State of the Mris Report, in children's song format

[mrissa]

Head: Several of the things on my mind right now are things I don't want to talk about on lj, some good and some bad. So I haven't been posting as much. Not all of it is bad stuff, just not really outside voice stuff, y'know?

I'm pretty fixated on finding some really good Christmas presents. So far I think I'm doing pretty well, especially since I have a note about something to pick up for my grandpa's birthday, which is in early February. I only have a few people left to figure out, plus a few things to pick up that are figured out but not purchased. Also I must make myself stop buying presents for my mom aaaaany minute now. Things just keep calling her name, though.

I'm writing "Carter Hall Gets Two for Roughing," because it's what my brain is willing to do right now. I'm hoping it knocks a few other things loose, because this has gotten pretty frustrating.

Shoulders: Still twinging every once in awhile from that fall, but not too bad, could be worse. Still avoiding some yoga and Pilates moves that would otherwise be fine even with the vertigo, but not generally having problems.

Knees and toes, knees and toes: Headed for 110-115 miles on the stationary bike this week, depending on how today and tomorrow go. Without that bike, I think I would have gone gibbering mad this year. Go bike.

And eyes: Hockey on the TV! Christmas cards on my lapdesk! Library books and books borrowed from friends! What a lovely plan for a Friday night.

And ears: Trying to figure out what traditional carol I should learn all the verses for this year. Feel free to chime in here. Should be pre-1850, obscurity a plus, English language not a necessity. Also I am trying to figure out what goes with the other stuff on a mix CD I'm making for someone's stocking.

And mouth and nose: Pepparkakor, finally, and for dinner, buttermilk biscuits and my version of my cousin's version of her Nana's version of Italian sausage soup. You know how this kind of recipe works: "Well, I don't like celery, so I used green beans, and we were out of zucchini, so I put in mushrooms, and I like orzo, so I threw in a cup of that...." We'll see how it goes.

How about you?

Comments

[brooksmoses]

This reminds me: How does pepparkakor compare to gingerbread cookies in texture and such? tiger_spot has been lamenting the lack of any good rolled-and-cut cookie recipes to go with all the nifty cookie cutters in the world, on grounds that the ones she's tried (gingerbread, sugar-cookie, etc.) all seem to be tough and not properly imbued with what she considers the proper cookie-nature that seems to mostly be a property of buttery drop-cookies.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Pepparkakor are Swedish gingerbread; they are my standard for gingerbread, so I really can't say.

However, if she wants buttery cut-out cookies, these (http://www.marissalingen.com/fruitshort.html) are the way to go. Particularly with strawberry.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

Just before Christmas, some years ago when Z was still stroller-age, I heard a bass part of a silver band playing the Coventry Carol in the street in Lancaster. So this song that is normally all high female solo was suddenly booming deep instrumental, and yet still a lullaby. Thinking about it, perhaps the reason it made such an impression was because it's usually the lullaby Mary sings, and perhaps that was the Father's version.

I was about to say you probably know all the carols I know, but I do know some Welsh ones. Do you already know all the verses of "Here we come a wassailing?"

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

"Good master and good mistress while you're sitting by the fire...."

I think I do. Yes.

"Coventry Carol" was a few years ago, and I like it much better as an alto than when sopranos do it. I am, however, firmly biased towards altos.

[orbitalmechanic.livejournal.com]

Do you already have the Oxford Book of Carols?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I do not.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

In your magic potatoes recipe you seem to suggest putting a skillet in the oven. Is that right, or did you mean a casserole dish?

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

I think of "skillet" as a dialect term for "frying pan". Some of them, notably the cast iron ones, are perfectly happy going in the oven.

I have no idea what Mris meant, though, and we already know we don't speak identical dialetcs.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I do use a casserole dish myself, although David is right: if you have a cast iron skillet, feel comfortable and happy about putting it in the oven.

[pameladean]

"King Herod and Saint Stephen" is a dandy carol, and certainly pre-1850. I adore it madly. It's the first Christmas, even though nobody knows it yet, so what is King Herodes serving, in his halle? A Boris Hedde. Seriously.

I don't know the music, though.

P.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

It's like that joke about there being no room at the inn because everywhere's crowded at Christmas.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Knowing the music is important, but maybe YouTube or some such can help with that. There's got to be some college group doing it, right? I will find out.

[pixelfish.livejournal.com]

Where do your Carter Hall stories get published?

Also....I can't help thinking Tam Lin every time I see Carter Hall.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Tam is Carter's roommate. The short stories all happen after That Incident On Halloween, though.

Two of them have been published in On Spec, with a third forthcoming from that fine publication.

[tanaise.livejournal.com]

I don't know if you have any of his stuff, but Sufjan Stevens (who I admire most for his ability to put his religion in my music without being obnoxious about it in any way) has a monster collection of xmas songs which is no longer available online, alas, but is at least a reasonably priced CD collection. http://asthmatickitty.com/music.php?releaseID=63

If you don't have any of his stuff a) you should and b) I'll send you a few samples if you want an idea of if his voice will make you cry for the wrong reasons.

(and I think I just conflated the Xmas music question and the mix CD into one. Oh well.)

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I haven't got any of his stuff. But yah, I'm looking to learn to sing pre-1850 stuff and put things I already like on the mix CD.

[aliseadae]

Ooh! That format is a great idea. Mind if I use it?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Go for it!

[prettymuchpeggy.livejournal.com]

While By Our Sheep
- or -
Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
come off the top of my head. HMMMMM... when I get to my music at home, I'll give you a few more suggestions - a little off the beaten path.

This is my weekend for getting my "present" ducks in a row so to speak. I usually have this 75% done by now, but life has been intervening. My cough is almost gone and soon I will be able to see my new nephew.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I know "Lo, How a Rose."

Yay lack of cough and presence of nephew.

State of the Wiggum

[jymdyer.livejournal.com]

> How about you?

"I fell down and bent my Wookie."

Re: State of the Wiggum

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

How sad for you.

[tanac.livejournal.com]

My new ENT threaded a camera up my nose. Both sides. I'm sort of sore now.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Did you resist the urge to shout, "I can see my house from here" upon viewing them? Or did they not let you see the results at all?

[mattgritter.livejournal.com]

Here's my suggestion

The Friendly Beasts
http://www.hymnary.org/text/the_friendly_beasts
If that is not too your liking, do a source search at the hymnary for carol.

Although, it is not technically a carol (note my LJ entry of yesterday) without a repeated refrain. But it is French, so it gets carol bonus points.

Here's the full-text (follow the link for tune and other info)

1
Jesus, our Brother, strong and good,
Was humbly born in a stable rude,
And the friendly beasts around Him stood,
Jesus, our Brother, strong and good.

2
“I,” said the donkey, shaggy and brown,
“I carried His mother uphill and down,
I carried His mother to Bethlehem town;
I,” said the donkey, shaggy and brown.

3
“I,” said the cow, all white and red,
“I gave Him my manger for His bed,
I gave Him hay to pillow His head;
I,” said the cow, all white and red.

4
“I,” said the sheep with curly horn,
“I gave Him my wool for His blanket warm,
He wore my coat on Christmas morn;
I,” said the sheep with curly horn.

5
“I,” said the dove, from the rafters high,
“I cooed Him to sleep that He should not cry,
We cooed Him to sleep, my mate and I;
I,” said the dove, from the rafters high.

6
Thus all the beasts, by some good spell,
In the stable dark were glad to tell
Of the gifts they gave Emmanuel,
The gifts they gave Emmanuel.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

It's a very good song. Unfortunately for these purposes, it's also a song whose verses I've known since before I can remember, since it's part of my grandma's favorite Christmas album.

[akitrom.livejournal.com]

My knock-down favorite Christmas song is The Bas-Query Carol:

"Whence comes the rush of wings afar,
following straight the Noel star?
Birds of the woods, in wondrous flight?"
"Bethl'em we seek, this holy night."

CHORUS:
Angels, shepherds, bird in the sky,
Come where the son of God doth lie,
Oh born this night, with us to dwell,
oh, join in the shout: Noel, noel.

"Tell us, ye birds, Why come ye here?
Into this stable, poor and drear?"
"Hastening we seek the new-born king,
And all our sweetest music bring."

CHORUS.

--+--+--

For more obscure points, there's "Remember, O Thou Man" by Thomas Ravenscroft, perhaps the most depressing Christmas Carol I've ever heard. Ravenscroft even makes the Coventry Carol, with its massacre of the innocents, seem like a lark by comparison.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I don't know the tune of this, either. Hmmmm. Possibly some YouTube searching in my future one of these days.

[hbevert.livejournal.com]

I remember singing "The Friendly Beasts" in a Christmas pageant in church eons ago. Wonder if I can convince the current choir I'm in to try "Remember O Thou Man," as it's got beautiful harmony.
I also can recommend "The Boar's Head Carol" as a fun, rollicking song. It even has some parts of each verse in Latin.
Thanks for reminding me of singing the song "Kopf Schulter Knie und Zeh" (with actions, of course!) in German class as a teenager and feeling both ridiculous and gleeful. When I had the chance a few years later to teach it to some elementary schoolers it was a source of joy.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

We did it in French, too.

[haddayr.livejournal.com]

Have you memorized all of the verses of "The Holly and the Ivy?"

I LOVE that one and it goes on and on, deliciously.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Yes, I love it, too.

[haddayr.livejournal.com]

I'll assume you've memorized all of Good King Wenceslas, so I'll suggest Noël Nouvelet. One of my favorites.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Got 'em both. Love 'em both.