Holiday Music

Just a heads up that iTunes is offering 2 FABULOUS free holiday tunes this week:

Ding Dong Merrily on High
sung by Chanticleer from their album "Let it Snow"

and

The Hallelujah chorus
from Handel's "Messiah"
performed by the London Symphony Orchestra
--Sir Colin Davis conductor--with the Tenebrae Choir

As an added bonus, the Messiah recording is from an iTunes plus album. This song features higher-quality, 256-Kbps AAC encoding — twice the standard bit rate — and no DRM (digital rights management) so you can make as many copies as you like.

iTunes does offer free downloads every Tuesday: so for those of you on Windows and Mac who get your music (or TV episodes, audiobooks, etc.) elsewhere, it still can be a viable option to download some new music for free. Do be aware, however, that iTunes registration will likely require you to include payment information, even if you never use it.

Lastly - my holiday song, Vermont Snow, is still available for download and viewing, and do check out Digital Father's new original work, Please Wait Up. And of course, don't forget to stop by the Christmahanukwanzaakah concert, which will be rebroadcast (with new additions) on 12/25.

Happy Holidays everyone!

cc2.0 image credit: Johann C Rochall

2007 Blogger Christmahanukwanzaakah Online Holiday Concert

Hook your laptop up to your best speakers,
put another log on the fire,
grab a mug of hot chocolate,
and settle in for some wonderful music from the...

2007 Blogger Christmahanukwanzaakah
Online Holiday Concert!

Despite having my annual "Christmas Crud" and the questionable events that transpired after last year's event, I decided to get my act together and submit a song to the 2nd annual Concert. I missed the deadline last year, (although Digital Father submitted a moving rendition of O Holy Night) but with much inspirational, technical and motivational support from MrMaple, I not only recorded a song, but composed a new work for the occasion: Vermont Snow.

You can listen to the audio here (mp3)

The text was inspired by the frosty view, out our front window, during the height of the snow storm last Monday morning.

Weary pine branches
laden with clouds of
fresh fallen silence.
Snow on the ground...

twirls in wind's whispering
breath, frosty sweet.
Tracks show the path
of a young deer's retreat.

Air thick with firelight's
woodsy perfume, and
nights linger long for
sun's warmth to resume...

its low golden arc
o'er green mountains, now white.
Hope dawns from eastern
skies at first light.

Traveling on snowflakes,
unique, as they fall
weaving white blankets
of Peace for us all.

In the spirit of the concert, I am performing all parts--voice(s), piano, and the midi flute--even if it is through the keyboard. Although the raspiness and large, frequent breaths are due to the crud, imagine my smoky voice comes from that "firelight's woodsy perfume."


I've additionally created the below music video for your viewing pleasure:



The photos were all taken on our six acres in Vermont early last week, with the exception of the following 5 images, from flickr, used through cc2.0 with attribution. I would like to thank these talented photographers for capturing some inspiring images.

Jan Tik | VTDarkStar | paulmoody (2) | jurek d.

Lastly, I need to send an
enormous shout-out to Neil Kramer
for his organization of this annual concert.
As bloggers, we share our words and thoughts on a daily basis,
but through this outpouring of talent and spirit, we are truly sharing ourselves.
Thank you, neilochka.

PS - Concert Participant button courtesy of Vanessa Lee Hamlen at The Butterfly Blog.

Cooking up a storm

Lately, I've been cooking more. Frankly, a lot for me. Maybe it's a post-Thanksgiving/winter hibernation ritual, but either way - it has been fun.

Breakfast Burritos, Shepherd's Pie, Pigs in blankets, Quesadillas, and two new recipes (Panko Mustard Chicken and Fettuccine Alfredo) which I've posted on my long neglected PondBrook Cookbook. Both are easy and very tasty.

And here's a shout-out to my college buds (Mrs. J, Contessa, and Bernie) for tolerating 4 years of my hot-pot cuisine - including Fettuccine Alfredo and my infamous, bishop-worthy mac-n-cheese. (Don't ask!) And to my husband, for enduring my current culinary creations with love!

Butterflies

MrMaple and I received terrible word Wednesday evening that a friend and fellow-singer had died unexpectedly. Our love and best wishes go out to her dear husband. But it has left me thinking about grief all evening, and a term I started using after losing our baby in 2004 - Good Grief.

We all need to grieve, but it is hard to not let that grief consume us. I consider Good Grief doing something positive to remember the person you've lost. When we lost a son during our 5th month of pregnancy, it seemed appropriate to participate in the March of Dimes walkathon, to end premature birth, the next month.

In reflecting on this newest loss, I recalled us singing together in a 1994 performance of Verdi's Requiem. This concert was a 40th anniversary of the work's performance at the Terezin concentration camp. Terezin was a Nazi concentration camp used for propaganda purposes. Housing many scholars and artists, Terezin allowed its Jewish inhabitants to pursue their creative and intellectual work. Their work was displayed for visiting dignitaries — including an International Red Cross delegation — giving the impression that such liberties were allowed throughout the internment system.

Rafael Schächter, a conductor interned at Terezin, conceived of a performance of Verdi’s Requiem, with its themes of God’s justice and liberation, as a way for the prisoners to “sing to the Nazis what they could not say to them.” Schächter prepared more than 150 musicians (by ROTE, from only 1 vocal score) who managed to perform Verdi’s demanding work 16 times between 1943 and 1944, despite constant hunger, exhaustion and the systematic deportation of chorus members to Auschwitz.

Children were also encouraged to create art, as documented in the book I Never Saw Another Butterfly - Children’s Drawings and Poems from Terezin Concentration Camp 1942–1944, by Hana Volavkova. A total of 15,000 children under the age of fifteen passed through the Terezin Concentration Camp between the years 1942-44. In the book, poems and pictures drawn by the young inmates of Terezin, depict the daily misery of these uprooted children, as well as their courage and optimism, their hopes and fears.

"The Butterfly"

The last, the very last,
So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow.
Perhaps if the sun's tears would sing
against a white stone. . . .

Such, such a yellow
Is carried lightly 'way up high.
It went away I'm sure because it wished to
kiss the world good-bye.

For seven weeks I've lived in here,
Penned up inside this ghetto.
But I have found what I love here.
The dandelions call to me
And the white chestnut branches in the court.
Only I never saw another butterfly.

That butterfly was the last one.
Butterflies don't live in here,
in the ghetto.

-Pavel Friedman June 4, 1942

This poem is preserved in typewritten copy on thin copy paper in the collection of poetry by the poet, which was donated to the State Jewish Museum during its documentation campaign. Pavel Freidmann was deported to Terezin on April 26, 1942. He died in Aushchwitz on September 29, 1944.

Inspired by the book, the Holocaust Museum Houston has started the Butterfly Project. They are collecting 1.5 million hand-crafted butterflies to represent all of the children who perished during the holocaust. Although 15,000 of those children passed through Terezin, less than 100 survived.
I plan to take some time with MiniMaple this weekend and create our own butterflies to contribute to the project. And as I accumulate glue, glitter and marker under my fingernails, I will think of our friend and hope she has found peace...on the wings of a butterfly.

Happy New Year 2007!

As my family slept peacefully, I watched Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve for the first time in several years. MrMaple and I generally perform in local First Night celebrations, but found ourselves having a quiet family night a home this year.

I apparently fell off the planet 2 years ago, because I somehow missed the news that Dick Clark had suffered a stroke. I must applaud his courage and professionalism for returning to the Rockin' Eve. It was great to see him in his element, and realize he still is "America's Oldest Teenager."

But as I lay on the sofa, watching the festivities in Times Square, and admiring our enormous Christmas Tree, I started thinking about resolutions. So here goes, in no particular order...

1. Continue Weight Loss. If the scale at home is right, I've lost another 2 lbs. over the holidays, bringing my total to 17 pounds.
   
2. Continue to strive for Family/Work Balance. This includes finding separate couple, parent and family times. I know this will be an everlasting goal - but worth mentioning here!
3. Get on a Sleep Schedule. I sleep erratically and struggle often with insomnia. I've been known to fall asleep sitting upright at my desk at work while sitting in front of my computer.
   
4. Find Time for Music. I would like to start doing something musically again - even if it is simply taking 10 minutes at work to play piano in one of the practice rooms next to my office.
5. Organize more time with Friends. This is two part - since we also need to find some local babysitters to make this successful.
6. Be a Better Blogger. I need to revisit my goal of a post every 3 days. And work on more thoughtful content. And read and comment on a more diverse group of blogs.
   

That's all I can think of at this late hour, so I guess I should really start working on these by addressing #3 above and hitting the hay.

I hope you had a lovely New Year's celebration and I wish you health, peace and happiness in 2007.

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams

Merry Christmahanukwanzaakah!

If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out The 2006 Blogger Christmahanukwanzaakah Online Holiday Concert, on Citizen of the Month's website. It is a collection of holiday carols and photos submitted by bloggers like you. A wonderful event I hope to get my act together for next year.

Digital Father did a stunning rendition of "O Holy Night" that you shouldn't miss. He also took the time to record his daughter's favorite bedtime stories, and send them to MiniMaple as a Christmas present. How sweet is that?! Bernie - I am so blessed and proud to call you a friend. Best wishes on the 20 or so Christmas masses you're singing in this week!

Let's check in on my other blogging friends...

The Contessa took the time to do some quality reflecting, something all of us should do this time of year. Also, make sure you read her post about singing in the Andy Williams Christmas Show. I'm so very proud of you, and so miss the days you were my roomie!

My cousin Eamon and family have all been battling illnesses this holiday season. Cous - I hope you, Rachel and Caley feel better soon! And here's to having the holiday off from work!

Sierra, you know I loev you, even if your THREE jobs keeps you from posting very often! I look forward to our traditional January Christmas!

For a "different world" experience, read about my former student - turned Peace Corps volunteer - Nora's holiday experiences in Kazakhstan. Nora - you still amaze me from a world away. Hristos Razdajetsja or Rozdjestvom Hristovim, whichever the case may be!

Minor Revisions has added a holiday "Blitzen" accompaniment to her "plan". Katie - I'll sign on to eating those cookies in moderation with you! Have a lovely holiday!

Kris might be Writing in the Mountains, but even at her altitude, she is hoping just as much as I am for a white Christmas. Here's hoping you, The Girl, and all of us Vermonters get a little of the white stuff.

The letter "H" is brought to you by Repressed Librarian this season - and I'm adding number 10 to her list...Happy Holidays!

We Maples will be celebrating 6 Christmases this season - one with my grandparents, 1 with my Mom, 1 with my Dad & Stepmom, 1 with MrMaples' family, 1 with Sierra in January, and we hope to squeeze one in around our own 10' tree, too.

But before all of that craziness begins, I wanted to take a moment to express how much I have appreciated the opportunity to reconnect with dear family and friends, plus make some wonderful new acquaintances through blogging.

Peace to you and yours this holiday season.

Bizarre happenings...

The last few days have been wild, wonderful yet also quite weird...here's an overview:

1. Had dinner out with MrMaple, MiniMaple and Sierra Sedan recently. Great to see Sierra and as to be expected with a toddler, the meal was a little chaotic and rushed, but just as well. Since Sierra was home a little earlier than expected, she actually surprised and scared the burglar out of her home. I won't give away the details, as I'm sure she'll have plenty to blog about on the matter, but she is safe and sound, and is struggling to identify if something is actually missing. Please give her a shout out...
2. MrMaple's good friend Flayra is visiting from the west coast. SO great to see him...as it has been 3 years since his last visit. He arrived right on the heals of number 3 below...so we're wondering if he is our "good luck" charm (we were expecting after his last visit!)
3. We got a condolence card from our vet's office yesterday since they took down the "missing" poster for our cat Bailey. Well, not more than 10 minutes after reading their card, we got a call from a woman in the next town who saw a "found" cat poster that looked remarkably like a skinny version of our Bailey...so she was thoughtful enough to call us with the "found" number. MrMaple called "found" who said this cat has been coming around every few days or so to eat, but was currently not around. They will call if he comes around again, though!

Lastly, I've been contemplating how to be a better, more consistent blogger. My current goal is to post one day, comment on other's blogs another day, and write/research or rest the next. Hopefully that means you'll see something new here every 3 days or so. We'll see how well I do.

Autumn in Vermont

This is the time of year I am most proud to call myself a Vermonter. Aside from the stunning, colorful foliage that makes even the most mundane trip to the dump a spectacular happening, there are the fall events: harvest festivals, farmers' markets, apple fests, chicken pie suppers, etc. There is something so incredibly comforting in the smell of hot apple cider and wood smoke, the crunch of freshly fallen leaves underfoot, the itch of warm woolen sweaters...MrMaple summed it up recently...in a word, it is wholesome.


Now I am by no means a laced-up New Englander, dressed head to toe in L.L. Bean, who seeks to do things as they have always been done. I'm a liberal democrat, and enjoy exploring new art and culture...but I am SO very drawn to these basic Vermont traditions. Is it the comfort they provide? Is it the sense of community? Perhaps the preparation for hibernation?


I wish I could explain how absolutely instinctual it is this time of year of seek out all things plum, Burgundy and brown in my closet, and search for a new recipe for Pumpkin Gingerbread. Sometimes I think I should revolt against these urges...throw on a bright lavender shirt and make strawberry daiquiris on the deck even if it is 30 degrees out. But I simply can't. And now - with a child in tow - I feel even more obliged to seek out these traditions and share them with him.



So please excuse my indulgence in all things Vermontesque and enjoy these photos from some recent fall events!

Photos taken at: Hinesburg's 1st Annual Fall Festival, Shelburne Farms Harvest Festival, the Charlotte annual Tractor Parade, and back in Hinesburg.

Update: missing links and recipe addition!

MapleChick/Cycles to Peace made it to DC!

Here's the Proof!

And some quick notes from Karen:

"Day One started with 5 bicyclists, 2 of them just riding with us for half a day for moral support. Pat Lyon-Surrey was a wonderful partner for the first 5 days, but had to return to Vermont for work commitments :( Ellen made it most of the way, but felt that she couldn't continue on Tuesday morning, after a valiant effort and making it well into Pennsylvania. I continued on alone for the last few days, and pulled into Camp Democracy on Friday afternoon. 580 miles total on the bike, the last 7 or 8 spent circling the National Mall area trying to find Camp Democracy, which was not exactly located where they had originally announced! oops!

I will write much more later.... just wanted to let you all see a
photo taken within about 10 minutes of arrival. I'm back in Vermont, and on the bike tomorrow, without baggage. aaaaaaah :)

peace......
Karen"

Bravo, Karen, we've been cheering you on all the way! Congrats!

Cycles to Peace - Update from the Road

I was thrilled to get an e-mail from Karen Chickering, on her Cycles to Peace tour, today. I'm glad my sending her hurricane warnings came in handy!

"We sat out Ernesto today. thank you for the updates! we watched a lot of wind and serious rain go by, and there's lots of debris on the roads, but we'll take our sweet time tomorrow, and pick our way through. it doesn't seem as though the flooding is a problem, at least not where we are now (Milford, NJ). we'll be in the burbs of Philly tomorrow, and then moving towards the Lancaster area the next day. I think..... I did look at a map today, but our Adventure Cycling map is of very narrow focus, and it's hard to get the big picture. I was happy to spend some time today with a map of the whole state of PA to get my bearings.

People have been extremely helpful and gracious along the way, even trying to line up housing further down the line for us. I may have enough money left over at the end to send thank you's of maple syrup to our hosts along the way!"

Cycles to Peace

MrMaple and I are fortunate to know a pretty energetic and enthusiastic woman named Karen Chickering. Although I did not meet my future husband at her wedding (a post for another day,) she did invite me to sing in an a cappella group where MrMaple and I ultimately got to know and love one another. But I digress...

MapleChick (really her e-mail name, as luck would have it) has embarked on an incredible journey. Karen and friend Ellen Gurwitz, started a grassroots bike ride for peace from Southern Vermont on August 26th, and plan to arrive on GW's front step, in DC, September 9th. Below is the full text from their brochure "Cycles to Peace".

I do hope to post some updates, but until then, I believe she is still looking for places to sleep in PA, MD and VA. So if you would like to participate, lend a helping hand, gather press coverage, offer a bed, or even a home-cooked meal, please email directly here.

In the words of a mutual friend, "I'm just so impressed by [their] vision, commitment, and courage to take this trip on. Wow."

Ride on, Karen and Ellen, and may your pedals be powered by the wings of a million peaceful doves!

CYCLES TO PEACE
a grassroots bicycle ride
for peace
August 26-September 9, 2006
Vermont to DC

WHY WE RIDE
We believe in our Constitution, not in the unitary executive theory. We believe that by exercising our constitutional right to vote and energizing others to do the same, we can stop the Bush/Cheney war/oil machine now, in 2006.

We believe that the war in Iraq was based entirely on lies, and are not willing to be
a part of an illegal force that invades other countries at will. We believe that the nuclear option is never an option. We believe that our unilateral actions have led to more hatred of the US, and caused more terrorism worldwide.

We believe that our Constitution and our rights are threatened, and we need to act before we lose more of our rights. We believe that peace is a choice, and, by choosing to vote, we can effect changes that move us towards peace.

We believe in the Geneva Conventions and the rights of all human beings. We believe that democracy cannot be delivered at the point of a gun.

We believe that freedom cannot be defended abroad while being denied here at home. We hope, by riding and talking with people enroute, to encourage more people to believe in their voting voice and their power to change our world, one vote at a time.


THE ROUTE

• We start from Bennington, VT on August 26,
• heading south and west to Route 22 in NY, to Millerton,
• with a possible detour to the World Peace Organization's headquarters in Wasaic, NY
  
• then following the route laid out by Adventure Cycling Association, southwest through New York State
• the Delaware Water Gap Nat’l Rec Area
• thru SE Pennsylvania
• Maryland
• Virginia
• and on into DC
• ending up at Lafayette Park...
  

where Cindy Sheehan and others are setting up
Camp Democracy at Fort Fed Up.

We plan on cycling a modest
50 miles per day. (yes, you can!)

CONTACT US
cyclestopeace@gmail.com

And here is more info about their journey:
Democracy for America
Veterans Against the Iraq War
Voicesforpeace

---

LATE BREAKING UPDATES: The following updates have been forwarded by family and friends!

"She is accumulating some wonderful stories of people welcoming the trio of riders (She and Ellen have attracted a third rider named Pat (I think) who started the ride and intended to only ride the first 3 days - - but it looks like they are going to get her to go the whole way with them!)

I heard a great story about being caught in the rain on Monday - - - and pulling into a diner where the waitress gave them towels to put under their chairs to soak up the puddles - - - and the owner making up a special mexican hot chocolate especially for them - - - then giving them a ride in a van w/bikes the last 15 miles to their endpoint for the day. Karen, reluctant to NOT bike every mile, finally agreed to accept the gracious offer."

Also, LIVE from Karen on the road...

"I'm ensconced at the library, checking first with the gmail account, and it looks like we have another couple of nights lined up. one is near Glyndon, so if we can push on a few extra miles on Tuesday, we'll have a free bed, dinner and breakfast. the other just came through our hosts in New Paltz, who contacted anyone they knew in the DC area. I'll call them when I have cell service outside, but that could be the answer as we get to the northern edge of DC on Thursday."

"I don't think we'll be quite as isolated as we've been the last couple of days anymore. after I leave the library, I'll....walk back out to the Mohican Outdoor Center. unless I get a ride along the way, I'll have walked about 7.5 miles today, about 5 of those uphill! that's my day of rest! Then a swim. (and the kayaking this morning through lots of water lilies and with a beaver swimming nearby on a very still pond) ...there are signs all over about rattlesnakes and bears! I'd prefer not to meet either. checked the kayaks carefully this morning before getting in, but I think it was too chilly for them to want to hang out there. "

"The offer of housing near Silver Springs, MD, is from someone who is hosting the monthly church meeting on "peace issues" the night we'll be there. How's that for timing?"

"We were riding through the rain with smiles on our faces (the terrain was easy, it was warm, the rain was moderate..."

What a Wonderful World

Last Wednesday, this little blog was discovered by its 500^th unique visitor. I am equally awed and humbled by this fact. When I started this site, I wasn’t even sure why I had ventured into the blogosphere. But now, it has become my touchstone, and I thank those of you (Bernie, post-doc, Sierra, the Contessa, AM, Repressed Librarian, and Mama Says) who visit and comment often, and those of you who have simply passed through.


What really amazes me is the geographic diversity of readers. According to ClustrMaps, I’ve realized visitors from 4 continents, 16 countries, 5 Canadian provinces and 33 U.S. states, plus the District of Coumbia. The countries (full list at bottom of this post) are as disparate as Australia, Kazakhstan (Hi Nora!), Latvia, Malaysia, Canada, and the Netherlands. Even the multitude of U.S. states shocks me. And who knew I need to work harder to reach readers in the Dakotas. All of this is just one month’s worth of data collection.

Blogging really has become a powerful, far-reaching aid to sharing one’s point of view. I am pleased to see more and more political candidates - thanks to Vermont’s own Howard Dean starting the trend – using websites, and more specifically blogs, to project their message. This seems like such a pure form of communication to me. The candidate can post their position on a range of topics for the public to review, without it being misconstrued through a journalist’s lens. There is a opportunity to allow your supporters (and challengers) to comment and for you to respond. I have been pleased to see Vermont’s legislative candidates, such a Bernie Sanders, embracing blogging, even if the posts are sometimes completed by a staffer.

But I digress. I archived my ClustrMap and started a new map on August 23^rd, and much to my amazement, 6 readers from Europe and Australia have resurfaced. Also on the 23^rd, I was successful in the acquisition of the lapsed site maplemama.com, which currently redirects you to this blog. I do hope to roll out a whole new look for MapleMama soon to celebrate the new site name. But until then, my humblest of thanks to you, dear readers, for your indulgence, wit, generosity, and kindness.

Geographical List

Asia: China, India, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Russia (just north of Mongolia)

Australia

Europe: Austria (at border w/Slovakia), Czech Republic, France, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom

North America: Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec) and the United States (AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VT, WA, WI, WV)

The National Anthem Crisis

Stand up, take your hat off, and be sure to head over to Bernie's World for a fabulous, thoughtful, and timely "star-spangled" post about the U.S. national anthem.

Bernie's World: The National Anthem Crisis

And for those of you, like me, who live perilously close to the Quebecois border with Canada, and are called upon to know and sing our U.S. anthem plus both versions of "O Canada!," here's some info for you too!

Adventures in Kazakhland

I have the pleasure of supervising 20-25 college students each year. These students work as ushers and house managers at most performances on our campus - over 110 events annually. They come from a cross section of class years, majors, backgrounds and cultures, but they come together each season to serve our patrons with graciousness and, in the process, often become friends. I enjoy watching these students (who often work for me all 4 years) grow academically and socially during their tenure on my team, and usually mourn the day they graduate.

I am particularly pleased for a recent grad who, after MUCH confusion and paperwork, has finally been accepted to the Peace Corps! She will be teaching secondary English in Kazakhstan and plans to blog about her experiences. Please visit her blog often (Adventures in Kazakhland) and join me in watching her amazing journey!

Nora - I will miss you terribly, but am so very proud of you! Best wishes on your wonderful adventure.

What is LOEV

LOEV started as one of my typical typos. Then, thanks to Bernie, in March 1989, it became a very special word between friends. Lately, through blogging, Gmail chats, and the like, our little circle of college friends has been there for each other through divorce, a job search, a move, and more and demonstrated just how special and powerful LOEV really is. So to Bernie, AM, Contessa, and Sierra...let me say, as always...I LOEV you!


What is LOEV? It is a special emotion, which only a Bud can feel for a Bud. It is an emotion which says, "We could be more than this, but there is nothing more important to me than your love, no matter in what form."

LOEV is forever. Love affairs end, friendships end, acquaintances move away, but LOEV knows no distance. Time together or apart has no effect on LOEV. LOEV is every day, every minute, every second.

LOEV means that I will come from anywhere if you call. LOEV means I will call and ask if you need. LOEV means that if you need and won't call, I will come anyway.

LOEV is a word that defies explanation. LOEV is a word that only two people could possibly understand. Neither our families or our lovers will ever know just how important LOEV is in our loves, but we will always know.

Updated: typos corrected (of course!)

Welcome Sierra Sedan

My life-long best friend has started a blog called "Random Thoughts"
She's new to blogging and welcoming advice.

Please be sure to check it out! http://sierrasedan.blogspot.com/