rainy day

I'm tucked inside after some morning errands squeezed in between rain storms.  Mr. F's tech nerd of a colleague not only hooked us up with a sweet new printer/scanner, he also set it up for us yesterday.  I am now gaily trying to perfect the scans of my work from the past few weeks.  Hopefully you're excited to see some of it, because I'm excited to share it!  The Christmas Bazaar is next week and I still have a whole heapin' mess of things to do to get printed, folded, and stuffed before then.

Helping me along is a healthy dose of Christmas music via mormonchannel.org.  It's a really great compilation of versions of songs I absolutely adore with some that I have never heard of before.  As I wait for the scanner to do it's thing, I've been thinking about what my favorite Christmas music is.

So, to get you through the next few weeks of December, here is what brings the joy of Christmas to my soul.


A Christmas Portrait by The Carpenters- I don't think I have a single Christmas in memory that is not laced with this album.  To me it is the be all and end all of Christmas music.  That, and I've always wished I had Karen Carpenter's luscious alto voice.  It's just the right mix of traditional with whimsy.

Merry Christmas by Merrill Jenson- Oh, that everyone owned this album and listened to it year round!  It's divine.  I distinctly remember waking up to it in high school in the cold mornings of winter.  Kitty would be making breakfast to the glorious instrumentals.  To cap it off, the last song sums up my testimony of Christ in song.  It's awesome.  And it's also on the slow boat to China, which is why I'm loving mormonchannel.org...they play this album!!

The Forgotten Carols by Michael McLean- Boy howdy have I  had a craving for this album lately.  There are few words to describe the stories these songs share and the lessons I have learned from them.

Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley- Nonny has an awesome voice.  This earthy, bluesy voice that is perfect for Elvis music.  (One day I was listening to stuff by Chris Isaak and Mr. F said, "Hey! It's Nonny!")  Anyway, Nonny would sing this song a lot and I would do the back-up.  (He's the Gladys to my Pips.)  If you've ever heard that song, you would know that the Pips have the most obnoxious parts known to man.  And I love each and every second of it.  So while Nonny would be singing and swaying in a very suave way, I would be bouncing around the house squealing, "OoooOOeeeOO!  OOOoooOOOeeeOO!"

Anything Amy Grant- Okay, that's a little general, but true.  I kind of have issues with her personally, but she really gets Christmas right.  She has a few songs that I really love.  Breath of Heaven, Emmanuel, God With Us, and 'Til the Season Comes Round Again.  She has a wonderful way of singing about the Savior and family.

Christmas Lullaby (I Will Lead You Home) by Amy Grant- I know, I know, she just got her own section, but this song is extra special to me.  Nonny has made an arrangement to this mixed with Away in a Manger.  It's awesome.  One of those songs I would listen to through the floorboards.

The Friendly Beasts- I definitely inherited my love of picture books from Kitty.  My mum has the most incredible collection, which she would alternate through the seasons.  At Christmas she would pull out the special box full of the books.  One of my favorite was the song, The Friendly Beasts illustrated by Tomie dePaola.  A colorful telling of the gifts the stable animals gave to the infant king.  Years after I remember reading it,  Nonny started playing it.  Quite the team my parents are.

I should get back to scanning and painting.  What music are you listening to this season?