The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 2: Do You Hear This Carol?
Inside: Do you hear this carol? The night wind speaking to the little lamb? It’s a fairly modern Christmas song with quite a unique story. Tune in to find out.
Do You Hear This Carol?
When it comes to Christmas carols, I like mine sung loud and strong and by Bing. Who does it better? In 1963 he released the song, “Do You Hear” (“Do You Hear What I Hear?”) to wide popularity. But do you know the story behind the making of a modern Christmas carol?
During the height of the Cuban missile crisis, in October of 1962, the then-married songwriting team of Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne Baker were asked to write a Christmas song but the New York couple were having a difficult time getting into the mood with all of the international tension and fear.
Regney writes: “In the studio, the producer was listening to the radio to see if we had been obliterated. En route to my home, I saw two mothers with their babies in strollers. The little angels were looking at each other and smiling. All of a sudden, my mood was extraordinary.” Seeing those two babies, a song began to develop. The babies reminded him of newborn lambs and inspired the opening line: “Said the night wind to the little lamb. . .”
Upon Bing Crosby’s release of the hit, some only saw it as a standard Christmas song. But taking a closer look, the mention of “The Child” and “the star dancing in the night with a tail as big as a kite” revealed it was every bit the meaningful Christmas ballad.
Oddly, both Regney and Baker said they preferred Robert Goulet’s version because of the emphasis he placed on “pray for peace people everywhere.” Considering the times, that’s certainly understandable.
But I still prefer Bing.
This day in past posts:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 2: Spiced Nuts (2017)
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 2: Silent Night’s Story (2018)
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 2: An Unforgettable Small Town (2019)
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 2: Hearing Christmas Bells (2020)
Related posts:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 1: Our Hillbilly Christmas Wreath 2021
Inside: It’s become a Harke family tradition, so come take a peek at our Hillbilly Christmas Wreath 2021!
The other day my cousin Eric texted Mom, asking if we were going to do the Hillbilly Christmas Wreath this year. . .
Is Santa a jolly old elf?
Are yuletide carols sung by a choir?
Is eggnog the best drink ever?
Er, well, maybe that’s a matter of taste. I love the stuff! And, I love our Hillbilly Christmas Wreath!
What’s New in 2021
Admittedly we didn’t get the entire wreath done in one day, but we did the bulk of the work on a warm Sunday. I gave the tire a good scrub, and several of us met up at the barn for some bale wrangling. Fortunately my nephew Bradley lent his muscle by tipping the tire outward while I strung the lights, and, voila! Five minutes later and we were finished–a job that normally takes Mom and me about twenty minutes. Thanks, Bradley!
As is our habit–a habit Mom has begun to question, I should say–we change out our bow every year. We’ve got a lovely cranberry colored mesh this year. I did, again, resist the effort to touch up the tire with a fresh coat of green paint, opting instead for the shabby chic look–if one can actually call a tractor tire chic!
More on the History and the How-to
There’s a story behind the making of the first Hillbilly Christmas Wreath, which you can read about here. Since that first year our little (big!) tire has brought a lot of smiles and spread a lot of Christmas cheer. We’ve had requests for how to make one, but rather than write out all of the instructions, you can find the details here.
Curious to see the previous Hillbilly Christmas Wreaths? You can see the progression below:
The Story of the Hillbilly Christmas Wreath
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 1: Return of the Hillbilly Christmas Wreath
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 1: Our Hillbilly Christmas Wreath 2019!
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 1: Our Hillbilly Christmas Wreath 2020!
Welcome to the 12 Posts of Christmas 2021!
25 Random Things I’m Thankful For
Inside: Below is my list of 25 random things I’m thankful for this year. Do any of these appear on your list, too?
25 Random Things I’m Thankful For
November is the month I most associate with giving thanks. So before we turn the page to December, I wanted to take a few moments to make a random list of things I’m thankful for. It is by no means exhaustive, and I know I’ll think of more to add later. Also, it is in no order of importance, so items both small and great will find themselves positioned next to each other. This list is simply generated by what comes to me as I write it.
Fun exercise. Let’s get to it!
I’m thankful for. . .
- (That) I live in rural America! There’s no other place I’d rather be.
- My husband Mike who sits across from me, quietly browsing on his tablet while I type.
- Clarence, my kitty who sleeps on the couch near Mike.
- My daughter Emily who is an amazing woman!
- My son-in-law Jared who is talented in so many ways! (And who has a great dry sense of humor.)
- One of my favorite classic tv shows, The Andy Griffith Show, which happens to be playing one of my favorite episodes at this moment, “Convicts at Large”–the one with the three women escaped convicts who take Barney and Floyd prisoner in a cabin. (I told you this was a random list.)
- Christmas! From all the preparations, the shopping, the foods, the lights, the tree, the carols. The good tidings of great joy as we celebrate Jesus’ birth!
- My good health.
- My family, both near and far.
- Mom–I’m so glad she’s in my life!
- Pizza nights.
- The basics–running water, indoor plumbing, electricity, heat by simply turning on my thermostat. How easy we have it compared to our ancestors!
- The gift of writing.
- My library of books from how-to, fiction, Bibles, self-help, history, biographies, and so much more. (And the teachers who taught me how to read and appreciate them.)
- My friends, many of whom are writers.
- My writing critique group.
- My friend Candace who has been with me through many years in this writing gig!
- My friend Joy whom God brought into my life all the way from South Africa.
- Living in the Midwest.
- Living on a farm, the best way to grow up. I will always be a farm girl at heart!
- People from my past, good and bad, who’ve shaped me into the person I am.
- A peaceful home.
- A moral upbringing.
- The freedom to strive and be anything in a country of unlimited opportunities!
- A God who loves me more than I can ever imagine!
How’s that for random?
May you be truly blessed as we enjoy this Christmas season and head toward the promise of a new year and brand-new start!
Our Stump Garden 2021
Inside: We’re back again for the fifth year in a row to show you our Stump Garden 2021! Take a peek and see what’s new.
A Simple Stump
The first two years, it seemed like we were putting a great deal of work into our stump garden, but three years in, all of the past perennial plantings paid off. (Say that ten times really fast!) The creeping jenny comes back with a brilliant display of yellow that extends from early spring until the middle of fall. The sedums keep showing up, too. So does the silver mound.
Last year I added red salvia, which reseeds itself, as does the Mexican firebush which has tagged along for a few years now. As for annuals, I tucked in vinca, which came in a couple different colors this year–pale pink (my favorite) and fuchsia. Vinca holds up well to dry conditions, so I don’t have to constantly water my stump. I also planted some red begonias, and the ones the rabbits didn’t get did great. And I can’t forget the mums from my mum. (I couldn’t resist!) Those were planted during the fall.
Admittedly, she looked better in the height of summer, but I’ve gotten a lot of pleasure watching the changing colors of my stump as the gardening days moved through three seasons. We’re due to get our first frost this coming week, and it’s always a little sad to see it end. But come spring, when warm breezes come, my yearly show will return once more.