These carols really take me back to my childhood, when Christmas was magical. All the lights, the decorations, the excitement over the presents, and everybody was cheerful and wishing everybody else Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I hope you overdose on nostalgia too, or at least enjoy four and a half hours of classic Christmas songs from America's heyday.
Edit: I bought a little girl a new bicycle. She's eight, and used to be my neighbor before I got evicted by the evil corporation that bought the land I lived on for eight years. Her dad left some months ago, and her mother is doing her best, but it's a struggle. We picked the blackberries, wild blueberries, and red huckleberries on the edge of the park (she didn't care for Salal berries much). She really liked learning about the different berries I showed her. Her mom was one of the people that worked the hardest on my behalf to save my personal property from Evil, Inc. when I was (illegally) trespassed and couldn't even set foot on the property to collect my stuff. I tried and tried to pay her, but she wouldn't have it. I asked her what she wanted for Christmas, and she said her daughter wanted a bicycle.
Done!
Well, tomorrow morning the super smart little girl with bright red hair, like copper in the sun, will be extremely excited to open the giant present under the tree. Inside will be her shiny, brand new bike with 20" wheels to replace her old bike that's too small now. Without a new seat. I had it delivered to her mom, because I couldn't deliver it myself, and tonight when her mom opened the box and started putting it together, there was no seat. Boy oh boy, am I disappointed by Wally mart! There'll be a seat on the bike, though, it just won't be a new one, but an old one off her mom's broken bike, so at least she'll be able to ride her new bike on an old seat.
I'm sure she'll be happy and things will turn out fine once Smellyfart lets me login (it tells me they're having technical difficulties, the phone number I have for them just hangs up on me, and when I try to fill out a survey form begging for help, it rejects my phone number, LOL) but that will be after Christmas I'm sure. I hope this doesn't happen to any of you, because my heart dropped when I heard the new bike was shipped without the seat. Fortunately her mother is a trooper, innovative and handy, hardworking and a truly dedicated friend, as I found out when she took care of my things when I couldn't.
Because of good people and goodwill I am not homeless. I haven't been robbed of everything I own by Evil, Inc. Nothing else protected me. Not hoards of cash, not the law, cops, or the courts, not my own competence, only good people with goodwill has kept me warm, dry, and fed. I even hope I have made a little girl very happy with a new bike for Christmas (minus the seat)! I have so much to be thankful for this Christmas! I hope you all do too.
Merry Christmas!