“Rudolf the red nosed reindeer …,” he sang, slightly off key. His voice echoed through our home above the Boys Ⅱ, Men Christmas track which played triumphly through the hall upstairs. In only a pink cotton robe, a pair of whit satin Isotoner slippers, and a head full of three inch rollers I made my way from the bathroom down the cluttered hallway of tree tinsel and holiday ornaments to the oak balcony which overlooked the front entrance to our home. Directly below me he stood at the bottom of the solid dark oak spiral staircase singing as though he was a celebrity on stage performing a solo for a sold out crowd. His scrawny four feet five inch long body seemed remarkably clean and his attire was in perfect order for the most part. Dressed in a heavy wool-like navy jacket, a white button down dress shirt, and a horribly matched royal blue bow tie, he hardly seemed to be the same menance who always found his way into the hands of trouble. Suddenly the singing stopped. His big baby blue eyes peers up to me from the floor below. “Why aren’t you ready, Tawny? We need to go. We are going to be late!” he cried impatiently with his little stick-like arms crossed firmly against his chest. “Calm down, Joey! It’s only five O’ clock,” I screamed, “The concert does not even start for another full hour! Finish practicing your solo and before you have time to realize it, it will be time for us to leave.” On my back down the hall towards the bathroom to finish getting ready, Joey’s high pitched voice rang through the hall upstairs once again. Forty five minutes and twenty Rudolph recitations later it was little late to leave for the concert. “Joey! Joey! Where are you?” I called. “I’m out here. C’mon les go! We are already late!” I walked down the staircase, across the white tile floor, and glanced through the rose stained glass window on our front door. I saw a blur of movement on the driveway. When I opened one of the two refinished oak door, I found Joey sitting in my light blue little sedan. “C’mon already,” he cried hanging half of his body out of the sunroof. He sat back down in the car and started honking the horn. “I’m coming, you little brat! Stop honking my horn!” I called
We had finally done it! We were good enough to play on stage. We had practice so long for the concert. We could play the Christmas songs we practiced for in front of our parents.
I’d never been in a house like this. It had rooms off of rooms, and in each of them were deep sofas and chairs, woven carpet over polished hard-wood floors, tasteful paintings on the walls. She asked if I was hungry, and she opened the fridge and it was stuffed with food-cold cuts and cheeses, fresh
Crossing the porch where we had dined that June night three months before, I came across a small rectangle of light which I guessed was the pantry window. The blind was drawn, but I found a rift in the sill. Tom and Daisy were sitting across from one another at the kitchen table. They were engaged in a conversation.
My final winter concert has come and gone quicker than I could have possibly imagined. It was certainly one I will never forget because it was my very first time performing in every band and choir group. It was a very stressful night but having it perfectly planned and having help from many of my fellow performers definitely made me feel a lot more at ease. This concert definitely had it’s ups and downs and there are somethings that I wish went a lot better. However in the end, I did enjoyed performing and gave it a lot of effort.
Davis followed suit when she entered the sanctuary. She sat down with Rosenblum in one of the pews to catch up with the current events in the audience member’s lives. This pre-show element makes the experience even more welcoming, relaxing, and friendly. Once it was time for the concert to begin, the director of the Sanctuary introduced each performer. Once Davis and Rosenblum were settled, Davis explained how the concert was going to be a calm and fun night.
I found myself in the dining room observing everything and everyone. The dining room was set up to have an intimate feel to it. There were fresh flowers on every table and each table had some privacy. The
Adults all seem to love Christmas plays. Whether it’s the same old generic style or a comedy, they all enjoy the holiday season. However, most people don’t realize the torture of being the lead character. From hours of line study, to the embarrassment of wearing that horrible costume, to the agony of song motions. They all leave a lasting effect on your life. One of the most memorable plays I was in, for many reasons, was A Christmas Ho-Down.
In "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, Ebenezer Scrooge undergoes a transformation as a result of his encounters with three ghosts and becomes a kind, happy, and generous man. His greedy, cruel, and grumpy demeanor is replaced seemingly overnight, but he doesn’t just wake up and decide to be nice. It takes three Spirits to change his outlook on life - The Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future. The Ghost of Christmas Past makes Scrooge begin to regret his selfishness, and the Ghost of Christmas Present begins to teach him about others. This second Ghost helps to make him realize that money doesn't buy happiness. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, however, teaches the most profound lesson of all: unless he changes, no one will care if Scrooge dies. Because of the Ghosts, by Christmas morning Ebenezer Scrooge is a completely different person from the man who went to bed on Christmas Eve.
Christmastime was always a magical time of year for me. The beautifully decorated shopping malls, with toys everywhere you looked, always fascinated me. And the houses, with the way their lights would glow upon the glistening snow at night, always seemed to calm me. But decorating the Christmas tree and falling asleep underneath the warm glow of the lights, in awe that Santa Claus would soon be there, was the best part of it all. As a child, these things enchanted me. Sure, the presents were great, but the excitement and mystery of Christmas; I loved most of all. Believing…that’s what it was all about. Believing there really was a Santa and waking up Christmas morning, realizing he’d come, as my sleepy eyes focused on all the fancily wrapped presents before me.
“ You pasted a stop sign, then a stop light, and almost caused a car crash,” he said “ can you please step out of the vehicle.”
... to do next while the others glanced occasionally at the show. I bounced around for the entire song before I stopped and then gave a bow.
Frosty the Snowman waves hello alongside Santa 's reindeer that are ready to take off. Candy canes line the sidewalk and the ginger bread dolls dance in a merry circle. The trees all sparkle with thousands of red, yellow, purple, blue, and orange lights. Out back, Mary and Joseph stand over baby Jesus, Choo-Choo train’s chug in spot, stars twinkle with bright yellow bulbs, and Mr. and Mrs. Santa Clause wave in the distance. Kerkhoven, MN, the location of the happiest house on the block. Every year my breath is always taken away as my eyes struggle to soak in the utter abundance of Christmas spirit. I 'm smiling and we 're not even inside yet.
It was only August, yet, ludicrously it was starting to feel like Christmas: adverts on television, promoting all the latest 'must-have' toys and games, hotels advertising Christmas party bookings and stores already clearing shelves to make way for the festive merchandise. What is the true meaning of Christmas, a commercial enterprise or a religious festival? On the lead up to Christmas day, most retailers and hotels will make enormous profits encouraging us to celebrate Christmas, without any thought of the true meaning of this festive period. Ridiculous amounts of money are spent by families on tacky decorations, excessive amounts of Christmas food and the latest toys and games, subsequently leading to shocking money problems in the future.
Ever since I could remember, I have spent Christmas at my grandmother’s house, a house which is full of comfort, warmth, and happiness. At Christmas, I have always been able to escape the cold and dark real world allowing myself to truly enjoy just several moments in time. These moments have left impressionable memories from my childhood making Christmas a holiday that is special to me and my family. It is a time for my family to get together, share stories, laugh, and even cry.
There is an event that I just can describe as one of the most unique and memorable in my life: attending my first concert. After years of listening to Ron Pope’s music, watching his YouTube channel, and following all of his social media accounts, the satisfaction of seeing someone whose music has been the soundtrack to my life for so long was unreal. There were moments that I had to internally remind myself that this is, in fact, happening in real life. Being a dedicated (some may say eccentrically so) fan is tough work – and I was rewarded with two hours of pure magic for one night. Attending my first concert was a unique event that I will always remember fondly because of the atmosphere, the amazing performance and the sense of connection