A Very Christmas Party

Some of us are still having fun from the Christmas party Tuesday night. My beautiful wife Maridale (I know she's beautiful. Vern told me. Practically shouted it into the phone yesterday) loves word puzzles and shared the one Ken brought with work colleagues. See more on that in the previous emails. We plan to pull out the puzzle again when company comes.

Besides my shirt and James' ice sculpture, other party highlights were the many and various songs and how we heard them. Dixon introduced us to his family tradition of writing a Christmas song, and then we got to hear a version of one of his with full band support. Barbe shared "Breath of Heaven", a new and unusual Christmas song to my ears.

Donna brought Kenny Chesney and his song about looking back on high school football days. Some folks were close to tears.

James, Julie Jean and Mary played and sang a favorite Christmas song. You know, James does not strike me as a Carpenter's fan, but who doesn't love "Merry Christmas, Darling."

The prettiest harmonies of the night came from Mary's choice of song. The artist and song were new to me. I was thrown at first by the song's yearning to get home. It reminded me of how I feel even now as I wait for my daughters to fly in the day after Christmas. Soon it became apparent that the author was ready to go home to heaven. Dixon and I exchanged looks, both thinking, 'if you're going, you'll get there soon enough.' Hope you'll share a link with us to the song, Mary.

Ken let us participate in the first Christmas song he's written. Great performance, Ken.

Evan brought out one of my favorite songwriters, Darrell Scott, who sang about brothers, uncles, a Gibson Hummingbird, and his father. Michael shared his love of jazz by playing Sarah Vaughan's version of 'Green Dolphin Street'.

Julie Jean pulled out her guitar and sang a lovely song about a mongrel puppy, "Choose Me". I'll have to share that one with my dog-loving sister in Oklahoma. Another one I think she'll like is a song recommended by Bobby, "Where's the Line for Jesus?"

Lisa broke my heart with a song that breaks my heart every time I hear it, about dancing as a little girl with her late father, her feet on top of his, her hands gripping his fingers.

If that didn't do it, late-arriving Steve pulled out his guitar for the last song of the evening and sang a tribute to his recently passed father, a song that takes on a whole new level of meaning, "Daddy, Are We There Yet?".

Thanks for a wonderful night. Hope to see you tonight at DSA Open Mic, Dun Bros Coffee, Addison.

Buck

PS--Look for photos soon on Dallas Songwriters in Facebook.