12/07/25 THE FIRST SUNDAY OF DECEMBER - REJOICE GREATLY AS WE CELEBRATE THE REASON FOR THE SEASON - NO. 19 0N THE NOMAD ARCHITECT TOP 25 CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

"And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." (Luke 1:30-33)

Chris Tomlin Celebrates

Christopher Dwayne Tomlin is an American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, and worship leader from Grand Saline, Texas. This song presents a worshipful, powerful message celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Chris Tomlin - We The Kingdom - Christmas Day

Mark Lowery & The Gaither Vocal Band

Mark Lowry, the resident comedian with the world-famous Gaither Vocal Band for over thirteen years, wrote this powerful song celebrating the birth of Christ. He sings the lead with the help of two Gaither Vocal Band high tenors - Guy Penrod and David Phelps - MARY DID YOU KNOW.

The Reason for The Season - Merry Christmas!

DLStafford
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12/06/25 IT'S SATURDAY - MORE STUFF TO DO WITH FRIENDS & FAMILY - HERE'S A LITTLE ROCK & ROLL TO CELEBRATE - NO. 20 ON THE NOMAD ROCK TOP 25 CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

Here we are - December 2025. I always tell my kids, who are now in their 40's - my generation changed the world of modern music forever. From Elvis to Led Zeppelin we seventy-year-olds listen to the Classic Rock Station every day on the radio. I still have about 300 LP's from the early days of rock to the last time I actually purchased a long play album. My kids are very well versed for new great music. From Heavy Metal to Progressive Rock music was played every day in the house and in the car when they were growing up.

First up on this Saturday

Get ready to rock with the greatest version of a great classic! This tune was written by Chuck Berry but credited to Johnny Marks and M. Brodie due to Marks's trademark on the character of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It was published by St. Nicholas Music and first recorded by Berry in 1958. 

RUN RUN RUDOLPH performed by the incomparable Steven Tyler with some pretty amazing guitar riffs by Brad Pasley!

He's Comin' To Town

This classic was written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie and first recorded in 1934. Recorded by The Boss in 1975, when he was still relevant, here is a great live version of the Christmas Classic - Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town by Bruce Springsteen! We had the pleasure of seeing The Boss December 7,1984 in my hometown, Tallahassee, Florida. He performed this classic as the last tune in the show. The Donald Tucker Civic Center has never been the same since!

Rock, Rock, Rock - Merry Christmas!

DLStafford

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12/05/25 IT'S FRIDAY - CHRISTMAS PARTIES ARE EVERYWHERE - THAT'S GOOD & SOMETIMES BAD OR WORSE THAN YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE - NO. 21 ON THE 2025 TOP 25 CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

Today is all about the parties that bring us all together to celebrate the soon coming day. We all know how this goes - partying at 18 is always fun. At thirty, it slows down. At forty it gets slower and then one day you say to your dearly beloved - let's skip this one and watch a few NCIS episodes and call it a night.

However, there is hope we older folk will find ways to have a party that keeps our minds and hearts loving our fellow partiers! LOL!!!

First up for this first Friday of December - A great quick memory of funny TV - FESTIVUS - a secular holiday celebrated on December 23 as an alternative to the perceived pressures and commercialism of the Christmas season. Festivus entered popular culture after it was made the focus of the 1997 Seinfeld episode "The Strike",

Party on DUDE!!!

The next song has been published every year in The Top 25 Christmas Countdown since 2011. One of the great Poets from Texas delivers a somewhat sardonic Merry Christmas tune from The Family - Robert Earl Keen performs what has become, IMHO, an alternative country classic - MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE FAMILY!

No matter what - Say Merry Christmas to you family!

DLStafford

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12/4/25 CHRISTMAS & KIDS - MEMORIES THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME! NO. 22 ON THE NOMAD ARCHITECT TOP 25 CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

 

People my age don't jump around and go crazy when we open a box with something that we really, really wanted for Christmas. We smile big, laugh maybe and thank everybody in the room gathered around the tree. However, if you are my age or older, you have memories of special things that made your Christmas Day special. For me - I was 8-9 and Santa had placed one of my presents under the tree. I got up about 5 AM, found this amazing gift from the Big Man & started playing my brand-new pinball machine. 

The playing was quite loud. Dad walked into the Living Room smiling and shaking his head. He said son, you need to go back to bed. And of course, me being a mindful son did exactly that - but I did not go back to sleep! Later that morning when everybody was up, I played pinball all day! We all have memories from our youth on the most special day of the year of presents, family and friends we enjoy.

Here is a very touching and powerful arrangement of Born on Christmas Day written by Kristin Chenoweth as performed by One Voice Children's Choir.

And from one of the most popular funny people around - Jim Gaffigan gives his impressions of the Big Day - A Christmas tree seems like a drunk people activity!

Gotta Love dem KIDS - Merry Christmas!!

    DLStafford

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12/03/25 It's HUMP DAY all day - Hope all you NOMADS have your tree up - The 25th will be here before you know it - NO. 23 ON THE 2025 CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

CHRISTMAS GIFTS - According to published statistics, roughly 25% of men buy Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve! I can relate! Back in the pre–AMAZON online shopping world I was always getting ALL my gifts a few days before the big day. About 51% wait until the last few days before Christmas to purchase gifts, Of course, as you would expect, 58% of women purchase Christmas gifts in late November and early December.

To get Hump Day started on a humorous note here is a funny Southern Lady from Adams, Tennessee who has become a must-see comic on NETFLIX - Leanne Morgan - Enjoy this quick take - IT'S CHRISTMAS WITH FAMILY

Today's tune features a truly incredible pianist and singer you will ever hear. Blind since birth, he has toured for years with the Gaither Vocal Band Homecoming. He rocks this classic Christmas Spiritual first printed in the early 1900's - GORDON MOTE plays and sings this classic with power & emotion - GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN.

Tell It - Merry Christmas

DLStafford
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12/02/25 NO. 24 ON THE 2025 CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN - A BLUE TREE FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS

HERE WE ARE - THE FIRST TUESDAY OF DECEMBER. We already have our Christmas Tree up - still needs more decorating. For the first time in our lives, we have decided to put up a "fake" tree. Gotta love AMAZON! However, IMHO, it is very cool - it's Baby Blue!!! And best of all, it comes with all the lights already attached. If you have ever decorated a Christmas Tree, you will understand that's kind of a big deal! LOL! 

It took some discussion, but we all voted and approved the Blue Christmas Tree.

Today, I found this great tune celebrating all the things we love about CHRISTMAS - the tree - the family - the friends - the food - the smiles - the jingle bells - the dancing - and, of course, the one and only SANTA! This heartfelt tune with a very cool video is offered from multi-award-winning Australian singer - SIA - SANTA'S COMING FOR US!

For tune number two, there is nothing like a poet from Texas. This song, quietly performed with feeling and emotion about families gathering to celebrate this special holiday, shines a soft light on the joys of family at Christmas time. The multi award winning Texas Troubadour presents a song as only he can - HAYES CARLL - GRATEFUL FOR CHRISTMAS.

Enjoy your loved ones this season - Merry Christmas!

DLStafford

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12/01/25 THE FIRST DAY OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE MONTH OF THE YEAR - THE PRESENTS, THE KIDS, THE TREE & THE LOVE! - JUST TAKE IT ALL IN!! No. 25 on THE OFFICIAL TOP 25 CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

Point well taken. Life can be indeed tough. However, IMHO, Christmas is the one time of year where you can just enjoy your family, your kids and the blessings God has shed upon your life and others in your life circle.

Some of my greatest memories are Christmas as a kid, Christmas with my kids and now Christmas with my grandkids. They always make me feel good. Well, not always - you know what I'm sayin'. 

So, on this first day of Christmas time I thought all you NOMADS might like to hear a couple of diverse tunes I have drummed up.

First up - A tune that will hopefully get you in the mood for all that time on AMAZON, Hobby Lobby, Nordstrom or any of the other online places to spend your hard-earned money for the ones on your Christmas List! Gwen Stefani & Blake Sheldon give us a lively arrangement of YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE CHRISTMAS!

And here is a classic, written by Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane in 1943 and first introduced by the great Judy Garland in the film Meet Me In Saint Louis in 1944 - HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS by the multi-award-winning quartet Human Nature.

Enjoy the day, the week, and the month - Merry Christmas!

    DLStafford

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