O Come O Come Emmanuel - Sugarland

I've been watching the online rerun of the CMA Country Christmas over the past day or so, since I missed it when it was originally on ABC, and I was just delighted with it.  The fact that here were big name country music stars, on national  television, singing Christmas songs, sharing Christmas memories and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas was a delightful treat for me.  Not a single "Happy Holiday{s}" from anyone.  Reba McEntire said before performing her song that for her, Christmas is about "getting together and celebrating Jesus' Birthday".  In addition to your more secular Christmas songs like "Santa Baby" and "Walking in a Winter Wonderland", performers Rascal Flatts, Little Big Town and Martina McBride sang songs like "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", "Go Tell it On the Mountain" and "O Holy Night".  I guess country singers don't care about being politically correct. ;)

My favorite song of the show, however, was the second to last song performed by the musical duo Sugarland.  Now I do like some of their songs, however I've never been crazy about lead singer Jennifer Nettle's voice, which tends to be rather nasaly.  I was pleasantly surprised though by the depth and beauty that she showed when she sang "O Come O Come Emmanuel", I wish she would sing like that more often!

Random Running Commentary of the CMA Awards

Hurray!  Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood hosting, setting the stage with great humor and teasing of their fellow country singers, all in good fun.  Cute dress btw, Carrie!  Dresses, I should say... why do you guys change clothes so much?  Woah... that green dress is... *cough* Um.... yeah, it looks weird.  But your purple dress for your song that you are singing is gorgeous.

Congrats Lady Antebellum on getting the Best Single award for "Need You Now!" and Vocal Group of the Year. By the way, your song "Hello World" is beautiful, love the beautifully religious second verse!

NOOOOO..... I'll never be able to listen to Rascal Flatts the same way again.... I thought the lead singer was 20, dark hair and skinny!  Not... 30-35, not skinny with blond hair... he's not fat... but... he's not skinny either.  Eck, that's the downside on listening to just the radio.

 Congratulations Miranda Lambert on getting Best Song and Music Video of the Year for "The House that Built Me". That is a beautiful song!  Yes!  And I love when people openly acknowledge Jesus in their speeches... I missed who this guy was,someone with Miranda, but hey, he's on the CMA stage, in front of millions.  That is what I love about country singers.

Yep, George Straight has won more CMA awards than anyone because he's older than anyone else there... Aww, I love this song.  "Life's not the breaths you take... but it's the moments that take your breath away."

And award for the New Artist of the Year goes to the ZAC BROWN BAND! WhoohooooO!

Yay!  Kenny Chesney is performing "The Boys of Fall" I love this song... plus in the introduction to it, they have a brief glimpse of my college's stadium.

TAYLOR SWIFT!!!!  Beautiful white dress darling, and you know how to play the grand piano!  Gorgeous show, string accompaniments, lanterns, fog and fence... And Taylor Lautner, pay attention 'cause she is singing your song!  Let's go "Back to December" now... FAKE SNOW!!! Now that looks COOL.  Can we give her an award for best stage performance?

Little Big Town... great accapella rendition of "You Belong with Me".  You should have sang the whole song!

And Album of the Year goes to..... it goes to.... come on.... who does it go to???  Miranda Lambert!  Her first Album of the Year award, way to go girl!  Cute dress, by the way.

So I missed what this guy's name is... but it's kind of distracting, he looks like a basset hound. *shrugs*  He didn't win an award, he's just singing.

Brad Paisley's turn to perform!  He's debuting his new song "This is Country Music".  "You're not supposed to say the word cancer in a song, and talking about Jesus might rub some folks wrong... this is Country Music."

Vocal Duo Award... is it Brooks and Dun, Joey and Rory, Montgomery Gentry, Steel Magnolia or Sugarland?  SUGARLAND  GETS THE AWARD, making their 4th time claiming this award.  Congrats you two!  *cheers and applause from the audience*

Martina McBride announcing the Male Vocalist of the Year award.... and it goes to... Blake Shelton!  Congratulations on your first win for this award!  Aww, Reba is crying for him!  Actually, this is his first CMA award ever!

THE BAND PERRY PLAYED IF I DIE YOUNG!!!! Giving the link to their music video 'cause I like it so much.  http://www.youtube.co/watch?v=7NJqUN9TClM

Loretta Lynn makes an appearance in a lovely white gown and sings "Coal Miner's Daughter" with Miranda Lambert and someone else... such a sweet performance!  And following up on that... Female Vocalist of the Year... Miranda Lamber, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood?  Miranda Lambert takes the Female Vocalist of the Year!  Wow this girl is doing pretty well tonight!

Here's someone I didn't expect to see tonight... Gwynth Paltrow singing a song from the upcoming movie "Country Strong", and she's pretty good at it too.

Oh my gosh!!! DAWN TREADER SONG BY CARRIE UNDERWOOD WITH FOOTAGE ON THE TV!!!!! *hyperventilates*  Oh wow... this new footage looks soooooooo cool!!!!!  It's not the full song, but way does that look AMAZING!  And Anti-hug Edmund gave Caspian a hug!  =)

Now, does Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban or the Zac Brown Band get the ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR Award?

CONGRATULATIONS BRAD PAISLEY!!!!!!! 
"If you see a turtle on a fence post, you know it had help getting up there.  I feel like a turtle on a fence post... God bless everybody and thank you for a great night." - Brad Paisley

And that is the 2010 44th CMA awards!

5 Quick Takes Saturday - Vol 22

~ 1 ~
I love country music. And country music artists. While some of them can get a bit off track - as do the majority of entertainers - for the most part country singers have their heads on straight. Carrie Underwood for example. We had on the radio last night and at the time Carrie had called in to be on the show and listeners were calling in and asking questions. One caller asked, "What do you see yourself doing in 5-10 years?"
It was so refreshing to hear Carrie respond that she was just going to wait and see what God had planned for her, because if you plan out your future you might miss something that you should be doing. So great to hear from a rising country star!

~ 2 ~

Here is the poem that I wrote yesterday for PePoWriMo. It's a terzanelle, a cross between a villanelle and a terza rima. It's fun to write!

Why must you go away my love?
It is more than my heart can bear.
Why must you go away my love?

Aren't we our lives supposed to share?
Don't go and leave me all alone,
It is is more than my heart can bear.

What will I do when you aren't home?
The thought of it makes me afraid,
Don't go and leave me all alone.

Don't make us wish that you had stayed,
What if something happens to us?
The thought of it makes me afraid.

You know sometimes it's hard to trust
That everything will be alright.
What if something happens to us?

I will wait for you this long night.
Why must you go away my love?
As from my eyes the tears I fight.
Why must you go away my love?


~ 3 ~

I just realized that I haven't shared my tragic Itallian love poem with you! Shame on me!

Lament for Ravioli
I made my ravioli, so
Plump and so smooth. In the pot I
Set it to cook, my lovely dough.
Could I’ve known I must say good-bye?

For the phone rang and I forgot
All about my simmering pot.
My ravioli’d burst, ‘twas gone.
I shall as well ‘fore very long.


You see, this form of poetry is called a rispetto, and is an Italian form. I wanted to write something depressing, but the more I thought of it, I just couldn't! I mean, Italian's just aren't depressing people! So I decided I must write a love poem, which would be fitting. But about what exactly? While I was thinking, I randomly mentioned how the thought of ravioli was just filling my mind during Mass that morning... and a depressing Italian love poem resulted.

~ 4 ~

While this next quick take may seem more like something you'd read on Random Profound Thoughts, I assure you I am totally serious about this.

So I have realized that I never enlightened my dear readers on the new term for cute guys! (That you don't want to date).

It all stemmed from a discussion I had with some friends of mine. My one friend (Friend A) drew a super amazing picture of Ben Barnes. Now Friend B and I saw it and were "Oh my gosh, he is so CUTE!!!!" However, Friend C didn't seem to like that, rolling her eyes and saying we sounded just like the girls at the highschool she has to take some classes at.

Now, we tried to tell her that you can in fact say that a random guy or actor is cute in an objective manner, without meaning you have a crush or are all fangirly or whatever. Cute is just an alternative adjective. If you say "cute" instead of "handsome" or "good looking", then you say "cute" instead of "handsome" or "good looking!" (and to be honest, saying "cute" is way more fun then saying "good looking") Well, Friend C wasn't having any of it.

So I mentioned this to Lanta the other night, and her remedy was that we just needed to come up with another word. At first she picked "gory"(cute=hunk, hunk= hunky dory, dory sounds like gory). Then, after Lanta, my sisters Yaviel and Kathleen and I had a bubble/Shakespearian conversation, I had the brilliant idea that cute guys are - bubbles!

And there you have it. Cute guys are bubbles.

~ 5 ~

One last long - er, quick, take. My sisters and I came up with some 'song albums' by LotR characters....


Title: Evenstar
Label: Rivendell Records
Release Date: May 1st, 2951 of the Third Age
Producer: Aragorn son of Arathorn
Genre: Vocal
Track Listing:
Im Arwen
Come and Claim Him
Crownless Shall Be King
Longsleeves
Mine to Give
A Mortal Life
Ode to Eowyn (Aragorn is Mine)
What Did You See?
My Choice
One Last Time
If I Leave Him Now
Gerich Meleth Nin
My Child
Bonus Track: I Can’t Wait ‘Till He’s King
Critic Review: This latest Arwen release is a joy to the elvish ear… a glistening waterfall of sound, cascading melodies and flowing rhythm. Both her instrumentals (like Longsleeves) and vocals (The amazing Ode to Eowyn, for example) are pinnacles of her genre. Alas, this glistening gem is marred by one fatal flaw… her rather jarring break from her typical style into a rocking “I Can’t Wait ‘Till He’s King.” We suspect it is a parody of another popular song. ~ Noteriel


Title: Sons of Stewards
Label: Whitetree
Release Date:
Producer: Denethor
Genre: Country Western
Track Listing:
A Dream
Losing a Brother
Dad
Give it To Me
Not with 10,000 Men
Burn
Then it is Forfeit
I See Your Mind
If I Should Return
Gondorian Soldier
Courtesy of the White Tree, Yahoo
Just a Ring
Wraiths Fly By
Critic Review: The Sons of Stewards make a smashing break into the world of Country Music with their title release album. Lead singers Boromir and Faramir wow the crowds with their uptempo and heartfelt songs. Singing both solos and duets, these brothers belt out stirring song after stirring song. From Boromir’s Toby-Kieth-like ‘Courtesy of the White Tree, Yahoo!’ to Faramir’s ‘Wraiths Fly By’ to their duet ‘Gondorian Soldier’, the Sons of Stewards will have you coming back for more! - Musicorn




Title: Away
Label: Bigfeet
Release Date: November 3rd, 1419 in S.R. of the Third Age
Producer: Bilbo Baggins
Genre: Rock
Track Listing:
Sweet Home Hobbiton
Fool of a Took
Ash on my Tomatoes
Shortcut to Mushrooms
Worth Fighting For
Long Walk
Little People, Big Deeds
Stinker ‘n’ Slinker
Spiders, Orcs and Wraiths (Oh My!)
Talking Trees
Elevnsies
It’s the Ring
Closer to Danger, Further from Harm
I’m Hungry
Bonus Track: Potato Rap
Critic Review: The Hobbit’s have done it again. Their latest album Away is another thumping good time in the Shire, filled with toe-tapping music from start to finish. One album you won’t want to miss. - Stac Cato

Happy Memorial Day!

5 Quick Takes Saturday - Vol 3

-1-

This is really late in the day this week, but I couldn't help it. I went to this amazing pro-life teen conference today and was able to hear talks by Dr. Alveda King (Martin Luther King Jr.'s niece), Eric Scheidler and Brian Kemper. The talks were awesome, and definitely made me want to become more involved with the pro-life movement. We also had a picket sign making contest, where we divided up into groups under four various situations, and each team had to make a sign fitting in with that situation. They then picked the best signs from each of the catergories, and then we all picked the best over all. The winning sign was under the situation: President Obama is coming to your town. Create a sign highlighting his pro-abortion stance. The sign read:

Start that "change" now!

Stop Abortion!

We all loved that sign! I was in the same catergory, and my groups sign read:

A Baby
Not Tissue
A Gift
Not a punishment

So if you ever see signs anywhere saying that, we came up with them! It was a lot of fun. Although I wish there hadn't been a conference. Well, hopefully abortion will soon be abolished and there won'd ever have to be another one!

-2-

Fitting in with the pro-life theme, here is an amazing commercial that television stations refused to air during the SuperBowl tomorrow. A Must Watch! I get chills every time I see it.

-3-

Volition. Another wonderful, amazing and awesome video. It is about 15 minutes long, but is certainly worth the time to watch it three or four times, so that the many layers to this sink in. For your information, according to Webster...
Volition: An act of making a choice or decision; also; a choice or decision being made.
That should help in understanding the film.

-4-

Blogger is such a pain. I highlighted those red words and made them bold a couple of takes up, and now I've been fighting with it ever since! It won't stay black and un-bold! So who knows what color and type this will all post in. If it posts at all. It's been 'saving' for the past five minutes.

-5-

Lastly, one more video. Yes, yes I know. But this is another good one. It's a song, and after watching it three times, I think they are making fun of O'bama, but I'm still not really sure. Watch it and decide for yourself. I'll put the link, because you have to read the lyrics too!
There's No One as Irish as Barack O'bama.

-------------------------------------------------
Below is a Mr. Linky list if you'd like to add a link to your own 7 Quick Takes post. (1) Make sure the link you submit is to the URL of your post and not your main blog URL. (2) Include a link back here.
I look forward to reading your posts!

Josh Turner - The Singer

Some of you out there in the big wide world may know that I desperately love country music. If you didn't know it well then, here you go: I desperately love country music. I place it just below soundtrack music and then you don't get any other categories until...


(...Josh Groban, a recent addiction...)



...This far down. (Why I love country and disdain classical is another post. You can get dizzy rolling your eyes until then.) Since I have made it my mission to get as many people to like country music as possible, it is understandable then that I have come up with the idea of posting about one country music artist every month or so. So, here it goes!

I decided to do Josh Turner as my first star for the all important reason that he is the reason I fell in love with country music. So I feel he deserves the place of honor as #1.
When I was a kid, my dad used to listen to country music a lot, but then from about oh 10 to 13/14 I didn't hear much other than classical music at home and talk radio in the car. (My mom doesn't like 90's country). My musical tastes changed one day while riding home in the car from a friend's house. My dad had just happened to have the radio on and the current hit from Josh Turner just happened to be the song playing. Josh Turner has an amazing voice and the song was great so I listened with thoughts something like, "I really like this song!" Original? Since I said the story of how I fell in love with country was a different post we'll leave it as this; after hearing that song I've loved country and Josh Turner's music ever since.

The bio on his website classifies him as a baritone, and he has a pretty wide vocal range which is what caught my interest in the first place. He can go really low and then back up high in the next line, and he does this pretty often in his songs. I guess you could say it's his trademark.

I enjoy the style of Josh's music as well. It's more of a traditional country feel - as opposed to the "pop country" style of people like Rascal Flatts - with a ballad type here and, well, traditional. No electric guitars anywhere that I can recall, but more natural sounding instruments. The topics of his songs are nice too, really nothing problamatic at all, and as a self-professed devout Christian, that shows up in a few of his songs.

A bit about how he went from un-known to a hit from his web bio:

"Nashville's first taste of that style came with his debut at the Grand Ole Opry in December 2001. The moment has become somewhat legendary in Opry storytelling circles. "When the curtain opened that night," the proverbial storyteller would begin, "no one holding a ticket to the show had ever heard of Josh Turner. But by the end of that chilly Nashville evening, the young singer was all anyone in the audience could talk about." Turner wowed the crowd with his self-penned "Long Black Train", the song that would eventually become his first hit. During this performance, the unknown baritone was showered with several standing ovations...
Fast forward nearly six years: Turner has become a husband to wife Jennifer and a father to a one-year-old son Hampton, all while quietly ascending the path to country music superstardom."

Well I guess that about says it all! I only hope he makes it out to our local county fair before he becomes too famous!
Here are his CD's with the tracks listed; my favorites are the ones in bold. I'll do another post, focused on his music.
1. Long Black Train
2. In My Dreams
3. What it Ain't
4. I Had One Onetime
5. Jacksonville
6. Backwoods Boy
7. Unburn All Our Bridges
8. Don't Mess Around With Jim
9. She'll Go On You
10. Good Woman Bad
11. The Difference Between a Woman and a Man



1. Would You Go With Me
2. Baby's Gone Home to Mamma
3. No Rush
4. Your Man
5. Loretta Lynn's Lincoln
6. White Noise
7. Angels Fall Sometimes
8. Lord Have Mercy on a Country Boy
9. Me and God
10. Gravity
11. Way Down South


1. Everything is Fine
2. Firecracker
3. Another Try (featuring Trisha Yearwood)
4. So Not My Baby
5. Trailerhood
6. Baby I Go Grazy
7. Nowhere Fast (with Anthony Hamilton)
8. The Longer the Waiting
9. One Woman Man
10. Soulmate
11. The Way He Was Raised
12. South Carolina Low Country

You can visit Josh Turner's Official Site Here
Official YouTube Profile where you can watch music videos Here

Love Story

All non-country music fans will have to bear with me for a post. Sorry! Actually, no I'm not, because if I didn't respect (somewhat) other people's music tastes, there would be tons of country music all over my blog. Which really... I don't know why I don't put it up anyhow... hmm.... ANYHOW.....
Love Story by Taylor Swift! AH! It's soooo sweet! I love the last verse especially. And because I love it so much, I am going to share it all with you! Lyrics and a couple of music videos. I won't put the awesome official music video on my blog, because on of the dresses Taylor wears is off the shoulders, but if you want to watch it, here is the link.

But in the event that you wish to hear this totally awesome song, but would prefer more modest attire, here are three other versions to choose from! Watch all or one. You pick.

First off we have Love Story - Pirates of the Caribbean. This one is my personal favorite. The viedo clips fit the music perfectly!!!! It is just soooo cool! If watch any of the videos, watch this one!

Next we have Love Story - Phantom of the Opera. Would be just as good if the video quality was a little better, but again.. lyrics and clips just click!

And last, this one is really cheesy, but come on... you can't have a Love Story without Diseny Princesses now can you???? ;) Corny, but cute.

Oh, and lyrics, of course.

We were both young when I first saw you.
I close my eyes and the flashback starts:
I'm standing there on a balcony in summer air.

See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns.
See you make your way through the crowd
and say hello;

Little did I know
That you were Romeo; you were throwing pebbles,
And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet."
And I was crying on the staircase,
begging you, 'Please, don't go.'"

And I said,
"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run.
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story - baby just say 'Yes.'"

So I sneak out to the garden to see you.
We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew.
So close your eyes; escape this town for a little while.
'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter,
And my daddy said "Stay away from Juliet,"
But you were everything to me; I was begging you, 'Please, don't go,'"

And I said,
"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run.
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story - baby just say 'Yes.'

Romeo save me - they're tryin' to tell me how to feel;
This love is difficult, but it's so real.
Don't be afraid; we'll make it out of this mess.
It's a love story - baby just say "Yes.'"

Oh.

I got tired of waiting,
Wondering if you were ever comin' around.
My faith in you was fading
When I met you on the outskirts of town,

And I said,
"Romeo save me - I've been feeling so alone.
I keep waiting for you but you never come.
Is this in my head? I don't know what to think-"

He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said,
"Marry me, Juliet - you'll never have to be alone.
I love you and that's all I really know.
I talked to your dad - go pick out a white dress;
It's a love story - baby just say 'Yes.'"

Oh, oh.

We were both young when I first saw you...

My Two Cents on the Elections

Okay, I know I am tired of hearing about the elections, so you probably are too, but I thought that I would just put up my two cents on this whole thing.
Ahem.

First off, I think that if anyone out there was in depression yesterday because of President-Elect Obama's victory - you should be done with it. I can understand the let down, but we can't wallow in our grief and disappointment. I have heard people say that Obama is the anti-Christ and that these must be the last days. Well that may possibly be so, but if it is then we should face it as smiling and joyful soldiers of Christ! The hard times ahead will be much more bearable if we cheerful disposition and gladly carry our cross, we will be nothing except miserable and despicable if we pout and lose hope. To lose Hope is to despair, and to despair is to sin.

We will survive. And we will do more than survive, we will conquer! They have not won! God has heard our prayers, and good will come out of this. We have not lost the fight, we have just taken a hard knock.

And this is 'victory' of the enemy may indeed be a good thing, believe it or not. How many people do you think would keep praying, repenting and converting if McCain had won? Zero! We would have just sighed with relief and gone on living our lives as before. But this seeming defeat ironically gives people a reason and an inspiration to "change"! Yes, to "change"! To change their hearts and the way they have been living their lives and turn back to God! This may indeed be the opportunity our country needs to become once again, a Christian nation.

As President of the United States, we do owe Barack Obama our respect as citizens of the United States. We may disagree with what he stands for, we may decided to battle the laws he tries to pass, but we may not- especially as followers of Jesus Christ - be disrespectful. Calling Obama names and flaming at him will not do anyone good. Love your enemies. Forgive those who persecute you.

So what should we do? Like I said before, we ironically follow Obama's own motto and change... for the better. And while we are at it, we can pray for him, for his safety, his conversion and for his soul. We can bring our hearts back to the straight and narrow. We can bring our families and friends back to the truth. We can bring our country back to God.

We can still win.

More Scenes from the Fair

This my good people, is a real size, real life farm tractor tire! The exact same size as those that you see out in the fields! I kid you not!
It is just the person who is larger than life!

Here is the real perspective /\
Aren't those things huge? They are even taller than moi, and I am what, 5'5"? So at least 5'7"

Zero Gravity. Creepy.

Buddy was soooo cute! He was holding the baby doll, stroking it's head, and before he gave it back, he gave it a little kiss! Isn't that just the sweetest thing?

BILLY CURRINGTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *fangirl scream* Though I don't know if I could legitimately do that, since I only know one song of his... which we heard last night! We were all very excited about that. Now I know several other songs of his as well, from listening in.
I was 500 feet away!!!!!! On the other side of the fence... since we didn't have tickets, but hey, I at least we got to hear him in person!
So now, we are all secretly hoping that Josh Turner will come next year. That would be soooo awesome! We all love his songs, so getting tickets for that would be a have to! *bounces* Ooh, I hope he does! That would be great!

So... here is "The Turnip Song" (MCKA more commonily known as: "Good Directions")

May I Draw Attention

to these two links here below? I will explain the first one first.

Victory Rose for Christ just recently posted about the Filipino Fund on her blog. I will take the liberty of quoting her here:

"Please take the time to look and participate in this. It is a threat to human life and we should do all that we can to make sure it doesn't happen. This was sent to us through a yahoo group we belong to.

Friends & family,
Raymond Arroyo on EWTN "World Over Live" has asked that we sign a petition addressed to the President of the Philippines and their House of Representatives. In 2 weeks they are voting on a bill (like in China) toward a TWO CHILD per family law. If this bill is signed, anyone, including priests, teachers, health care workers who protest it are subject to a heavy fine and six months in jail. Signatures from the USA count. Our tax payer money helps support this program. AMAZING The bill is backed by Planned Parenthood- a group in the UN and one other.To sign:
#1 www.filipinofamilyfund.org
#2 Link to the first listed 'Filipino Family Fund'
#3. On the left side - link to 'Sign the Petition' How long will it be before we are fighting this in our country."

Please take the time to go to the Filipino Family Fund website and sign the petition.

The second link I would like to mention is a place to vote on something that concerns our nation.
Should the words "In God We Trust" be removed from our national currency?
Please click here to vote "No!" As Christians, we should stand together and insist that God is still part of our country.

Wonderful Music Video

Fitting with the patriotic theme of this week, I am posting this music video I was e-mail a while back. It a beautiful country song that needs to be spread around!

So without further ado...

In God We Still Trust

by Diamond Rio