Christmas is right around the corner. The season officially starts tomorrow. Kids, decorated trees, piles of presents under the tree, and great Southern Cooking for over a month. I always thank my Good Lord that I live in sunny Florida where it snows every twenty years or so. In my hometown of Tallahassee, Florida, we get 233 days of sunshine. I'm just thankful I don't live in Ohio or New Jersey, the top two states that compete each year for the worst weather in the good ole USA. Or in Montana, which has recorded temperatures at 70 degrees below. Tallahassee at Christmas? Midway between a low of 47 and a high of 64. Balmy indeed. I have actually been water skiing the day after Christmas in my younger days.
On December 25, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ! We also celebrate the love of humankind and many secular traditions with family and friends. Somehow, we find more love and joy this time of year. Beginning December 1, 2022, I will try to bring some joy with some of the greatest Christmas Music by many great artists. You will hear pop, rock, jazz, classical, and everything in between. I have looked long and hard to find new music that you may not have heard before. Of course, there will also be some classic oldies as well as some laughs along the way. I started the Annual Christmas Music Countdown on December 1, 2012. So this is the tenth anniversary of Christmas Music for Nomads everywhere. I will also post every Countdown Tune on Facebook. It is my fervent hope that you will enjoy the music I select and I wish all vagabonds, travelers, wanderers, nomads, and all those desiring souls seeking joy, love, and new experiences for a life of pleasure and meaning.
To start the season off with a little humor, here is a clip from a very funny British Comic - David Mitchell with a rant on the Christmas Holidays.
And for an added treat - Here is Jim Gaffigan doing a bit on Christmas with the In-laws.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving and get ready for some cool, innovative music for Christmas.
VERY HIP NAME - AND GREAT FOOD AT SASS - SWEET & SAVORY SISTERS
Ok. I can't help myself. When I go to a restaurant and have an insanely delicious meal, I gotta say something. This past weekend I took my one and only to SASS Restaurant in Thomasville, Georgia. Without hesitation, I ordered Shrimp and Grits. After dinner, I told my wife, the last time I had shrimp and grits this delicious was the first time I had this most Southern of Southern cuisine at the place that started what has become a phenomenal Southern delicacy for over forty years. The history of this amazing dish is complicated and long. Suffice to say, the introduction of this delectable southern dish in Charleston, South Carolina, sometime in the early eighties, at a great Southern restaurant called Crooks Corner started a revolution in great Southern cookery. Unfortunately, Crooks Corner is temporarily closed after forty years of serving great southern food. Based on my quick research, it will probably re-open soon.
However, I have great news for people who have a need to dine out and have this delectable dish. A mere thirty minutes from Tallahassee, Florida is a real southern restaurant- SASS - Sweet and Savory Sisters. They have other delicious choices as well. My wife had fried grouper and oysters. She said it was outstanding. And the prices are very reasonable. The service was spectacular, and their wine list is varied and excellent. Check out their web site to reserve online. Simple and easy. If you want some outstanding Southern cuisine - it's worth the drive and the money to visit SASS. The restaurant is located on the left going north in the old Train Depot just south of downtown Thomasville.
Following is a brief and heartfelt Summary by the Owners of this romantic, modern, and hip boutique restaurant.
"It was a long & winding road that led the Sisters to the Historic Train Depot in Thomasville, and they’re grateful for every little bump, pothole, detour and dead-end. Even in the darkest of hours the Sisters always took the time to break bread as a family, to share love over food, and to prepare that food with all that is the best of them. The Sisters feel their lives have been blessed beyond measure, and the mission at Sass! is to spread those blessings around like sweet Mayhaw Jelly on a hot, cat-head biscuit."
So, get off the couch and get into your car and motor north to Thomasville for some great food and drink at SASS - Sweet & Savory Sisters. You just gotta love that name and you will adore their food!
“The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” - Christopher McCandless
That statement defines the beauty of travel. The things we have discovered lost on a winding road or riding on a train or walking an unknown trail still hold strong in our heads and hearts.Here we are two days from Labor Day 2022. I must apologize for being such a slacker. But, as they say, stuff does, indeed happen. My last post was on December 25, 2021, celebrating the second most important day of Christendom. Most people consider it the most important because you reconnect with family, friends, and people you may not have seen in a long time. Throw in the insanity of COVID and it makes it even more meaningful for travelers and those that just stay home So, as we are finally coming out from the COVID stoppage of living our lives, it is time to look to the future.
Do you have your Bucket List? Do you even know where it is? Do you still remember all those things that you told yourself you were going to do before you die? Find it, clean it off and update it. Now Bucket Lists tend to be extraordinarily private. You may have things on yours that you really don't want anyone else to see. Additionally, most people that have Bucket Lists have many Travel desires listed.
There are places you want to see. There are always things you want to enjoy with the ones you love. One of the most amazing trips we have ever had was a week in Barcelona with my son, his wife, and my daughter. Sagrada Familia, Dali's home, the amazing architecture, ancient and modern, the art of Picasso, the father of Cubism, and some of the most amazing food on the planet. And all of this was enjoyed with those people that mean the most in my life. There are places you have always wanted to visit, experience, sleep and eat in. Your "Updated" Bucket List should embody the desires of your life for yourself and the people you love. So - ATTENTION! - write, reserve, and go.
For the next few posts, I am going to write about various travel experiences including Spain, Italy, and maybe even a little Daytona Beach. The posts will cover the places, the hotels, the AIRBNBs,, the food, and the joys of travel with the people I love. Here is an oh-so-profound quote from one of America's greatest writers
“I have found out there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.”
I have traveled a lot over the years with my one and only best friend, lover of life, beautiful vagabond, and lover of all things romantic - my wife. There is nowhere she will not go. There is nothing she will not try and she learns things that go deep into her life view when she experiences the cultures of people that are different from hers. I have also traveled far and wide with my kids. It is my firm belief that travel has enhanced their lives immensely. Travel can change you in more ways than you could ever imagine.
And, BTW - Summer is ending. That means that you can travel in September and October to many places, particularly in Europe, that will be less crowded and much less expensive. So, start ticking off that lifetime list of things you have always wanted you and yours to enjoy. Of course, you can search this blog for many recommendations on places to stay, eat and visit.
If you have never been to Europe, then, the first place to visit must be Italy. The land, the architecture, the food, and the people. The culture of this small but amazing country can be life-changing. When you see the buildings and experience the culture of the cradle of Western Civilization, you will be amazed and mesmerized at the same time. Our memories of visiting Italy have never left us. We are currently planning a trip for 2023.
So, get off that couch, take that relaxing 9-hour flight - LOL!! and see places that will enlighten your mind, heart, and soul.
Next up - My meanderings about Spain and maybe some Daytona Beach.
And just to show I'm still on the move, check out a very cool tune by the great Lyle Lovett entitled PANTS IS OVER RATED from his new album 12th of June.
Merry Christmas - To coordinate our families' times for Christmas, we celebrated and opened gifts yesterday. Watching my four and half year old grandson relish every second of opening everybody's gifts and enjoying his gifts brought smiles, laughter and love. I hope, whether yesterday, today or tomorrow that you enjoy the feelings this grandest day of celebration brings. Every time I hear the story of the birth of Jesus, I am reminded that it truly is The Reason for The Season.
On this special day please enjoy NO. 1 on THE 2021 CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWNas multi-Grammy winning artist Faith Hill delivers a powerful song celebrating the birth of Christ - A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING.
Also, today enjoy a completely new arrangement of a very old Christmas Classic - for KING & COUNTRY performs OH COME OH COME EMMANUEL.
And no listing of Christmas songs would be complete without this - The Mormon TabernacleChoir sings the greatest hymn in the history of religious music with over 2,000 people from around the world - THE HALLELUJAH CHORUS!
And - When today ends, and the kids are finally tired, let this nice little tune by the greatest rock/pop group in history with Ringo Starr send you off with dreams of Christmas.
I hope you enjoyed the tunes brought to you for the ninth year of THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
CHRISTMAS EVE! All wrapping done - check! All presents under the tree - check! All cookies, brownies, cakes, pies, etc. cooked - check! Prime Rib, Ham, Turkey in the oven - check! Everything is slowly being put in place for little kids to walk on the ceiling! To celebrate the night before the big day, it is my fervent hope that you and yours are enjoying the grandest of all seasons as we prepare for the joy of family together and being with people that you may not have seen in a long time. And, that we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the savior of the world.
Today seems a perfect time to hear a cavalcade of British royalty and thespian talent presenting a unique reading of THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS - NO. 2 ON THE 2021 CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN.
Next - A great pop tune celebrating Christmas Eve by Ryan Stevenson as he and his crew celebrate Christmas Eve with a great tune - THIS CHRISTMAS EVE.
And to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ is a powerful song written by Chris Tomlin and sung by Lauren Daigle - NOEL!
Today is for those of you hunting for some new music to listen to for Christmas. I have searched high and low to find tunes that are pretty much brand new this season. Three very different artists to help you celebrate Christmas..
First today - ALABAMA doing an acapella number entitled CHRISTMAS IN DIXIE - NO. 3 ON THE 2021 CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN. Wow, this is some fine singing.
Second - One of the best guitarist and singers performing today in Country Music - KEITH URBAN performs a smooth arrangement with a very cool video - I'LL BE YOUR SANTA TONIGHT.
Then, enjoy a great jazz/pop artist who happens to be the daughter of Ravi Shankar, a master of the sitar, who collaborated with the likes of George Harrison, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones - NORAH JONES delivers a completely unique tune and video entitled CHRISTMAS CALLING (JOLLY JONES).
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I can't wait. Merry Christmas!
I've always been a jazz fan - big band, small combo, quartet, great singer and, of course, piano. Jazz has a broad array of different styles and rhythms to see and hear. Today, I'm bringing you some new and some tried and true from the jazz world writing, playing and singing about Christmas.
First up on Jazz Wednesday, take a listen and enjoy one of the masters of jazz piano - No. 4 on The 2021 Christmas Countdown - Dave Brubeck and his sons performing A Special Christmas Song in 1996. We had the pleasure of seeing Dave Brubeck twice. First time was July 4th Weekend 1969 at the first Atlanta International Pop Festival. For some reason, Brubeck was the only jazz artist featured in three days of pure rock and roll. What an amazing weekend of music hearing Brubeck along with the likes of Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin and Canned Heat. I was mesmerized watching and listening to this amazing artist. Then, we saw him again in 2006 at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida at the age of 86. Again - mesmerized.
The second piece today is performed by a very good friend who just happens to be an amazing pianist and musical artist. Please enjoy this version of The Christmas Songwith a very polished group of players from my good friend Regi Stone.
And from a group of very innovative musicians - THE PIANO GUYS bring you - ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH (Christmas with 32 fingers and 8 thumbs).
Only four days! I gotta get some things wrapped. And don't you just love AMAZON!!!
