Tag: Martina McBride

Christmas Eve Friday

Good morning. Merry Christmas Eve!! Welcome to Favorite Things Friday. I have shared my favorite rendition of one of my favorite Christmas songs above. I have shared this song before on the blog, but I haven’t found anyone who can trump Martina McBride’s version of it. (kind of like how nobody can top Whitney Houston’s version of our national anthem) Listen to it all of the way to the end when she holds the notes into eternity. Goosebumps. Magnificent!

If you want other fun takes on the Christmas classics, I recommend looking up the band, Boney M. They do a great job with “Little Drummer Boy” but this song below “Mary’s Boy Child”, has always been one of my all-time favorites. It’s one of the happiest, upbeat Christmas songs ever sung. “There’s hope for all to find peace!” It’ll get your juices flowing:

Today, I have just one other kind of random favorite to share. Here it is:

Clare V “Ciao” earrings and pendant – I was wearing this pendant the other day and my husband asked me, “What does that mean?” He knows that “Ciao” usually means “good-bye” in Italian. I think that he was concerned that I was sending hidden, subliminal messages in the form of jewelry. Ha! The reason I bought these items is because I have always wanted to be Italian, or to have some other more fanciful and exotic background, other than my mostly staid English DNA. I would say, “Ciao!” or “Grazia!” to my kids all of the time and they would say, “Mom, we’re not Italian.” I bought this nice quality, fun, faux jewelry because it reminds me of these silly, fun times in my life and that fun, silly, off-the-cuff version of myself. “Ciao” can actually mean “hello” or “good-bye” in Italian. I think that I will use this jewelry as a reminder that I am in control of the “hellos” and the “good-byes” in my life. I can say “hello” to love and joy and peace and fun and creativity and I can say “good-bye” to bad habits, toxic people and difficult situations. Ciao!

How are you doing today, my friends? My hope, for all of us, is that during the last minute whirl of activity, hoopla, tumult, excess, distraction and chaos that can come with the holidays, we can find the peace. We can find the calm. We can find the love. We can find the uninterrupted, eternal stillness. We can find the quiet, deep, unquestioned knowing that despite what we fear, the truth is “All is well.” That’s the real point of the day, isn’t it? All is well. “All is well.” A precious little baby came to Earth to remind us of that fact. And it changed the world.

I’ll finish with this wonderful compilation that my husband and I will be listening to as we do some last minute wrapping. It’s a good one:

Merry Christmas Eve! I love and I appreciate all of you! You are gifts to me with your precious time and your attention.

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

It Has Arrived – Friday

“Happy Friday!  Here’s to all of us who made it through another week of faking adulthood!” – Nanea Hoffman

Happy Friday!!! Woohoo!!!! I treated last night like Friday night.  That’s why I’m a little late to the game.  Plus, I miss my mega monitor.  The people who work at our beautiful, artsy little hotel here are wonderful suck-ups.  They told me and my husband that we were are like super fun, good-looking models.  We must be at Fantasy Island –  models for Cialis commercials, maybe.  I think that is one of the good points in aging.  Younger people start thinking that making you feel good could be “their good deed for the day.”

My new favorite flavor of cookie has to be Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Snickerdoodle.  I have sucked down three of them as I write this.  New readers, Fridays are casual here at Adulting -Second Half.  We keep it light and superficial.  I list three favorite items, songs, books, etc. that make my life even more of a good life.  I encourage you to do the same in the Comments section.  Also,  check out previous Fridays for other good ideas for ways to make your life even more of a good life, too!

I’m in a wonderful, cold Christmas-y location.  It got me thinking of my three favorite Christmas carols.  Now, Christmas music can get old fast.  After a few weeks of Christmas music wafting through the air of every space you breathe in, one can start to feel a little edgy and Scrooge-y, for sure.  However, these three renditions of Christmas songs are so good, I sometimes listen to them in July, with my convertible top down.  Ugh, I bet you are thinking “Don’t Be that Guy!”.  I know.  I know.  But I’m “That Lady”, plus I’m getting old enough that young people are starting to suck up to me, so I can get away with more now.

“Oh Holy Night” Martina McBride’s rendition – If you are tired of the crass commercialism that sometimes has a way that of wafting into the season and quickly taking over, take three big breaths and listen.  My Goodness, this woman sings so beautifully!!  This rendition still gives me shivers and makes my neck hairs stand up straight and tall.  I would put this up with Whitney Houston singing the National Anthem.

“Mary’s Boy Child” – Boney M.’s rendition – If you want to feel like you are in the Caribbean for Christmas, as you are scraping ice off of your windshield, pop this tune into your ear buds.  I heard this song for the first time ago, decades ago on an obscure radio station.  It made me feel instantly happy and like I should be dancing in a coconut bra.  Back then, we didn’t have a glimmer of services like Shazam, so I called the radio station, talked to the DJ and in the end, had to order the CD from Germany.  But it was worth it.  The song is that good.

“Last Christmas” – George Michael –  When George Michael first came on to the scene, everyone fell in love with him – men, women and children.  I was a kid and my friend’s mother couldn’t stop swooning over the gorgeousness of this man.  This is the Christmas song that my kids love washing the dishes to – it really does add to the productivity of our household and nothing brings a bigger smile to my heart than hearing my kids singing along to this song and knowing that I will be walking into a clean kitchen soon after.

Okay, time to be getting back to my wonderful adventure.  May you have wonderful adventures this weekend, too, my beloved readers and friends!!

“If showing up in a robe and a tiara with a box of wine is wrong, then maybe I  don’t fully comprehend how Casual Friday actually works.” – Abby Has Issues