today's the fourth of july

fourth of july ~ aimee mann

"today's the fourth of july,
another june has gone by,
and when they light up our our town i just think,
what a waste of gun powder,
and sky.

i'm certain that i am alone,
in harbouring thoughts of our home;
it's one of my faults that i can't quell my past,
i ought to have gotten it gone.

oh baby, i wonder if when you are older,
someday,
you'll wake up and say,
my god,
i should have told her;
what would it take?

but now here i am and the world's gotten colder,
and she's got the river down which i sold her.

so that's today's memory lane,
with all the pathos and pain;
another chapter in a book where the chapters are endless,
and they're always the same;
a verse,
then a verse,
and refrain.

oh baby, i wonder if when you are older,
someday,
you'll wake up and say,
my god,
i should have told her;
what would it take?

but now here i am and the world's gotten colder,
and she's got the river down which i sold her."

if you want it

my mother used to have this box of 45’s she kept tucked underneath our dinosaur-size stereo system. she rarely played them, always claimed to prefer her albums, complained about having to set that little clip into the middle circle, that it took too much time. i know the real reason was because that box of 45’s were a wedding present to her and my dad, and she did not like to remember a time when it was joanie and jim anymore.

but, i loved them. and this, this song, was my very favorite.

“a very merry christmas

and a happy new year

let’s hope it’s a good one

without any fear.”

happy xmas (war is over) ~ john lennon

may your days be merry and bright

“i’m dreaming of a white christmas

just like the ones i used to know

where the tree tops glisten,

and children listen

to hear sleigh bells in the snow.”

still sick, but trying for some holiday spirit.
maria taylor’s voice is so much ethereal beauty.

white christmas ~ bright eyes

it don't snow here, it stays pretty green

"its coming on christmas

theyre cutting down trees

theyre putting up reindeer

and singing songs of joy and peace

i wish i had a river

i could skate away on."

river ~ joni mitchell

five fun facts (and two questions)

keep art alive; art by sas christian

* i dyed my hair the same color as the girl in the painting above, though my hair is much longer (for now).

* i watched 'playing by heart' last night and realized that it had been quite some time since i'd seen it last; most notably because i no longer relate to joan, but found myself feeling an uncanny affinity to meredith. also, the inclusion of goodnight moon brings me to the kind of tears that are better described as sobs, every single time.

* december is upon us, and is here for some of us. i am a bit crazy about this time of year, but not for all the commercialism and everything revolves about money and marketing kind of ways. i'm a sucker for twinkle lights, decorated houses, holiday specials, advent calendars with chocolate inside, good christmas music, and the smell of sugar cookies and hot cider.

this brings up a question for all of you, in two-fold: what is your favorite holiday film and/or special? and, what is your favorite christmas song, and who sings/performs it?

* it has been raining all night here. the kids and i went out in it to run an errand and julia was trying to get max to sing "i'm singing in the rain", but he said "no, not singing, it's christmas rain." and then he did threw the rocker hands. it was one of those moments i'll always remember.

* i had peruvian food for the first time this afternoon. it was amazing.

what are five things about you today/tonight?