Music and Memories

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I've listened to Tingstad & Rumbel Christmas music for years. I love it. Right now it's what's playing on Spotify. With all the snow we've had, it is the perfect music for today.

Earlier today, when I took the dogs out at 6:15 AM (yes, because they still think it's 7:15 AM), I was thinking how thankful I am to have warm clothes to wear in our long winter months.

When I was a kid (get ready for this), we had black boots with metal buckles. We wore our shoes inside our boots and had to put plastic bread bags on our shod feet before sliding them into the boots. If we didn't do that, the boots would be really tough to get on and off. Also, we had wool mittens. They kept our hands warm until we got snow on them. We ended up with cold, red, nearly-frozen fingers, and when we went into the house, we'd hang the soaked mittens above the oil burner to dry. I still remember the smell of that wet wool as it got hot from the stove. Hm. I suppose that's what wet sheep smell like.

And you thought I had forgotten about him.

He's the 'real' Muker.

I don't remember ever feeling really warm outdoors (in the winter) when I was a kid, but we still played outdoors a lot. Built forts, went skating, etc.

Winter Uniform

I know I've posted this photo before, but thought I'd bring it back for a rerun on this cold, pre-winter day.

1. Wolverine hikers

2. Down-filled coat

3. Down-filled hood

4. Thick polar fleece hat

5. Ear Muffs (to wear over the hat)

6. Gloves

7. My cute little flip phone that's been replaced by a smartphone

8. Cuddle Duds long johns

9. Wigwam Merino Wool Sox

10. Denim jeans

Fill it and they will come.

First guest at the feeder.

View from the deck today
It's not going anywhere.

So here I am, feeling rather melancholy on this cold day, but I know it's mostly the Tingstad & Rumbel Effect.

Back to winter memories, do you have any childhood winter memories that come to mind? 

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Although I usually forget to do it, there is a chance that this post will be linked to one or more of these great linky parties:  Amaze Me Monday and Inspiration Monday and Mosaic Monday and The Barn Collective and    Treasure Box Tuesday and Vintage Bliss Tuesday and KatheWithAnE and Rubbish Tuesday and Our World Tuesday and Tuesdays at our Home and Tuesday with a Twist and  Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage)  and   Tweak it Tuesday and Vintage Inspiration Wednesday and Ivy and Elephants Wednesday and Adorned From Above  and Artsy Corner Thursday and  All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and Good Fences on Thursdays and  Time Travel Thursday and Freedom Fridays and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Saturday's Critters

The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

The Boys of King's College Choir

From the UK Telegraph:
www.telegraph.co.uk

"It is precisely 10 seconds to air for A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King’s College, Cambridge. The college’s director of music, Stephen Cleobury, looks one boy chorister directly in the eye and gestures for him to step forward. Only then does the soloist learn that he has the honour of singing, unaccompanied, the opening verse of Once in Royal David’s City.

“The boys might speculate on which one of them I’ll pick, but not actually telling them until seconds beforehand is the only way to avoid nerves,” says Cleobury. “This way the boy performs in the heat of the moment. I always have three or four candidates in mind, but if I revealed their identity even a day before, the pressure would be far too great.”

Since becoming director – and therefore musical mastermind – of the choir in 1982, Cleobury has had no refusals or disasters. “I am incredibly precise in indicating who I want,” he says. “One of my predecessors once beckoned to a boy and two stepped forward simultaneously.” 


I'm going to be listening to the live Christmas Eve service, The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, broadcast from King's College Chapel in Cambridge, England. It will be presented at 3 PM at Cambridge, which is 9 AM in Wisconsin. Listen to Minnesota Public Radio, KSJN, 99.5 FM or BBC Radio 4.

You can view the complete program at King's College website.  A .pdf of the service booklet can be found in the middle column.

Mark your calendars. That's a week from today, Friday the 24th of December. Don't miss it! I wouldn't be surprised if you decide to make it a Christmas Eve Day tradition too! :-)

The First Snow

Some of my blog readers may remember the backyard photos I posted this summer, the pretty and colorful flower garden hugging the cute little pond with its resident snails and water plants. Well, take a good look at the photo above, for this is what our backyard will look like for the next 4 1/2 or possibly 5 months!

We woke up to a snowstorm this morning, and I see that the bird feeder needs to be brushed off and filled with seed. It's always fun to watch our dogs, Bridger and Misty when they go out into the first snow. They step cautiously out into the snow, and seem a little startled that their outdoor world changed so much overnight!

 View SE from our deck

And this is where our trusty little wood-burning Quadrafire stove comes in. It was probably about 13 years ago that we saw the stove while we were visiting Lehman's Hardware  (a fascinating, Amish-serving hardware store) in Kidron, Ohio and ordered it to be delivered. It's been an amazing stove, heating our entire house adequately (I say 'adequately' because my brother once asked me if we keep meat. Very funny. You get used to wearing a sweater or one of several polar fleece garments when you live in NW Wisconsin wintertime.)

I see by the photo above that Bridger hasn't been doing his chores and emptying the ash bucket!

And, as always on the First Snow, I have dragged out my favorite Christmas music CDs. My top five favorites are:

1. Christmas With the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Field
2. A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols which I play even though I listen to the live performance each Christmas Eve Day at 9 AM on our classical music station.
3. Christmas Day in the Morning - the Cambridge Singers
4. Celtic Christmas
5. Best-Loved Christmas Carols - Choir of King's College Cambridge

I would have taken a photo of my 'top six' but my J.S. Bach Christmas Oratorio seems to be missing! Anyone out there happen to know where it is?? Then, of course, there's Christmastide - Jessye Norman, one of the few solo vocalists I love.

And now I need to tidy up around here so that I can turn on that gorgeous music! I can't listen to music like that in a messy house. It seems disrespectful or something. It's like a clash of order and chaos.

Hope you all have a great weekend! :-)