From: someone@anywheret.net   
      
   "Jim D"  wrote in message news:2018111822400571339-Not@ThisAddresscom...   
      
   > Yep, holiday / Christmas is upon us.   
      
   Yeah, in about 5 1/2 weeks or so ;)   
   Meanwhile, the start of the Holiday Season, Halloween, is almost three weeks   
   behind us - and just today, I took down all the  decorations, 12 lighted   
   window sculptures - 2 "monster eyes", 2 spiders, 2 bats, 2 more bats with   
   animated flapping wings, 1 animated arm waving ghost, a 'black'light cat, a   
   spook, and a pumpkin, plus 5 10" jack o lanterns along the windowsill , plus   
   outside, 2 lighted pumpkins and 2 more jack o lanterns, one of them a huge   
   one, about 3' wide with a 60W candelabra light controlled by a sound   
   activated flicker effect - looks like a real, bright candle, plus two   
   lighted window sculptures - a spider web and a pumpkin, on the outside front   
   door, plus three plastic sheet hanging ghosts and one spook in the trees,   
   plus a 4' leg spread spider, also in a tree.   
      
   And what now replaces all those pretty decorations? A single lighted window   
   sculpture turkey for Thanksgiving.   
      
   Then, Finally, comes Christmas, and more decorating.   
      
   > That magical time when I get requests to play some holiday music.   We   
   > have about a dozen songs between band girl and myself.  All the sort of   
   > happy jingle bells type thing.   
      
   I also enjoy the light hearted tunes, particularly since I am after all, a   
   big kid ;)   
      
   > We don't do religious music this time of year.  I will try and notice if   
   > any is requested. Maybe the First Noel or something.   
      
   It's Christmas Music, not 'religious'. Besides there can't be Christmas   
   without Christ!   
      
   The most religious thing I do is put up a lighted 3' tall Nativity scene   
   outside and a Christmas tree and decorations inside.   
      
   > There's a good reason we avoid the churchie side.  Leave that stuff to   
   > people who like it, and know it.  And this time of year there are plenty   
   > of people who are all too happy to get out there and sing church carols.   
      
   Then why avoid it? The classic Christmas carols and hymns are Awesome!   
      
   > Just won't be me.  Maybe I was scared by a church steeple as a child ?   
      
   Interesting that you'd mention that, because when I was very young, what I   
   noticed and referred to as "points", including steeples or otherwise sharp   
   appearing objects adorning many churches that I'd seen at the time, always   
   sort of gave me a sense of dread, even pointed tree ornaments, until I   
   learned that they were only buildings and other objects, but the Real   
   Church, the believers themselves, is the Body of Christ on earth.   
      
   >  I do recall going to church rehearsals for the yearly events, manger   
   > scenes, candles and all that.  And one year we went caroling around some   
   > neighborhood.  That was probably fun ... I can't recall how I felt about   
   > it at the time, just that I went.   
      
   I never even went that far back then, I was too much of an atheist, of a   
   variety called a Deist....but that all changed when I was 18 and became born   
   again, a new creature in Christ.   
      
   > I find that sort of song difficult to play.  Mostly because the chords to   
   > most of them are nonsense.   
      
   They're great songs, with great chord progressions!   
   I'm relatively new to worship songs but they're Awesome!   
      
   > And then there is that I only work on them for about two weeks a year.   
   > Nope, leave this music to those best suited to play it.   
      
   I always learn new worship songs, often every week. It's a challenge but I   
   enjoy it.   
      
   > I'll do Jingle Bells if anyone asks :-)  And maybe Frosty the Snowman.   
   > Rockin' around the Christmas tree ....   
      
   I like those too, especially the kid tunes ;)   
      
   > It's cold now.  Winter has arrived. Cold, Snow, and more cold. Tonight   
   > it's freezing rain.  Burrr .....   
      
   Some of that over here too:   
      
   Ho, ho, ho,   
   I Hate Snow,   
   I can't wait   
   To see it GO!   
      
   And that's not all   
   There's also Cold   
   ENOUGH ALREADY!   
   It's way too old!   
      
   > feeding the birds more than usual. I've attracted far too many birds to my   
   > yard by feeding them year round. Oh, well, what's done is done. Can't let   
   > them starve now.   
      
   Add more feeders ;)   
      
   > No gig tomorrow. Good. Have to take one of that cats to the vet for some   
   > minor operaton, pillow paw related.  Then I'll spend the rest of the day   
   > thinking about the upcoming band gigs.   
      
   I thought only drugs were used for that condition.   
      
   > Stripped my gear to bare minimums for the winter. I hope this latest idea   
   > holds. Took the xr18 out of the rack, will carry it in a custom ( Gator )   
   > bag.  I'm really getting too old to be lugging any rack stuff at all in   
   > the snow.   
      
   Does that mean heaver loads for summer? ;)   
      
   > I'm really considering not taking my keyboard to the square dances.  I'm   
   > taking my guitar and fiddle, so isnt' that enough ?  Maybe.  Maybe not.   
   > Between the sd songs we have to play some regular dance tunes. I like the   
   > keyboard for those.  Still, snow, snow and ice .... and playing every   
   > weekend plus my normal solo and duo gigs sounds like a lot of loading in   
   > and out ......   
      
   > Hey, it's late.  I should hit the hay.   The vet thing is early in the   
   > morning.   
      
   JimD   
      
   Everything goes worse with winter...and thanks to all the extra darkness,   
   long winter naps, particularly in a cold house like mine, is as close to   
   hibernating as possible ;)   
      
   Ouisie   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)