Page 4 December 2011 By Dale Messmer Someone should produce a documentary. Christmas Music: Cheerful or Cheesy? Jingle Bells once made me want to hit Santa with a sack of soggy stockings. White Christmas? This is the desert for crying out loud. And don’t even get me started about Elvis and his Blue Christmas. Somewhere on the way to grey hair and caring about Medicare, though, I’ve come to enjoy Christmas music in the air. Still can’t stand the canned, mind- numbing loop they play for shoppers, of course. That was easy to fi x, though: stay out of malls. Kind of like punching the mute button when GM uses Led Zeppelin to try to sell me a car. At last count, my extended family owned more than 100 Christmas albums. I once cynically hated each and every one of them. There are still some deserving of disdain. They really should roast the Chipmunks on an open fi re. Inexplicably, however, the tried and true tunes of the holiday now help put me in the Christmas spirit. Even without alcoholic spirits. My favorites are most anything by Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald or Bing Crosby. Something to be said for the standards. Or maybe it’s just true that the older you get, the more you return to your youth. Those were the voices of my childhood Christmas. I also enjoy Mannhein Steamroller and Trans-Siberian Orchestra, despite my usual snobbish reaction to anything trendy. So beware if you fi nd your way to my house for the holidays. There’s a playlist or two ready for visitors. To the chagrin, no doubt, of my son when he gets here. Maybe he’ll change his mind when he grows up. I think that happens at about 45 for most American males. We have some good holiday reading this month, whether you like your Christmas words put to music or not. If you haven’t seen the Sepanek’s Arcadia home all lit up for the holiday, you’re missing something special. Read about it on page 14. There’s also some good advice there, and from our regular columnists elsewhere in the paper, about ensuring you and yours a safe holiday. Here’s to one fi lled with music you enjoy. Merry Christmas. Red noses will shine, bells will jingle, music is mine you’re invited! HELP YOUR CHILD PREPARE TO EXCEL IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY tĞĂƌĞĂŶ͟͞ƌĂƚĞĚŬŝŶĚĞƌŐĂƌƚĞŶƚŚƌŽƵŐŚϴƚŚŐƌĂĚĞƉƵďůŝĐĞůĞŵĞŶƚĂƌLJƐĐŚŽŽů ǁŚŝĐŚŽīĞƌƐĂŶĂĐĐĞůĞƌĂƚĞĚĂĐĂĚĞŵŝĐĐƵƌƌŝĐƵůƵŵ͗  ͻ͞ &ŽƌĞŝŐŶ>ĂŶŐƵĂŐĞ/ŵŵĞƌƐŝŽŶWƌŽŐƌĂŵ͟ĂŶĚ^ƉĂŶŝƐŚĞŶƌŝĐŚŵĞŶƚĐůĂƐƐĞƐ  ͻƵƌƌŝĐƵůƵŵŝŶĐůƵĚĞƐDƵƐŝĐ͕ƌƚ͕W͕͘͘>ŝďƌĂƌLJ͕ĂŶĚdĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐ LJ  ͻtŝĚĞǀĂƌŝĞƚLJŽĨĂŌĞƌͲƐĐŚŽŽůĂƚŚůĞƟĐƐĂŶĚĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ  ͻKŶͲƐŝƚĞĨŽƌĞŝŐŶůĂŶŐƵĂŐĞŝŵŵĞƌƐŝŽŶWƌĞƐĐŚŽŽůĂŶĚŌĞƌĐĂƌĞWƌŽŐƌĂŵ ^ĐŚŽŽůďŽƵŶĚĂƌŝĞƐĂƌĞďĞƚǁĞĞŶϯϮŶĚĂŶĚϰϬƚŚ^ƚƌĞĞƚ͕ĂŶĚďĞƚǁĞĞŶ  EŽƌƚŚĞƌŶĂŶĚ/ŶĚŝĂŶ^ĐŚŽŽůZŽĂĚ͕ďƵƚƚŚĞƉƌŽŐƌĂŵŝƐŽƉĞŶƚŽĨĂŵŝůŝĞƐ ŽƵƚŽĨƚŚĞĚŝƐƚƌŝĐƚƚŽƚŚĞĞdžƚĞŶƚƚŚĂƚƐƉĂĐĞŝƐĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ͘ 4601 N. 34th St. ͻ 602.381.6160 www.creightonschools.org creighton school district – educating children since 1884 Biltmore Preparatory Academy <ŝŶĚĞƌŐĂƌƚĞŶ/ŶĨŽƌŵĂƚŝŽŶ^ĞƐƐŝŽŶͲ:ĂŶ͘Ϯϲ͕ϮϬϭϮ͕ϲ͗ϯϬƉ͘ŵ͘ Gifts of Great Taste Purveyors of Share the joy of the season when you give baskets overflowing with Epicurean delights from our ready-to-give Holiday Collection or ask our talented designers to custom create one for everyone on your list. AJ’s Gift Cards available in any denomination, are ideal to tuck into a greeting card or Gourmet Basket. View our Gift Baske t collection at ajsfinefoods.com

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