Shipping woes

Quick word about shipping problems this year. I've used catalogs, Monkey Wards, mail order, phone order, book clubs, Internet, online, etc, etc, etc. over the years. Once I even bartered services(not the proudest day of my life, but you do what you have to do to make Christmas dreams come true) and very seldom had any problems.

Sadly, this year there were 9 or more rain checks on the tree. Everyone of them related to shipping issues. Stuff still isn't here. The problems occurred beyond the vendors' doors when the parcels were picked up by the carriers. Every vendor has bent over backwards to help. I've had shipping refunded and gift cards offered for my trouble. I'm sure everything will get here. The moment was spoiled mostly for Carson who trusted me to get the stuff here on time so the spoiled Christmas was my fault.

I remember a Christmas back in '97 when all I really wanted was to live through the next week, have that surgery, last longer than the 3 days Dad did after his bypass, and live to hear my daughter say daddy. She's 17 now, and doesn't even realize that every time she unloads on me, shouts, calls me names, loses her temper(ever her father's daughter) even if I get angry, it is just one more wish in my life that has come true beyond all my expectations. Pretty sweet trade off if you ask me.

WARNING !

Santa fly with one eye open as you make your rounds. The skies over Middle Earth could prove treacherous.

SHOCK & OUTRAGE

Pretty much wrapped up the holiday shopping. Lucked out and found the magic ingredient for this recipe for sausage ball scrapple casserole  I haven't had in ages. It was an old family tradition and then an uncle or somebody modified it, added a little of this, a dash of that, left out a smidgen of something else and then  didn't cook it done enough or maybe it sat out to long, long story short, after everybody got sick, nobody made it for years. I think I'll give it a try with a few new twists of my own.

Interesting note: no Christmas warriors out and about. People seemed civil and happy no matter what version of the holiday/Christmas/Festivus greeting was exchanged. 

  

Beware of Bumble

The view from our drive gazing across the street to the east. If I see a proportional "Bumble" headed our way...I'm headed to the bomb shelter.

Thank you, Duesterheft family!

THE STORY OF THE CHRISTMAS POTATO

Well, that time of year is here again. Time to start throwing Christmas Potatoes. The site I had up for the last 3 years went dark because 100 bucks a year was stretching the budget. I will do my best to provide some more resources like PDF versions of the story and spud notes. 2010 marks the 29th year for the fact of throwing potatoes. Kinney's telling of the tale has been around since 1984.

I found out also that someone else published a book for children called "The Christmas Potato." The author even has a Facebook page. As far as our two stories I don't think they are anything alike. I wish her the best

Our version of the story is meant to be shared and the tradition passed from generation to generation and friend to friend much like a mug of weasel broth on a frosty winter's morn.

The Story of the Christmas Potato
as told by Kinney Isaacs

Once upon a time there was a little boy named Riley. He lived in a town called Topeka, which means, "a good place to dig potatoes."
Riley had three favorite things, and as long as he had those three things he would always be happy.








El Beano was one of Riley's favorite things. El Beano was a green toy army truck that Riley got for Christmas when he was two years old. Riley never had a pet when he was growing up. He didn't need one. He had El Beano. Riley played with him every day. El Beano was better than a pet. He didn't talk back. He never had to go outside. He would play whatever game Riley wanted to.






When Riley wasn't playing with El Beano the little truck rested on Riley's bed with Pepper, the teddy bear, and Riley's three lucky pillows.



Another one of Riley's favorite things was his toy space helmet. More than anything else in the world Riley wanted to be an astronaut when he grew up. Back then no one had gone to the moon, and the space shuttle was just something out of a science fiction movie. At night Riley dreamed of life as an astronaut. He imagined visits to strange and weird planets. He dreamed of beings from other worlds and visits from the alien saucer people from outer space. Riley dreamed of saving the day and of the hero's kiss he would receive from Annette who was his favorite Mouseketeer.


If Riley couldn't be an astronaut he wanted to work in his grandfather's grocery store.

Riley's number one favorite thing wasn't a thing at all. It wasn't something you could have every day.












It was something you had to wait almost an entire year for. You could dream about it, but you still had to wait.






You had to wait all the way until Thanksgiving. It wasn't turkey. Riley's number one favorite thing was a feeling, and only one thing caused it.















Christmas lights! Every Thanksgiving meant it was time to flip the switch that meant a whole month of Christmas lights.











Christmas lights made Riley feel his number one most favorite thing. One time Riley tried to explain to his big sister and his little brother how the Christmas lights made him feel.

"Well it's like this," he said, "a lot of different things all mixed up. You know how you feel when you hug Mom or Dad, well, it's like that and more. It's like when you wake up from a good dream or eat a big hunk of fudge. It's like lying in front of the fan or jumping off the fence. It does to your brain what songs do to your ears. It's all the best things jumbled up together into one big ball of stuff. It's just that Christmas feeling."
When Riley tried to explain they just looked at him. He knew they understood even if they didn't think they did. They must.












Once the Christmas tree was decorated, Riley didn't need TV or books or relatives. With the lights on the tree all you had to do was stare,and your brain took over. The lights let Riley see the feeling and not just feel it.

Riley would place one of his lucky pillows under the tree and don his space helmet. Clutching El Beano Riley would gaze up into the tree and watch the lights. Thoughts would flood his brain. Plain and simple he just liked to looked at those lights.


Sometime before Christmas the whole family would go for a car ride. When Riley saw the lights all over town he wished there was some way he could say thank you to all the people who put up lights and let him feel his favorite thing.












The best way to say thank you would be to march up to the front door, knock, and tell the people. Because he was little boy, Riley didn't think his parents would let him do that.







If his handwriting was better than a C- he could send thank you cards. But even if people could read his handwriting, who would pay for all the stamps?
Riley wouldn't admit it to anyone, but for once in his life he was stumped. Every year at Christmas time Riley would try to think of a way to say thank you only to give up and say instead, "Maybe I'll figure something out next year."














Years came and went and Riley kept getting older. He lost El Beano and traded his space helmet for a movie camera. Riley found out that his life was different than he planned. He accepted it. But no matter what happened Thanksgiving came and brought with it the lights that Riley loved to watch. At least that didn't change and Riley never forgot about wanting to say thank you.

Then one November as he was driving home from work, he saw the first Christmas lights of the year. It was like getting hit in the head with a hammer or having a big rock fall on you.



If, when you got a good idea, a light bulb really formed above your head, Riley's light bulb would not have fit in the car-the idea was that good.







Riley thought, "Why not a potato?" And that's when the potato part of the Christmas potato started. Why not throw a potato into the yard of a house with pretty lights?







Riley realized that if someone came out in the morning and found a potato in the yard it would be a mystery. The people would say, "Who put this potato in my yard?"














So that people would know what the potato meant Riley made little Christmas cards that explained he just wanted to say thank you and "Merry Christmas." He wrapped the card and the potato in plastic wrap and tied each end with ribbon.



On Christmas Eve Riley filled a basket with potatoes and drove all over town. When he saw a house with Christmas lights he threw a potato into the yard. Finally, after years and years of trying and never really giving up Riley had found a way to say thank you.




Today, Christmas lights still give Riley that "Christmas light" feeling. Each year more and more children and adults around the country throw Christmas potatoes so that friends, neighbors, and even strangers know that their unselfish efforts during the holiday season are appreciated.
A big part of Christmas is letting people know how we feel. Wouldn't the world be a better place if some of our "Christmas feelings" stayed around all year long and spread to everybody? Maybe we can all work on that one next.

So, remember, if some morning you wake up and your yard is full of potatoes, it's just people saying, "Thank you and Merry Christmas."
Peace.
The note we attach to the spuds goes something like this:

No one is quite sure how the tradition of the Christmas Potato began. Many believe it began in the later half of the 20th century when a young man tossed seasonal greetings wrapped around uncooked potatoes into the yards of houses decorated with Christmas lights. It was his way of saying thank you and Merry Christmas.
Before the advent of the Christmas Potato there was no way to easily thank those who brighten our holiday season with their unselfish efforts. Now each year children and adults alike look forward to the annual pitching of the holiday spud.
But why a potato? The young man grew up in a town called Topeka which means a good place to dig potatoes.




Holiday  Myo͞oziˈkal/

noun: musicale; plural noun: musicales

1. - a musical gathering or concert, typically small and informal.

For many years I've put together a Christmas "mix tape." If I stop and concentrate I'd guess the first one was an extremely lo-fi attempt in most likely 1969.  It amounted to several songs sequenced from LP's and recorded with the microphone of my Montgomery Ward Airline Cassette Recorder masking taped to one of my tripods in front of the stereo speakers. Quality wasn't the greatest and each tape probably took a half hour to make which limited production to a half dozen or so. Needless to say I was proud as could be of the song selection and sequencing.

As technology moved forward so did the quality of my tapes.  I grew up in a church that only celebrated Christmas as a secular holiday. My parents, however, stressed Christmas in all its many flavors and shadings at home so luckily I was exposed to a wide range of holiday traditions and music. Spending over a decade running record stores I luckily got first crack at new Christmas records and spent lots of times scouting and buying used holiday records.

Then in a move as dramatic as an atomic Christmas bomb the internet showed up. Suddenly I could find songs long out of print. Recordings available only from networks of pirate tapers and songs others had stumbled across and digitized from long inaccessible vinyl were suddenly there if you looked hard enough.

Come September I was excitedly looking forward to my annual pilgrimage to Winfield to see friends, listen to lots of acoustic music, and campfire discussions with fellow FreeState InterFaith Council members. Barely a week before, my favorite cardiologist calls me up and suggests that I amend my plans and instead get ready for my lucky 12th heart cath. Dude, makes an offer like that, well...you can hardly say no. I missed Winfield for the first time in ten years and then Monday 9/23,  I was fortunate enough to have stent #6 implanted in a widow-maker that was over 95% occluded. The procedure went smoother than smooth and I was back at school by the end of the week.

I mention that only as explanation for my "hankerin' " for acoustic Christmas music this year. I found lots of old favorites, non traditional pieces that ought to be holiday music, and performances by artists that touch me at the heart of my soul.  Listen and hopefully enjoy.

Please understand I have the highest respect and regard for copyright laws and statutes to defend the intellectual property of artists and composers. I would never in any shape or form try to profit or even make a dime from a mix tape, podcast, or whatever you want to call it. I strive to give as much credit and identification to performers and composers.  If anyone that holds the rights to any of these recordings were to request it, I would remove the podcast of songs as soon as possible. I provide this year's mix as merely a service and celebration of the season that means so much to so many of us. Listen and enjoy. Please buy the official recordings and support the artists. Here is my 2013

Holiday  Myo͞oziˈkal/

click link below 

Holiday Myo͞oziˈkal 2013

1. In My Life / Per-Olov Kindren---2:48(available on YouTube)

A wonderful version of a Beatles song I always connect with December since the death of John Lennon in 1980. That December hanging out at the Zilker tree the day after the murder with thousands of other fans I heard innumerable versions of the song. It still brings tears to my eyes when I think of friends, places, and moments that have passed on to the rest of the adventure. 

2. The Fields of November / Norman Blake---4:07

As a young knucklehead I remember thinking that Norman Blake was one of the finest guitar players I'd ever get to see. I still hold him in a place of immense respect. For decades I've thought of this song as a near perfect prelude to the holiday season.

3. Tapestry / TOMMY EMMANUEL---4:57

Oh, that Tommy. If you've not seen him and enjoy guitar playing you need to make the effort to catch a performance. Strictly speaking this isn't a holiday song, yet when thinking of the tapestry of playing that touches me I had to include it. Sure there's a lot of flash to a set by Tommy, but once his fingers are warmed up or when he is playing with other musicians he respects(the late Doc Watson, Stephen Bennett to mention only two) the man takes it to another level of musical reality.

4. In the Bleak Midwinter / Stephen Bennett---3:24(available on YouTube)

Stephen Bennett...his harp guitar, or his refurbished found national steel guitar, or whatever he puts his hands on does more than amaze me. He is my favorite player to listen to. Words cannot describe the joy his playing brings to me. I'd retell my Bennett's playing equals heaven story but it only sounds corny.

5. Down In Yon Forest/New Year's Eve / John McCutcheon---3:33

Another Winfield favorite who seems to make it every year. He is a great songwriter, guitar player, autoharp talent and hammered dulcimer artist. He plays instruments I always wanted to play while knowing I never would.

6. I'll be home for Christmas / Pete Huttlinger---2:45(available on YouTube)

Huttlinger like Bennett , is still with us because of the miracles of modern medicine. Seeing how the Winfield community came together for both of them at their  bleakest time was amazing. What a perfect song to include in this collection.

7. Russian Christmas Overture / John Fahey---6:49

For my money John Fahey is the godfather of acoustic Christmas music. Over the years I've seen his records sell just as strongly from year to year as many new Christmas releases. He set the bar for many of the other players I respect.

8. Christmas Jig and Reels - Midnight Clearance Sale / The Three Dories
    performed by Ashley MacIsaac---3:43

I discovered  this music after reading the novel by and the short stories of Alastair MacLeod concerning the culture and people of Cape Bretton Island. The writing needs to be read more and if MacIsaac ever makes it out our way I hope I can finally see him perform.

9.'Christmas Time is Here' Vince Guaraldi/ performed Rob Bourassa---1:25(available on YouTube)

Nothing needs to be said about the song. I found the performance on YouTube. It is a major find.

10. I Saw Three Ships / Steve Wariner---2:30

I never knew what a guitar Steve Wariner was until a Sound Warehouse managers convention in the '90's. During the course of the week artist came in to play showcase sets. Wariner's was mostly him just playing. I was blown away.

11. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas/Joe Pass---4:39(available on YouTube)

I'd never listened to Joe Pass until the '70's when a customer that bought lots of jazz records suggested I check him out. A hollow bodied electric guitar sounds fabulous especially if someone that knows what they are doing is playing it.

12. HAPPY Xmas (war is over)/Jake Shimabukuro & Yo-Yo Ma---4:43(available on YouTube)

Never seen Yo-Yo Ma except on television. I was lucky enough to see Jake the night that he met Tommy Emmanuel and played a blistering set at the Cactus Cafe in Austin. Who knew a ukelele could do all that.? Their version of the Lennon Christmas classic(?) leaves me sox-less.

13. Jeff's Greensleeves / Jeff Beck---1:50(available on YouTube)

He's Jeff Beck. When I heard the album, "Truth," the first time Beck became  my first rock guitar hero. Now he's  almost 70 he still ain't no slouch.

14. Carol of the Beasts (Instrumental) / Pete Seeger---1:49

94 years young and still active, fighting the good fight and carrying his message and the message of the likes of Woody, Cisco, and others around the nation. I bought my first Seeger record in 5th grade. That's how I learned the words to a bunch of Guthrie songs I can still croak.

15. 'Perfect Day' Lou Reed/solo guitar version by Dave Seck---3:02(available on YouTube)

I love the song. I respected Lou Reed tremendously. I've never had a Christmas that wasn't a perfect day. Dave Seck does a wonderful version of the song and it seems fitting to include  a song written by one of  rock and roll's great stories of renewal, dedication, and new beginnings.

16. Cold Nights of Winter/Trettondagsmarschen/Jay Ungar & Molly Mason---3:00

Seems to me a fitting end to another perfect Christmas.

Warning !

The following content may be deemed NSFW, Offensive, Blatantly Silly, Sophomoric, Disgusting, In Poor Taste, PG-13, NC-17, an Abomination, Picket Worthy by small radical churches, etc

Truth be told it is merely a major part of the celebration of Christmas in certain parts of the world. I've heard folks say, "Why that potato thing you do at Christmas is the silliest thing I've ever heard of."

Well.....between you me and the wall the following links to the wonder of this tradition might seem just a tad more odd than throwing spuds. When you sit down, go to the links, read the stories, you might have a change of heart. Not sure if you'd incorporate into your celebrations....

I give you...

wikipedia entry on el caganer

http://www.amicsdelcaganer.cat/angles/figura/figuracaganer.htm

Excerpts from a book published back in '92 explaining the tradition.

great source for all of your el caganer needs.

Always topical this site has wide variety of figurines. Checking earlier last week  I found the Nelson Mandela model timely and old favorites like the Pope and Homer Simpson all brisk sellers. Wondering when the promised Metta World Peace edition will be ready. I didn't see a "twerkin' Miley" but that seems a perfect match for a product like this. 

http://www.caganer.com/index.php

Here you can see the painstaking process necessary to bless the world with a little guy to, to ah, ah, bless your crèche.

The post that first piqued my interest in the tradition of el caganer.

http://laughingsquid.com/worlds-largest-el-caganer-19-foot-tall-defecating-giant-in-barcelona/

Watch the video and...sing the carol of El Caganer!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tedu70YEw54