Holiday Season 2022 - A Holiday Concert: Dianne Reeves and Samara Joy

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

One of my favorite singers, Dianne Reeves, was in town tonight for a holiday concert. Dale and I were joined by Noel. 

Ms. Reeves was supposed to be joined by a singer I've only recently discovered named Samara Joy, who, for reasons unknown to me, did not appear. This was too bad as I was looking forward to seeing her live in concert. Both women are amazing vocalists. 

The concert was downtown at Orchestra Hall, a venue I haven't been to in years. It was good to be back. Noel and I reminisced about our days working there. We met on the job in the late 1980s. As we waited for the performance to start we reminisced out our time working there. Noel was unaware that I had access to the catwalks above the hall. 

Our seats were on the right side of Tier 1 Rear which offered a fantastic view of the stage. We talked about having similar seats when we saw Rosemary Clooney at The Hall about 20 years ago. 

The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra played all of the numbers and Ms. Reeves was the featured vocalist on about half of them. She entered stage left wearing a beautiful red dress with a white sheath coat over it and began the performance by citing the holiday season as one of her most favorite. 

The set list:

  1. Jingle Bells (This selection featured on the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra's 2019 release, A Big Band Christmas).

  2. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve

  3. The Little Drummer Boy (Ms. Reeves on vocals. This selection on her 2004 Christmas album, Christmas Time Is Here. Tonight's live version featured much more vocal improvisation than the recorded version.)

  4. A Child Is Born (Ms. Reeves on vocals. This selection also on her 2004 Christmas album, Christmas Time Is Here.) 

  5. My Favorite Things (Ms. Reeves on vocals.)

  6. Sleigh Ride

Intermission

  7. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

  8. Heat Miser (From the 1970s television special, The Year Without a Santa Claus

  9. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow (Ms. Reeves on vocals. This selection on her Christmas album)

10. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Ms. Reeves on vocals. This selection on her Christmas album)

11. This Christmas (Ms. Reeves on vocals.). Lots of improvisation and riffing related to experiences of the holiday season that everyone can relate to including the uncle who's maybe said a little too much during family celebrations. 

Thanksgiving Weekend 2022 - Cigar Time

Sunday, November 27, 2022

Cigar in the garage.

Warmish weather.

Brought the Bose speaker out to the garage and listened to some music.

The sun continues to set earlier and earlier. I took a walk after finishing my cigar. Nice to see folks putting their lights up. Photo taken about 5:15.

It's been a great 5-day weekend. I think I can handle going back to work tomorrow especially since there's only three weeks until Christmas vacation. 

Thanksgiving Weekend 2022 - Another Lovely Day

Saturday, November 26, 2022

Lunch with Noel. W.A. Frost has their Christmas tree up.

We stopped by the J.J. Hill House to check out their gift shop. 

Temperature-wise it was pleasant enough for late November. 

Back home for cocktail hour with Dale. 

We made a turkey pot pie for dinner from leftovers. Of course we used our own gravy. 

We incorporated some other leftovers into the meal.

We watched a movie and, as is the case most evenings, each of us had some time with Sylvester on our lap.

Thanksgiving Weekend 2022 - A Quiet, Relaxing Day

Friday, November 25, 2022

Today was a sit-in-a-big-comfy-chair kinda of day.

The house is all clean and picked up from our company yesterday so it was nice to sit around, relax, and enjoy it. 

Thanksgiving 2022 - The Dinner

 Thursday, December 24, 2022

We had Noel and Mom over for dinner. 

Mom brought and apple pie and Noel brought over a pumpkin pie. 

Thanksgiving 2022 - The Food

Thursday, November 24, 2022

Cranberry sauce

Turkey

Sweet potato casserole 

Brussels sprouts. We also had stuffing and gravy.

Thanksgiving 2022 - Emma

Thursday, November 24, 2022

Thanksgiving 2022

Thursday, November 24, 2022

Woke up early and read for a while. Turned the parade on just before it started at 9:00 a.m. While it was on I puttered around the house picking up things and putting them away to get ready for Mom and Noel coming over for Thanksgiving dinner around 3:00 p.m. Above you see Paula Abdul being hoisted in the air by her dancers in front of a golden Jennie-O turkey. 

Between cleaning and helping with food prep I was sure to take a break with a Bloody Mary. 

Thanksgiving 2022 - Looking Ahead

Thursday, November 24, 2022

With the results of the recent election I feel like Christmas came a little early this year. Looking forward to today's holiday and the whole upcoming holiday season.

Thanksgiving 2022 - Holiday Movies

Thursday, November 24, 2022

When it comes to Christmas movies I feel like I've heard of most all of them (excluding those from the Hallmark Channel). However, I stumbled upon a list from Good Housekeeping that proved my assumption wrong. Click on the link below for the article. 

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/christmas-ideas/news/g4880/christmas-movie-year-you-were-born/?slide=1

Pre-Holiday Season 2022: Shopping with Noel

Saturday, November 19, 2022

Noel picked me up at noon for our regular Saturday jaunt. Heather's for lunch. We ate outside in the heated tent. Next stop was A Rare Bird. I picked up a little angels box and and Santa Claus Christmas cracker. Kelly told me the cracker was filled with Italian candies. Bonus.

I also found the above pictured Santa ornament. I thought it was a little expensive for what it was but I liked it and thought it would fit rather well with other items in my American Santa collection. When I went to make the purchase Kelly told me the ornament actually came with the little living tree I had pulled it off. All the better.

At The Loft I picked up a cranberry scented candle for Thanksgiving. I like the brand they sell which don't smell overly sweet and also have a kind of smoky/spicy scent. 

I found a Nicole Sayre angel for only 25 bucks. Noel says they're going for at least $75 on eBay. Deal!

Also at the Loft I found a Waechtersbach Christmas tree coffee mug which I picked up for nostalgia's sake. I remember seeing them at the old Dayton's Department Store when they first appeared in the 1970s. I did a little internet search when I got home and discovered the pattern was produced from 1976 until 2012. 

Sylvester's curious.

Martinmas 2022

Friday, November 11, 2022

Laid back Martinmas. Cigar in the yard after work. It's cold out although it was 66 degrees a couple days ago. I'm still exhausted from all the pent up anxiety that built up within me prior to the recent midterms. "It could have been worse" has never sounded more comforting.

Pizza with Dale and Big Bang Theory tonight.