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Instead of our normal show of medical experts, patients successfully dealing with chronic Diseases and other health topics we had an on-air open house where singers joined had a party and sang Christmas carols.
Our guests were
Les Tibbo, Merisa Donoghue and Emily
Celeste of Trinitude their cd release
Rooted will be on Fed 1'08, Boss
Whistle is the pre-release tune we played on Christmas Day. A
wonderful gift! Trinitude is also the talent behind
Quadra Fusion Recording Studios.
Brian Hazelbower sings Merry
Christmas Momma from his One In A
Million cd, Pam and Brian co-host CHLY's
Songwriter's Circle Friday mornings fro 7 to 9 a.m.
Alice Frank-Campbell not only brought her voice
and guitar, she brought her husband Scott, daughter Camilla, sister Andrea and
her partner Peter; Alice brought family. She plays locally with Ken Brault of
Eclectic Celtic Monday mornings on CHLY from 7-9, Alice and Ken
perform as Alicken Hue and have one cd recorded so
far.
Shirley Whitelaw and Cyndi Jackelman from
Mama's Kitchen (self titled cd released '07) brought their
harmonies to share.
Brent joined us for the grand finally, Woofy
even made a brief appearance, you can hear both Brent & Woofy Saturdays from
10 to 11a.m. on the Brent & Woofy Show on CHLY. Brent
taught us his song It's Christmas Time off his cd
It's Christmas Time.
What a wonderful blend of original and
traditional songs!!
To all the folks that came in to share their
music with Toma and Pam much gratitude, to those listening as much
gratitude.
We hope you have a happy, healthy holiday
season.
Our "Power of One" Spotlight person was Barry Foster who is the organizer of "Citizens who care" Citzens who care do a Crhristmas dinner for anyone who wants to drop in and be part of their event and make a warm happy place for those who might not have a place to be for Christmas
We had a lot of fun doing the show and hope you enjoyed it with us.
My Story of Christmas
by Pam Edgar 2004
My younger brother and I had a conversation about dining rooms and that maybe if we used them more our lives would be more like they used to be. Family dinners, when you couldn't tell how you were related to any one of 16 people at any given Sunday Dinner but you know they are all family. The holiday dinners that went from 18 to 20 people to all of a sudden 20-26 or 28 people because no one person was allowed to be alone for a holiday meal, not if you lived on our street. Heaven help the rest of those that were considered "friends of the family", 'cause once you are there ain't no ain't. I can remember a couple of those happening, one on Forest Park. Actually one before that at Grandma and Granddad Crabtree's when Auntie Grace and Uncle Ken were there. That was the time that Auntie Grace told us her story of Mother Goose Plucking Her Feathers. Another was on Manning Street, all of them because of snow storms no wonder I like the snow so much.
Auntie Grace had all of us kids believing that the flakes that were wafting their way towards the ground were really Mother Goose's feathers. They actually looked like feathers; the flakes were so large and moved from side to side as they descended. I was old enough to know that she was pulling our leg and that snowflakes were snowflakes but I was caught in her story. I wasn't old enough to know that the reason Auntie Grace was telling the story was to hide the concern of the adults over the snowstorm that we were all so attentively watching through frosted windows for very different reasons. Our Grandparents' living room was full of adults worried about frozen pipes, damaged roofs, digging out stranded cars, running out of heat and how much food was in the house. We were worried that there could actually be too much snow to toboggan in or that it would continue to snow so heavily that our mom wouldn't let us go outside and play in the wonderful white stuff. Auntie Grace told us if we picked one snow flake out against the street light and watch it fall all the way to the ground you could tell it was actually one of Mother Goose's Feathers, time slowed right down as the feather floating softly from side to side.
We didn't have anything to be worried over, we were all safe at our Grandparents' house and we were all together. It was Christmas and we were going to have one of the many Christmas Dinners this family would always have. Saw horses were put in the middle of the living room, covered with plywood and dressed for dinner. No one would have thought twice that that table wasn't solid mahogany, well, wood anyway. I don't remember the dinner itself, I don't remember the drive home, I don't even remember what Santa brought me that year but I will never forget Auntie Grace's story about Mother Goose Plucking Her Feathers.
I have no idea how old I was that Christmas, maybe only five. Every time the snow flies in huge, feathery flakes no matter how old I am I will be back in my Grandparent's living room gazing out the window with Auntie Grace standing behind us describing the falling snowflakes as if they were feathers wafting slowly downward. That if you looked into the flakes against a streetlight and watch closely you can see each delicate edge.
I think I'll start referring to Auntie Grace as Christmas Grace, those two "feelings about" and "thoughts of "just belong together in my mind. To be a child and invited to Christmas Grace's dining room, invited to the adults table dressed in china and marshmallow men. So many tastes and so many flavours from the treats on the table to the conversation and the laughter.
The Christmas on Forest Park when everybody was snowed in. Most people couldn't get out of our little valley and those that got in didn't seem to mind that they might not get out. All our family was there, from Grandparents to Aunts and Uncles plus all the neighbours that couldn't get out. It was Smorgasbord Christmas Dinner, with our neighbours came all the delectables that they were to have taken with them. There was so much food nobody knew where to start or if it would end. Adding to any of our family dinners was something that just never needed to be done but considering the amount of people that came with the dishes we had a true cornucopia.
Mom always made sure that no one go without at Christmas, she made trays of wonderful goodies to give to neighbours everywhere we lived. For the family and friends that came by throughout the holiday there were treats ready to be enjoyed. There were always lots of smiles and laughter at our house at Christmas and music. If we weren't making the music ourselves we were listening to Roger Whittaker or Tijuana Christmas. Our home always radiated the feeling of welcome.
I watched my Dad transform into a child laying train tracks from behind the Christmas tree through valleys and tunnels of presents with my big brother as assistant engineer, all to see the look of surprise on a face just hours away. To watch my Dad and my big brother play like young boys under the tree with toys was in itself a gift, one that they had no idea they had given.
To me the best treasures to find around the tree on Christmas morning were Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles that shared the gleam of a child's eye. No one was too old or too young.
Everyone got a chance to play with the new toys.
From the year that breakfast was baked in an Easy Bake Oven to the year of the Microwave and how much bacon Dad could cook at once to the year that brought another Easy Bake Oven but this time my daughter was doing the baking, with help from her Uncle Ron. In between was a very special Christmas that the greatest joy of knowing my child within was having my child in me and unique experience of sharing all the wonder that came with it with my sister-in-law, my friend.
Every Christmas Dinner brought a collage of faces around the dining room table that always looked as though not another plate or platter would fit yet if there was a knock on the door there was magically room for more. Tables of faces placed end to end that often time the dining room could not contain so out into the hallway and around the corner to the kitchen they were set. No matter whether dinner as at our home, Nana and Grandfathers' home, Grandma and Granddads' home the smiles were always there and we were always home. Once everyone was seated the questioned was asked if everything was out of the fridge, this always brought a burst of laughter to the table. One smile always shone a little brighter, her laughter rang a little louder and it came from my little sister.
The faces we've lost but never forgotten have somehow been absorbed by the new faces around our table and our table extends from here to there and every where in between. It makes no difference that we can't always be all around the same table the difference is that we were.
No matter how little there was or how much, I grew up believing in Christmas because of open hands and open hearts, warm smiles and laughter.
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