another look

A mile down the road, a minute later...


the afterglow

Yesterday, Calvin and I selected a small spruce (not my first choice of species, but I didn't want to go trudging through knee deep snow being too picky), and the kids and I (mostly the kids) decorated. Their Christmas spirit is such an inspiration.

I usually don't get much into most of the popular Christmas music, just because it's so overplayed, but Saturday after my banjo lesson I needed something festive to listen to on the long drive home. I picked up Peter Ostroushko's Heartland Holiday and noticed among the tracks was Dylan's Girl From The North Country. Any holiday album with a Bob Dylan track has to be way cool!

Heartland Holiday was exactly what I was looking for. It contains familiar carols such as "Carol of the Drum" and "Stille Nacht", but also ranges into Dylan, Ukranian folk songs, Ostroushko originals, Appalachian carols, and an amazing version of "Carol of the Bells". If anyone can pull off a high energy, extended mandolin jam with this tune, it's Peter Ostroushko. Brilliant.

Today will be spent baking, cleaning, wrapping, and all the usual stuff. I wish all you readers a very happy holiday and all the blessings of the season.