Today’s tune for Tuesday is my favorite Christmas song. I enjoy Christmas songs, especially because you hear them just at a month at a time (more may just be too much!). My mom used to always play a Johnny Mathis Christmas, which was always good. I own Christmas CD’s by Elvis, Jewel, and Chicago. I just found out that Weezer just came out with one; I will definitely have to get that. Monster Ballads Xmas is also on my wish list. This one features 80’s hair bands, which I have to admit I still enjoy. Since I heart the 80’s, my very favorite Christmas song should come as no surprise. “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid has been played many times in the past week (much to the chagrin of my oldest son- “Not this song again!”). This song was released in 1984 and was recorded specifically to raise money for relief in Ethiopia. Bob Geldof assembled the group of popular British and Irish musicians for this recording. Musicians included Sting, Phil Collins, Paul Young, George Michael, and members from Duran Duran (sigh), U2, Culture Club, Bananarama, Spandeau Ballet, Kool and the Gang, and many others. I was a major Duran Duran fan when this song came out, so I loved it then. Despite my being a rocker girl, I still adore Duran Duran. I can’t help it. C’mon, it’s Simon Le Bon and John Taylor! They are still dreamy…:0) I still buy their albums and attend their concerts. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season with your family and friends. I’m looking forward to some major family time in the next few weeks, so I will not be blogging regularly until after the new year. Happy holidays and a happy new year to you all! Enjoy “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”
Welcome to Poetry Friday! Author Amok is hosting today. Visit Laura's site to see some wonderful links to poetry. The Midwest is being pummeled with snow. My oldest son woke up to ask if he had school today. I replied with the answer he was waiting to hear, "No, it's a snow day!" He ran and hugged me. The narrator in my original poem wasn't so lucky...
A Snow Day by Kelly Polark
A snow day! A snow day! Angels in a row day!
A snow day! A snow day!
Bake some cookie dough day!
A snow day! A snow day! Watch our dad snow blow day! A snow day! A snow day!
Drink some hot cocoa day!
A snow day! A snow day! Watch a video day! A snow day! A snow day!
Turn on the radio day!
What did the radio say? No schools are closed today? I guess it’s an OH NO! day.
If you haven't already, check out another winter poem of mine in this month's issue of Stories forChildren magazine. Click here to read it!
I had so much fun perusing Christmas rock videos on YouTube that I thought I’d throw in a few more tunes this week. These aren’t my favorite Christmas songs, but they have a few things in common. 1. They are both by artists that were popular in 1990. 2. They are the same song, "Jingle Bell Rock." 3. The first one is by an artist I didn’t care for when they were popular, but I do like this Christmas song. The second song is by an artist I did like in the eighties/nineties, but this video makes me cringe. The first song is "Jingle Bell Rock" by Nelson. Nelson is a band with two brothers, Matthew and Gunnar, who had a hit in 1990 called, “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection.” I actually saw them in concert this year with my mom. We went to see Great White, LA Guns, and Nelson. Good bands, not great bands, but they were playing in a cornfield about twenty minutes from us, so we went. It was pretty fun, and we had our picture taken with Gunnar and Matthew (don’t ask me which is which). They were nice guys. If you have ever seen The Suite Life on Disney Channel, picture Zack and Cody 25 years from now. They don’t have a video, so just take a listen to "Jingle Bell Rock" from the Monster BalladsXmas album (which is seriously on my list this year!).
The next video is "Jingle Bell Rock" by Billy Idol. Billy Idol is cool. He has a sneer like no other, and I love the song, “White Wedding.” He was a major Mtv staple of the eighties. So I thought this would be an awesome version of “Jingle Bell Rock.” It is probably the video that turned me off to it. I like to think of Billy as a tough, lip curling rocker. This 2006 video just makes him look like a goof, and it looks like he’s had a little work done, too. Actually, his vocals sound good in the song, he just looks silly in the video! If you like the song, Billy has a whole album of Christmas songs titled, Happy Holidays: A Very Special Christmas Album. Here it is!
Honestly isn’t just a Stryper song. I have been nominated for the Honest Scrap Award by my blogger buddy, Christy. “Scrap means left over, discarded material. Many times truth and honesty are discarded material, considered fragments and left over. This award is for people that tell it like it is, and let the scraps fall where they will. There are 2 guidelines for receiving this award. One, you are to list 10 honest things about yourself. Make them interesting, even if you have to dig deep. Two, present the award to other bloggers.” Ten honest things about me are – 1. I am an honest person, but sometimes I say nothing instead of telling it like it is to avoid conflict. 2. I’ve cried every day since my dog died. 3. Before I go to bed at night, I have to put my hand on my kids’ backs to make sure they are breathing. 4. No matter where I go or for how long for vacation, I am always glad to return home. I am a major homebody. 5. I have a stack of magazines two feet high that I still haven’t read and have to go through. 6. I know I am overprotective of my children and that I need to let up. But I hover anyway. 7. My husband and I have had our fair share of medical tests and procedures with my daughter (one being she had her kidney removed last year). We take her to specialists throughout the year. She’s one tough little girl. 8. My husband drives me crazy sometimes, but I’m crazy about him :0). I suppose that could go for my three children, too! 9. I had a cookie for breakfast today. 10. I think I’m addicted to Facebook.
The rock/ska band, No Doubt, reached mainstream success in 1995 with their album, Tragic Kingdom. I remember getting that CD for Christmas that year and playing it over and over. My favorite song from the album is “Just A Girl.” Today’s tune is by No Doubt. “Oi To The World” is No Doubt’s contribution to A VerySpecial Christmas 3 compilation. Proceeds from this album go to Special Olympics International. The very successful Special Christmas series has raised more than $55 million for Special Olympics. The California punk rock band, The Vandals, originally recorded "Oi to the World;" their friends, No Doubt, covered it with great success.
You may recognize the lead singer of No Doubt as Gwen Stefani. Gwen is an awesome vocalist and all around good role model for girls with her successful music and clothing career and her stable family life. I’ve been having fun checking out rockin’ Christmas tunes this week, so I’ll have a Tune for Thursday this week as well. Next week’s Tune for Tuesday will be my favorite Christmas song. But first check out No Doubt!
The holidays are upon us. I’ve been busy, busy, busy purchasing gifts for loved ones. It’s hard to find that perfect gift sometimes. But you try. Or not. Have you ever gotten a gift that made you cringe? Giggle? Run away? Tell me the funniest (or strangest) gift you have ever given or received. Here’s my story… When I was in fourth grade, my parents let me have a pet rabbit. He was a beautiful black bunny that I named Ziggy. What does a rabbit have to do with Christmas? Nothing, unless you are in my crazy family. During my childhood, my older sister, Denise, and I usually didn't exchange gifts. But one year (I was probably ten) she wrapped up a small little box just for me! My parents were so touched. I was so touched. I opened it up excitedly. What, oh, what did my big sister pick out for pesky little me? I tore open the lid of the little box. ACK! It was full of rabbit droppings! We went from "Aaaawww to Ewwwww!" My mom said, "That wasn't very nice!" That was certainly what you would call an unexpected gift. I think I was just shocked. Looking back, I am surprised we didn't laugh more about it, because my parents both have good senses of humor.
About ten years ago when I was a teacher, a coworker had a rabbit. I asked her if she could please bring me some rabbit droppings....(I'm sure she thought I was nuts, but I did explain the story). We were all at my mom's celebrating Christmas, and I gave my sister a small, beautifully wrapped gift full of you-know-what! :0) This time we did all burst out into laughter. Because little tiny poops are funny (as long as they aren’t on your shoe). My sister also blogged about this blessed Christmas moment here. There are slight inaccuracies, but the hilarity is the same. What is the funniest gift you have encountered?
I had so much fun perusing Christmas rock videos on YouTube that I thought I’d throw in a few more tunes this week. These aren’t my favorite Christmas songs, but they have a few things in common. 1. They are both by artists that were popular in 1990. 2. They are the same song, "Jingle Bell Rock." 3. The first one is by an artist I didn’t care for when they were popular, but I do like this Christmas song. The second song is by an artist I did like in the eighties/nineties, but this video makes me cringe.
Honestly isn’t just a Stryper song. I have been nominated for the Honest Scrap Award by my blogger buddy, Christy. “Scrap means left over, discarded material. Many times truth and honesty are discarded material, considered fragments and left over. This award is for people that tell it like it is, and let the scraps fall where they will. There are 2 guidelines for receiving this award. One, you are to list 10 honest things about yourself. Make them interesting, even if you have to dig deep. Two, present the award to other bloggers.”
The rock/ska band, No Doubt, reached mainstream success in 1995 with their album, Tragic Kingdom. I remember getting that CD for Christmas that year and playing it over and over. My favorite song from the album is “Just A Girl.” Today’s tune is by No Doubt. “Oi To The World” is No Doubt’s contribution to A Very Special Christmas 3 compilation. Proceeds from this album go to Special Olympics International. The very successful Special Christmas series has raised more than $55 million for Special Olympics. The California punk rock band, The Vandals, originally recorded "Oi to the World;" their friends, No Doubt, covered it with great success. 
The holidays are upon us. I’ve been busy, busy, busy purchasing gifts for loved ones. It’s hard to find that perfect gift sometimes. But you try. Or not. Have you ever gotten a gift that made you cringe? Giggle? Run away? Tell me the funniest (or strangest) gift you have ever given or received. Here’s my story…
