Christmas Song Memes

Christmas has been my favorite time of year, even more so now that I can’t travel due to physical demands and the current COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

During the past few months, I let my meme creation activities get a bit out of hand. My inspiring/positive meme collection has burgeoned, as has my folder of song-lyric inspired memes.

I took a side turn a couple of weeks ago as Thanksgiving passed and the Christmas season loomed. What resulted was a collection of memes based on Christmas songs.

Steered clear of traditional songs, I concentrated on songs I remember hearing on the radio since the ‘50s. Enjoy, and I hope they tickle your memory, inspiring you to start singing. Enjoy!

A Holly Jolly Christmas

(Burl Ives)

All I Want for Christmas is You

(Mariah Carey)

The Chipmunk Song

(David Seville, Alvin and the Chipmunks)

The Christmas Song

(Nat King Cole)

Feliz Navidad

(José Feliciano)

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

(Judy Garland)

Here Comes Santa Claus

(Gene Autry)

I’ll Be Home for Christmas

(Bing Crosby)

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

(Jimmy Boyd)

Jingle Bell Rock

(Bobby Helms)

Joy to the World

(Celtic Woman)

Let It Snow!

(Vaughn Monroe, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra)

Little Drummer Boy

(Bing Crosby and David Bowie)

Rocking Around the Christmas Tree

(Brenda Lee)

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

(Gene Autry)

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

(The Jackson Five)

Silver Bells

(Bing Crosby)

Sleigh Ride

(The Ronettes)

We Need a Little Christmas

(Angela Lansbury)

Welcome Christmas

(“How the Grinch Stole Christmas”)

White Christmas

(Bing Crosby)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A Post-Election Thought

In the aftermath of the recently ended 2020 Presidential election, the declaration of the winners, and extensive coverage of widespread celebrations, I’ve had a nagging tickle of unease swirling in my thoughts.

Don’t get me wrong. I am happy with the way the election turned out — not because a Democrat won, and not because a Republican lost. I joined the Democratic Party ages ago, but I’ve always voted for the person, up and down the ballot, regardless of party affiliation.

Maybe I’m too old, have seen too many elections, have been uplifted too often, and been let down and disappointed too many times. So I sometimes tend to overthink (I’ve been described often as being didactic, and I accept that).

Anyway ... today (Nov. 7, 2020), four days after Election Day, with about 93% of the ballots counted, the Biden-Harris ticket won 74,537,842 votes, the Trump-Pence ticket won 70,307,981 votes. Let’s call it “Biden 74.5 million” and “Trump 70.3 million.” A handy victory.

Everyone on MSNBC — hosts, reporters, pundits, guests, interviewees — is so positive and hopeful for the country’s future. And rightly so. I feel the same way, almost completely. But as I said, I feel a smidgen of unease.

Yes, 74.5 million voters picked former Vice-President Joe Biden, a total greater than any other Presidential election in our nation’s history. On the other hand, 70.3 million backed President Donald Trump. That’s 70.3 million Americans who agree with his philosophies and controversial actions. He’s been accused of lying, being in collusion with foreign governments, heavily criticized during his first term, somewhat incoherent, and impeached.

If you play the odds, among those 70.3 supporters (Republican, Democrat, Independent, or whatever) there HAS to be at least one (likely more) potential presidential candidate that will emerge in future Presidential elections. S/he will share President Trump’s philosophies and beliefs, and will have learned from his mistakes. Someone who, if elected to the White House, would do worse than President Trump.

There ... I said it. Think about it. Do we need to be careful? You tell me.

Random Musings 36

Why is baked pronounced “baik-t,” when naked is pronounced “naik-ed”? Since they’re spelled alike, shouldn’t they sound alike?

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Do electric cars have a stronger sticker shock?

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Are greedy clams shellfish?

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If your toadstool farm is successful, expands, and makes a lot of money, would you say it’s mushrooming?

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If you get hitched at a 7-Eleven, is it a marriage of convenience?

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If you’re dating a bakery chef and he ghosts you, have you been desserted?

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In the word “scent,” is it the “s” or the “c” that’s silent?

The Middle Wife

This was shared on Facebook recently and I thought I’d treat you to a good laugh. It’s one of many delivery room stories included in Irene Zutell’s 2002 book, “I’ll Never Have Sex with You Again!” (Paperback published by Fireside, available on Amazon.com.)

Is it a true story? Snopes.com is skeptical. But that doesn’t matter. It’s funny!

The Middle Wife

By Anonymous Second Grade Teacher

I've been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids myself, but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own second grade classroom a few years back.

When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually, show-and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that. And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it in to school and talk about it, they're welcome.

Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid,takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater.

She holds up a snapshot of an infant. “This is Luke, my baby brother, and I'm going to tell you about his birthday.”

“First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put a seed in my Mom's stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord.”

She's standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I'm trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in amazement.

“Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts going, 'Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh!'” Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. “She walked around the house for, like an hour, 'Oh, oh, oh!'” (Now this kid is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.)

“My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn't have a sign on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to lie down in bed like this.” (Then Erica lies down with her back against the wall.)

“And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew!” (This kid has her legs spread with her little hands miming water flowing away. It was too much!) “Then the middle wife starts saying 'push, push,' and 'breathe, breathe.’

“They started counting, but never even got past ten. Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff that they all said it was from Mom's play-center, so there must be a lot of toys inside there. When he got out, the middle wife spanked him for crawling up in there in the first place.”

Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat.

I'm sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it's Show-and-Tell Day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another “Middle Wife” comes along.

Alexa, Play My Favorites

A few years ago, my youngest son bought me an Amazon Echo Dot that I installed in my bedroom.

I have to confess it just sat there plugged in and sparsely used for the longest time. It’s main function was to let me know what time it was early in the morning without my opening my eyes: “Alexa, what time is it?”

Then, sometime in early July of this year, my bedroom flat-screen TV acted up and refused to function. I strongly considered buying a new set, but my older son replaced it with an older, mostly unused set from upstairs.

It worked fine. Except there was no on-off timer on the replacement TV. I used to set the timer and the TV would turn itself off after I’d fallen asleep. No more. Many times I’d get up in the middle of the night with the TV screen lighting up the room and the volume seemingly intensified. The cable control used to have the on-off timer, but the new controls don’t offer it.

It got to where I’d just turn the TV off at 9 p.m. like normal people. Of course, many is the time that I fell asleep before 9 p.m. (aging has that effect on many of us oldsters). And sometimes, I wasn’t sleepy at 9 p.m., but turned it off anyway to prevent that.

One night, I decided to ask Alexa to play soothing songs by favorite artists and easy-listening eras and genres. After one of the songs, Alexa suggested I set up a favorites list, which I did, starting with a couple of Carpenters and Anne Murray hits. An order — “Alexa, add this to my favorites list” — was all it took.

As the nights passed, my favorites collection grew and grew — The Carpenters, Anne Murray, Simon and Garfunkel, Bobby Darin, Rod Taylor, The Everly Brothers, Dean Martin, Peter Paul and Mary, Connie Francis, Andy Williams, Roger Whittaker, The Vogues, Michael Bublé ... and more.

One recent morning, I woke up at 1 a.m. I really didn’t feel like turning on the TV and watching HLN’s Morning Express, so asked Alexa to play my favorites, thinking the music would put me back to sleep. Well, that didn’t work. I ended up singing every song in my head. On and on it went, until I’d reached the last song.

It was a little after 4 a.m. Three-plus hours. I didn’t keep track of how many songs are on my favorites list, but most songs are 3-4 minutes long. Three hours equal 180 minutes. Divide that by 3.5 minutes per song (a conservative estimate). I figure there are 50 songs on my list.

And the list will get longer, I guarantee it.

More Song-Lyric Inspired Memes

It's hard to stop creating these, so of course, I made more memes based on song lyrics that have been popular through the years.

Again, you can share these. I give you permission, no need to credit me, but it would be nice. Thanks in advance if you do.

Easy

(Willie Nelson)

All I Have to Do is Dream

(The Everly Brothers)

Words

(The BeeGees)

My Way

(Frank Sinatra)

You Should Be Dancing

(The Bee Gees)

Dream a Little Dream of Me

(Doris Day)

Love is a Many Splendored Thing

(Frank Sinatra)

Four Strong Winds

(Ian and Sylvia, Neil Young)

Greenback Dollar

(The Kingston Trio)

Follow That Dream

(Elvis Presley)

The Long and Winding Road

(The Beatles)

Today

(John Denver, The New Christie Minstrels)

How Deep is Your Love

(The BeeGees)

Somewhere, My Love

(Andy Williams)

The Day that the Rains Came

(Jane Morgan)

I Have a Dream

(ABBA)

I'll Never Find Another You

(The Seekers)

Blue Moon

(The Marcels, Frank Sinatra)

Love is in the Air

(John Paul Young)

Song-Lyric Inspired Memes

Music, particularly song lyrics — musicals, recordings, live performances, it makes no never mind — has influenced my life.

I watch TV advertorials of oldies collections, I have many “Best of” DVDs and Blu-Rays, and ‘way back when record players were in vogue, I bought LP records. When 8-track and cassette tapes appeared, I bought them.

It’s not just the music, but the lyrics as well that move me. And, many lyrics (or at least fragments and phrases) are indelibly etched in my aging, faltering memory. In recent years, I started creating memes to use on Facebook. But you know that. One theme that arises in my posts is the utilization of song lyrics that emphasize my life philosophies and/or emotional feelings at the time.

May I share some with you?

There is Love

(Peter, Paul & Mary)

Weave Me the Sunshine

(Peter, Paul & Mary)

Day is Done

(Peter, Paul & Mary)

Don’t Laugh at Me

(Peter, Paul & Mary)

Thank You for the Music

(ABBA)

Camelot

(“Camelot”)

 

If Ever Would I Leave You

(“Camelot”)

You’ll Never Walk Alone

(“Carousel”)

Put a Little Love in Your Heart

(Jackie DeShannon)

You Are So Beautiful

(Joe Cocker)

Smile

(Nat King Cole)

Green Green

(The New Christy Minstrels)

Here Comes the Sun

(The Beatles)

Love Will Keep Us Together

(Captain and Tennille)

The Twelfth of Never

(Johnny Mathis)

Aquarius

(The Fifth Dimension)

Rhythm of My Heart

(Rod Stewart)

Reach Out (I'll Be There)

(The Four Tops)

You Got It

(Roy Orbison)

Wonderful! Wonderful!

(Johnny Mathis)

You may use these. I give you permission. You can credit me if you like, but it’s not a requirement.