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Monday, December 22, 2008

As those of old have sung...
































































































Happy Christmas, friends. Christie & I didn't get around to sending out Christmas cards this year & I kind of regret it, so, as corny as it sounds, I'll try to make up for it here. What's a Christmas card without a poem?


Christmas Bells

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The Carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said;
‘For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!’

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
‘God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!’

Christmas Bells
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Grand Haven is a wonderful place to live at Christmas time. Downtown is particularly festive, with lights on all the trees. My favorite place to eat is at the Dee-lite, because you can sit by the window & look at the lights & watch the people walk by. The Snug is also pretty good, & you can look at the nativity scene on the hill & there's always Christmas music you can here from across the channel.

We got a wonderful looking tree this year, we cut it down ourselves. We received some great Christmas decorations for our wedding, including an embroidered tree skirt & ornaments from the Tommelins & of course the nativity scene from my sisters.

Speaking of weddings, Christmastime is a good time to look back at the year just past. What a year 2008 was. There are almost too many blessings & highlights to mention, & some challenges too, but we're only here to talk about the positives. I'll never forget the way Christie looked in her wedding dress or how blue the ocean was. I'll never forget dancing with my mother or listening to my dad's sermon. I could never have imagined how much I'd like a dog or how welcoming in-laws could be. I could never have imagined how much fun it is to come home to my wife every night.

Christmas can be an orgy of consumerism & greed, but only if you let it be. I hope everyone can look past all that & truly find peace, the peace of Simeon at meeting his Savior or the peace of hearing your grandparents belting out the nunc dimittis on Christmas day.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
Five Favorite Songs of the Day

Christmastime is here-Vince Guaraldi

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas-Judy Garland

Put the Lights on the Tree-Sufjan Stevens



I Saw Three Ships-Sufjan Stevens

Lo! How a Rose E're Blooming-Sufjan Stevens

Happy Monday, friends...

andrew




Thursday, December 18, 2008

Ring Them Bells!



Great news, friends. Nathan Crede Siegert was born Tuesday, December 16 at 6:15 pm. Seven pounds 10 ounces, I'm told & I hear everybody is happy & healthy. I can't wait to see the little shaver, I hear he's really something. I couldn't be prouder of Holly & my old pal Ryan.

Five Favorite Songs of the Day

Amazing Grace-Sufjan Stevens

I know this song is always played at funerals, but why not play it when someone is born?

Come Thou Font of Every Blessing-Sufjan Stevens

Is this a Christian Reformed song? I don't remember ever hearing it when I was a kid, but I've heard it quite a bit in churches around here. It's a good one.

Danko/Manuel-The Drive By Truckers, The Dirty South

If you've been standing within earshot of my shower the last couple of days you would've heard this song.

Forever Young-Bob Dylan & The Band, The Last Waltz



Forever Young

May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

Copyright ©1973 Ram's Horn Music

Empty Hearts-Josh Ritter, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter

A great song for the new year, if you ask me.

Josh Ritter
Empty Hearts lyrics

So save all of your light
For those who can't sleep at night
And who can't even sing to their shadows
Oh they ride into town
And they throw the shots down
And they save the last round for the windows

Singing don't let me into this year with an empty heart
With an empty heart
Don't let me into this year with an empty heart

I'm inside with my friends
We build fires and pretend
That the night could just bend on forever
While outside in the frost
Are the wolves and the lost
And we sing to the dogs or whoever

Singing don't let me into this year with an empty heart
With an empty heart
Don't let me into this year with an empty heart

There's a friend that I have
And for her I'll go back
You see all of these empties that I'm holding
They're too much for a man
Empty arms, empty hands
And she'll know me by the sound of my hoping

Singing don't let me into this year with an empty heart
With an empty heart
Don't let me into this year with an empty heart


Happy Thursday, friends...

andrew

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

The Birth of the Cool

It's Tuesday morning, I have the day off & I haven't yet figured out what I'm going to do with myself today, so naturally, I'm wasting time listening to music & drinking coffee. I heard a song yesterday while I was at work & I'm trying to figure out which one it was. What a dork, eh?

I think I figured it out, I think it's Moon Dreams by Miles Davis. It's got that lazy Saturday afternoon kind of sound. Miles was bar none one of the coolest human beings to ever walk the face of the planet, but this song sounds like it should come from some parlor in 1940's New York City with some old ladies drinking tea in the afternoon.

That's what I love about jazz, there aren't any lyrics to ruin what your vision of what the song is trying to say, or even better, the song could be about what you're experiencing at the time you hear it. It's a story without a plot. It sets the mood, it elicits emotions out of the listener without explaining why those emotions are there. You'll have to figure it out for yourself.

Five Favorite Songs of the Day

Moon Dreams-Miles Davis



Freddie Freeloader-Miles Davis, Kind of Blue



Kush-Dizzy Gillespie, An Electrifying Evening with Dizzy Gillespie

The Friendly Beasts-Sufjan Stevens



Brother Can You Spare a Dime?-Bing Crosby

Happy Tuesday, friends...

andrew

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Our Assets are Frozen!

Happy Thursday, friends. For a bit of levity in these trying times, I bring you a few clips of the comic genius of the Muppets. I know there are some readers that may not see the brilliance of the muppets, but hopefully some of these clips might change their minds.









Five Favorite Songs of the Day

Back on the Chain Gang-The Pretenders

Kush-Dizzy Gillespie, An Electrifying Evening with Dizzy Gillespie

This is Radio Clash-The Clash

Rum & Coca-Cola-the Andrews Sisters



Dancin' Days-Led Zepellin

Enjoy, friends...

andrew

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Grand Haven, Michigan
the sun shines on a dog's ass every now & then...