Favorite Christmas Carols

Do you have some favorite Christmas carols?  I know I do....it's a great time of year.  There are classic ones, hilarious ones, cute ones.....

There are 3 all time favorites that I like......Ave Maria, O Holy Night and Mary Did You Know.....

I hope that I can find them on YouTube....

 

 

Andy Williams does a great rendition of Ave Maria by Schubert.  His vocal style is so sweet and soft....not strained....and very melodious.  I have heard several different versions of this song, but this is my favorite.  Ave Maria means Hail Mary in Latin.

 

O Holy Night....when I hear this song I remember my elementary school days when we practiced singing Christmas carols for our parents.  This was one that we did and there was a student in my class that had a beautiful voice that sang the lead and we all provided back up.  I don't remember the name of my classmate, but it was the first time that I had heard this song..and it was sung so beautifully!

 

 

I know that there is another singer that has a better rendition, I want to say Harry Connick, Jr.....but I could be wrong and alas....YouTube had limited selections.  Josh Groban does a great job singing this song because his voice is just so wonderful....he could sing Baa Baa Black Sheep and make me swoon!

Here is what I believe should be a classic....Clay Aiken sings this song which became a huge hit for him.  The words are so captivating and simple, yet speaks volumes!  Mary Did You Know.....

Now here are some wacky hilarious ones that just stick in your mind....again....I hope that YouTube has captured them....

Yep....Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer is fun to sing...especially if you add the twang in this hillbilly ditty.

Oh...the Hawaiians are not to be outdone....YouTube don't fail me now. 

Frank DeLima is a local comedian.  If you get the chance to see him live....don't miss the opportunity.  He is too funny!  He makes fun out of all the nationalities.  What you just saw is his take on the Filipinos.  When Shirley and I saw him in Hawaii at the Noodle Shop many many years ago, he singled us out because he told us our eyes were so slanted we could see through closed venetian blinds.  We laughed so hard we almost "peed our pants!"   I especially loved his rendition of Tina Turner's Proud Mary.  I couldn't find that one....but I did find another one that you will like Adullah Fataai, a Samoan football player.

Oops....I'm digressing.....back to the work at hand!  Cute Christmas carols.....well there's Alvin and the Chipmunks singing Christmas Time is Here. 

I also liked the Hawaiian pidgin version of the Twelve Days of Christmas.  It is called Numbah One Day of Christmas.....it was written by Ed Kenney, Eaton "Bob" Magoo, Jr., and Gordon Phelps.  Sadly, I couldn't find a good version of this on YouTube, but I can remember the words to the Hawaiian version and not the English version.

Well...I hope that you enjoyed my selections of Christmas carols.  To all of you out there....have a great holiday.  As we Hawaiians say.....Mele Kalikimaka and Hauoli Makahiki Hou....if I haven't screwed it up...it means Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Oops....back up....rewind....there is yet another Christmas carol that I love....it is a duet featuring Bing Crosby and David Bowie.......singing a combination of Little Drummer Boy and Peace on Earth.

Merry Christmas to all....and to all a good night!







 

 

 

 

 



Tis the Season

Someone who has been having a bad few days told me today that there is only nine days left until the end of the world according to the infamous Mayan calendar......what a concept.  I tried to read up on it but it's far more than my brain can handle.

If the world is coming to an end....what would I do?  I don't know that I would do anything different.  I am doing what I am supposed to do.  There isn't a "last wish" that I can honestly say I must do before the end is upon us.  Living everyday at my age is already a blessing.  What more could one ask? 

At work I am surrounded with the "Aloha Spirit".....my company has hired a total of about 5 people from Hawaii.  It is like old home week at the office.  The pidgin English is music to my ears.  If you would have asked me about 20 years ago about speaking pidgin....I would have frowned.  I tried so hard to overcome it....now I find myself embracing it.

My favorite cousin and her family were in town this past weekend.  One can really feel the love when we greet people and give them a hug and a kiss on the cheek.  There is so much Aloha in just the greeting alone.

We ate a lot, laughed a lot....heck....we even went bowling - although liftiing a bowling ball would have really broken this camel's back, because I was suffering from a pain in my back.  Nevertheless, it was fun watching everyone bowl.  After that we went to......wait......can you hear the drum roll????

You guessed it, we went to a buffet dinner.  There were a total of twelve of us.....now the adults got in at half price and the children got in at full price....why?  Because adults can gamble and children can't....so the casino made this rule.  There are actually bean counters that think up these things.

Anyway, I got to eat my daily quota of fresh veggies.....and for dessert....there was Spumoni sorbet!
Wow, my favorite!!!

We had such a great time and they are coming back in March!  I really look forward to their visits!
Needless to say....my dance card was pretty filled up.....and I danced (not literally) the entire weekend away.  I was pooched!

But.....tis the season....right?  Wow I haven't even started my Christmas shopping.....last minute Nellie huh?

I'll have to be creative and get my butt in gear.....Oh WAIT......STOP THE PRESSES!  The world is gonna end 4 days before.....if anyone is left alive after December 21....well then shut my mouth....
Boing.......there you have it....what can be better than to be alive for Christmas!

Let's all get down on our knees and give thanks!  Christmas shopping complete?....check...check!