Ever Wanted to be an Elf?

I have tears rolling down my face after watching this the first time. You may recognize a few faces!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1658243660

I love this time of the year!

I have always had the best of intentions to send out Christmas Cards, but usually it ends up with me handing hastily addressed envelopes to people when I see them at church or a Christmas party. This year, I actually mailed my cards! Can you believe it? And I also included my blog and e-mail address on my cards. I thought this was an easy way to keep in touch with everyone in such a chaotic world. Well, my efforts have not gone unnoticed!

Clare, my roommate from a long, long time ago e-mailed me this morning. I had seen her earlier in the year, at Evan and Erin's wedding, and just had a ball with her and her husband, Chris. Since they live in Texas, I haven't seen her in several years. It was just great to hear from her and see that she's doing something she always wanted to do, audiology. I've added her blog to my friends list over on the side, so check it out when you get a chance (she recently started it, so it won't take too long to catch up with what's been going on with Clare and Chris!). Welcome to the world of blogging Clare!

What's in a name?

Facebook has a neat application that "analyzes" your name. I really liked the one for today:

Godly

Lucky

Outgoing

Reverent

Independent

Ambitious

Kinda sounds a little like me, don't you think?

Mr. Clean I am not!

My office is located in one of the older buildings on campus. Because of that, the offices have no storage and are poorly arranged for working conditions (totally throwing off my Fung Shui!). Today I spent the majority of the day cleaning with Linda and Sara. Many of you know that I cannot work in an unorganized office space, and this has been a great challenge of mine for the last three months, trying to maintain a workable office space.

The accountant in our office transferred to another department so that meant we got to clean her office. Now, I'm not saying that I'm the cleanest person ever, but remember when I cleaned my closet and talked about the lady that was on Oprah? That's what this office was like. I think we threw away about 1200 pounds of paper and trash, as well as rearranged the furniture. Several of the faculty were speculating about what the room was going to look like when we were finished. The office went from feeling like a coffin that was slowly shrinking in on you, to a space that could easily hold a small sofa and a chair plus the desk and filing cabinets! That's how much stuff we got rid of. I am probably going to feel every muscle in my body tonight when I get home! At least now, I don't have to go to the gym tonight.

'Tis the Season!

I always knew December weekends were extremely busy, but I always seem to forget how busy each year. Last Tuesday, I attended a concert for the Haas Hall Academy's Choir. It was their first Christmas Concert, and it really made me appreciate how much I have learned in my education to be a choir director. The director of this choir has had no training to be a choral director, he's the Spanish teacher, and unfortunately his lack of knowledge in the area of vocal music really showed. But the kids sang their hearts out and got an A+ for effort. Thursday night, I drove to Bentonville and saw Rachel's kids in their "Home for the Holidays" show. I taught some of these kids last year, and they did an amazing job as always. Kudos to the Spring Hill Choirs!

Friday night, I was invited to several functions, but instead chose to catch dinner and a movie with some friends. We were all anticipating the large amounts of snow the local weather forecasters had predicted, but eventually settled for all the wasted snow as it came down as an extremely cold, wet, messy rain. We ate at Mimi's Cafe, and then headed over to the theater to catch August Rush. It was so cute and a completely modern fairy tale. If you are in the music education business, you should see it. It's almost as inspiring as Mr. Holland's Opus. Almost. When we left, we couldn't tell if the puddles under our chairs were from our tears or from our dripping umbrellas.

After the movie, I headed over to Jamie and Rachel's where we worked on our Christmas Special we "volunteered" to perform on Sunday. We worked on our arrangement of Silent Night, and then I headed home to the b.e.d. Saturday was a great break. Since the Bentonville Children's Choir concert was cancelled due to the inclement weather, I got laundry done, finished all my Christmas cards, wrapped a few presents, and watched "Holiday in Handcuffs." Seriously, that's what I watched! All while I waited for the massive amounts of snow.

Sunday was great. I did have to make a few trips to the sink to get some hot water to unfreeze my car doors, but unfortunately I did not have to dig my car out from the blizzard we were promised. I think I counted a total of 254 flakes of snow on my car. So many people came up to Jamie, Rachel, and me after church and said they really appreciated our song. Rachel played the piano, Jamie played his saxophone, I played my flute, and Rachel and I sang. It really did go well. After church, I went out to eat with some of the people from the praise team and then we saw I Am Legend with Will Smith. Afterward, I took some time for myself and wandered through the mall looking for some sort of Christmas present I had missed. Eventually I made my way home, watched the Survivor: China finale, and then headed to bed. Ahhhh-mazing!

I'M A HORRIBLE FRIEND!

I completely forgot Erin's birthday. Erin, my friend, please accept this apology for missing your 25th birthday. It was by no means purposeful and I am bringing you a funfetti one night this week! HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!

Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

Angels We Have Heard on High may be my all-time favorite Christmas Carol, and no, it's not because I'm narcissistic and like my name to be sung to me hundreds of times. I love the melody, the message, and the music of this song.

Most experts believe this song is an old French carol dating back to the 18th century, however, some believe it may be older than that. The first documented version of the song appeared in a French collection dated from 1855. The verses are very French in their style, following a specific chord structure and style relevant to the 18th century. The chorus is where a lot of experts differ. Some experts believe this chorus may date back to the beginning of the third century. While it is very melodious, the chorus only uses six notes and moves in a very linear motion. The chorus is very, very similar to Gregorian Chant, since it uses a small amount of notes and moves very linearly. It is also believed that the chorus, which states in Latin "Gloria in excelsis Deo," comes from the original Christmas Mass, and means Glory to God in the highest, the greeting the angel says to the shepherds when appearing to announce the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:13-14).

Here's a video of my hero Sandi Patty singing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the US Air Force Reserve Band from her 2006 production Yuletide Special. Enjoy!

How do you roast chestnuts on an open fire?

Perhaps on of the most recognized, best loved Christmas songs didn't start out as a Christmas song. Mel Torme was sitting in his beautiful suburban home in Hollywood in the middle of July when he started thinking about the sights and smells of Christmas. He started writing down what he remembered and The Christmas Song was born. Mel had a meeting scheduled later that week with an up and coming singer, who was breaking barriers left and right. At the meeting, he showed the singer the song, and Nat King Cole knew he had an amazingly magical song in his hands. Together Torme and Cole put the song together and recorded it. It debuted in October and stayed on the charts for a while. The Christmas Song not only became an iconic classic by itself, but it pushed the boundaries of the social atmosphere. When Nat King Cole recorded this song, he became the first African-American singer to cross into the mainstream musical world. Before then, music was highly segregated, but this song crossed the line and showed everyone Christmas was the same to everyone. Here's a broadcast of Nat King Cole singing Mel Torme's The Christmas Song.

Silent Night, Stille Nacht

Silent Night may be in the top three of my favorite Christmas carols. The song was written by Father Joseph Mohr in 1816 but not performed until 1818, when Father Mohr took the words to the headmaster of the school he resided at in Oberndorf, Austria. The headmaster, Franz Gruber, composed a simple guitar melody on Christmas Eve 1818. Gruber used his surroundings when composing the melody, drawing from various folk music a yodelling. The original manuscript has been lost, but this manuscript, in Father Mohr's handwriting, has survived for almost 200 years. Here's an interesting link with more details about the song's history and several myths associated with it. (Click here)

This song holds a special place in my heart. My great-grandmother immigrated from Germany, and my grandmother has always remembered her singing Silent Night in German on Christmas Eve. A few years ago, I sang it to her in all its German glory for her Christmas present. I'm hoping to revive that again this year with the help of my two cousins. Anyway, here's Josh Groban's version from his amazing new album Noel (to bad I'm not getting paid for this!).

O NOT Holy Night

O Holy Night is one of my favorite Christmas songs. However, every year around this time, I usually send a reminder of how badly this song can go. This year, I found the video to go with the audio.

***CAUTION: This video will offend your musical sensibilities, even if you have none to speak of. Listen all the way through if you can. The last line of the song is perhaps my favorite moment of the worst performance ever of this song.

My Heart is Broken!

Well, Arkansas still doesn't have a coach after reliving the hiring debacle of Dana Altman and D-MC came in second place again for the Heisman. Some shmuck from Florida took away his glory. So, in honor of Darren and his heartbreaking second place finish, let's relive a great moment from the regular season and look forward to us kicking Chase Daniel's and the Missouri Tigers' butts in the 2008 AT&T Cotton Bowl (I know, wishful thinking, but a girl's gotta hope)! ENJOY!

God Make You Mighty, Gentlemen!

Another of my favorite Christmas carols is actually a song that was not originally part of the Church Mass. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" is a great song, with great rhythms and lyrics, and a melody that is very catchy. This song dates back from the fifteenth century (that's the 1400's for you non-edumacated folk) when Church music was for Church only and not very fun to listen to or sing. Through a small, quiet rebellion outside Church walls, peasants would create their own music to worship their God. These songs, though never sung inside the walls of the Church, helped spread the story of Jesus birth, life, and resurrection. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" is one of these non-sanctioned songs.

Many people today do not understand the meaning of this song. Since it was written in the 1400's, you must relate the meanings of the words used in that time. When we say "Merry Christmas" today, "merry" means "happy." However, in the fifteenth century, during the time of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, "merry" did not necessarily mean "happy," but "mighty." "Rest" is another word that had a different meaning in fifteenth century peasantry. "Rest" also meant "keep" or "make." So, using these meanings, "God rest ye merry gentlemen" becomes "God make you mighty gentlemen." Clever, huh?

Here's one of my favorite artists singing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." And have a "MIGHTY CHRISTMAS!"

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas

This may be one of my top 5 favorite Christmas songs. It's from the musical Meet Me in St. Louis and starred Judy Garland. I grew up watching this movie and have absolutely loved the scene where Esther, Garland's character, sings this to her younger sister. Anyway, when Garland first got the song to record it for the movie, the first lines were:

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
It may be your last
Next year we will be living in the past

For a WWII America, this did not sit well with her, and Judy sent it back to the writers for a more optimistic feeling song. Just imagine what a sad, sad song it would have been if the original lyrics had remained. The writers returned and the first lines were changed to:

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on our troubles will be out of sight

Anyway, here's a clip from the movie with Miss Judy Garland and one of her most famous songs.

O Christmas Tree

Sunday night, after a very hard drive back from Batesville, I decided to put up my Christmas tree. This is a brand new tree for me. I got it the day after Christmas last year for half price. My only problem with it is the multi-colored lights. I have nothing against multi-colored lights; they just aren't as pretty to me as the simple clear lights. Anyway, my tree is multi-colored, so I'm showing a little diversity in my decorating this year. Here's my tree in all its colorful glory.

D-MC for Heisman!

If you've been paying attention to any football this year, then you've heard of Darren McFadden. Darren is a junior running back for the Razorbacks. He's amazing, and I don't say that lightly. Last year, his campaign for the Heisman, college football's highest honor for an individual player, didn't start until the last month or so of the season and he finished in second place. With the Hogs four losses counting against him, some people do not believe he deserves this award. That's bull! He is seriously the best player in the nation. He can run, he can thrown, he can fake people out of their skin, and his stiff arm is so powerful he can knock helmets off people! Watch this:

My point with this post is we have to get Darren some votes for the Heisman. Click here and vote for Darren and show the rest of college football what he means to the Razorback fans and the game for that matter. Don't let some quarterback from Missouri or Florida beat D-MC! Forward this link on to everyone you know and hopefully we can get Darren the support he needs.

Remember, go to https://r.espn.go.com/espn/contests/theheismanvote/vote and vote for DARREN MCFADDEN!

An Important Christmas Fact.

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, Male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November.However Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring.

Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer in late December, the beloved Reindeer, from Rudolph to Blitzen had to be Girls !

We should've known. ONLY WOMEN would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost.

Thanksgiving

I had a blast at Thanksgiving. Meme said it was the best one she's had in a long time. I took the day off work on Wednesday and took my time driving (since I had Oliver in the car). Oliver did not handle the trip well, even though he was fully medicated and hadn't eaten since the night before. Just imagine my gigantic kitty, lying with his feet in the air, in his carrier, drugged out of his mind, meowing. It was seriously one of the funniest things I've seen him do. Other than the peeing in the car incident, he handled the trip pretty well.

Thursday was uneventful, however I did not get my post-dinner coma like I normally do. I was very sad about that too, after ingesting enough tryptophan to lay out a horse (what can I say, I love me some turkey!). Friday was great: the Hogs beat #1 LSU in Baton Rouge in triple overtime! Bring back the boot boys!


Saturday, however, brought some more drama to my life, although the morning started out with a little hairdressing for the baby. Dad decided it was time to chop down the two towering pine trees that resided at the corner of the house above my old bedroom. Since the electric company was trimming trees along our street (butchering as mom would say), he hired them to come do the job and hopefully cause the least damage. The gentlemen arrived on Saturday afternoon, and in the process of dropping the first tree, landed the tree on the power lines. The second tree was the most dangerous, since it was closest to the house. It went down with no problems. The power company came out and fixed the line (no major damage) very quickly.

Sunday was the worst drive I've had in a long time. Mom decided I needed to leave earlier than I wanted, since the weather was so bad. I made the tough decision to leave Oliver with Mom and Dad for a couple of weeks (a decision I regretted last night when I walked into my dark, lonely apartment), so I didn't have to worry about him getting sick in the back seat. Anyway, I made it home with no damage. It was a great weekend, but I sure could use a couple more days to recoop.

Here Comes Santa Claus.

Saturday night was the lighting of the Lights of the Ozarks in Fayetteville. Jamie and Rachel and I decided that after over ten years of not attending the parade and lighting ceremony, we would go. It was so much fun. The weather was perfect, in fact it was almost too warm to be lighting up the Christmas lights. But, Santa made his first appearance and everyone around was really excited. We even sang a rousing chorus of "Jingle Bells."

These pictures were taken with my phone. Sorry for the poor quality.

Change is hard.

I was watching Oprah last night, and her show was about hoarding. This poor woman had a 3200 square foot home and enough stuff in her house to fill a 10,000 square foot warehouse. One of the psychological experts on the show said that people like to accumulate things because they don't want to let go of the past or move into new challenges with the future. Closets are the worst for hoarding because you can close the door and no one has to see what's really behind the door. Remember when we discovered Monica's secret closet?

I really took this show to heart, especially after remembering the chore it was to move Meme out of her old house. Another expert on the show said that most people become overwhelmed by the amount of clutter and don't know where to begin. Since closets are usually one of the first things you deal with in the morning, that overwhelming feeling stays with you all day and affects how you handle the rest of the day. Imagine if you feel overwhelmed within twenty minutes of waking up, then going to work where the feeling multiplies. It just doesn't go away.

So this morning, I decided it was time to de-clutter my life. And I started with my closet. My closet has been a source of problems for me over the last few years. I have this amazing walk in closet. The one gigantic problem is that the racks don't like to stay on the walls. And since I only have a small 4 drawer chest of drawers, I really don't have a lot places to put my clothes other than the closet. And apparently over the last four years, I have accumulated a ton of clothes. Well after five 30 gallon trash bags full of clothes, two paper boxes full of shoes, and two bags of trash later, I think I have uncluttered my closet. Yeah!

A Friend Loveth at All Times

I have two guy friends that I love dearly. I was thinking about this last night. I've know Jamie for over ten years now and Evan for almost that long. I thank God every day that these two Godly men are in my life. They may have raised the bar too high for other men to meet when they enter my life. Jamie and Evan have loved me unconditionally since the first day we met. The first day I met Jamie, he was visiting Rachel while he was still in high school and we connected like long lost friends. Evan marched beside me in pregame from the very beginning of early week in band. He and I began talking that first day and never stopped. Evan and Jamie, I love you and don't know what would happen if I lost either one of you. Thank you God for bringing these two friends into my life.

Welcome to Facebook!

I've officially joined one of the largest on-line communities. Facebook has been around for a while, but for some reason, I've never been on it. Until recently. It's amazing what all you can find on there. Groups about political/religious views, campus life, or go out of your way to crunch that leaf are a few examples of the types of things people are discussing on there. But the best thing it does is let you stay connected with people all over the world. Anyway, Facebook tells me I only have four friends at the moment. Surely that will change. Look me up on Facebook if you're there and add me to your friends list!

She's Having a Baby!

Melanie, Erin, Emily, Kim and I hosted a shower for Rachel today. We had a blast! So much food, so many family and friends, and so many presents! I can't wait for this baby to get here. Audrie is going to be one spoiled little girl.

We started with some finger foods and some desserts.

And what's a baby shower without petit fors (or miniature cakes in USAmericanese) with Audrie's monogram and, of course, polka dots.

And some amazing blue punch made by Erin.

We used a clothesline theme for a lot of the decorations. All of these adorable little outfits were gifts from the hostesses.

We also had some photos of Rachel and Jamie and other family since she's been pregnant. It's neat to see how much her belly has grown in the last few weeks.

And, what's a shower without presents! The photo is a Kim Lowery original.This one's in honor of Jamie.I think one of the best/funniest items Rachel received was a Hooter Hider. Seriously, that's what they're called.

Jamie came over afterward and helped load the enormous amount of gifts into the car. A good hour was devoted to going through the loot and looking at all the great stuff they got. Check out Jamie's shirt!

Look out world! Audrie is making her debut in February.

Murphy's Law #128

The one clean pair of underwear you have is the one pair of underwear that decides to loose its elasticity the day you have to wear them.

Have you ever had one of those days where nothing went right? That has been today for me. I've been off schedule since I was sick yesterday, and I just haven't recovered. I was still very Jello-brained this morning (a side effect of the headache), so my cognitive abilities were a little hampered. Anyway, it took me a long time to get ready this morning; I couldn't decide which jeans I wanted to wear. Then I get to the office and realize what I've worn is too warm for the day since it's 70 degrees outside. As the morning went on, I discovered I had worn the wrong underwear: the pair I have on has decided it's too tired to stay put, and as I walked outside to the FedEx drop, drooped its way down to below my hips. I might as well have gone commando today. The elastic is shot. So, I guess that means I am going to get underwear for Christmas. Yahoo.

Post for Evan

I decided to stay home today because I woke up with a serious headache this morning. Nothing a few pills couldn't handle. But as I was trying to sleep it off, I got a text on my cell phone from Evan. He informed me that he was disappointed in my blogging efforts, because I wasn't giving him updated blogs to read at work. Well, considering I haven't posted since Friday, I crawled my way out of my sick bed and rushed to the computer, because Heaven knows no one needs Evan on their bad side. So Evan, this post of randomness is for you.

Random Thought #1

I love my car. I will have had my car for ten years the day after thanksgiving this year. Can you all believe I've had the Altima that long? I think I've had that car longer than I've known some of you; longer than some of you have even had driver's licences. Anyway, my car is a beautiful thing. It's always dirty on the outside, sometimes on the inside, and it has so much junk in the trunk I could hold a yard sale out of it. By the way, that is not a picture of my car, just an image. I've only had one major problem with it, but it was all fixed and back on the road. I think I rolled over 127,000 miles on it this week. If I ever get a real job and trade this one in, it's probably going to be on another Altima. I like cars I don't have to think about. Although, it probably won't be a black car; nothing against black cars, but I don't wash my car enough to have another black car.

Random Thought #2

Did you know that Ben Franklin wanted the symbol of our nation not to be the eagle but the wild turkey? You can read a letter from Franklin to his daughter here.

Random Thought #3

Do you know how hard it is to find a notary? How are you supposed to get a signature notarized if you don't know anyone who has paid the fee to be bonded by the state to notarize signatures. If I say I am who I am, shouldn't someone believe me until I've been proved not to be who I say I am?

My brain now hurts again. Thanks Evan.

And Go Hogs! Beat Tennessee!

Morbid Thought for the Day

Have you ever wonder just how much you were worth? Well, here's the tool for you. This handy dandy little calculator lets you figure out how much science would pay for you to bite the bullet. I did alright with my score. I think I could pay dad back about half of what I owe for my student loans!

$4825.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth.

Random Thoughts on the Razorback Game

While sitting at the game on Saturday, not watching anything going on on the field because we were playing a Junior High team (thanks to Uncle Frank and Cousin Houston for the most spectacular schedule ever!), several questions were pondered upon amongst the people we were sitting with. The opposing team was Florida International University. The name of this institution puzzled me from the first time I heard it. Did the founders of the college decide that since there was already the University of Florida that meant this institution could not be Florida University? Would people be confused with Florida University, University of Florida. Evan pointed out that some people might even be offended at games when the crowd started chanting F-U! F-U! over and over again. But seriously, what makes Florida international? That was the question plaguing my psyche. Florida is part of the USAmerica (thanks Miss S.Carolina). Nothing international about that. Maybe national, not international. An airport is international because they fly overseas to foreign countries, and Florida has a couple of international airports. Then I thought, do they only admit international students? No, looking at the roster for the 24 person football team, several players were from area towns and cities. I came to one realization. There was only one answer that could solve the mysterious case of what made Florida international: Cuba.

Thanks Evan for several points in the minor ramblings of today's post!

Corn Maze Pictures

Hitchhiker with Keystone Light

This is a bad picture, but we were in a moving car and really didn't want to get very close in case he had an ax or a chainsaw. Too bad he didn't have Bud Light. We might have tried to pick him up then.

Entrance to The Right Choices Corn Maze

Jamie, Melanie, Evan and Erin pose in front of the 135 year old barn. We bought tickets from these cute little booths in the barn. We entered the maze, all excited and ready to have some fun.

But the corn looked like it had seen better days. We ended up really lost because we let Evan and Jamie lead.

Photo Op: Smile Girls!

So we wandered a little more, enough so, Erin broke a sweat.

More wandering.And even more wandering. Will it ever end?

Finally, after an hour and a half, we'd had enough, found the exit, and left.

Do you think it's too late to pick up the hitchhiker?

A Corn-y Maze?

Well, Sunday, Evan and Jamie decided it was time for us to do something festive. Evan heard about this maze made from a corn field and thought we should go. So, Erin, Evan, Jamie, Melanie, and I all piled into a car to head to Missouri (we should have known from the location what we were in store for). In theory, this was a great idea. There was a 135 year old barn that overlooked the seven acre field that formed the maze, and all the proceeds were going to a church youth group's ministry. Yes, I did say in theory.

After about a 45 minute drive, eighteen turns on a supposedly straight road, and one milkshake made from soured milk later, we arrived in Anderson, MO. At the turn to the farm, there was seriously a guy standing on the side of the road trying to hitch a ride... your totally not ready for this... with a case of Keystone Light beer next to him. You've all seen the Bud Light commercial with the hitch-hiker with the ax/chainsaw, right? Did I faintly hear "Dueling Banjos" as we turned onto the dirt road? We should have known to turn around right then and there and drive as fast as we could all the way back home. Stupid idiots!

So, the Right Choices Corn Maze is run by the Manning Brothers Farm. They have a great mission statement, and you should really try the place if you get a chance, but go earlier in the season and before any monster storms hit the area, or else you'll wander around a dead, rotting corn field for an hour or so trying to make it more fun than it was. Anyway, I'll post photos later. Blogger isn't working well with photos right now, and I need to get to bed after the full a-maze-ing day I've just had.

Homecoming.

Today is the Arkansas Razorbacks Homecoming game. Homecoming has always been a little sad for me. On October 7, 2000, the Hogs played and won their homecoming game, but earlier that day my Papaw had his homegoing. So, I always remember my Papaw at the homecoming game.

Happy Birthday Landon

One year ago today, Jonathan and Melanie headed to the hospital for Landon's birth. After being in labor all day, Melanie was taken in to surgery for a C-section. Landon was born shortly after midnight on October 27, 2006. He's grown so much and has begun walking. He's talking and terrorizing his brother, and most of all has stolen his Granny's and Papaw's heart. Since I won't be able to be there to celebrate his first birthday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!

Is it Friday yet?

I have had one of those weird weeks where I've been off my schedule by a day. I woke up yesterday and thought it was Thursday for the longest time. And today has felt like it should be Friday. And now that the day is over, I'm really looking forward to the weekend, except for that pesky whole day I have to make it through. Anyway, Happy Thursday!

And just for some Halloween fun: