“Do You Hear What I Hear?” is one of my favorite Christmas carols. Sadly, it’s not one of the more common holiday songs. Of my fifty-ish holiday albums, the only one it seems to be on is a Bing Crosby compilation. You’re not likely to hear it while walking through the grocery store. I listen…
The past two Christmases I’ve noticed something. It’s not really a big deal, just a little odd. This is only the past two years, but the wrapping on the presents isn’t what it used to be. When my kid was little, the wrapping used to be clean and precise. Sharp, even lines and three or…
It’s late on Christmas Eve Eve and we just got our tree up. We should have done it earlier but just haven’t had the time. It’s a nice tree. Small but full. It’s covered in colored lights, homemade decorations, and silver baubles. We also hung the stockings, put some garland on the railing, and placed…
It’s December 17th and we haven’t put up our Christmas tree yet. Don’t worry, I don’t think Christmas is a humbug or anything like that. It just shows how busy our lives have been since Thanksgiving. I’ve still been listening to Christmas (and Chanukkah) music non-stop. I’ve done some shopping. I’ve eaten candy canes. The…
It’s December 8th and I haven’t done a single Christmas post this year. In the past, holiday posts have been a staple of my Decembers. I’ve written a bunch of posts about Santa and a bunch of posts about holiday music. I’ve written a fair number of posts about Chanukah. I’ve written about the language…
Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be about peace on earth or anything like that. Not that there’s anything wrong with wanting peace on earth. On some level, I do, but it’s a very vague, diffused feeling. It’s not a real wish. I always feel like it’s a cheat when people say they wish for…
I have a longstanding tradition of shopping on Christmas Eve. It’s the one day a year where I can honestly say I like to shop. I’ve probably been doing it for thirty years now. I’m sure it started because I’m a natural procrastinator. It’s turned into something I look forward to every year, though. What…
Charles Brown is a fascinating figure in American music. He’s great, first of all. Absolutely great. He’s legendary in the blues and traditional R&B worlds, but most people now probably don’t know him by name. He was a singer, pianist, and songwriter. The easiest way to describe Brown’s sound is he is where Ray Charles…
There’s one holiday tradition we need to end. Every year, we can’t go on social media in December without being inundated with memes complaining about Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” They suggest everything from it becoming an unwanted earworm to it triggering PTSD. I’m no Mariah Carey fan. That’s not why…
I work in a school. One of the students was telling me all about her family’s Elf on the Shelf. He’s apparently very silly. He hides in the dog’s bed, hangs from the light fixtures, and even hung out in the microwave one morning. That sounds dangerous to me, but who am I to tell…
