Here is another one of my favorite music pieces for Christmas. We played this album to death in the 70′s. I would sit on my couch and look out at the snow when I would play this song. So beautiful! Now my kids love this song, too. They should, they heard it enough!
I loved John Denver and felt so bad about his passing. What a great musical artist he was. He seemed as if he could paint a picture with words.
Enjoy!
Here is a video of a beautiful piece of music that everyone should listen to. It is Mannheim Steamroller’s Silent Night. If you haven’t heard this by now, let me warn you, you will be moved. It is like the music just evokes the whole feeling of what Christmas is really all about. It is haunting and it just wells up inside you.
I first heard this back in the 80′s when the group was just starting to be heard on the radio around Christmastime. My brother had the Christmas cd, made a cassette tape copy for me, and I have played it ever since that Christmas every year. I just recently bought the cd so I could have a better copy, and I absolutely love it.
Another reason this is so beautiful to me is that I remember playing this as I was making wreaths for gifts down in my basement one year. It was late at night, I was by myself, and this angelic music started playing. Even though I had heard it many times before, it had a different meaning for me at that very moment.
My mother had passed away that March and I was depressed to say the least, and this music just reminded me of heaven. The violin here sounds like it is crying and it is so moving throughout, especially at the very end with the sounds of the wind and the baby piano. It was as if I was a child all over again and I was missing my mommy. I cried like a baby. Every time I hear this, I feel that all over again. But it is so beautiful, and the music just fades away into happy soft, sleigh bells that bring back hope. That’s when I picture my mother happy in heaven and I’m suddenly comforted.
That’s what this music means to me. But please listen and see what it brings back in memories for you. It is a little slow in the beginning, but it’s perfect because it sets the whole mood. The violin starts around 2:00. I hope you enjoy this beautiful gift. 
I am posting this yet again, as I see people still look this one up now and again. Enjoy!!!
Here is a poem from my journal that was written 6/21/93. It is about my children and wanting never to forget all the special memories of their childhood. The red sneakers were Patrick’s, and they were little canvas high tops-so cute! (He had several different pairs, and I even saved a pair of velcro cuties!)
This poem is titled:
LITTLE RED SNEAKERS
I want to remember,
Little red sneakers, sandboxes and swings,
and all the little childhood things.
Little Red Sneakers (Yes, I saved them)
Joyful laughter-wiping tears, I want to remember through the years.
Ice cream, lollipops and licorice,too,
Wagons and bicycles-a stroller for two.
Christmases and birthdays, when everyone’s over,
Ernie and Bert, Oscar and Grover.
Bathing suits and summer fun, a kiss and hug for everyone.
Carousels and pony rides, cookouts and climbing slides.
A wading pool, chock-full of toys,
Climbing trees is for little boys!
Scampering feet on wooden floors,
Singing kid songs behind closed doors.
Christopher Robin and Winnie The Pooh,
Owl, Eeyore, Kanga and Roo.
Reading books on Mommy’s lap,
Patrick
“Come on now kids, it’s time for your nap!”
Cookies and milk before going to bed.
Stroking blonde hair on a tired boys head.
The kiss and the hug, the ” I Love You!” before sleeping,
Lies deep within my heart, worth keeping.
These things I want to remember with pleasure.
Worth more than gold,
It’s a mother’s treasure!
The End
Hello all!
I decided I’d post something fun. Here is another poem my mother would read to us when we were small, and we loved it! I can still hear her voice as she raised and lowered her voice to fit the parts. It was funny,but scary. And of course, I would read it to my children, with much enthusiasm. It’s the only way. You’ll see what I mean when you read it. So Enjoy and share this one. But remember…be good!
This is by James Whitcomb Riley:
To all the little children: — The happy ones; and sad ones;The sober and the silent ones; the boisterous and glad ones; The good ones — Yes, the good ones, too; and all the lovely bad ones.
This Scares Me, Too!
I don’t know what it is about the Walton’s tv show, but to this day, when I watch the show, I am oblivious to anything going on around me. The only thing that startles me to reality (unfortunately) is the commercials! I loved the show in the 70′s when family shows were all the rage, and I wish they still were. TV shows today are so outrageous that I can’t even compare them to the more meaningful ones from the 70′s. I mean, I know they all weren’t the best, but at least we had something!
When I watch the Walton’s today, a strange sense of calm comes over me. A feeling of being less stressed in a simpler time.
Almost the way I felt growing up in the 60′s and 70′s, before technology went crazy. I liked coming home from school and relaxing before doing homework, leaving the stresses of the day behind me and not having to see my classmates until the next day. Not with facebook! It’s in front of you 24/7. That would have driven me insane. And the bullies that harassed me by day, I’m sure would have found me on facebook. No thank you! I also loved my “one and only” rotary phone, to “TALK” to someone…not text or e-mail and somehow try to figure out if the words in the text were meant to be sarcastic or mean in any way. We worked out many problems and disagreements over the phone! OOOps, I’m sorry, I’m getting off the subject…I wanted to talk about John-Boy Walton…my hero.
Like I said, I loved watching the Walton’s and how they solved their own family problems, ate together at mealtimes with Grandma and Grandpa, and even took in strangers with difficult hardships and fixed their problems, too. They just took life as it came with all it’s different experiences and learned from them, together. Always together. It sounds silly, but I always came away from the show feeling satisfied, like I could survive the next day’s troubles all because of how I felt inside after watching the show for an hour.
Now, I do have an older sister and our relationship reminded me so much of the relationship between Mary-Ellen and Erin. The little spats and also the sisterly love. I also have 3 younger brothers, but I had always wished for an older brother. An older brother who would protect me from the cold, harsh world and show me right from wrong, without getting mom or dad involved. Someone I could go to for all kinds of advice and know that he would always be there for me if things didn’t quite go my way. I’m sure he would’ve somehow made me feel like the sun would surely shine again in the morning. It would all be okay. And yes, he would’ve been a writer and write poems and share them with me. Poems about love and romance and life in general. Of course, I would appreciate that, because I am an artist and write poetry, too. Yes, that was John-Boy.
Ahhh…it is nice to dream…
But I have always loved John-Boy, or Richard Thomas, since he played the part, and I think he would think it was funny that there is still women out there that have secretly admired him all these years. He just looks like he is a very nice person to get to know. I never read anything bad about him. He just looks like a pleasant, very nice person.
Flashback: One day on our Honeymoon in Washington DC ( in 1985 ), my husband and I were at this very nice restaurant. As we were eating, my husband told me that Richard Thomas had just walked in. I did not believe him! But it was him!!! He and another actor were starring on a stage production nearby and they were eating out together. He was only tables away from me!!!Oh my God! I’m thinking….autograph..no… he will think I am stupid…no. I really would have loved to go over to him and tell him how much I loved his work, but I probably would have drooled instead, so nevermind. I still remember what he was wearing and how he just strolled in like he was my next door neighbor. Unbelievable.
Anyway, that’s my story. Now you know my secret crush, oh well. I’ve held it in for so long, it just had to come out someday.
So if you ever happen to see Richard Thomas in your travels, let me know,and see if you can’t get that extra autograph for me, ok??? :)
Goodnight John-Boy!
John-Boy
Richard Thomas
This post is about fathers and how important they are in our lives.
There is something to be said about the father figure in the home. To me, as a child, I think I would have been more fearful without that certain quiet, strength my father seemed to emanate just being in the same room with him. Sure my mother made us feel safe, to an extent, but there was something more with my father. I always felt more at ease.
My father was strong when he needed to be, and he disciplined us when we needed that, too. But he was also gentle, especially with his daughters. As kids, we knew what we could get away with with our Mom, but we knew we had to tow the line with Dad. And we all knew when my father came home from work…it was like a change in the weather. You could feel it. It was back to business. Things were more serious. Don’t get me wrong, he was a funny man and made us laugh plenty of times with his little antics and jokes, and that’s what made him so lovable. He knew where to draw the line. He was everything rolled into one and just made things feel more stable when he was at home.
As a grandfather,he loved his grandkids. He was like a big kid himself, making them laugh and teasing them. You know, the typical “pull my finger” and all that. He also loved holding them and making a big deal of them. I remember one day not long after my mother passed away, dropping off my 4 year old daughter with him to help him keep his mind off things. He really enjoyed spending time with her, and he seemed so comfortable and at ease with her. Nothing special, they just spent time outside raking leaves, played a bit and even had a snack together. It wasn’t like watching baseball on television I’m sure, but he was definitely in heaven, and I don’t think he even wanted her to leave that day. My dad…he was just an awesome grandfather!
Now my husband, as a father, is the same in our household. Everything takes on a more serious note when he is home. He is definitely a strong presence. When the kids were younger, he would play with them and help them with homework, but as far as discipline, all he had to do was raise his voice a decibel, and they would take notice. If they got out of line while he was at work, he was good for that typical Mom statement, “Wait ’til your father gets home!” It always worked, too! They would think about that line and suddenly, the bad behavior would come to a complete halt. Funny! The kids, now in their teens, know they can’t get away with much, and God forgive them if they disrespect me. All hell breaks loose! He will listen to them and help them, but he never lets them wimp out on something, where I might tend to give in. Together , I think we are a good match as I sometimes remind him when he needs to be softer with the kids, and he reminds me when to be stronger with them. It’s a good balance.
When I was growing up, I remember I wanted the perfect Dad. A dad like Charles Ingalls (Michael Landon) or John Walton (Ralph Waite) on the Walton’s. I admired them so much and how they fixed all the family’s problems and grew from each one and also realized their own weaknesses , but remaining the steady rock in the household. But that is Hollywood and this is real, and no one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes and we have to understand that, as long as the lesson is learned from those mistakes is what really matters.
In my eyes, my Dad was perfect and I will always remember him fondly. I wouldn’t have changed a thing. Well, maybe just a few more hugs and “I love You’s”, but that’s ok. He made up for that in his last years as he realized how short life can be, and he said it to us all the time. I thank him for that.
So keep up the good work all you Dads, and to Dads that are yet to be. Your strength, as well as your gentleness and understanding is needed, and I know it shapes the children into what they become and ever hope to be. It can be a very big responsibility! You don’t know it, but you are a rock in this scary place, this world we live in today, and I’m sure you are and/or will be, “perfect” in your own family’s eyes. Happy Father’s Day!
My Dad with his granddaughter Caitlin. So peaceful and content.
My father-in-law with my daughter, Kelsey. She's admiring his sips of lemonade..ahhh!
My son,Patrick (around 1992) walking with his Dad. I think this picture says it all,
Today, Kelsey with her Dad. Just perfect!
Hi all! I was just sitting here thinking, “What can I write about?”, when I thought of a conversation I had with my husband in the car the other day. It was about going to the bakery as a kid (which would be 1950′s to 1960′s), buying penny candy and filling up a small paper bag. Then we both started naming all the candy we could remember.
Okay, here goes…the first that comes to mind is Squirrel Nuts, which were so chewy my teeth would stick together and thought I would break my jaw as I tried to chew. They were too good, so I’d just keep placing them in my mouth. Yes, yes…candy necklaces, which I wore (nerd) and candy dots on paper, which I think I ate my share of paper that stuck to the undersides. Okay, Flying Saucers, you know, the candy that tastes like the church wafers, only slightly flavored with candy beads inside! Still don’t know why they couldn’t give these out every Sunday at church instead. Sorry .
Sky Bars were my favorite, 4 surprise creams in a bar. Yum!
Ok, remember those wax bottles filled with sugary liquid??? I shudder now when I think of eating or swallowing that liquid and how sweet it was. They were kind of like the energy shots of today!
There were Razzles, the candy that was also a gum…genius! Pop rocks, rock candy, milk duds, caramel creams! Oh yes, atomic fireballs! They were so hot when you first put them in your mouth, it made your eyes water, until you got used to it. Then they were just sweet and you had to bite them, take them out of your mouth and look at all the layers it had inside!!! So cool! When it was done, the experience was so cool, you had to do it all over again.
The coconut 3 striped candy, neopolitans. Jelly Nougats, Chunkys, Ice Cubes,chuckles, necco wafers. I could go on and on.
But the last is the absolute best…..W A X L I P S! Come on, there wasn’t a cooler candy around. First you could wear them and make everyone laugh (just see photo below of my kids trying them out when they were younger). Then after that you could place them in your mouth and chew it like a gum! The flavor was irresistible! Like a sweet vanilla or something. Oh, take me back, I can’t stand it! Why did everything seem more awesome when we were little!
Come to think of it, do you remember caps and cap guns. You didn’t even need the gun really, just a big rock. You slam the rock down on the cap and “Bang!”. Then you pick up the red burnt paper and you did ,what???? Yes, you’d smell it! Oh, the sweet smell of sulfur!
And then the “Snakes”. These were always available around the 4th of July. They were black tablets you lit a match to, and it grew an ash snake that looked like it was alive as it coiled around…Oh my God! I guess this is going to have to be another post!!! I keep remembering stuff, see what you made me do!
Oh well, I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane, or Candy Lane, I should say. Hey wait, that sounds sort of like Candy Land. Remember the game Candy Land??? I loved that game …with all those yummy pictures and neat candy names! And then there’s the Mystery Date game???
Wait!!! Stop! Stop!
I gotta go….Bye!
My Mick Jagger look alike kids with their wax lips
I just set up my new website (cherylmcnulty.com) that will feature all of my artwork. I just had to chuckle because the line I used to start off my introduction is:
As long as I can remember, I had wanted to be an artist. In my younger days, I would bring home large sheets of manila (I always thought this was “vanilla”) paper from school and draw pictures in crayon for every holiday. Then, being so proud, I would tape these pictures up in my kitchen for all to see.
That just brought back so many memories for me. I distinctly remember when it was time for art class when I was in 4th and 5th grade. They would pass out this large sheet of paper and put it in front of you and you had your own (hopefully sharpened) Crayola Crayons. Like I said, I always thought it was “vanilla” because of the color, not manila. Anyway, the teacher would say something like, “Okay, I want you to draw something with snowmen”,or “Draw something that represents Springtime to you”.
This was like heaven to me. I couldn’t wait. I would stare at this large piece of paper and think, this could be anything. It all begins with that first stroke. I would be so excited and had so many ideas in my head, I didn’t know where to begin!! We had just one hour to complete it. Of course the boys and jocks all moaned like they were in a living hell, which I could never understand. Although, I was always the one that hated Gym class! Go figure.
Do you know I would be so immersed in my drawing, that the hour went by like it was ten minutes for me. I enjoyed it that much. This could also explain why gym class felt like half a day for me, when it was only an hour. Yuck!
Anyway, I would always get alot of compliments on my drawings. I would do the fancy shading thing with my crayons, not just plain orange, but shade it in a darker orange or red to give it that “oompf” factor. My mother taught me that trick when she would color in my coloring books when I was small. She would color in my Snow White coloring book and make Snow White look like she would jump off the page. She had blushing, pink cheeks and shine in her hair.She looked beautiful! And this was just crayon!
Well, now I’m really going to make myself blush by sharing with you some saved old crayon drawings from long ago. Yes, I saved some. What can I say…I was proud! Now don’t laugh! Here goes:
By The Sea (colored pencil,1979)
Spring (crayon, 1978)
Bedtime (crayon, about 1975)
Joy To The World (crayon, 1976)
My House At Christmas (crayon, about 1975)
A real photo of my house (I think I did pretty good)
picture of my daughters with friend sledding
Here is a photo that a friend of my daughters took when they went sledding last year. On the end, and in front are my daughters, and her sister is in the center. I don’t know what it is about this picture, but I can’t stop looking at it. I smile everytime I look at it because of my daughter’s face (Caitlin, on the end)! It is perfect! Her little red-button nose and her expression, plus the other’s expressions, make this feel somewhat like a Norman Rockwell painting. I don’t know if this was planned, but it perfectly depicts the fun of a snowy day.
The image I'm using for a memo board
I now have used this photo for everything! As you see here, I have also taken the photo and enlarged it to put under a glass frame and use it as a wipe off memo board. I put the faded words “fun” in two colors, just so it would slightly fill the empty space and it doesn’t clash with the notes I write on the glass. Another great idea from “Real Simple” magazine!
Ahhhh, so creative!
I just had to share this. hope it makes you smile, too! Enjoy!
I just don’t feel the same about Christmas like I used to. I don’t know what it is.
Yes, I am 50, but I have always been a kid at heart. I still feel like a child all over again at Christmas…usually. I have my tree up, my lights and greenery with my treasured carolers on my mantle, my miniature village with it’s fluff snow on my tabletop, but still, something is missing. So I play my Christmas cds, I put my candles in the fireplace and spray the air with every Christmas scent I can find…but still I don’t feel it. Not like I used to. Not in my heart.
I keep buying various little Christmas trinkets and figures and candles, hoping maybe one more item will do the trick. But it doesn’t. I even give to the Salvation Army lady with the bell at the local store. Nothing!
I long so much for the Christmases from my past. Coming home from school, knowing vacation was around the corner, which seemed to last for forever. The days seemed colder and snowier, but we never complained. The more snow before Christmas the better. Christmas cards covered my front door and even spilled over to my archway. Carolers would stroll the neighborhoods and people smiled! There were only a few stores around then that you could actually shop at, and so, they were extremely crowded, but it was exciting. My mom would put everything on Lay- away. No charge! We also had the huge freshly, cut tree with the large lights. It was so beautiful, I would just stare at it for hours.
My father would deliver dry cleaning and would get the biggest tips at Christmas. He would show us his pile of Christmas cards from his customers, and we would open them one by one at the kitchen table after dinner and count the tips. I swore we were rich then! He’d also get bottles of wine and christmas cookies or bread. Christmas was in the air. People were friendlier. And we couldn’t wait until the annual Charlie Brown Christmas and the Grinch shows came on…then you knew it was definitely Christmas!
Even though we didn’t have alot of money, we had tons of presents under that tree. I loved the christmas pajamas and slippers! I couldn’t wait to put them on at night, so soft and warm. AAAHHHH.
I don’t know. I try and make it the best I can for the kids. I just can’t put my finger on it. I guess part of it is fear. Fear of what is going on in the world today. I just can’t put myself at ease anymore. I feel like I’m always on guard and waiting for something to happen. I think part of it is the terrorism around the world I think about and how everyone just seems so stressed today. The money problems and debt. Foreclosures and homelessness.
Another thing that really bothers me is that everyone has a phone and it follows them everywhere. I hate it! No one even looks around anymore. They all look down and stare blankly at these glowing screens like they are hypnotized with the light reflecting off their faces. As they go by they are talking, and you turn to respond, because you think they are talking to you. Talk about feeling stupid! And If they are not texting, they are playing games or reading e-mails. It’s all about the phone. Like the 60′s, I would like a phone to just be mounted on my kitchen wall…and keep it there!
Also, today everything is on a charge card and most of it is used for electronics at Christmas. Massive flat screen tv’s, standing in mega lines to get the latest fad for our children. That’s not me and it will never be.
As for me, I just want to curl up on my couch in my fluffy robe, turn off all the lights, put my Nat King Cole cd on and stare at my tree, think back and remember. Remember when it was good. I ‘m trying , I’m really trying.
Come on, Christmas. I know you are there. Help us find you again.
