Holly Dolly Christmas

The latest Christmas CD to our collection arrived, "A Holly Dolly Christmas," which of course is Dolly Parton's latest release.  I imagine this one will do very well, given all that's going on in the world, and Dolly's recent surge in popularity.  I found it amazing that this recording was available to purchase on cassette or 8-track tape, both of these now ancient ways of listening to music.  Of course, a vinyl record is even older way, but that has made its way back into popularity as an alternate way of listening to music.  We have many vinyl records at the house, but for this recording, I wanted to get the CD, which also will soon be an ancient way of listening to music.  But there's just something about holding on to a physical object, versus the way many people buy music these days.  Lately, the new way of doing things is to get a digital version of it, one stored in a "cloud" that you have purchased the rights to listen to, so long as you have the equipment and the signal to do so.  Give me a record over that any day.  At least you can put a record on at any time, not worry about wi-fi or computers or updates or programs or whatever.  Anyway, I'm not sure where Madison falls on this with her preferences.  Currently, she has all her music in digital form, although some of the music we both listen to comes from a CD we have in the house somewhere.  That includes Dolly's music today, which is a nice way of bringing it back to the first sentence up there somewhere.  We listened to Dolly, and it's a fun Christmas CD that we'll have from this point on.  Mom was excited to get this one.  There are quite a few duets on there, plus we were happy to see the song "Circle of Love" in the mix.  There are some songs we're not familiar with on there, never a bad thing, and then some old classics like "Pretty Paper."  All in all, it's a great listen.  We were doing a few other things as we listened to it a few times in a row.

It'd be nice to head up there to Dollywood, but given our household situation, I'm not sure if that can happen.  Which is a shame, as we have the season tickets.  But Nana is just too unpredictable at this point.

Madison has been taking pictures around the house and elsewhere outside, and they're all nice.  This is a seasonal candle holder we have by the front door.  She had school today, the last day of school before Thanksgiving break.  Some schools are actually closing down for the rest of the year, this due to a recent surge in numbers of people who have the virus. 
 

We put together our Thanksgiving special again, which is just basically Nerdo and Pastor Lance saying "Happy Thanksgiving" at the start, followed by some of our classic Thanksgiving videos from the past, and ending with the two hosts wrapping up.  We're still on for our KidPak Office Thanksgiving, but the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade is apparently not happening.  Well, they say it's happening, but it's not a parade so much as a walk down the block, and the usual performances from Broadway actors advertising for plays that aren't happening because despite the fact that the curve is flattened, the entire state of New York is still shut down.  This may be the first year we don't watch the parade.  Curiosity may have us tune in for a moment or two, but it might be too depressing to continue watching.  

Less depressing was the episode of "The Mandalorain."  It aired today, and all of us gathered around to watch that one.  Nana even watches it with us, though I'm fairly certain she has no idea what's going on.  She just likes Baby Yoda.  And so does everyone else of course.  The episode was another good one though, with lots of action and story development.  Things are certainly moving forward with that story, and that's basically it as far as new television or movies is concerned.  The shutdown has cut out all the new programming that's being created.  This one show was filmed before the shutdown, and so we were blessed to get it during this drought of new programming.  It's just nice to have something new to look forward to watching sometimes.

Speaking of "Star Wars," we did listen to that vinyl record today, "Christmas in the Stars."  Nana was up getting a bath, so I put that one on, and got to sing along with "What do you get a Wookie for Christmas, when he's already got a comb?"  Madison just endures that one, just like we all endure the 70's Star Wars Christmas stuff.  I promise we're not watching the Star Wars Holiday Special this year.  That one takes some real endurance.

Madison did some piano practice today, and the weather outside was pretty chilly today too.  Nana and Mom went over to my mother's place to help her make ornaments:  my parents are going to be decorating a tree next week at the Botanical Gardens, one with wooden ornaments, a more organic looking tree.  The ornaments look great though, and we'll certainly have to go by and visit.

Today Nana was not in the best of spirits, with lots of weeping again.  This is her new mode though, one with many tears all throughout the day.  We have to keep busy to try and distract her.  And there are moments where she's in better spirits and she's her old self, and those are the moments where she's lucid and fun and things are pleasant.  But those are not as frequent as we'd like them to be, obviously.  It's been difficult, but Madison, Mom and I are doing our best.

We read from our Christmas book tonight, and we prayed as well.  The usual rituals of night took place as always, the hide-and-seek with clever decoys (Madison usually puts a blanket over a few stuffed animals, and she even has slippers emerging out one side as it they are her feet!).  I tuck her in as always, and we have the night lights on.  She shuts her door at night though, this due to Nana getting up in the night frequently.  Madison reads a bit, sometimes a lot, but eventually she's off to sleep herself, just like Mom and I.