Welcome! I hope I bring a spot of calm and happiness into these uncertain times. I blog about my photography adventures, flowers, gardening, the importance of chocolate in a well lived life, or anything else on my mind.
Winter has begun on the calendar, although, where I live, the weather was already wintry.
A quiet sunset.
The next day we saw blue sky, and then, Tuesday, we were hit by a snowstorm. We are going to have another storm later today, but our weather is not anything like what the people on the West Coast are suffering through with the atmospheric river. I hope all of the bloggers I read from that part of the United States are safe. Floods are a terrible thing.
Finally, Happy Boxing Day for those who celebrate.
We are a group of music loving bloggers whoblog about music eachSunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please! Otherwise, your post link may be labeled "No Music" or even removed.) We
have occasional theme weeks, but you are welcome to ignore the theme
and use music of your choice. Why not join us? You don't have to sing,
or play an instrument. All music lovers are welcome.
This month's theme is "Whatever Christmas music moves you" .
Here in the Northern hemisphere, winter began yesterday. So, it's quite logical, given that so many Christmas songs originated in the snowy places, that many popular Christmas songs mention winter and/or snow.
So, in honor of the winter solstice, some wintry Christmas songs and some that aren't.
Winter Wonderland was made famous by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, as one of our Music Moves Me bloggers (Debbie Doglady) reminded us earlier in the season, so let's start with this original, recorded in October of 1934.
Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! was first recorded by Vaughn Monroe in 1945. It was written in the midst of a heat wave. It was an immediate hit and has been covered by hundreds of artists.
Of course, there is Irving Berlin's White
Christmas, from the 1942 movie Holiday Inn. It is one of many popular
secular Christmas songs written by those of the Jewish faith. This is
the original, sung by Bing Crosby.
Christmas wasn't a happy time for Irving Berlin, though. His newborn son, only three weeks old, died on December 25, 1928. He would visit his son's grave each Christmas.
The last three songs are a bit, shall we say, out of the ordinary.
I fell in love on first listening of this song, The Midnight Piper of Midwinter, from H.A.i. lander/H3rbBeatz"and decided to use it although the video, and possibly the song, apparently, was AI generated. You Tube has labeled this as synthetic content. Still....what do you think?
Here, for real, because You Tube brought this to my attention, is The Altai Band from Mongolia and a Mongolian version of Jingle Bells. Lots of snow here but the singers seem so warm and snug.For my last song I am deviating from my own theme.
Finally, just because I can, is a twisted favorite of mine, Weird Al Yankovic and his 1986 now-classic song Christmas at Ground Zero. This is a parody of Phil Spector "wall of sound" songs that came about because Weird Al's record label kept insisting that he record a Christmas album. This song was the result.
And that's a Christmas wrap! Oh wait, not yet. There's a bonus song for you.
The Waitresses and Christmas Wrapping.
I wish all my readers who celebrate Christmas a most happy one.
Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.
A couple of days ago, I was returning from an appointment.
I wondered if we were going to have a nice sunset, but when I got home I was busy doing things and forgot all about the sunset. Forgot, anyway, until my spouse said "look at that sunset!" Actually, it was the afterglow, as I call it. The sun had already set.
I ran outside.
See the reflection on water at the bottom of the photo?
Welcome to my December 2025 Garden Bloggers Bloom Day post. (If you are looking for my Music Moves Me post, click here).
On the 15th of each month, bloggers gather to show what is growing in their gardens and/or homes. In my Zone 6a garden in the Southern Tier of New York, plants sleep under a blanket of snow, including my white Lenten Rose, which blooms early. It was already budded out at the beginning of the month.
I should have taken a picture before the snow came, but let's pretend the picture below is current because I'm not going to dig into the snow to find a photo op.
Here is a picture from a previous year showing its buds. Hopefully, the buds won't be killed before it can bloom (possibly in February).
Otherwise, all I have to offer is this African violet blooming in my dining room. I guess I've lost my houseplant mojo. In the past couple of months I've killed two African violets and seriously injured a Thanksgiving cactus. Another Thanksgiving cactus gave me all of two buds and dropped both of them.
But strangely...back in 2019 I was given a planter by my employer that had various plants including a small Thanksgiving cactus. The cactus never showed signs of blooming until the other day, when I saw a flower bud on it.
With plants, you just never know. That's so much of the fun of gardening.
We are a group of music loving bloggers whoblog about music eachSunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please! Otherwise, your post link may be labeled "No Music" or even removed.) We
have occasional theme weeks, but you are welcome to ignore the theme
and use music of your choice. Why not join us? You don't have to sing,
or play an instrument. All music lovers are welcome.
This month's theme is "Whatever Christmas music moves you" . Let's expand it today to include Hanukkah, which started last night at sundown. I like modern a cappella Hanukah songs.
I think you'll enjoy these competing 2025 releases by two Jewish a cappella groups playing homage to KPop Demon Hunters. I've had one of these on my blog already, but it enjoys a second play. First, Six13 and Golden: A KPop Demon Hunters Chanukah.
Another take on the theme: HanuKpop Demon Hunters from the Maccabeats.
On a different theme, here are Y-Studs and A Very Jonas Hanukkah.
Want different music?
Here's a modern song written by Stephen Schwartz: The Hanukkah Song We Are Light, ft. The New York City Children's Chorus. Stephen Schwartz, a musical theater lyricist and composer, has written for a number of plays and movies including Wicked, Wicked for Good, and Godspell.
A more traditional song from The Maccabeats - I Have a Little Dreidel. Well, at least it starts out traditional....proving that you can use all types of genres to celebrate Hanukkah.
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Finally, get up and dance to the Miami Boys Choir and Chanukah Lights!
And that's a wrap. It's a sad wrap for me because of the horror at Bondi Beach this weekend. May the memories of those killed be a blessing for their families and communities, and may the heroes of the day that helped saved lives be rewarded for their caring and bravery. May all those who were injured recover quickly and completely.
Hate will not win.
Join me again next week for more holiday music at Music Moves Me.
