Monday, December 12, 2016

Trans Siberian Orchestra/Christmas Cards With Smiling Teddy Bear



Listening to the hold music while I was on the phone recently, I was pleased to hear a song by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, an American progressive rock band founded in 1996 by music producer, Paul O'Neill.   Why is it called Trans-Siberian Orchestra,  I wondered...you know I had to look it up!

"In the 1980's, I was fortunate enough to have visited Russia.
If anyone has ever seen Siberia, it is incredibly beautiful but incredibly harsh and unforgiving as well. The one thing that everyone who lives there has in common that runs across it in relative safety is the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Life, too, can be incredibly beautiful but also incredibly harsh and unforgiving, and the one thing that we all have in common that runs across it in relative safety is music."        Paul O'Neill


You may learn much more about the history of the Trans Siberian Orchestra by clicking just here but one thing that I learned about them is that they donate to local charities in each city where they perform. I believe the figure that I saw was that 13 million has been donated over the years that they have been in existence.


I have a clip from YouTube of the song that I heard on the radio, it is "Christmas Canon" and is Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D major with lyrics and new melodies added.   I think it is lovely.

"I've always believed that music has the power to transport and transform. the original concept of Trans-Siberian Orchestra was how to make music have the most emotional impact. We always try to write melodies that are so infectious they don't need lyrics and lyrics so poetic that they don’t need a melody, but when you combine the two together they create an alloy where the sum of the parts is greater than the whole."

The above is another quote from Paul O'Neill and I couldn't agree more!  For me, when lyrics and music come together perfectly, it is magic.

Guess what, I just remembered that I read on the BBC today, that due to the popularity of the London Heathrow Airport TV advert, Chas and Dave will release the song "Coming Home for Christmas" as a single!    Isn't that great news!  (Remember me telling you about it, the one with the bears? It now has over 4 million views! Wow, my blog REALLY does influence folks, eh? HA! )  I love Chas and Dave and I am very pleased about this, I hope it will go to the top of the charts!

Just now getting Christmas cards in the mail...but I can show you some that I have received over the past few years. Want to see? Sure you do!  (And these are just a few photos of my cards, I promise you I display every card I receive and cherish every one!)







As you can see, I have them all over the place! (I crocheted the snowflake!)


Now, let me tell you, sometimes you have to look very closely at a card.  Look at that one above, do you see a robin inside the post box taking shelter? And how about the one on top, giving a friendly little wave? Isn't that the sweetest?

  Loved these two cards and I liked them side by side with the teddy bear propped in front of them. (Bear with hearts in front of polar bear card and house with heart card...funny how my mind works, I didn't realize it, I just liked how this looked!)  By the way, I got that little stuffed bear with a potholder with the same material, but the bear didn't have a face...this bothered me, so I stitched his little eyes, and nose and mouth myself!  Whenever I see this little bear, it makes me smile myself, and especially so since I know I brought him to life!

My friends, I hope you are finding something to make you smile, something that will bring joy to your lives.  Music, Christmas cards, one small bear with a lopsided grin...that does it for me!




23 comments:

  1. I love this band! I have a CD of their Christmas music. They create they most amazing tunes.

    What a wonderful collection of cards! We don't get half as many. Sadly, not many people send them out anymore.

    And your little bear is adorable! It's all the little things that bring us so much joy.

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    1. Dear Martha,
      It must be amazing to see the band in person, let's go see them!
      I love cards anytime of year, but I really love my Christmas cards.
      That little bear, I am not a crafty kind of gal so it was unusual for me to sew him a face and I guess that is why I enjoy him so. x

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  2. Today, your blog post provided the reading material AND the sound track for my muesli before work - thank you!
    I love it that you put a face on the teddy bear, I think I would have wanted him to have a face, too. I wonder why its maker didn't do that?
    Your cards are displayed so nicely! My current ones are on the sideboard in the living room, while the ones I liked most from previous years are, as always, under the glass plate on the desk in the Third Room, where I see them every day, too.

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    1. The Christmas board that holds my cards was made by my good friend, Mary. If you look closely, you can see Mary and her husband on the upper right corner on their Christmas card!
      The teddy bear came with a potholder and I was just pleased to have him, I suppose they could make more without having to take the time to sew a face for him!

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  3. Ah, Christmas cards, very nice to give and receive. Very few have come our way this year, and it seems the internet has caused this great drop-off as email greetings come instead. I love your red robins (of course I do), and all the snow scenes. Happy Christmas!

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    1. Ah, email will never replace the joy of receiving a card in the mail for me! I know you love your red birds! Our cardinals in the snow are a very popular subjects for Christmas cards! Happy Christmas to you! x

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  4. They do make such lovely music, that Orchestra! The Christmas ribbons here that the cats have not eaten yet make me smile. Our cards are in the mail, too, and i'm glad i was able to do that this year.

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    1. Ah yes, I remember the days of Christmas with a cat!
      Minnie loved to try to climb the tree and always would knock things off and she would curl up under it and we couldn't find her! (Solid black, she could be invisible at times!)

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  5. Thanks to a gift from one of my sons and his wife I did get to go to a Trans-Siberian Concert a few years ago. I have always loved their music but the concert was outstanding. Christmas is a wonderful time of year!

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    1. Oh good, I am glad someone here commenting has seen them in concert! Did you know the reason behind the name? I loved that quote! Have a happy Christmas!

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  6. You certainly are in the mood for Christmas.

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    1. I am happy to see Christmas come, it is always a quiet time for me and I enjoy it.

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    1. These were just a few. I took more photos but just like me, I can never find things when I am looking for them.

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  8. I'm a big Trans-Siberian Orchestra fan and always play their music at Christmas. Such pretty cards, I always save all the cards we receive, don't know what I'm going to do with them, but I have them.

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    1. So funny you say that about saving your cards! I just went through a huge stack of Christmas cards that I have saved over the years! Honestly, I am a nut about cards! :-)

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  9. Yay! you have put Stone Mountain back as your header picture.
    Cute card with the robin inside the postbox. We used to have real robins inside postboxes = yes really. Nesting places were few and far between so clever little birds used to nest in postboxes until flaps were put over the slot. There are more trees on the island now so I assume they have made alternative arrangements!

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    1. Yay! Yes, I put that on there thinking of YOU, Pat! How funny about the flaps, I had no idea that they really did that. Also, it reminds me of the blue tits attacking the tops of milk bottles to get to the milk! Clever little birds!
      Come on, Pat, ready to walk up Stone Mountain with me?
      :-)

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  10. What a lovely, happy, post. Enjoyed the music - never heard of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, but enjoyed listening to it very much. Ta! I'll keep an ear out for them.

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    1. Thank you, Mike! Glad you liked the music too! :-)

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  11. Well- I don't know what happened to my comment. Guess the Christmas Gremlin got it. lol Their rendition of Canon in D is one of my very favorite pieces of music played at this time of year. It is a glorious piece.
    Looking like Christmas at your house- xo Diana

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  12. Hey Diana, these photos were from years past but I do have my cards out this year too! Glad you like this music too, I was grateful to hear this as "hold" music, so much of what you have to hear on the phone is so bad!!

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  13. Oh my! I love the Canon. It's certainly put me in a good mood. Thank you. I scan all my cards and store them on my computer so I always have them. You have a beautiful way of displaying yours, Kay.

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