Mustang Christmas Post

Whereas the name of my blog refers to my love for Ford Mustangs, on occassion I feel I should tip my hat to that beloved American classic:


'Twas The (Mustang) Night Before Christmas

-author unknown

'Twas the night before Christmas and in the garage,

There wasn't a trace of a Chevy or a Dodge.

The presents were wrapped and the lights were all lit,

So I figured I'd mess with the Stang for a bit.

I popped the release and I lifted the hood,

When a deep voice behind me said "looks pretty good."

Well, as you can imagine, I turned mighty quick,

And there, by the workbench, stood good ol Saint Nick!

We stood there a bit, not too sure what to say,

Then he said "don't suppose that you'd trade for my sleigh?

I said "no way, Santa" and started to grin,

"But if you've got the time we could go for a spin!"

His round little mouth, all tied up like a bow,

Turned into a smile and he said "hey! Let's go!!"

So as not to disturb all the neighbors' retreat,

We pushed the Mustang quietly into the street,

Then, taking our places to drift down the hill,

I turned on the key and I let the clutch spill.

The sound that erupted took him by surprise,

But he liked it a lot, by the look in his eyes.

With Hoosier`s a' crying and side pipes aglow,

We headed on out where the hot rodders go.

And Santa's grin widened, approaching his ears,

With every up shift, as I went through the gears.

Then he yelled "can't recall when I've felt so alive!",

So I backed off the gas and said "you wanna drive?"



Ol Santa was stunned when I gave him the keys,

When he walked past the headlights he shook at the knees!

Then the big block exploded with side exhaust sound!

Santa let out the clutch and the tires shook the ground!


Power shift into second, again into third!

I sat there just watching, at loss for a word,

Then I heard him exclaim as we blasted from sight,

"Merry Christmas to all...........what a great night!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And, I must include the line from Jeff Foxworthy's Redneck Night Before Christmas "And some parts from a Mustang GT", which closely describes some items found under my family's Christmans tree circ. 1980s, including the very same bumper pictured here on my blog. [Alas, not a GT, but a beloved 1965 with a 289 under the hood!]

Nutcracker Suite Sweetness

Monday Memories

My three-year old's favorite Christmas music this year is The Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky. She says she loves it because it is "ballerina music". Of course listening to this classic (well, technically it is from the Romantic period), brought to mind some Nutcracker memories.

A very special memory occured ten years ago. I was about 5 months pregnant with my oldest daughter. I had also returned to playing the cello pretty seriously. I had taken some lessons that summer, was practicing more, and playing in our community orchestra with my mom. Each year a small part of the orchestra was selected to play for a production of Nutcracker ballet staged by a local ballet troup. The only disappointment was that my mom wasn't needed that year so we didn't get to share in the fun aka hard work together. [Mom is a violinist and there are always many more violins available than cellos.]

We rehearsed extra hours and I faithfully practiced my orchestra part each night. I've never been really good at practicing orchestra music in the past, but this was very important to me. I also thought it was good for my baby too, since she was resting right behind my cello and felt every vibration. Even my doctor thought it was good for her! I figured out that my daughter had been to seven performances of Nutcracker before she was even born!

We performed seven times over a long weekend and I remember looking for enough black maternity clothes to wear something unique at each performance. (Kind of silly since I couldn'be seen down in our pit!)

[A "pit orchestra" is an orchestra that accompanies a variety of stage performances including operas, musical, ballets, etc. The musicians sit beneath the stage and sometimes are literally in a pit not visible to the audience, hence the name "pit orchestra".]

I've played in a few pit orchestras, but most times I could see the action when I wasn't playing. This orchestra pit was literally down in a pit and partially under the stage. I could hear every wooden-toed step of the ballerinas, but never got to see any of it!

I think there were only about four cellos and we really "bonded" in that pit. It had been a long time since I felt really a part of something like that. I was a musician again. I was also just starting to feel my baby's moves and Tchaikovsky really made her dance. As a remembrance of that experience I purchased a small nutcracker figurine and noted that it was "For Baby 1996". Each year we remember that Christmas with warm hearts.

In December of 2003, I joined my mother and that baby girl in a performance of The Nutcracker staged by that very same company in that same high school auditorium. Afterwards we enjoyed the Nutcracker Tea and my big girl met some of the cast as well. It was not only my big girl's first time "at the ballet", it was mine as well! [I studied ballet for eight years, but that doesn't count!]

My little girl was 5 months old at the time and didn't come along. I'm getting excited about taking all of us again to the Nutcracker Tea in a year or two!

http://technorati.com/tag/Monday+Memories

Christmas Music

Home • Forum • Header Graphics • The Code • History • FAQ • Join Blogroll • Contact

Thirteen Things about MY MUSICAL CHRISTMASES These are some highlights of how music has made my Christmas bright in days of yore: 1. Church Christmas Pageants, especially the year Santa came early. We returned home after Sunday morning church service, which included the children's pageant, to find Santa had visited and left me a guitar among many other wonderful presents. (Didn't shake my belief in Santa one bit~I was eight.) 2. Elementary School concerts, particularly playing the recorder in 4th grade, wearing my purple velvet "palazzo" pants sewn by mom to play my cello in 5th grade, and singing an obligato part in a trio of girls in the 6th grade. 3. In high school, I played several performances of Messiah with the Dearborn Symphony, our semi-professional community orchestra. I thought I was becomming a great musician at the time. (Maybe I was, but...) 4. My high school choir sang Christmas music all over town, but the best part was singing Christmas Carols at Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum. I was also part of a group of kids invited to sing there the Christmas after we graduated~that was even more fun. Caroling with my church for shut-ins and impromtu caroling with h.s. choir friends were also memorable times. 5. In my senior of h.s., I accompanied our choir a little because no one else played piano at all. The choir was invited to sing at the Hyatt Regency. At the last minute, I was told I was going to start "It's Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas" without the lights on. I did fine, but I was really nervous because the d.j.'s from a favorite radio station were there too. 6. My high school dream was fullfilled when I was selected as part of an exclusive, seniors only, 16 member "Vocal Ensemble". We performed choreographed songs all over the community on a regular basis. As you can imagine, Christmas was a particularly busy season. It was great!!!!! 7. In 1986, during my last year at Michigan State, I was in the State Singers and Chamber Choir, as well as the orchestra. There was a lot of music that year! I spent most of finals week at choir rehearsals for a performance of Messiah with the Lansing Symphony. Of course, when it was time for the performance, I had the worst sore throat of my life and couldn't eek out a note...I stayed home and I still regret it. 8. In the early 1990's, the former organist of our church was looking for a string quartet to play Christmas Eve. at his current church. A musician friend from church gave him my mom's name. As it turned out, the pastor of this church was our former pastor. This pastor and his wife had been pretty good friends with my parents until he left to pastor a congregation in Germany years ago. So, on that special Christmas Eve, over 20 years after worshiping together the last time, our quartet played and my family had a little reunion with old friends. That's when I started to realize that church and music will always bring us to each other. 9. Until I married my husband, I regularly attended Noel Night in Detroit's University & Cultural Center. There were carolers, singing school groups, and the MSU Men's Glee Club to enjoy. However my favorite memory was the year I stepped into the Cathedral Church of St. Paul where there was a Messiah sing along. I only sang a couple of choruses, but the mood of the night, the beauty of the church, and the music of eternity left a big impression on my soul. 10. In 2001 my husband-to-be were singing together in our Sunday school's P&W team. My husband has a strong voice and plays guitar pretty well. Unfortunately, his pitch seems to run a half-tone flat. I remember wanting so much to sing well and I should have been able to as the songs were so familiar. However, I just struggled so much to even find a singable key as the others in the group sang slightly under pitch as they followed my husband's lead. I eventually just moved my lips and stepped away from the mike for those Christmastime Sunday mornings. It's a funny memory, but at the time I felt like I wasn't much of a musician if I couldn't get everyone on the right pitch. (The guitar was fine, but the singers just didn't seem to notice how they were singing!) 11. In 2003, after many years of wishing, my mom had her dream of a family Christmas musicale come true. We all met at my house a couple nights before Christmas. We had a violin (mom), cello (me), guitar (husband), B flat trumpet(brother), and cornet (my s.i.l. plays fr. horn, but doesn't have a good case for air travel so she played my bro's old cornet.) Dad, big younger brother, and his wife sang(?) while the 6 & 3 year old kids banged on drums and tambourines. My baby at almost 6 mos., slept throught the whole thing! It was great, but we haven't been able to get it together since. Now my big girl could join in on violin and I know my little one will be there in full voice and "tappy" shoes! 12. My daughter was in 2nd grade in 2004 and by tradition, second graders sing at our community's tree lighting ceremony. It was a crisp beautiful Michigan night when we all gathered by the tree in the park to hear those sweet, clear voices sing of the season and see the tree light up for the first time of the year. 13. Last December, I played and sang a bit during the season of Advent. Unfortunately, my biggest memory was early in December when I played 'cello for the 8:15 service. I didn't feel good, but I thought I was okay. I played the first hymn and immediately laid my 'cello down and ran to the bathroom with good reason. I elected to drive home instead of trying to stick around for the 9:30 and 11:00 services to which I was commited. I felt guilty until I drove up my driveway and barely got the door to my car opened in time...

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Mom's Menorah

I was raised in a pretty traditional Christian home. Christmas meant CHRISTmas. Sure, we had Santa and reindeer and participated in most of the usual commerical customs of Christmas, but it all centered around the birth or our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Beginning in about 1974 or 1975, Christmas Eve took on a somewhat predictable pattern. While there were exceptions, Christmas is offically celebrated at my parent's home on Christmas Eve and usually includes a family dinner, attending a church service, and exchanging gifts (Santa continues to leave gifts for the little ones to find on Christmas morning).

As our family welcomed new members, our traditions have evolved, but we still include our Christian practices throughout the season.

Some of my mother's children (my older younger brother and his family) avoid the Christian parts by finding excuses, but when you celebrate Christmas in our home, you know what you are getting into.

My little brother's bride was raised in a non-practicing, Jewish/Christian home and made her decision to practice the Jewish faith of her mother as a young adult. (I think it was a very difficult decision for her, especially since she was already in love with my practicing Christian brother at the time.)[I'm not addressing the religious/marital/family implications of this entry.]

My baby brother and sister-in-law have spent each Christmas since c.1999 with our family. Since they live in another state, this means she is saturated in CHRISTmas for over a week each year. My SIL never complains and is always willing to go to church and other religious Christmas activities with my brother and our family during her stay. I've even shared a church pew with her Christmas Eve on several occassions as she lent her voice to many sacred carols and hymns.

Last year Hannukah began at sundown on December 25. My brother shopped around a primarily Christian community and was successful in obtaining candles for a menorah, but not the menorah. So, on Christmas Eve, my two brothers spent a couple of hours in the basement fashioning a menorah out of wood so my SIL could continue her own traditions away from home. My mom said my SIL faithfully lit her candles each night.

Last Saturday I was at my mom's and she said she wanted to show me something she bought. She took me into our dining room and showed me her new purchase. (pictured above) She purchased it for my SIL because of my SIL's tolerance of our traditions and her faithfulness to her own.

I, too had been thinking about Hannukah. Is is not a story of God's faithfullness and provision? There is nothing un-Christian about it. For a Christian, many Jewish traditions make sense. As the sun sets this evening I will think on these things.

One lovely young Jewish woman has taught me a lot about the Christian principles of love and acceptance. My SIL has accepted our traditions and one day, our prayer will be answered with her acceptance of Jesus Christ as her Savior.

Monday Memories

Advent Memories~
These are just tid bits of remembrances and stories related to Advent~

I grew up in a big, beautiful Lutheran Church known for it's gothic architecture and large stained glass windows. This is the setting of many Advent and Christmas memories, fitting since I first learned about Advent within it's "Indiana Limestone" walls. (My favorite art teacher from Indiana told me that is where they got the limestone for my church~she was from Indiana.)

We always had large Advent wreath suspended from the ceiling near the pulpit. My earliest memory recalls the candles were white or red. I do clearly remember when they switched to three blue and one pink. I also remember the advent of the "Christ Candle" which was placed on a stand next to the pulpit.

As I grew older, I heard stories from acolytes that they were afraid they would light the wreath itself as it was tricky to reach the candles with the candle lighter and snuffer. We had the traditional brass combination candle lighter and suffer on a long pole, but some of the acolytes were on the short side. One of my old friends told me once when he was "serving" at the Catholic church of his childhood that he once lit all the candles on the first Sunday of Advent. Yikes.

Music was a huge part of my life and the life of my church. We had a real pipe organ and organist who knew that he was blessed in his capacity at that church. Our choir was especially suited to the church and its organ as well. While some churches in our community paid their choristers, ours consisted of our own members who also sang in additional choral groups about town. Looking back, I know I was incredibly blessed by that. God and and Music were inseparable in my heart and mind. During Advent, each year as the Prophecy Candle was lit on the first Sunday of the season, we sang Come, O Come Emmanuel. To this day, it is one of my favorites in it's mysterious minor key. I have a beautiful recording by country singer John Berry that always gives me chills.

The thing I always remember about that beautiful hymn, however is my dad's unique rendition one year when I was probably a teen. With the exception of playing the cornet in the high school band circa. 1950's, my dad is the one in our family without any substantial musical training. He is also the one gifted with the strongest and usually well-pitched voice. One year, we had the words printed in the bulletin rather than using our hymnals:

O Come, O Come Emmanuel and ransome captive Israel...

REFRAIN: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

My dad, in his stong baritone enthusiastically sang, "REFRAIN, Rejoice!....
I know my family was not the only ones to hear his interpretation that day, but we are the ones to make part of Advent legend. Each year, just like the regular lighting of the Advent candles, I retell the tale and my brothers and I laugh a good laugh and my dad, in his good humor snickers along.

My dad also liked to quote his old pastor from St. John's Evangelical and Reformed church of Dover, Ohio. Dad always called it an "ADVEN TREATH" and gave credit to his old pastor each and every time he mentioned the item in conversation.

One Advent story is really catty and dumb, but my husband remembers it each year with glee. During Advent in 2001, my husband and I were pretty serious about marriage. However, his ex-girlfriend was active in our singles Sunday School class and still carrying a torch of sorts for him. They only dated a couple of months, so I was trying not to think much of it. She invited me to Ann Arbor to sing in a Messiah sing along and we did have a nice time. I was a bit unsettled in her attempts to befriend me, but I was sort of new to the group, so I tried. She was also trying to maintain a friendship with my boyfriend and called him frequently. (He'd get off the phone and call to report it all to me.) Once she called to tell him her kitchen had caught on fire. In my mind this was pretty serious stuff, but he laughs because the reason her kitchen caught on fire was because she left her house while Advent wreath candles were still lit. So, to this day, I never, ever, ever leave my Advent wreath unattended while a candle is burning. I mean I literally light it and watch it the whole time. I don't even turn around to pick up my devotional or anything. (I'm extremely cautious around flame anyway, but if my ADVENT wreath would be implicated in any kind of fire emergency, I don't know...)

I've always loved the traditions associated with Advent practice of lighting Advent candles. After my daughter was born in 1997, I first purchased my own small wreath and attempt to honor the season with devotions and candles since that time.

Last year, our church began a yearly tradition on the first Wednesday before the start of Advent to make an Advent wreath together. Along with my two daughters and husband, I participated last year and together with our brothers and sisters in our congregation made a beautiful Advent wreath. Following a soup and salad meal, my husband wrapped an evergreen garland around a straw wreath and my big girl decorated it with purple and gold flowers. (I'm usually the crafty one, but my little girl was sitting on my lap and I was busy keeping her interested in watching the process.) The candle holders were hot glued by some men of the church. While the glue was left to set, we had a time of worship with prayers, lessons, and songs. We then placed our purple (3) and pink (1) candles into the wreath and lit the first one together as a family. We were given a list of devotions and Advent questions to consider as a family at home each night. It was a wonderful and meaningful experience and I'm trying to continue my advent practices this year as a respite from the rush.

I always seek HIM, so I'm always celebrating Advent, but this time of year I connect with Christians everywhere, past, present, and future. Bound by tradition, four candles of hope, peach, joy, & love, culminating with Christ and HIS light!

Michael Guido, the mayor of my hometown, Dearborn, Michigan died on Tuesday. He was only 52. He had been mayor since 1986, back when I still called Dearborn home.

My family has long since left Dearborn (1988), but Mayor Guido's passing got me to thinking about the good days growing up there~

Thirteen Things about Dearborn, Michigan 1.It was my hometown. 2. It is the hometown of Henry Ford. 3. They used to build Mustangs there. 4. Edsel Ford High School was the best high school from 1979-1982. Especially the music program. (Not really, but our choirs and jazz ensembles were awesome!) Our Thunderbird mascot and black & white school "neutrals" were neat too. 5. We had public swimming pools and outdoor ice rinks in every neighborhood. (Swimming passes were only $1-$5 and skating was free.) I would spend endless summer days perfecting my sychronized swimming skills preparing for the big show at the end of the summer. 6. During the 70's and 80's it had great recreation programs including ballet lessons, ice skating lessons, musical opportunites for all levels, sports leagues, and theatre. 7. Having the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village practically in your backyard was really cool! Dearborn was covered head to toe in national and local history...that's where the seed was planted in me to study history. 8. Saint Paul American Lutheran church was a beautiful place to get to know Christ and worship Him. (For years, I thought the back door with it's Gothic architecture was the Wittenberg door where Luther wrote his 95 theses!) 9. You could bike ride almost anywhere when I was a kid. 10. Ford Woods Ice Arena (AKA Adray Arena/Dearborn Ice Skating Center)was a great place to take figure skating and hangout on the weekends in the '70s! Being even an alternate Chrystallette, Dearborn's Championship Precision (Synchronized) skating team was a great honor! 11. Dearborn Public Schools had a string program. Many schools don't and I'm still grateful I started taking cello lessons in elementary school instead of the flute! We also had the Dearborn Youth Symphony and those scholarships were pretty great. 12. Nearly 10 years after leaving my childhood neighborhood, nestled behind Oakwood Hospital, I returned in 1997 to give birth to my first born daughter there, right across the street from my elementary school. 13. HOWEVER, I hated the library. It was so exciting when the big, new beautiful Henry Ford Centennial Library opened when I was in Kindergarten. My dad even took me to the dedication of the Marshall Fredrick's stature of Henry Ford, a couple years later. It started out to be a great place, until I tried to use my library skills by myself in 1st or 2nd grade. The librarians (library staff) were so MEAN and they were still very unhelpful when I went back there during library school!!!! Alas, that is why I became the nice librarian I am today! Links to other Thursday Thirteens!1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!) If I can figure out how!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

New Memories & Old Memories

Last night my two daughters donned their best "princess" dresses and sang their hearts our at our church's Christmas concert.

My nine-year old looked so elegant in a nearly floor-length gold sleeveless dress with black velvet "shrug". The round neckline had a bit of black beading that only added to the grace of her dress. Her patent leather shoes were just perfect for her age and her brown hair flowed just below her shoulders. She smiled brightly through the entire performance, her face glowing with the spirit of God within. When the time came for her to take her turn to sing a small solo, her voice was strong, filled with a love for Jesus and the grace of God. [Hours before, she cried on the floor of her bedroom about how scared she was to sing. I reassured her that God would take care of that and He is always faithful.]

My little one, who might have been the youngest three-year old involved, nearly exploded with glee when she saw herself in the mirror with her black patent leather "tappy shoes" and burgundy satin dress, complete with its embroidered flowers and crinoline. She took her place on the lowest riser and stayed there for the entire 30 minute performance. She even sang many of the songs as I knew she could (at least in the car and at the store!). She did some hand motions with the group and then made up her own, mostly playing with her eyes and tucking her hair behind her ears. She only lifted her dress for a brief moment and then bent down to look at her shoes for another minute or two.

The performance was filled with old and new songs~some backed with a cd and some accompanied by our director of music. Everything from a more contemporary, "Christmas is a Time for Love" to "Great is Thy Faithfulness and "Away in the Manger." Sign language, a few props for little ones to hold, scarves to wave and plenty of solos and memorized lines to go around. And it lasted a pleasant 30-40 minutes, "Joy to the World" and cookies, punch, coffee, and fellowship. Now I have the Christmas spirit!

Later at dinner, my parents and I shared some highlights of Christmas pageants of the past with my husband and daughters~

~The year my brother was about 3 and he tossed the "baby Jesus" (my doll that my kids still play with) over the manger as he sang "...take us to heaven to sleep on the hay..."~

~How I remember my friend, Nancy's memory verse to this day because it was much easier than mine: "I is for the Inn where Mary and Joseph found no place to stay."

~The year I got to be an angel and my mom let me wear lipstick, even during the reception in the fellowship hall afterwards. (I was very careful so it would last.) I was in about the 3rd grade and I finally got to wear a pretty costume. In the preceding years, I had to memorize verses instead and was so envious of the angels and Mary who didn't do anything but look pretty.

~My oldest daughter's first Christmas pageant right after I met my husband. I was going to that church because of the singles group, but it was a huge church and had a great youth program. She was 4 and only sang a couple of songs, but it is still a great memory.

This evening was a beautifully wrapped package reminding me that these are the times to remember and hold dear~