Monday Morning Conversation--Dec. 12, 2010

It's Monday morning Lord and the word that comes to mind is "WOW"!

• WOW...18 inches of new snow on the ground.
• WOW...that snow makes for a beautiful scene.
• WOW...the Metrodome roof collapsed and will cost big money to repair.
• WOW...A Scandinavian Christmas done by the Minnesota Orchestra last night was great.

WOW...it hit me last night like a ton of bricks during a beautiful rendition of "I'll be Home for Christmas." It was the line "I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams". Jan won't be home for Christmas except in our dreams and in our thoughts and in our conversations.

WOW...Christmas was a "really big deal" to her and I loved coming along for the ride.

• It was a big deal to decorate the house.
• It was a big deal to buy all the gifts.
• It was a big deal to plan the parties and the smorgasbords.
• It was a big deal to play the Swedish Christmas music all day long.
• It was a big deal to listen to "Happy Birthday Jesus" a few times.
• It was a big deal and I am missing all of that something awful.

WOW...the audience sang a medley of Christmas songs together last night. I can now say that I have "sung with the Minnesota Orchestra" and I really sounded good! That was the second time I almost lost it when during O Come, All Ye Faithful we sang "Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation, Sing, all ye citizens of heav'n above, Glory to God in the highest".

I don't know who all sings in the "choir of angels", but Jan is now one of "ye citizens of heav'n above". She had a beautiful low alto voice, but often she liked to sing soprano during a sing along (she sounded better as an alto than a soprano), but she would belt it out pretty good. I had an empty seat next to me, but my left arm was on the pile of coats in that seat most of the night, as we would have been holding hands had she been there. I had this rather vivid image in my head of a voice in that "heavenly choir" joining us last night and she sounded wonderful.

WOW...it's Christmas and there is music in the air.

• Joy to the world!
• The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing.
• Glory to the newborn king.
• Silent night. Holy night. All is calm, all is bright.
• O come, let us adore Him.

WOW...HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!