Thursday, December 03, 2009

Clay Aiken Music Heralds Holidays


DECEMBER DESIGN -- With the dawn of the year's final month, cindilu2 created a December 2009 calendar with and without dates. Clickables are in the interlude.

There's Music in the Air

Clay, Christmas Perfect Match

Ring Christmas bells ... Christmas time is here!

Evidence that Clay Aiken and Christmas music are synonymous is everywhere during the holiday season -- radio playlists, shopping mall speakers, loops of songs resounding from my computer.

The latter take a break during afternoon music lessons when violin/piano students are preparing for this season's holiday recitals. December is always such a fun month with technical studies, theory pages, and even legitimate literature take a back seat while we polish two programs of Christmas selections.

Most of the pianists will play duets with their teacher, and the violinists will enjoy playing carols in three-part harmony. The programs will also include a bit of Bach, Lully, Mozart, and Schumann as students perform solos from their fall studies.

The grand piano is scheduled for an early morning tuning Wednesday, after which housecleaning and decorating will top my TO DO list. On Dec. 16-17, my modest living room will once again realize its limitations as we host performers, parents, and siblings who don't mind sitting on floor pillows.

We have two weeks to weed out any wrong notes. Christmastime is here again!


Christmastime - Montage by Aspiegirl

The Christmastime montage by Aspiegirl features music and images from Clay Aiken's Joyful Noise Tour of 2005. I love this song, as the holiday preparations embody the activities of my music students and children everywhere. It also inspires visions of my grandchildren many miles away.

The montage can be viewed in the player above or at YouTube. These are the opening lyrics:

Christmastime Is Here

Ring Christmas bells
Ring them loud with the message bringing
Peace on the earth
Tidings of good cheer
Come carolers
Come and join with the angels singing
Joy to the world
Christmas time is here again

Children gather around and listen
You'll hear the sound
Of angels filling the sky
Telling everyone
Christmas time is here

Tree, Snowflake Flip Holiday Switch

Lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree and the UNICEF Snowflake annually signal the beginning of New York City's festive season. The snowflake's switch was flipped on Nov. 19, the eve of Universal Children's Day, and this December's tree lighting was Wednesday.

In 2004, Clay co-hosted and sang for the ceremonies at Rockefeller Center. He was joined by Darryl Dawkins for the 2006 lighting of the UNICEF snowflake.

Featured in the photo interlude are clickables of the December calendar and lead graphic, cindilu2, 1 and 5; Christmas in Rockefeller Center 2004, Fountaindawg, 2; Joyful Noise Tour 2005, Invisible926, 3; and the 2006 UNICEF Snowflake lighting, Clayquebec1, photos by butterflyshine, 4. For wide screen versions of cindilu2's graphics, link to her Yuku page.









A Special Thanksgiving for Kai, Lia

Any normal person with a TODO list like mine would stop right here and wish you a happy weekend, but I'm a grandmother with a few more photos to share. The clickable pictures of Kai and Lia were taken by their mother during a Thanksgiving gathering with friends.


Before Thanksgiving dinner, Kai took a
closer look at the Christmas tree.


... and roughhoused with the host's dog.


Fashionable in Christmas red, Lia carried her own
special gold spoon to the dinner. Then it was time
to rest: "Oh, could someone pass me a grape?"

Thursday I received the handsome 2010 Clay Aiken Calendar that Rosa Shurtz printed as a fundraiser for the National Inclusion Project. Like last year, she placed the final five calendars on Ebay and will sell the group to the highest bidder. This is an excellent gift for CA fans.

If you are interested, see Clay Aiken Calendar at Ebay. Bidding ends Sunday, Dec 6, at 14:05:26 PST. Each month features a different photo by toni7babe, all of whcih are visible at Ebay. Below is a clickable of the cover photo:

Many thnx to A Beautiful Mind for my festive siggy! Have a wonderful weekend, Clay Nation!

19 comments:

PaulaBear said...

I've been hearing "Mary Did You Know" on my local radio station! It's such a beautiful song! I'm so glad they are playing it. I love all Christmas music, but sometimes you just hear the same ones over and over by different artists. MDYK really stands out, as I have never heard anyone other than Clay Aiken sing it!

Anonymous said...

Good Morning Grandma Caro,

Your grandchildren are both so adorable, it sure looks like they had a very festive Thanksgiving.

Getting ready for your holiday recitals is going to keep you a very busy lady.....although you are always very busy, I don't know how you keep up!

Just loving your Holiday Blog....Clay sure knows how to put us all in the Christmas Mood doesn't he? The montage, the graphics and of course the music are all AWESOME!

Have a Great Day Caro......

Hugs,
Marlyne

CLAYCOLOMBIA said...

Hi Caro. Thanks for your blog.
You have a beautiful grandchildren. Congratulations!
Rossy

SueReu said...

Loving the pics of the grandkids!! TOO CUTE!!!

Oh and that Clay Aiken guy too. Great graphics, beautiful montage by Aspiegirl (as always).

Thanks!

Ashes said...

Clay Aiken is the gift that keeps on giving!
Love the blog, so full of smiles :)

fgs said...

Love that montage from aspiegirl and all the beautiful graphics. Very nice blog to remind of the 2005 Christmas concert. I have missed going to a Clay AikenChristmas concert the past two years.

Sandy said...

Love the pictures of Kai and Lia...such beautiful grandchildren!

You are such a busy woman I have no idea how you prepare these blogs and do such a GREAT JOB at them with everything else you have going on in your life!

Christmas without music from Clay just wouldn't be the same any more. I really don't listen to anyone else!

Have a great weekend! Or at least try with all that you have to do on your list!

Sandy

tree ~ said...

"Clay, Christmas Perfect Match"
Yes it is!!

Kai is precious, Caro, and so is that Clay Aiken fella above him ;)

ImGranny said...

Great blog! Clay Aiken makes my heart smile! Wonderful montage by Aspiegirl too! She has such talent! You have beautiful grandchildren!

copingincalifornia said...

Love Clay and Christmas. Good luck with your grand piano.

Anonymous said...

Clay Aiken, Christmas, and sweet little children - a song made in heaven.

LoriF said...

Cindy and Caro, thanks for the new calendar...it is beautiful as always!

I miss having Christmas with Clay.

Lori

PaulaBear said...

I so enjoy the photos you post of your beautiful grandchildren! This is such a special Clay Aiken blog...thanks Caro!

Anonymous said...

Hi Caro. Sounds like you are busy teaaching and getting ready for some holiday fun with your students. I cant wait to hear how the Christmas recitals go with your students. I remember a few cute stories you have shared in the past and cant wait to hear some more.

Great pictures from our visual artists and Kai and Lei are beautiful. They both are little hams for the camera.

Thanks for another wonderful blog and looking forward to many more.

((HUGS))

Kathy/Aspiegirl

Anonymous said...

What a nice blog...love your gkids..U r a lucky gma. They are adorable! Clay is amazing and can not wait til 2010...hope we hear from him soon...thanks for your great job and have fun with htose lessons, busy lady! Thanks, A Clay music fan, Donna in Wi.

Cotton said...

Your grandbabies are so cute!
I especially love the look on Kai's face when he's looking at the dog. He just looks like he loves the heck out of him!

Merry, Merry!

Cotton

jbc4clay said...

Love the montage and the pics.
You do "goood" as always!

Anonymous said...

Great blog!

Cynthia J. Coleman said...

Merry Christmas!Wow! it doesn't seem the same without Clay on tour during the holidays, even though I've only seen him live in August of 2007, at least there was clack. Christmas is extra special with little ones around. I loved the pictures of Kai and Lia. Take care & God bless. Love always, Cynthia