Category: Music

The tradition at our house has always been that the day after Halloween, we can pull out the Christmas music. Not the movies or the decorations–none of that–but the music is on! We are quite faithful in our focus of the Thanksgiving holiday because it is so lovely to spend so much time thinking of how greatly we are blessed. It’s just that at our house we prepare for Thanksgiving—while listening to Christmas music.

The first year I was married we had no Christmas music at all. Nothing.

Then my sweet childhood friend Mary Jo asked if we would store a few things for her–as she was moving back to California. In the things to store that she generously said we could use, was her stereo system and a pile of LPs–record albums–in case you didn’t know. One of them–to my utter joy, was called “Merry Christmas–36 Great Favorite Songs-36 Great Artists.” Silly name. Fabulous music.

But finding out that my time with this set up was about to end and that a friend was coming to pick up all her things way before Christmastime, I devised a plan. Scurrying around, I found an old cassette recorder and a blank tape and decided to record whatever songs I could before the friend pulled up in the driveway. Now please realize that this was long before the “plug in this and that and push a couple of buttons and now it’s all perfect,” days. I had to play the music and put the tiny little microphone right up against the stereo speakers to get the best sound. I was in such a hurry that I didn’t even know some of the songs that I was recording–but it would be something for our Christmas atmosphere anyway. It ended up taping the last song filling one side of that cassette before the guys knocked on the door. I felt pretty pleased with myself.

Little did we know at the time that that silly little bootlegged tape would become the family favorite for all my children and the very first thing they want to hear when they wake on November 1st.  One year they each received their own copy of the tape in their Christmas stocking. They love it.

So, as silly as it may seem to play a little Christmas music for you–I’d really like to share the sound that has thrilled my family for over 30 years now–and quite frankly, still does. Oh, and if anyone knows the secret to getting a cassette tape–in this case, a priceless one–transferred to a cd–would you kindly share the info with me?  Tapes don’t last forever and we want to keep this one.

I hope you’ll humor me and listen–just this once. Thanks–and here it is…

 

 

Oh, and…
Happy 40th  Birthday Sesame Street!