Todd's mom Debby is in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and gave us tickets to Sunday's performance of Music and the Spoken Word. Riley, Todd, Amy and I got to go and see that plus a mini-concert similar to the ones they performed the previous three nights. It was magnificent! (And sitting next to Amy and Todd after five months apart was a treat too!)
There were several things that touched my heart. One is the way you feel the Spirit through music. What a beautiful gift music is! The choir, the orchestra, the guest tenor Nathan Gunn and the cool people with the bells (I want to be one of those people!) all added to the magic of the night. I don't remember the production's final song but it ended on such a crescendo that my heart was bursting with happiness. It was amazing.
Another thing that impressed me was Jane Seymour, the narrator for the night. She read her scripted parts and told the wonderful story of Good King Wenceslas. I've sung this song at Christmas but have never understood the story. As the choir sang and Jane narrated, the words to the song were on large screens so it was easy to follow along:
Good King Wenceslas looked out,
On the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about,
Deep and crisp and even;
Brightly shone the moon that night,
Tho' the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight,
Gath'ring winter fuel.
"Hither, page, and stand by me,
If thou know'st it, telling,
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence,
Underneath the mountain;
Right against the forest fence,
By Saint Agnes' fountain."
"Bring me flesh, and bring me wine,
Bring me pine logs hither:
Thou and I will see him dine,
When we bear them thither."
Page and monarch, forth they went,
Forth they went together;
Thro' the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather.
"Sire, the night is darker now,
And the wind blows stronger;
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer."
Mark my footsteps, good my page;
Tread thou in them boldly:
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."
In his master's steps he trod,
Where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod
Which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
Wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor,
Shall yourselves find blessing.
The message is of giving and receiving blessings in return - perfect for Christmas but one we should remember every day, not just during this season. Before Jane gave this reading she gave an impromptu speech about her feelings of being a part of the choir's production and how she loves Christmas but being a part of this made it so much better - that she felt something as she participated. What she felt was the Spirit and knowing that she will carry that with her is such an amazing blessing for her as well as a missionary tool, for her and others she will tell. Anyone who has ever felt the Spirit through word or song, especially in such a powerful way, cannot deny it. She pointed out to the audience that the choir, orchestra and many others are volunteers. She was amazed at that yet it is a wonderful common trait in LDS members to do just that, give of our time and talents.
The tickets to the event were free so much of the production had no cost attached. Yet there are those who are paid - the production crew who have these jobs to support their families. And there would have been cost for the grand decorations - the banners, castle scenes and costumes. So the Church puts on this magnificent production (and many others) to bring joy to people and have the Spirit enter their hearts through music and thoughtful words. I'm glad I live here and have access to these kinds of events and I'm thankful to Debby for giving us the tickets. The events of that morning gave me good things to think about for a long time. Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
A few of my favorite things
This time of year brings mixed feelings for me but luckily the positive feelings outweigh the negative. Here are a few of my favorite things:
1) The smell of a live tree. I get kidded about having a live tree since I am all for environmentalism. I've even told Riley we could get a fake tree but he doesn't like that idea. So we buy a real tree. The thing that brings me the most joy is the smell. I love walking into my living room and having that smell. It reminds me of my childhood and of being in the woods with my dad. If we are ever driving through a pine forest, I roll the window down to breathe in the smell. Heaven.
2) Christmas lights. I don't care what color they are although I am partial to white. I love the twinkles, I love the brilliancy, I love the way it makes the night look different. Do we put them on our house? No. But I do love looking at other people's. And with our tree in the sunroom windows it always looks cheerful and bright against the darkness outside.
3) Thinking of what to buy people I love. I've scaled back a lot in the past few years. I think a few well-chosen, thoughtful gifts are enough. Kids don't need 20 things to open - they will only remember a few anyway so make them meaningful and long lasting, not plastic junk or dollar store crud. Then, with list in hand, I head out to stores or get online (see number 4) to find those special gifts.
4) Online shopping - what a wonderful invention! Surf, click, buy, open door, pick up box. LOVE it.
5) Food and baking - this starts before Thanksgiving when I start making pies. I don't make pecan pies very often but at Thanksgiving and Christmas they are a comfort food. So are jam thumbprints, pretzel/rolo turtles, and anything with chocolate - especially toffee! Mmmmm, my favorite.
6) Wearing Christmas-y things. Many years ago I had some pretty cheesy sweaters, vests and jewelry - you know the ones with big lightbulbs and lots of hanging ornaments. Someone could probably borrow those things now for "ugly Christmas sweater" parties. I even had a red and green sequined bow tie I wore. Laugh. Now, I have a few beloved Christmas pins - one is a silver Nativity scene, very small and precious; several are angels and one is my grandma Wheeler's Santa pin - antique with a soft white beard. I am careful with that one because it is old. I wear them with nice, plain white or red sweaters. In this case, less is more. My opinion. Others can wear what they want and I will smile.
7) I like how kind people are at this time of year. People in lines are a little nicer to each other, clerks greet customers more and wear elf and Santa hats, I get fun letters and cards in the mail, I get gifts from unexpected people (and I've learned to just say thank you and enjoy them, I don't have to stress about giving them a gift).
8) Christmas music. I am an "after Thanksgiving" listener. When I finally do turn on the Christmas music, I find joy in the words, melodies and messages. When else during the year can you hear "Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me," or a lively version of "Sleigh Ride" - my personal favorite, on the radio? Christmas songs are joyful, you can understand the words and sing along. And most renditions are beautiful. Except that grandma/reindeer song.
9) Traditions - I love our family traditions: videotaping Riley bringing in the Christmas tree, making our favorite foods, stuffing Christmas stockings for my kids (still), making peppernuts with friends, reading the Christmas story on Christmas eve, eating ebilskivers on Christmas morning, playing a new family game, watching "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and so many others.
10) Snow. I love looking out the window in the morning to see new fallen snow. It's so quiet and makes everything look clean. And even though I like warm weather over cold, I like different aspects of winter - especially the definite changes from one season to the next.
And, last but not least, I love what this season represents - the birth of my Savior, Jesus Christ. What an amazing plan to send a tiny baby to earth - to learn, grow, teach and carry out his Father's plan. I have a deep abiding love for my elder brother and his mission on this earth. It's not a fairy tale or fable, it's not a conjured up story, it's reality. And keeping that in the forefront of my mind means I will have Christmas with me all the year through, not just this month.
Merry Christmas friends and family! If you read this, leave a comment on what some of your favorite things are during this season!
1) The smell of a live tree. I get kidded about having a live tree since I am all for environmentalism. I've even told Riley we could get a fake tree but he doesn't like that idea. So we buy a real tree. The thing that brings me the most joy is the smell. I love walking into my living room and having that smell. It reminds me of my childhood and of being in the woods with my dad. If we are ever driving through a pine forest, I roll the window down to breathe in the smell. Heaven.
2) Christmas lights. I don't care what color they are although I am partial to white. I love the twinkles, I love the brilliancy, I love the way it makes the night look different. Do we put them on our house? No. But I do love looking at other people's. And with our tree in the sunroom windows it always looks cheerful and bright against the darkness outside.
3) Thinking of what to buy people I love. I've scaled back a lot in the past few years. I think a few well-chosen, thoughtful gifts are enough. Kids don't need 20 things to open - they will only remember a few anyway so make them meaningful and long lasting, not plastic junk or dollar store crud. Then, with list in hand, I head out to stores or get online (see number 4) to find those special gifts.
4) Online shopping - what a wonderful invention! Surf, click, buy, open door, pick up box. LOVE it.
5) Food and baking - this starts before Thanksgiving when I start making pies. I don't make pecan pies very often but at Thanksgiving and Christmas they are a comfort food. So are jam thumbprints, pretzel/rolo turtles, and anything with chocolate - especially toffee! Mmmmm, my favorite.
6) Wearing Christmas-y things. Many years ago I had some pretty cheesy sweaters, vests and jewelry - you know the ones with big lightbulbs and lots of hanging ornaments. Someone could probably borrow those things now for "ugly Christmas sweater" parties. I even had a red and green sequined bow tie I wore. Laugh. Now, I have a few beloved Christmas pins - one is a silver Nativity scene, very small and precious; several are angels and one is my grandma Wheeler's Santa pin - antique with a soft white beard. I am careful with that one because it is old. I wear them with nice, plain white or red sweaters. In this case, less is more. My opinion. Others can wear what they want and I will smile.
7) I like how kind people are at this time of year. People in lines are a little nicer to each other, clerks greet customers more and wear elf and Santa hats, I get fun letters and cards in the mail, I get gifts from unexpected people (and I've learned to just say thank you and enjoy them, I don't have to stress about giving them a gift).
8) Christmas music. I am an "after Thanksgiving" listener. When I finally do turn on the Christmas music, I find joy in the words, melodies and messages. When else during the year can you hear "Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me," or a lively version of "Sleigh Ride" - my personal favorite, on the radio? Christmas songs are joyful, you can understand the words and sing along. And most renditions are beautiful. Except that grandma/reindeer song.
9) Traditions - I love our family traditions: videotaping Riley bringing in the Christmas tree, making our favorite foods, stuffing Christmas stockings for my kids (still), making peppernuts with friends, reading the Christmas story on Christmas eve, eating ebilskivers on Christmas morning, playing a new family game, watching "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and so many others.
10) Snow. I love looking out the window in the morning to see new fallen snow. It's so quiet and makes everything look clean. And even though I like warm weather over cold, I like different aspects of winter - especially the definite changes from one season to the next.
And, last but not least, I love what this season represents - the birth of my Savior, Jesus Christ. What an amazing plan to send a tiny baby to earth - to learn, grow, teach and carry out his Father's plan. I have a deep abiding love for my elder brother and his mission on this earth. It's not a fairy tale or fable, it's not a conjured up story, it's reality. And keeping that in the forefront of my mind means I will have Christmas with me all the year through, not just this month.
Merry Christmas friends and family! If you read this, leave a comment on what some of your favorite things are during this season!
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