6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.


7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before they become the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes, if you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.


8. Same for pies. apple, pumpkin, mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?


9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.


10. One final tip: If you don't feel full when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:


"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate and wine in hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!" George Carlin

5 On Friday - Lost In the 50s Tonight - Do Wop Edition

Another 5 On Friday with Travis rolls around.  Stop by his site for instructions and to sign in for a chance to visit a lot of good music.

Taking a trip on the Way Back machine again.  This time it is to get lost in the 50s.  I just love the Ronnie Milsap song "Lost In The 50s Tonight" which leads off the set, with five Do Wop songs of the era.



Lost In The 50s Tonight - Ronnie Milsap



Earth Angel - The Penguins



In The Still of the Night - The Five Satins



Since I Don't Have You - The Skyliners



Why Do Fools Fall In Love - Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers

The Queen's Meme - The Forgetful Meme

Welcome to The Queen's Meme.  Sometimes silly.  Sometimes serious.  Her majesty Queen Mimi of Bloggingham is having an attack of amnesia and wants company.  To join in, visit her at the Queen's Meme to sign in and visit others.  She would try to describe the premise in her usual royal manner but has forgotten how.

1. What is the last thing you forgot to do? I forget

2. What is the one thing you are always afraid you will forget to do? One of these days I will forget where I permanently put a pair of shoes and have to go to the shoe store barefoot.

3. Can you remember when you were 3 years old?  Yes or technically the Christmas before I turned three in March as that was the year I got my Bumper Book and read to people for the first time.  It was also the night I fell asleep and missed seeing Rudolph and Santa Claus.  You can see why adults sometimes got confused if I was a child or just an unusually short person in the house.

If so, tell us a cute story. If not, make one up. - Oops didn't read down.  Cute story up above.

4. Fill in the blank. I would like to forget the only real sociopath I ever met, but I will always remember the pleasure in watching the police take him away.

5. Fill in the blank. I will never forget the first time I noticed that I really, really, really liked boys.

6. Who, in your opinion, is the world's forgotten hero?  Probably someone you never noticed until they did something wonderful and that is a different person for every one.  In my case a now deceased gentleman named Thomas Erskine who lived every day being the always dependable friend no matter whether he solved little or big problems.  A modern man who lived the code of a knight in armor regularly rescuing the not quite maidens in his life.

7. Find a word that rhymes with forget and use it to write a funny sentence.  A poor wit can't get you out of tight places.

And now for some appropriate mood music

Favor For A Friend

Fairweather Lewis who tells us all such wonderful stories is plagued by a slow internet link and has put in a special request. You see there is this wonderful singer who happens to have a wonderful face and a wonderful Christmas album. So for Fairweather, here is Thomas Hampson: Merry Christmas

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas



The First Noel



Alleluia

Take This Tune - The Best Part of the Day

This week's Take This Tune is "The Best Part of the Day" from the new "The Union" album by Elton John and Leon Russell.  I decided to grab one line out of the lyrics because it reminded me of an "Our Song" that to this day can make me cry.

You're my best friend you shared my crazy ways
Now we don't want to miss out on the best part of the day

There must be something universal in the idea that the greatest loves are with someone who is your best friend. If you can't wake up and see them beside you to chase the dreams away and face the best part of the day, then the next best alternative is the voice on the other end of the line who picks up when you call even in the middle of the night. For me it is a song from Neil Diamond from the musical "The Jazz Singer".

Maybe it's been crazy; Maybe I'm too blame
Won't you put your heart above your head
We've been through it all and you've loved me just the same.
When you're not here, I just need to hear Hello

5 On Friday - The Union

My Buddy Travis over at Trav's Thoughts has this fun Friday meme. To join in simply go there for the instructions and to sign in so that others can see the songs you have chosen.

My darling son who somehow always knows what his mother wants most, handed me a gift card to ITUNES to get my IPOD, which he gave me last year to be my constant companion since, loaded with some new things. I immediately gave myself a remarkable new album (#3 on the Rolling Stone Best of 2010) On "The Union" two old hands got together and proved they could still make magic. Here is the NPR Review of the Album.   Preview all 14 tracks. So far my favorites are everything with "When Love Is Dying" the one I'm listening too most at present.

For 5 On Friday I went with Leon and Elton before there was a Union.

Queen's Meme #63 - Frivolous Christmas

The Queen's Meme is all about Christmas and her majesty, Queen Mimi, has employed a grand inquisitor to ferret out our deepest attitudes towards the holiday.  To join in on the fun, simply click on the link and sign in.

Let's talk Christmas. I'm in a naughty and nice mood. Some are one-word answers, others need a little explanation. Feel free to elaborate when the blog spirit moves ya. And above all else...Have fun!

1. Amazon.com or the Mall - Amazon only.  I don't like malls without crowds.  This time of year, file under fate worse than death.

2. Bows or ribbons - Both

3. Expensive or sale tags - Don't care as long as I can afford it for someone.

4. Long list or short - Very very short

5. Wrapped packages or gift bags - Both whichever works best

6. Eggnog or vodka - Eggnog with Brandy.

7. Have you finished your shopping? - No.  For the most part I do that after Christmas and the gifts are given on Hogmanay.

8. A Christmas Carol or The Bible Story - A Christmas Carol

9. Are you Scrooge or Santa's Helper? - Scrooge - Actually I'm Fanny, Scrooge's sister.  One of my few stage roles.

10. Did you ever catch Santa Claus in the act? - No but I got a peek of Rudolph's rear end.

11. Tell me about your Christmas tree...gotta pic? - No tree.  We only do that during years when grandson will be here instead of with his mother.

12. Christmas carols or Rock Station - Mixed up on the IPOD

13. Do you believe in Elves? - Of course

14. I am looking for Santa. Describe him for me. - The guy Eartha Kitt was singing about.



15. Do you leave cookies out or bourbon? - Bourbon Cookies

16. White lights or multi-colored - Multi

17. Wreaths on the doors, windows, outside? - Door

18. Who are the 3 wisest wise men in your life? - It used to be Bob, Tom, and Chris, but now I'm down to just Chris.

19. Is Christmas religious or commercial for you? - Neither

20. Ever kiss under the mistletoe? - Well I started with kissing

21. Stars or angels on top of the tree - Angel

22. Who deserves to get a lump of coal for Christmas and why? - Republicans who voted for tax breaks for millionaires while cutting off the unemployed.

23. Who is #7 in the 12 Days of Christmas song?

24. Snail mail cards or e-cards - Both

25. What do you want for Christmas? - Peace on Earth Goodwill Toward Men or round trip first class to New York and orchestra seat tickets to Memphis

My Little Town

Hill & 6th

Bunker Hill

Downtown Los Angeles

This week's Take This Tune is Mary Chapin Carpenter's "I Am A Town" where she sings of the little towns of the Southern United States that are either disappearing completely or are absorbed in the sprawl of some mushrooming city.  To join in, click on the link above for a prompt for your blog.

The town of my childhood has never been truly small but there was a time when Dorothy Parker is supposed to have called it, "72 suburbs in search of a city".  Now I don't remember it as the pictures of circa 1910 above, but I do remember it from mid century when very distinct towns were separated by wide expanses of farm and grazing lands.  It was a time when people could laugh at Mel Blanc's routine on the  Jack Benny Show about the railroad that joined them with "Anaheim, Azusa, and Cucamonga".   The site of TV Acres remembers it fondly as:

After repeated announcements, the train caller continued "Look we're not asking much. Two of ya, or even one of ya...just somebody to keep the engineer company."

And still later "Please, please! I'll get fired if I don't get somebody on the train for Anaheim, Azusa and Cuuuu-ca-mon-gaaa!"

Now of course, it is one unending sprawl of non stop freeways, houses and businesses from the far northern end of the San Fernando Valley with little interruption all the way to San Diego.

There are still parts of California's Central Valley that resemble the small Southern towns peopled by descendants of transplanted families fleeing the depression Dust Bowl, and you can still see the ramshackle roadside businesses slowly turning to dust as Fresno and Bakersfield reach out to each other in even more suburban sprawl. It is change. For the better? Not quite sure. Still we are all familiar with the places where you can't go home again because as Gertrude Stein said about Oakland, "There's no there there."

Apparently this subject is universal in its appeal as in addition to the wonderful Carpenter song of the south, we can also get memories of the east coast with Paul Simon and "My Little Town"



Take This Tune Also works well with the Music Monday meme.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

Sinterklaas & Ginger Cookies

St. Nicholas Day

Many countries in Europe celebrate the Feast of Sinterklaas, or St. Nicholas, on the evening of December 5 in preparation for St. Nicholas Day on December 6.  After dinner, families hunt for their presents, following clues in funny, anonymous poems. They also eat candies and cookies, especially spicy crispy ginger-cookie figures formed in a traditional wooden mold. The legend of St. Nicholas is, like the lives of many saints, shrouded in mystery. We know that he was the bishop of Myra in Lycia, part of Asia Minor, during the fourth century. He is credited with saving three sisters from lives of ill repute by throwing bags of gold into their house (some say down the chimney, others say through the window) to provide for their dowries. In many places in the United States and abroad, children still hang their stockings by the chimney or place their shoes by the window for St. Nicholas to fill them with presents and sweets on the eve of his feast day. He is considered the patron saint of children.

In the old movie Miracle on 34th Street, there is a sweet scene where a child war refugee who speaks only Dutch is brought to visit Santa Claus at Macy's where Santa Claus speaks and sings to her in Dutch about "Sinterklaas" thus proving to one more child that he really, truly is Santa Claus. Thanks to the notes on You Tube I was able to get a translation plus some quibbling about the child's accent until someone clarified that the actress was actually of Dutch heritage but had come to the US so young that while she spoke Dutch it was with an American/English accent.



Translation part I

Santa: I am happy you came!
Child: OOh you ARE Sinterklaas!
Santa: Wlll yes of course
Child: I knew it, I knew you would understand me.
Santa: Of couse, tell me what you would like to get from Sinterklaas

--now this version has been cut, so the part where she answers him is missing, but her response was: I don't want anything, I already have everything, I just want to stay with this lovely lady---

ranslation part II

Santa: Do you want to sing something for me?

Child: Saint Nicolas Little Rascal,
Put something in my little shoe,
Put something in my little boot,
Thank you little Saint Nicolas!
Saint Nicolas Little Rascal
Put something in my little shoe,
Put something in my little boot,
Thank you little Saint Nicolas!

Now for the important part. Unless you have a mania for tradition and own a Sinterklaas cookie press, you might have to make do with Ginger Bread Men. So break out the cookie cutters and practice the story of the Ginger Bread Man.



Gingerbread Men

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup dark molasses
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
½ Teaspoon salt
4 cups flour

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the brown sugar, molasses, and butter to a boil. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Dissolve the baking soda in 1/3 cup of water and add it to the molasses
mixture. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well blended. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Roll out the dough to a 1/8-inch thickness on a floured board. Cut with a gingerbread-man cookie cutter. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until crisp and
golden. Allow the cookies to cool before decorating.

Creamy Frosting:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon flavored extract (your choice)
food coloring (optional)

Five On Friday - Holiday Edition

Don't forget to swing over to Trav's Thoughts and see who else played along with his musical meme - I bet he'll be sure to say thanks for stopping by!

Here are four of my favorite carols and for the third night of Hanukkah "Light One Candle" from Peter, Paul, and Mary.  I'm sure more seasonal songs will show up between now and the end of the year.  Plus it is almost time for the food posts.

I have absolutely no idea why "We Three Kings" has always been one of my favorite carols, particularly since I don't celebrate the religious part of the holiday. It probably has something to do with the third gift part about Myrrh.  In any case, this is a pure fun version with three wonderful voices.