So much great stuff here! Although I do have to say that — coming from a family where garlic was a key ingredient in just about every dinner — Thurl Ravenscroft's "you've got garlic in your soul" putdown has rankled me since I was a kid.
Thanks, and I hear you, Dan! I love garlic too and consider it a remedy for just about every malady. But whenever I encourage people to use it for cold, flu, etc. I get immediate reactions of "That's gross" and "Ew!". (Of course, that's using it raw.)
So I take the Grinch lyric as being about raw and not cooked garlic. Or maybe it's a compliment to the Grinch in disguise. Maybe in Theodor Geisel's mind he was a secret goodie posing as a baddie. A misunderstood genius who protested the status quo and learned about love and community in the process.
It's interesting that some of these old songs return to the charts year after year in December! "Merry Christmas Darling" might be my favorite but then I also loved Karen Carpenter's voice. Happy holidays Ellen!
It's probably the baby boomer effect as many of us grew up in households helmed by parents who loved the 40s and 50s crooners. Nostalgia rears its head every Christmas, I would reckon.
I agree, Karen did have an amazing voice, and that Carpenters song is gorgeous.
That was a masterpiece, Ellen. I've read and reread this a few times. There's so much similarity to my own childhood. I always got one present that wasn't underwear, flannel shirts, socks or other necessities. We used to go to Aunt Bea's for Christmas. She was a wonderful lady, but she always made enough for an army...three of everything, then would melt down when something wasn't to her specifications.
My parents were a little older than yours. They met and were married just before Dad was sent to England during WW2. Mom went to Chicago and worked in the factories there to support the war effort. They were older when I came along, then my sister 15 months later. Different times then. The music I remember early was 40s "swing. Bennie Goodman, Tommie Dorsey, Glen Miller, etc. We had an old Victrola that cranked. I wish I still had that. We then moved to a unit later similar to your picture except it was longer with speakers on both ends. It played all speeds though.
Andy Williams was a staple with Mom too, along with Lawrence Welk and Mitch Miller. We also had a Hollyridge Strings Christmas album. They also listened to a lot of Christmas hymns. My mother signed us both up for piano lessons at a very young age. I hated it to be honest. I wanted to play baseball but always had to practice first. As it turned out I sucked at playing baseball but became very good at playing piano, then later delved into theory. I will thank her every day until I die for having that foresight. Fortunately, I got to tell her that prior to her passing.
Anyway, all this to tell you that I immensely enjoyed your piece and will put it in my archives for posterity. You wrote it better than I ever could.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you. I consider you one of my better Substack finds since joining this platform in 2024. I'll look forward to many more good posts from you this year.
Daniel, I'm so glad this resonated with you! I wondered if anyone else had a childhood anything like mine and got immersed and willingly 'indoctrinated' in the music of that era.
My mom also had albums by Lawrence Welk and Mitch Miller, as well as some of the big bands and a humorous album by Spike Jones that I loved as a kid ("All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth").
We also had an Aunt Bea we were very fond of, but didn't see her or her family at Christmas. Sounds like yours was fun and a force of nature. It also sounds like you had an admirable and wonderful mom, and what a gift she gave you in terms of musical taste and learning how to play the piano.
Thanks so much for those kind words about this post and my substack. Very much appreciated. I have a plan for the coming year I'm excited about and will be revealing it soon.
I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season too!
One of our family traditions was putting the Mitch Miller singalong record on and my sister, parents and I singing along. Such a fond memory!! My dad also had a record of ‘The Night Before Christmas’ that he’d put on every Christmas Eve, a highlight of the day for us as kids.
So many classics here and some my favorites. Your recollections of Christmases past had me reminiscing. My mom passed in 2018 and my dad’s currently in hospital awaiting a hip replacement so Christmas will feel a little different this year. But spending some time sitting in the fond memories of my early years, particularly from when my grandparents were still around and there would be over 20 of us having dinner at my nana’s house, has been a wonderful mood booster, so thank you for that!
Wishing you and yours all the best for a safe and happy holiday season!!
P.S. interesting fact which I only discovered a couple weeks ago (if the source is to be believed) is that Yukon Cornelius is not a prospector for silver and gold, but for PEPPERMINT! Who knew?!?
I'm so glad the songs brought back fond memories and boosted your holiday spirit. Sorry to hear about the loss of your mom and about your dad being in hospital, and hope his hip replacement goes well. I too enjoy thinking about those childhood get-togethers with relatives -- including a posse of cousins of different ages -- and the fun of being a kid at Christmas.
That fact about Yukon Cornelius is so much better, making him a more sympathetic misfit character. Thanks for sharing that. Reading that wiki, I realize that I've completely misremembered and mischaracterized the plot. Time to rewatch it as it's been a good while. (Plot remembering has never been one of my strong suits.)
Happy holidays all, and may all your music be tuneful!! Ho, ho, hoping for better days ahead!
Thanks, Al! Happy holidays and happy new year to you too!
So much great stuff here! Although I do have to say that — coming from a family where garlic was a key ingredient in just about every dinner — Thurl Ravenscroft's "you've got garlic in your soul" putdown has rankled me since I was a kid.
Thanks, and I hear you, Dan! I love garlic too and consider it a remedy for just about every malady. But whenever I encourage people to use it for cold, flu, etc. I get immediate reactions of "That's gross" and "Ew!". (Of course, that's using it raw.)
So I take the Grinch lyric as being about raw and not cooked garlic. Or maybe it's a compliment to the Grinch in disguise. Maybe in Theodor Geisel's mind he was a secret goodie posing as a baddie. A misunderstood genius who protested the status quo and learned about love and community in the process.
Wonderful music for a wonderful time of year.
Thanks, David! Have a lovely holiday season!
You, too...
It's interesting that some of these old songs return to the charts year after year in December! "Merry Christmas Darling" might be my favorite but then I also loved Karen Carpenter's voice. Happy holidays Ellen!
It's probably the baby boomer effect as many of us grew up in households helmed by parents who loved the 40s and 50s crooners. Nostalgia rears its head every Christmas, I would reckon.
I agree, Karen did have an amazing voice, and that Carpenters song is gorgeous.
Happy holidays to you, Dan!
Lovely post, Ellen. Hope you have a great Christmas!
Thanks, Hugh, and the same to you!
That was a masterpiece, Ellen. I've read and reread this a few times. There's so much similarity to my own childhood. I always got one present that wasn't underwear, flannel shirts, socks or other necessities. We used to go to Aunt Bea's for Christmas. She was a wonderful lady, but she always made enough for an army...three of everything, then would melt down when something wasn't to her specifications.
My parents were a little older than yours. They met and were married just before Dad was sent to England during WW2. Mom went to Chicago and worked in the factories there to support the war effort. They were older when I came along, then my sister 15 months later. Different times then. The music I remember early was 40s "swing. Bennie Goodman, Tommie Dorsey, Glen Miller, etc. We had an old Victrola that cranked. I wish I still had that. We then moved to a unit later similar to your picture except it was longer with speakers on both ends. It played all speeds though.
Andy Williams was a staple with Mom too, along with Lawrence Welk and Mitch Miller. We also had a Hollyridge Strings Christmas album. They also listened to a lot of Christmas hymns. My mother signed us both up for piano lessons at a very young age. I hated it to be honest. I wanted to play baseball but always had to practice first. As it turned out I sucked at playing baseball but became very good at playing piano, then later delved into theory. I will thank her every day until I die for having that foresight. Fortunately, I got to tell her that prior to her passing.
Anyway, all this to tell you that I immensely enjoyed your piece and will put it in my archives for posterity. You wrote it better than I ever could.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you. I consider you one of my better Substack finds since joining this platform in 2024. I'll look forward to many more good posts from you this year.
Daniel, I'm so glad this resonated with you! I wondered if anyone else had a childhood anything like mine and got immersed and willingly 'indoctrinated' in the music of that era.
My mom also had albums by Lawrence Welk and Mitch Miller, as well as some of the big bands and a humorous album by Spike Jones that I loved as a kid ("All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth").
We also had an Aunt Bea we were very fond of, but didn't see her or her family at Christmas. Sounds like yours was fun and a force of nature. It also sounds like you had an admirable and wonderful mom, and what a gift she gave you in terms of musical taste and learning how to play the piano.
Thanks so much for those kind words about this post and my substack. Very much appreciated. I have a plan for the coming year I'm excited about and will be revealing it soon.
I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season too!
One of our family traditions was putting the Mitch Miller singalong record on and my sister, parents and I singing along. Such a fond memory!! My dad also had a record of ‘The Night Before Christmas’ that he’d put on every Christmas Eve, a highlight of the day for us as kids.
Those traditions sound like so much fun!
So many classics here and some my favorites. Your recollections of Christmases past had me reminiscing. My mom passed in 2018 and my dad’s currently in hospital awaiting a hip replacement so Christmas will feel a little different this year. But spending some time sitting in the fond memories of my early years, particularly from when my grandparents were still around and there would be over 20 of us having dinner at my nana’s house, has been a wonderful mood booster, so thank you for that!
Wishing you and yours all the best for a safe and happy holiday season!!
P.S. interesting fact which I only discovered a couple weeks ago (if the source is to be believed) is that Yukon Cornelius is not a prospector for silver and gold, but for PEPPERMINT! Who knew?!?
https://christmas-specials.fandom.com/wiki/Yukon_Cornelius
I'm so glad the songs brought back fond memories and boosted your holiday spirit. Sorry to hear about the loss of your mom and about your dad being in hospital, and hope his hip replacement goes well. I too enjoy thinking about those childhood get-togethers with relatives -- including a posse of cousins of different ages -- and the fun of being a kid at Christmas.
That fact about Yukon Cornelius is so much better, making him a more sympathetic misfit character. Thanks for sharing that. Reading that wiki, I realize that I've completely misremembered and mischaracterized the plot. Time to rewatch it as it's been a good while. (Plot remembering has never been one of my strong suits.)
Wish you and yours a lovely holiday season too!