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Home Archives for Christmas
My 50 Favorite Christmas Songs: 2014 Edition

12/20/2014 By Ben Leave a Comment

My 50 Favorite Christmas Songs: 2014 Edition

Two years ago I finally put together and posted the list of my 50 favorite Christmas (/Advent) songs. The list returned for 2013 -- with some changes and a couple additions. It's back again, with two more newcomers and some Top 10 adjustments. Last year's ranking is in parentheses, with additional explanation provided in only a few cases. For the first time, each and every entry is linked to a free online version that best captures the respective song's quality (or just was available and sounded interesting). Why this exercise -- beyond the all-too-human appeal of listmaking? The background explanation from the original 2012 post:...Coming up with the top 50 songs wasn't terribly difficult. I've identified roughly 375 different … [Read more...]

Filed Under: My Life, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: Christmas, music

12/26/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Christmas Roundup, Light Blogging Here at Mount Virtus Until 2009

It was nice to take a couple days off blogging to celebrate Christmas. Around the house we have a 2-year-old who definitely was interested in getting "more" presents but also who is just beginning to see that Christmas is mainly about the Savior's birth. She sat still to hear one of us read a version of the biblical Christmas story 5 different times over the 2 days. Good times. Memorable times. Around here we hear a lot of the toddler rendition of "Away in a Manger". She also has a fairly decent grasp on "Joy to the World." Other songs she doesn't sing but likes to request: Jingle Bells and Happy Birthday to Jesus. Last night, after we baked the cake for Jesus' birthday (a first-time tradition for our family), we had to explain that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, Colorado Politics, General, My Life, National Politics, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: 2-year-old, 2009, Away in a Manger, biblical, birth, blogging, Blue Ribbon Committee, cake, Christmas, Christmas story, eating, Family, football, friends, girl, good times, governor's office, Happy Birthday, hard to grasp, House, interview, Jesus, Jingle Bells, Joy to the World, Ken Salazar, logic, out of the box, presents, reading, recommendations, rumor, Savior, sleeping, songs, tradition, U.S. Senate, usual sense, version, writing project

12/22/2008 By Ben 2 Comments

This is Christmas: Our 2-Year-Old Serenades Us with “Away in a Manger”

Okay, we're light on the politics here for a little while. It's too close to the sacred celebration of Christmas, and most people are completely tuned out anyway. Last night, the older Virtus girl (still nearly 2 months shy of her 3rd birthday) gave us a remarkably clear and *almost completely accurate rendition of "Away in a Manger"--the first verse lyrics with a little melody, anyway. Little things like that show the spirit of Christmas is growing in our household. So much to be thankful for (yes, we ARE rich), and many extra blessings beside. Fancy presents are nice (but overrated--if I see one more of those annoying Lexus commercials, I think I'll scream), though there aren't as many of them this year. Baked goodies I can rarely … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, General, My Life, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: Away in a Manger, baked goodies, blessings, Christmas, Family, fancy presents, friends, household, Lexus, price tag, rich, spirit, thankful

12/1/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Democrat Leader Tapdances Around His Party’s Push to Kill Secret Ballot

After their impressive electoral victories, the Democrats on Capitol Hill are feeling their oats. Can you blame them? It's payback time to the Big Labor leaders who have bankrolled the campaigns of many a Congressional Democrat. Top of the list therefore? The unpopular and poorly-named Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which would take away workers' rights to a secret ballot in union elections. Watch how House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland), appearing on Fox News Sunday, tapdances around Chris Wallace's question contrasting the union bill with the House Democrats' own procedures for electing officers within the caucus: "Why is a secret ballot okay, and desirable, for Congress, but you want to take it away from workers?" (H/T … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, National Politics Tagged With: administration, bankroll, Betsy Markey, Big Labor, bon voyage, campaigns, Capitol Hill, caucus, Chris Wallace, Christmas, Colorado, Congress, Democrats, EFCA, elder statesman, elections, electoral victories, Employee Free Choice Act, employees, feeling their oats, fighting chance, filibuster, Fox News Sunday, George McGovern, Georgia, high priority, House Majority Leader, John Salazar, Kaiser, Karen Mayhew, Ken Salazar, leaders, Left, lottery jackpot, Mark Udall, Maryland, materials handler, Mike Ivey, Minnesota, Nancy Pelosi, Norm Coleman, payback, poorly-named, question, real workers, recount, Saxby Chambliss, secret ballot, Senate, Steny Hoyer, Strike One, trial lawyers, union bill, union elections, unpopular, video, workers' rights, Workplace Fairness Institute, YouTube

11/25/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

What I’m Thankful for #18: My Parents Decided to Keep Me

This is one in a series of daily posts I conceived of writing many weeks ago while the election still raged on, as I looked for something to write about of more lasting value. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving seemed perfectly appropriate for it. Just in case you wondered, the topics introduced are not necessarily in any particular order. I hope the series is of some small encouragement to you, even as my site traffic takes a dive. Two days to go until Thanksgiving, I would be remiss not to mention one of the things I'm most thankful for: my parents. It's true that you don't fully appreciate them and what they do until you have children of your own. My parents aren't perfect. I'd obviously be lying if I glossed over them as … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, Commemorative, General, My Life Tagged With: abridged version, annual tradition, appreciation, baked goods, blessings, brother, Buick Century, butterscotch bars, Chevy Astro, children, Christian, Christmas, church, dad, drivers license, easygoing, Family, few memories, football games, good discipline, good memories, grace, grateful things, hard-working, importance, keep, love, merciless teasing, molasses cookies, mom, oatmeal cakes, opportunities, outnumbered, parents, physical needs, Pontiac Silverdome, quiet, reserved, respect, sincere devotion, stable home enviroment, take for granted, thankfulness, Thanksgiving, things of God, well-deserved, wheel has turned, woodworking

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About Me

Ben DeGrow
Grateful and growing Christian, devoted husband and father of 3, public policy analyst, returned to Michigan by way of Colorado, conservative writer, lifelong learner, Detroit Tigers fan.

Recent Posts

  • How To Cope When Your Child Is Diagnosed With a Chronic Illness
  • Helping Children Cope with Divorce
  • How to Prepare Your Home for the Holiday Season
  • Sports Participation in Rural America is Declining: Here’s Why
  • How to Stay Fit While Traveling

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Completing the Blogroll

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To Contact Me:
bendegrow-at-gmail.com

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