Looking Back and Looking Forward #4

I want to say first thing that I'm very, very sorry, chagrined, guilt-ridden, and apologetic. Especially those in the northern parts of the USA, Russia, South Pole and lots of places around the world. However it exempts places like Australia, South America, and New Zealand.  Now that I think of it, I'm actually a friend, buddy and mate of those living south of the equator. Last week was a welcome break from winter here, especially after spending 9 days in Baltimore. Here in Santa Rosa, California, Northern California, and above-the-equator we had beautiful, wonderful, and astonishing weather. We basked in high 70s temperature. I found myself going outside and turning my back to the sun and glorying in the warmth I felt.

Okay, before I lose some readers because they're shoveling sidewalks or clearing the snow off the car, I'll cease, desist, and refrain from any more weather reports. Except to say that we're going to experiencing more winter-like weather this week. Winter this week is going to be around mid-60's--but there will be wind! We'll have two low days at 56' and 57'. Oh, oh is that a crowd of people holding pitch forks I see coming down the street?

Oops! There I go wandering off topic, and hurting the snowbound people's feelings. Time to focus on what I'm supposed to be doing!

Hurray, it's time to fess up to what I've been doing this past week:

Looking Back

1.  Make Alphabet Letters for Poppet's 3rd Birthday by Thursday

Poppet and her Birthday Cake. Happy 3rd Birthday, Sweetie!

This was my goal for 2 weeks ago and I did make it in time for Poppet's birthday. I just couldn't get my iPhone to spit out the pictures! Well, iPhone still hasn't spit a bit and my gmail app to send them to the cloud wasn't working. My husband, Super Man, finagled a way to get them downloaded for me. (Read more about my husband, Superman, here. So this week, here are the pictures and tutorial on making the alphabet letters. I had so much the week before when making the alphabet letters. And I am thunderstruck by my ability to finish something on time! Usually I start a quilt, thinking I have plenty of time to make the deadline, and am always surprised that I don't make the deadline, then my family member(s) are unhappy with just a "it will be done soon" as a birthday/holiday gift.

The Fabric Alphabet

I made two vowel letters. I made multiples for letters m, y, d so Ava could spell daddy and mommy! Each letter was made from a different fabric. I had an enjoyable time going through my stash and finding bright fabrics, with some exceptions, to make the letters.

 I found an easy method for making these adorable letters on the blog. I got it from Sugar Bee Crafts. http://www.sugarbeecrafts.com/2015/11/fabric-alphabet-letters.html

Here are hints and changes I made:

1.  Pick out fabrics for letters. You can use a charm pack or cut your own fabric. Decide if you want any letters to be repeated, i.e. the vowels. You will also need to cut out squares of the fabric for the backing and for the batting to make the quilt sandwich.
I chose to use batting so that the letters would have a bit of substance. I used 100% cotton batting.

2.  Find an alphabet font and size that you like online. I searched for on pinterest for applique letters. Along with boots, Dock Your Tot, cute tops, there were also alphabet letters! Here's the page I found and used: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/195273333814824125/?lp=true
I printed the letters on card stock so that it would have a thick enough edge to draw around when tracing.

This Blog Is Brought To You Today by the Letter N

3.  Copy each letter onto its own patch. I didn't pick which fabric went which letter, just in case you think I did that. I'm a scrappy quilter, so I'm very random!

4.  I chose a black backing for all the letters so there would be a uniform color that would "scream" "You've got the letters backwards!" Or something like that! After all, she's only three!

A letter traced on fabric

5. Trace the letters onto each printed square. I had to use different products to get a line that was visible. I alternated between Frixion pens, water-soluble pens and chalk pencils or rollers. I try to use Frixion as little as possible because the markings can come back later or they leave a brown line when they should have disappeared. Here is a blog post regarding that: Freshly Pieced and there are other posts about Frixion pens not being suitable for quilting. Just google "quilt marking pens review blog." (There's also a mistake in the tracing on the left! I was tracing over the lines that were already there and decided to get creative.)

Alphabet Letter Sandwich

6.  Put together sandwich and be sure the right sides are out. I used a glue stick to prevent slippage, which worked just fine. However, just recently I found a tip that was helpful from Eleanor Burns. After you assemble the sandwich you can just iron the sandwich together. The ironing will hold the layers well enough to sew without pins or glue.

7.  I sewed around the edges of each letter with a double needle. It was the first time I ever used one. It was easy to find one at Joann's and it was made by Schmidt, which is even better.
I chose to double stitch to give extra strength to the edges of the letter; I'm always afraid of edges fraying.

Double stitching on the back

Putting in the double needle is just the same as inserting any single needle. Presto! When using a double needle, you use two spools of thread, but thread them through the same spots on the machine. The front looks like normal stitching but the back looks like a serged stitch. All in all it was so easy! Use a cone thread holder for the second spool, if you have one. Joann's sells a basic one for $16.99.
If you don't have two spindles for the spools, you can make one yourself by putting beans in a pint jar, then insert a pencil and put spool on that. If you are creative or handy you can make a tall hook to run thread through to reach the first disk you have to use on the machine.

The distance between double stitch and pinking

8.  Cut out the letters, leaving about 1/4" or more between stitching and cutting line.

9.  Use pinking shears to cut around the letter. Cut fairly close to stitching. This creates another defense against fraying. But, after all, it makes a darn cute stitching!

And now, a less lengthy review of the other two goals from last week!




2.  Making my BOM block.
To see more about the BOM Challenge that I am working along with, go here.

With the start of February was the time to make Block #9 of As Time Goes By. I'm on a roll because I finished that this week also!

3.  Figure Out Layout for Military Mom's Memory Quilt
I am still baffled by how to put different thicknesses of fabric and texture together to make this quilt. (See backstory here) I emailed Sarah Craig of Confessions of A Fabric Addict. Sarah makes memory quilts on commission and she was suggested by my friend, Terri, as a source. I have received an answer from Sarah; she said she hasn't done a memory quilt like this. Sarah has done many t-shirt quilts and that is what I had anticipated. She suggested I talk to the Mom again and find out what is most important for her to have on the quilt. Sarah also suggested I look on Pinterest, which is where I will head later today.

4.  Start Cutting Out Firstest's Quilt
Well, I only had a consult with my quilty friend about what we had decided six months ago about which fabric was going to be used where.

Looking Forward


I only have one thing to do this week: Start Cutting Out Firstest's Quilt. I need to put the pedal to the metal if I'm going to get this one done. I will need to quilt a lot more than I have in the past couple of months if I want to make this quilt on time.

See ya next week!

A Fantastic Garage Find!

Isn’t life serendipitous sometimes? I had a moment the other day…

1964 Ford Galaxie

A little background would help. I have a husband. He has a project car, (Definition: a car that sits with all its parts removed). We have a garage. His project car resides in our garage. (See? A quilting blog you can finally show your husband! boyfriend! etc!)

Now don’t get me wrong here. I don’t want anyone jumping to conclusions or anything other thing. The car is a boat. It is so big that when you sit in the driver’s seat, you can’t lean over and touch the passenger door. It has personality. I love that car!

My husband’s car and its various, multitudinous parts occupy most of the garage. I have a quilt room which occupies a bedroom plus a closet and floor-space in another bedroom. You see? He and I both have “hobbies” and understand the necessity of space for such hobbies.

And now back to the story…a while back my husband came in from the garage with a couple of old boxes. He thought they were mine. I didn’t recognize them. I opened the first box and looked in at the eggs of the Golden Goose, the coins at the end of the rainbow, the flower wreath of horse racing.

I wrote Siggie Blocks on the box.

There were quilt blocks made by my Aunt Marie (of Marie’s Marvelous Makings). I had totally forgotten that I had her quilt blocks in the garage. The first box I opened were signature blocks. Over 300 of them!

The other box contained…a surprise for you lovely readers. I will writing a post about Box #2 in the future!

And now, I present a (very) few of those blocks!

I love the blue on the end with its nubbies!

Such a nice variety of browns!

Notice the third is a real 30s print

I love everyone of these red ones.

I had to ponder for a few months of what I wanted to do with them. I don’t belong to a guild where friends would sign the blocks. I don’t have 300 friends, much less 30. I could make a mini-quilt of siggie blocks of my friends. I don’t have a huge family who could sign blocks. You can see my dilemma.

It must have been one of those glorious days where everything went right and birds were singing. I realized what I was going to do! I am going to write all of my favorite books, one for each block.

I am addicted to reading. I’ve read ever since I learned how to read in school! A group of middle-school friends of mine went on a vacation to a lovely resort one summer, with two moms along. We had fun with the activities at the resort. But the major part of our days were spent reading!

I was thrilled to start writing down the books. My all-time favorite: To Kill A Mockingbird. Books that I bought for 45 cents from Scholastic when I was in middle-school that I read over and over. My favorite: Jennifer. My beloved Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden of my elementary school years. High school books brought me The Chronicles of Narnia and The Von Trapp Family Singers. Jack Weyland was my favorite author in college. My favorite book of his: Charly. Biographies of ordinary people in extraordinary times: The Bielski Brothers.

I kept writing until I couldn’t think of anymore. I kept writing until I had listed 252 books! Using 252 blocks would give me a beautiful queen quilt for my full-size bed.

My only quandary now is how to write the names on the blocks. It would take a daunting amount of time to embroider each book’s name. I’m thinking of writing the names with Pigma Pens. I have very nice handwriting, by the way.

Do you have any ideas of how to “write” names on the blocks? I’m not adverse to anything you suggest and I would dearly love to hear suggestions!

I’m hooking up with these lovely linky parties that have many talented and amazing quilters sharing what they are working on. You can go to anyone you choose by clicking on the sidebars on the right!

Mish-Mosh Monday #1: Superman

mish-mosh, n, a jumble of unrelated or disorganized things
That may be what it means in yourdictionary.com, but in my dictionary it says: “mish-mosh: a description of Quilting Nonnie’s brain!”

Yes, I have to admit it…there are many, many little cubbies, corners and crevices (ooo! alliteration!) in my mind. I have all the organized stuff like: how to drive to work, how to make Nestle’s Quick chocolate milk, & where do I keep my special two-dollar bill. And then there’s the other part…I’m not a candidate for Jeopardy but there are tidbits all throughout my brain.

I’ve decided that Mondays are a good time to share something, mostly non-quilty, that I find interesting. Of course the big hope is that you find it interesting too.

For my inaugural post, pray grant me some slack. If today doesn’t blast off with flying colors, try another next week. Perhaps I’ll get the hang of it!

Living With Superman

George Reeves, the original
TV Superman

I know this might cause some jealousy…but I married Superman! On that wonderful day, March 18, 1989, I married the man with many, many superpowers: My Hubby.

Our family loves to joke about it, but deep down, we know it’s true. Hubby has super senses. Here’s some examples, you judge for yourself.

Hearing:  During the teen years of our children, Nancy Drew was in her bed and it is late. Hubby and I are on the other side of the wall in our bedroom. “Dear,” says hubby, “would you go and tell Nancy Drew to turn off her radio?”

I’m thinking, what radio? But I get up. I get to our door and listen. Nothing. I open Nancy Drew’s door. Nothing. I announce to the room, “Nancy Drew, Hubby says to turn off your radio.” This I do hear: grumble, grumble, moan from Nancy Drew’s bed. “Okay, it’s off now.”

I teach blind kids. They can do this. Blind kids use their hearing like we use our vision. They develop an extremely acute sense of hearing.

My husband isn’t blind.

Vision: It’s winter, it’s night. Hubby and I are ready to sleep and turn the lights out. And turn the electric blanket on. I have my arm draped over the edge of the bed and am wiggling my fingers. Unbeknownst to me, I am wiggling them right above the electric blanket control that has a light.

“Dear, could you stop wiggling your fingers? I can’t get to sleep.” Hubby asks.

“How can you tell?” I’m flummoxed.

“Because I can see their shadow.”

“Your eyes are open?”

“No. My eyes are closed.”

“You can see that little light’s shadow with your eyes closed?” I’m suspicious.

“Yes.”

Oh wow…I try closing my eyes. Nope, I can’t see it. I open my eyes, still can’t see it. Superman, my brain tells me.

Can he run faster than a train? No. Can he leap buildings in a single bound? No. But…

Smell: We can't have anything in the house that is aromatic. I'm talking any scent!

Little Glade air freshners? Nope!
Scented candles? Never!
Dryer softener sheets? Absolutely not!
Perfume? Heavens to Betsy--nix!
Scented hand soap? Ie! (Japanese)

Nancy Drew, Superman--oop! Hubby and I driving along in the van. La, la, la, la. All of sudden, Hubby says, "What is that smell???"

"I don't smell anything." I say, puzzled. I sniff even harder. Nada.

"Oops," Nancy Drew says meekly. "I forgot. I just put on my hand lotion."

Yup. Raspberry hand lotion.

Dale is practically gasping for air. He quickly rolls down his window, practically sticks his head outside. Except that he's driving. The window stays down all the way to where we're going.

Super Brain: He knows something, and usually a lot, about everything. Trivia. What year was a movie made. How do you make a trebuchet. He can name over 15 different kinds of whales. What is the best position to sleep in when you have a spasm in your back. He can look in the sky at a plane and tell you exactly what plane it is, even World War II planes.  I kid you not. 

I guess along with Super Brain he also has a Super Memory. He remembers dates like crazy. What was the exact wording his Mom used at a certain family get-together. (Along with all the lines in the Star Wars movies and Monty Python's Holy Grail).  What year did the Battle of Waterloo end? When did Marilyn Monroe die?

If I ever need to know anything, and I mean anything I just ask Hubby. Forget Google, Yahoo and Bing--my hubby takes less time!

But there is a chink in his armor. In the 25 years we've been married, he has forgotten my birthday twice. I just laughed when it happened!

Eerie Senses: If we're anywhere and I'm not wearing a watch, I ask Hubby what time it is. He stops and thinks for a few seconds, then tells you the time. When I do have a watch, I check. He is withing two minutes of being correct. Every time.

My husband is like a renaissance man. He knows something, and usually a lot, about everything. I kid you not. He is the smartest person I know and have ever known. Super brain.

I’d go on, but I don’t want jealous person to come and steal him away to do experiments on!

Hooking up with wonderful Lorna at Let's Bee Social

Christmas Carol Countdown: 7 days to go!

What A Momentous Day for Me!!!! This is my 100th post. I am very excited. And grateful. Thank you to everyone who takes time to read my blog. It is a precious gift.  

Can it be? Three more days to vacation? Eight days to Christmas? I told my hubby tonight that we have some gift wrapping to do. I've got to get the east coast packages out of here!

It's fun wrapping with my husband...his way of wrapping is definitely his own unique style and the kids love getting packages wrapped by him. During the early years of our marriage, he wrapped everything in newspaper. Now that we no longer get a newspaper delivered, he's ventured into foil! Imported straight from the kitchen, no less. I've also seen packages with a ripped-off corner of wrapping paper taped on the outside of the box. The more presents he wraps the more minimalist he gets!

He's also a pro at guessing what he's being given. I gave up after a couple of years of trying to just put a wrapped present under the tree. I became creative. I put the wrong names on all the packages so he wouldn't know which one was his. That was dreadful, because then I forgot who the packages really went to. Then I went to disguising the present; you know, wrapping it in different sized boxes, putting marbles and nails inside, putting in a huge brick, etc. 

I think the best year was several years ago. I went to Big Lots and bought one of those humongous Christmas stockings. They must have stolen it from Big Foot. My big idea was to put all his wrapped presents inside so he couldn't see them. It ended up not being big enough, but that didn't stop me. I cut a slit down the back of the stocking and sewed in a "gusset," an extra piece of material so that the stocking was wider. I got all the presents inside, including a last-minute impulse buy: a Wii. We had played it for the first time at someone's house over Thanksgiving and had lots of fun.

He's so devious. On Christmas Eve, when we open presents, about the third gift he handed me was a package from him. I ripped off the foil and saw the box: it was a Wii. I about fainted. So I started blurbering the whole thing about how I had gotten him a Wii also. That was when he told me to open the box. Surprise! There wasn't a Wii inside, it was another gift for me. He proceeded to tell me, with a wolfish grin, how he figured I would get a Wii. Someone at work had gotten a Wii the week before and he asked to borrow the box to play a joke on me. That man! His ability to guess presents is the bane of my life!

My youngest daughter was born the day after Christmas. I've always managed to get birthday gifts for her, but most often forget to buy birthday gift wrap. I discovered that most Christmas wrap is white on the opposite side. Poor kid, she gets her presents wrapped in white paper. Once she pulls it off, it is revealed: plain ol' Christmas wrap!

Tonight's carol is one by Alan Jackson. My son gave me his Christmas album quite a few years ago. This song was an instant favorite. I was driving down to Southern California during December and had just gotten the CD. As soon as I heard Track Five I wanted to memorize the song. For mile upon mile, as I rolled down I-5, I played and replayed that song trying to memorize it.

That brings up the question, how come I still know every word to Johnny Mathis songs my mom played on the record player when I was a little kid, but can't learn the words to songs now? At least I can play the song over and over and over and over!

God Bless.

A Cautionary Tale

Gather around, ye gentle quilters, and heed my cautionary tale. I have great hopes that none shall ever experience this nefarious deed by giving ear to me now.

I spent a year of my quilting life working on the Farmer's Wife Quilt with a group of women. We were making two blocks a week. Not only that there are 111 blocks. It was a formidable, arduous, Herculean one-year project.  These very difficult six-inch blocks, some having 50-74 pieces, took every bit of the two weeks for me to make. But wait, I also paper-pieced them. All those itty-bitty pieces. (If you've made a Dear Jane quilt, I apologize for whining. But, I mean, who would ever be crazy brave enough to make a gazillion four-inch blocks?)

When I had made sweated over half a gazillion blocks, okay--somewhere around 35--I put them up on my design wall to gaze at their glory. And to provide me incentive to soldier on.

Here is where the tale takes a mournful turn. I left the blocks on the design wall. Every day I would pass by the design wall and bask in the glory of six-months work.

One afternoon, as I walked into my house from a grueling day at work, I spied something horrific on the floor.

Horror of horrors, hubby's horrid cat had chewed off the corners of two of my blocks! In fairness I should attest that we had two cats in the house. One was mine, Newt, who never, ever chew on his beloved mistress' quilt blocks. It could only be the evil Cleo, my hubby's cat.

You can see the evil in her eyes.

I should have seen it coming.

 Avert your eyes if you are of the sensitive nature. Behold the destruction!

I think I'm going to extract every tooth out of her mouth.

After that, I'm not giving her any dentures either!

She'll just have to gum her food for the rest of her life!

I immediately called hubby at work and told him that he was lucky his cat was still alive!

I then concocted a suitable welcome home for my hubby. I found two cat stuffies and hung 'em high on the front porch. Then I made some crosses and little graves and put them in the backyard.

Then I drug that horrid little feline out and showed her the fate of those who eat my quilt blocks. She pretended to be cool, you know how cats are. But she's never touched another block of mine again!

I put on the funeral dirge and waited for hubby to come home.

And here's how focused my hubby is...he walked right in and didn't even see the cats! But I made sure he did. Oh yes, I made sure he did! Those atrocious (stuffed) cats suffered a fitting death!

A Few Photos from the Week

I've been perusing the links on Judy's Design Wall Monday. (click here) My design wall in the other room is empty, but here's a shot I took of the two projects I'm working on. I had just tossed both the quilts on my cutting/ironing table the other day. Later I glanced over and they were such a lovely jumble that I had to take a picture.

I'm making progress on these quilts, which are part of my February Get It Done list. The Spiderweb needs one more border and the sandwiching and quilting. Wait until you see what I picked out. It needed a dark border to tie it all together. I went and found a gorgeous, plain midnight fabric. It is a dark blue, or wait--is it dark purple? It's one of those fascinating colors that have two colors that show up different depending on what color they are next to. I love fabrics like that!

I have to sandwich and quilt the spiderweb. I'm doing a beginner's class for our quilt guild teaching them how to make a spiderweb. I showed it on Wednesday night last and seven people have signed up. If you're interested, the pattern is from Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville blog. (here)

The square in a square is just a teensy weensy way away from being finished. I worked on it all weekend. Mondays are my wonderful quilting day. My husband works late on Mondays so I get three hours of quilting after I get home until he arrives home. I worked on it today. I've got the sashing finished on the two long sides. It's pinned and ready to sew for the two short sides. After that it's just the binding. The square in a square was my first QAYG (Quilt As You Go).

I told my husband I was trying to think of the name for the quilt. It is almost completely 70s fabric. The 70s were an interesting decade for me. In the space of those ten years I graduated from high school, graduated from college, got married, and had three children.

Hubby came up with a winner: The Seventies Are Calling, They Want Their Fabric Back!

This is the same guy who helped me name an all-blue batik quilt: Jacques Cousteau's Undersea Adventure. You should hear the interesting names he gave his stuffed animals as a child and gives our cats!

A few pictures from this week:

Calla Lilies my hubby gave me when Newt died

Our swallow who is building a nest in the eaves above our front door.

TGS with one of my granddogs, Ginny

OSLW with the two granddogs

My dog, Miko, looking cute

Stash Count Week 6

I'm going the wrong direction on this stash count. But something is going to happen soon when I start making my next quilt. Something is going to happen when I put the backing on my Spiderweb.

Remember that song from West Side Story? It has always been one of my favorites. Tony is stacking soda bottles in the back alley. He has a feeling something good is coming and he starts to sing...

Who knows?
Could be?
There's something due any day

I will know right away

As soon as it shows

It wasn't about quilting for Tony. For me it's about quilting fabric! I know, how romantic!

But there was a time, 24 years ago. I was a single mom. I'd get the kids to bed and then wander around the house. Many times I'd end up at the back door and look up at the sky. I knew someone was out there. Something was coming.

My wonderful, amazing, kind...I run out of adjectives, husband. There's nothing a words can describe. He has changed my life in ways that I never could have expected. He has helped me become a better me by believing in me and supporting me. He has his faults; I have mine. But I love this man with the kind eyes and the serious and silly side to him.

I am the luckiest woman in the world.
I guess it's Valentine's Day early.

But I digress...

Here's My Report

Stash Count Week 6

Used This Week:  0
Used 2013: 9.5

Added This Week: 6 yards
Added 2013: 24.5

Net 2013: -15 yard

Mosey on over to Patchwork Times (click here) and see how others are doing with their Stash Count this week.

Christmas Carol Countdown: 10 Days to Go!

Can it be? Two more days to vacation? Ten days to Christmas? I told my hubby tonight that we have some gift wrapping to do. I've got to get the east coast packages out of here!

It's fun wrapping with my husband...his way of wrapping is definitely his own unique style and the kids love getting packages wrapped by him. During the early years of our marriage, he wrapped everything in newspaper. Now that we no longer get a newspaper delivered, he's ventured into foil! Imported straight from the kitchen, no less. I've also seen packages with a ripped-off corner of wrapping paper taped on the outside of the box. The more presents he wraps the more minimalist he gets!

He's also a pro at guessing what he's being given. I gave up after a couple of years of trying to just put a wrapped present under the tree. I became creative. I put the wrong names on all the packages so he wouldn't know which one was his. That was dreadful, because then I forgot who the packages really went to. Then I went to disguising the present; you know, wrapping it in different sized boxes, putting marbles and nails inside, putting in a huge brick, etc.

I think the best year was three years ago. I went to Big Lots and bought one of those humongous Christmas stockings. They must have stolen it from Big Foot. My big idea was to put all his wrapped presents inside so he couldn't see them. It ended up not being big enough, but that didn't stop me. I cut a slit down the back of the stocking and sewed in a "gusset," an extra piece of material so that the stocking was wider. I got all the presents inside, including a last-minute impulse buy: a Wii. We had played it for the first time at someone's house over Thanksgiving and had lots of fun.

He's so devious. On Christmas Eve, when we open presents, about the third gift he handed me was a package from him. I ripped off the foil and saw the box: it was a Wii. I about fainted. So I started blurbering the whole thing about how I had gotten him a Wii also. That was when he told me to open the box. Surprise! There wasn't a Wii inside, it was another gift for me. He proceed to tell me, with a wolfish grin, how he figured I would get a Wii. Someone at work had gotten a Wii the week before and he asked to borrow the box to play a joke on me. That man! His ability to guess presents is the bane of my life!

My youngest daughter was born the day after Christmas. I've always managed to get birthday gifts for her, but most often forget to buy birthday gift wrap. I discovered that most Christmas wrap is white on the opposite side. Poor kid, she gets her presents wrapped in white paper. Once she pulls it off, it is revealed: plain ol' Christmas wrap!

Tonight's carol is one by Alan Jackson. My son gave me his Christmas album quite a few years ago. This song was an instant favorite. I was driving down to Southern California during December and had just gotten the CD. As soon as I heard Track Five I wanted to memorize the song. For mile upon mile, as I rolled down I-5, I played and replayed that song trying to memorize it.

That brings up the question, how come I still know every word to Johnny Mathis songs my mom played on the record player when I was a little kid, but can't learn the words to songs now? At least I can play the song over and over and over and over!

God Bless.

This is Alan Jackson and "Let It Be Christmas."