>Amigo, the great TV watcher and radio listener, heard that The Nylons were coming to our local Performing Arts Center, and suggested we get tickets. No, he insisted we get tickets! The only question was how many tickets we would need. Timing was right; La Petite came home from college that afternoon, so we went to the concert as a family. My family enjoys live music of just about any kind — bluegrass to blues to classical — so it was a real treat to attend this Christmas show together. A capella music is my favorite, so I held the Nylons to a high standard of performance.

The first Nylons’ first Christmas CD was an instant classic. I play it at school, we play it in the car, and it has the best version of “Carol of the Bells” that I’ve heard. (The Blenders’ version comes a close second.) I knew they had a new one out, so we bought a copy in the lobby on the way in to the show.
This is a group with real talent. No lip-synching allowed or needed; the singing was excellent. Their arrangements varied from the traditional (The Huron Carol) to the jazzy (God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen) and included everything in between. Their performance was enthusiastic and energetic. La Petite whispered to me early on, “The old guy is more nimble than I am!” “The old guy” was Claude Morrison, the founder of the Nylons. He is an amazing singer and dancer. Whether he was showcasing his stunning falsetto or rich middle range, he led the group and blended harmonies seamlessly with the others.

I heard the Nylons’ Christmas Show a few years ago in another nearby town. Both shows were very well sung. This year’s show was more fun because the crowd was larger and very appreciative, and the Nylons responded to the energy. If they come through town again, I’ll be there. Merry Christmas to Claude and company. The Nylons have always been part of our holiday season; this year, they were even more.

This is a totally spontaneous review. I spent my own (family) money on the tickets and the CD, and believe me, it was worth every penny.

>Good intentions…well, you know the rest. I intended to have the Christmas cards done and mailed earlier this week. I know they won’t reach their recipients by Tuesday, but I do plan to get them written and mailed today.
Husband and I have never gone for the family picture style card. I enjoy seeing those, but we’ve just never taken the time to get them made. Our kids are old enough now that their growth and change isn’t dramatic from year to year, so it’s not as exciting to send a picture as it is when, say, kids are babies and preschoolers. We’re also frugal — okay, cheap — when it comes to items like Christmas cards. I like to buy them the day after Christmas when they’re marked down, store them in the attic, and then send them out a year later, secure in the knowledge that I’ve saved our family budget a few cents. Picture cards are no longer expensive, but the time investment is still significant.
If we spot a cute/humorous/just right card, we’ll send it. One year I sent out cards with Santa Claus scoring a touchdown. He wasn’t dressed in green and gold, but it worked for us. Family lore includes the time my mother found a card that made us all laugh. It had a lovely picture, musical instruments of some sort, with sheet music as background. The card proclaimed “Silent Night” in lovely script letters. A great card for a musician family, right?
Wrong. The sheet music wasn’t Silent Night; it was the Star Spangled Banner.
The end result: my mom bought a box of cards, and we sent them to people who would know the difference and enjoy it while also understand that we knew exactly what we were sending.
So family and friends, you’ll get my cards late (again) this year. But at least you can enjoy the stories.

Update: I ran out of cards after letter O in my address book. I went out to fill my minivan with gas pre-storm and decided to try the neighborhood Family Dollar stores. Success! I’ll get these sent out tonight.