Welcome to Couch 27

thanks for all the hugs - i see them and appreciate each and every one.

Thanks! It was self-capture (and I'm rather proud of myself for taking all those pics in manual mode), but I hate pics of me not wearing makeup.

My favorite Xmas song is Merry Christmas from the Family, by Robert Earl Keen. I'm a traditionalist, what can I say?

We did this when I was in 4th grade. We walked down the aisles of the darkened church in white robes, crowns of leaves, holding a candle, singing "Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella". As a 9-year-old, it was incredibly cool.

One of my teachers said, "Either this is going to be the best Christmas program ever or we're gonna burn the church down."

It's a seriously great portrait! The exposure is great too considering it was all manual! You got the depth of field just perfect.

I wish I had decent camera!

Hey Ike...that's the first time I heard that song... it made me laugh...

I like your signature... thats from Robert Zimmerman...or was it zimmy..or bobby or RJ?

What's everyone having for dinner?
I am making some pasta with kale and lemon, sauteed zucchini, and pomegranate seeds.

That sounds like such a nice thing to do! I wonder if we have anything like that around here. I think there's a place here where you can put presents under a tree in a mall, and they're given to kids that could really use them. I've had such a bad ending to this year, I think I really need to stop and do something like that for someone else.

I miss the volunteer work I used to do too. I'll have to find a way to give back again. I miss it.

I'm glad you liked it RTS. I listen to it every year, but I never saw the video until tonight.

Fave Christmas songs:

Mannheim Steamroller's "Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella":


Mario Lanza's "O Holy Night":


Natalie Grant's "I Believe":


Cee Lo Green's "Mary Did You Know?":


Favorite ever...
Mannheim Steamroller's "Stille Nacht":

Ike...now i"m listening to larry the cable guy on you tube..oh man I haven't laughed this hard in so long... this is better than any therapy and its free.

I don't live near any family, my choice, survival. So every year I listen to this and imagine that I am missing a norman rockwell christmas with a loving family. Its only in my dreams.

Totally Off Topic:

You know what a good feeling is? When you calculate your funds and realize that all the bills will be paid this month. First time in a long time that happened.

Lola...

I always feel so sad at Christmas. I'm not really a Christmas person, a Christmas tree person, a Christmas carol person...

I do like carol of the bells though Particularly instrumental versions.


This version is Carol of the Bells/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Get your inner redneck on, RTS. I carry it with me wherever I go, it's an accident of birth. I used to try and hide from it, now I embrace it. You can't get above your own raisin'.

I had forgotten how much holiday music I actually enjoy. Honestly I'm not much of a holiday person and tend to be a bit of a scrooge- no tree, no decorations at all. Basically can't wait for it to be over. So imagine my surprise when today I found myself humming along to the xmas music that was playing at work and realizing that I like some of it.

Murray pm ur address ill snd u a tree

You know whats odd? Despite all the bad stuff, every year at xmas my siblings and I always had a bunch of gifts under the tree.

"Here are these presents even though I knocked you senseless the other day and will again later"

I can't blame my own raisin'...since I was raised in NJ... we dont have alot of redneck here ... I lived for 5 years in Indiana where my in laws are from and I enjoyed visiting with them... I actually think their way of life is in lots of ways better than the way we live here in the DC to NY metro area... that being said there is something universal about Walmart.

I think for that one day out of the year... my parents could get it and keep it together...atleast for a few hours..

Yep..RTS...it was something like that..

I love all of the Christmas songs!! I have to go Christmas caroling tomorrow evening... will be singing lots of Christmas songs.. may get tired of them by tomorrow night.

what is everyone up to this evening?

Too funny Lola. A tree my be too much for me. Maybe I should start with a sprig of holly.

Cooked an awesome dinner. Then putting laundry away and maybe taking a nice long soak in the tub.