Hip, Hip Hooray, for Christmas Vacation!

"Stockings Were Hung"
I love these urban Christmas cards!
By New Yorker artist Witold Gordon (1885 – 1968)

Sorry I can't promise many posts this month . . .
because -- Hip, hip, hooray --
Christmastime is Here!
Christmas Vacation

It's that time, Christmas time is here
Everybody knows, there's not a better time of year
Hear that sleigh, Santa's on his way
Hip, hip hooray, for Christmas vacation

Gotta a ton of stuff to celebrate
(Jing-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-ling)
Now it's getting closer, I can't wait
(Jang-a-lang-a-lang-a-lang-lang)
Gonna make this holiday as perfect as can be
Just wait and see this Christmas vacation

This old house, sure is looking good
Got ourselves the finest snowman in the neighborhood
Ain't it fun, always on the run
That's how it's done on Christmas vacation

Let's all deck the halls and light the lights
(Jing-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-ling)
Get a toasty fire buring bright
(Jang-a-lang-a-lang-a-lang-lang)
Give St. Nick the warmest welcome that he's every had
We're so glad it Christmas vacation

And when the nights are peaceful and serene
We can cuddle up and do our Christmas dreaming

Jing-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-ling
Jang-a-lang-a-lang-a-lang-lang

Christmas vacation
Christmas vacation

We're so glad it's Christmas vacation

Peace and joy and love are everywhere
(Jing-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-ling)
You can feel the magic in the air
(Jang-a-lang-a-lang-a-lang-lang)
Let the spirit of the season carry us away
Hip, hip, hooray for Christmas Vacation

Fa, la, la, la, la and ho, ho, ho
Jingle, jangle, jingle as we go

~ Mavis Staples

Hip, hip, hooray for movies we love to watch every year:
Christmas Vacation & Home Alone I & II

Also by Witold Gordon:
Skating at Rockefeller Center

Santa at the Mailbox, 1952

Deer and Rabbit, 1952

City Wonderland

"For the heart of man's a palace,
And his dreams are as the sunlight.
They burn away the darkness as they warm the freezing cold.
. . . the diamond star shines down upon the pathway to the soul." *
~ as sung by Peter, Paul & Mary ~

Plaza Lights at Sunset
Kansas City, MO ~ Sunday 2 December 2012
Thanks to my brother Bruce Carriker
for sending me this magical photo by Eric Bowers
Bruce said: "While I enjoyed my 17 years in the KC area, I really love rural south-central Pennsylvania. But THIS, I miss . . . a lot. . . .
What's even cooler is that you don't need to be in a helicopter
or anything special to see that view.
You can just go up on the high ground east of the Plaza
and this is exactly what it looks like!"

As my friend Burnetta said,
Cities can be so alluring . . .
especially at Christmastime!

At left are a couple of shots I took last week on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

Looks like the North Pole, doesn't it?

And the Crate & Barrel Store looks like Santa's Workshop, inside and out!

I also found some lovely
snow scenes from Quebec City
[click here]
set to music from the
Home Alone Soundtrack.

Happy December!





*The Magi: The Heart of Man's A Palace
Oh the magi were the prophets
And they wandered through the desert,
And they saw the star above them
And they knew they'd find their way.
Through the valley of the shadow
With the hope of human kindness,
They were strengthened by the vision
Of a new and brighter day.

Chorus:
And the wisemen spoke of peace on earth,
Of harmony and struggle.
Know you now a cycle's gone and a new one is revealed
In the weaving of your fingers,
In the whisper of a love that's born again,
In the weaving of your fingers,
In the promise that we made that never ends.

Well now each man is a pilgrim,
Yes, we all must make the journey.
And it seems that time is telling us to be all that we can,
To help lift up the fallen, we must sow the seeds of goodness.
The torch is passed among us now to light the way of man.

For the heart of man's a palace,
And his dreams are as the sunlight.
They burn away the darkness as they warm the freezing cold
As an eagle flying higher, as a river through the canyon,
The diamond star shines down upon the pathway to the soul

(Chorus)

In the promise that we made that never ends.
In the promise that we made that never ends.

lyrics by Joe Henry & Peter Yarrow

Do You Think It Is?

Speaking of Ersatz (scroll down to previous post), back in 1995 or so, my kids became fans of the movie Home Alone. It was one of those videos that I could put in for them to watch while I caught up on various errands around the house. I had seen the show myself back in 1990 when it first came out, but had never given it a second thought after that ~ aside from the great delight that I took in Anna Quindlen' parody, "Mom Alone" (click to read).

As Ben and Sam enjoyed the antics of bold little Kevin (Macaulay Culkin), I could throw in some laundry, get some grading done, and maybe start dinner. I took little interest in the plot, but every so often I just had to peek into the family room and linger in the doorway, drawn by the most beautiful song on the soundtrack: "Star of Bethlehem" (another lovely one is "Somewhere in my Memory"; music for both by composer John Williams; lyrics by Leslie Bricusse).

Before long, I had viewed the entire movie in bits and pieces, and finally just had to sit down with the boys and watch the whole thing from start to finish. It was better than I had remembered! For one thing, I couldn't take my eyes off of that gorgeous suburban home (likewise the impressive New York townhouse that's being renovated in Home Alone 2); and it was just too cute, the way that Ben and Sam referred to the main character not as "Kevin," but as "Home Alone" (as in, "then Home Alone ordered the cheese pizza" or "look at Home Alone's awesome plan for scaring the bad guys").

Nowadays, the Home Alone movies are included among those that the whole family simply must watch at least once every holiday season, and at various other times throughout the year, as deemed appropriate. My favorite line of all has to be in the first movie, when Home Alone's mother, Kate (played by Catherine O'Hara), attempts to negotiate a ticket swap at the Paris-Orly Airport (actually filmed at O'Hare). To go along with her seat in first class, she also offers up her gold watch and earrings. When an interested passenger asks if the Rolex is real, Kate responds quizzically, "Do you think it is?"

This existential question has become a stock phrase in our family over the past fifteen years, and I doubt that we'll ever stop saying / asking it. I guess our conclusion is that if you have to ask, maybe it doesn't matter.

I love my ersatz diamond ring because it was a Christmas present from Sam in his earliest years of shopping, when he was 7 or 8. That year, in addition to the items he was hoping to receive from Mom, Dad, & / or Santa, he also added to his Christmas List the things he planned to buy for his brother and his dad and, last but not least, "a jewel for Mom." See why I will always treasure this ring?! And even more precious to me than the ring itself is the priceless sentiment that went into writing those words . . .

"a jewel for Mom."
Truly, a couple of other moms at Sam's school
really did ask me if the stones in the ring were real!

"Do you think they are?"

****************



See also:
Ocean City Artwork