Christmas Catastrophy

Okay, for this post I REALLY need feedback! I decided to make my family pajamas this year for Christmas. We've done it once before, it was fun, and I thought it would make a good tradition. Well, I never know what to do for my dad, so I thought this year I would include him in the tradition. I found great fabric at a great price and actually had a cleared off table to cut on today, so I got started. Now, I'm not the world's greatest at sewing, but pajama bottoms are about the easiest thing I can think of to sew. Especially with a "Sew easy" pattern. And as I have said, I've done it before. It's a piece of cake. Something you might say "you could do in your sleep" or "with your eyes closed." Well, apparently I tried one of those techniques. I should have taken a picture, but Betty is my witness that for some odd reason, the pajamas look like they might have been for a sumo wrestler. The legs were high waters on me! And the body literally came up to my neck! So what went wrong? I'm still not sure, but since I had used the serger, I needed to cut apart some seams. And there go all the helpful markings. But I can do this, right? Well, I seem to have fixed it a little, because the legs are now the right length and the body is somewhat normal. I say somewhat because the left side is about two inches higher than the right side at the waist. It's at least at waist level though and everything else looks pretty normal. So I think I have sewn two fronts together for one leg and two backs together for the other leg (which is slightly-really, I think it is only slightly- bigger because they are supposed to be for your BUTT.) And all this time, I keep thinking of the Cosby Show episode where Denise tries to make a sweater for Theo-with three arms.) So, do I continue and pretend I have done it right, do I start over including buying new fabric (did I mention it was the most perfect print for my dad?) OR do I scrap the whole thing? And how do I get out of the funk this mess caused? I'm sure I have bad karma now. I'm pretty sure dinner will be burnt. I know I shouldn't buy a lottery ticket today! And if I see a bus anywhere near me, I am running the other way! ARGH!!!! And now I need to go face the music and discover what the kids have been up to while I've been trying to sew for the modest sumo wrestler. Well, my positive thought I am going to try to hold on to is that I say a shooting star this morning and I think they are pretty awesome.

Magical

So, last night was the Jim Brickman concert and ever since, I've been having trouble thinking of what to say about it. In my simplest words, it was wonderful. But it was so much more than that. I've seen him once before in concert. He was doing his "An Evening With Jim Brickman" tour. It was my first Christmas being married and we went as our Christmas present to each other. That too was a magical night, very romantic and beautiful. It's just that when you are newly weds, everything can easily be romantic, and you aren't sure if it's due to being in love or if the concert was really that great. Well, I'm happy to say I'm still not sure if it's due to being in love or the concert (I still love you Randal), but it was a great evening non the less.

The guests with him were Tracy Silverman and Anne Cochran. Anne was with Jim years ago in Spokane. On the Visions of Love CD, she sang "After All These Years." If you have heard other versions, they aren't as good. She is amazing, completely gorgeous in a "real person" way and I am surprised that she isn't more famous. (Of course, I'm still surprised I'm not more famous too, but fame is fickle! Ha ha!) I actually think of that song as mine and Randal's, though when we first heard it, we hadn't even been together that long. Again, the words to convey how special that song is and how well Anne sings it are not there. But just know that it was touching. You know, the kind of song when you get the goose bumps listening to it (please tell me this happens to other people.)

Tracy Silverman was somewhat new to me. And let me tell you, an electric violin is an amazing instrument. You can get the mournful and sweet sounds of a regular violin and then you can rock out like Jimmy Hendrix too. I bet that surprised some of the older audience. As Peter says, it probably "distracted them out of their pants." It was especially interesting, to me anyway, because they were able to use the electric violin almost as a percussion instrument. I know I am describing it poorly. Maybe I should just say, "You had to be there."

Thank you, mom, for such a wonderful Christmas present. I always get them early, don't I? Ha Ha. Really, mom, you went over board. We had second row seats and could see everything so well, especially Jim Brickman's dancing left leg (again, you had to be there.) And Anne's amazing ruched all over, silver dress that she was able to still look slim in. My mom gives the best gifts, just look at my very first entry on my blog. I love you mom. Thanks for giving us something so special to remember and something we probably would not have been able to get ourselves.