Christmas gifts

Recordings to Hear Before You Die

~ Bri Sperry-Renfrew ~ 6 Comments

I noticed a fantastic phenomenon as my children were exchanging gifts this Christmas: much of it centered around music – CD’s, downloads, band T-shirts, concert tickets, etc.  Though they range in age from 10 to 24, this was common ground for them all.

I also noticed – while I was crying tears of joy over the symphony tickets that three of them gave me (Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue performed by the Phoenix Symphony!) and my husband was perusing his new Rolling Stones book – that the kids were all burbling about bands I’d never heard of.   I love their audacious sense of musical exploration.    In fact, they’ve inspired me to begin an adventure of my own.

Actually, I suppose it would be more honest to  say that my kids have re-inspired me.  I’ve wanted to embark upon this adventure ever since I gave my husband the book, “1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die” for our 25th wedding anniversary.  I thought we could spend our next 25 years working our way through it.  My husband and I always exchange gifts we’d like to receive ourselves; I give him books, he gives me cooking utensils – with the exception of that particular instance, when he gave me a trip to Ireland.  Utensils or not, his gifts usually top mine.  Neither of us, however, have made any progress in the book.  Until today.

Today is my birthday.  I am now the age my father was when he died.  Not only am I struck, once again, by how young he was, but I’m amazed at how I’ve seen God do so much through a life cut so short.  My siblings and I – the abundant bounty and adventures of our lives – are evidence that God does indeed “restore the years that the locust have eaten.” (Joel 2:25)  Our father’s years were short, but they have been restored through the lives of his children and grandchildren – at least that’s the way I see it.   For me, this has meant a life rich in music and books.  That is why this book – about music – is the perfect capstone for a birthday which is for me wrapped up in no small amount of bewilderment and blessing.

I’ve added a new page to my blog, “Song Journal.”  It is in no way intended as an alternative to Tom Moon’s book.  It is, however, based upon his interesting and inspiring recommendations.  I hope you’ll join me on this adventure.

Judging a book

~ Bri Sperry-Renfrew ~ 10 Comments

My husband is a master gift disguiser, beginning with our first Christmas together in our lower level one-bedroom in the shadow of the Rockies.  While our upstairs neighbor was getting high and coming up with new schemes to try to borrow money from us, and our kitten, Haley, was cometing around our Charlie Brown Christmas tree, he was wrapping up nuts and bolts for masterful plots of deception.  This year is no different.  Let the games begin.

I take a different tack – especially when it comes to wrapping up the plots themselves.  This year I’m intentionally going out of my way to make them obvious.  Whether you asked for a book or not, you’ll be able to tell that you’re getting one.  Your eye will spy it and you’ll be tempted to laugh at my inept skills in the art of surprise, but as you handle the rectangular packages with the tell-tale indentation on one side, you’ll be sucked into unraveling my own little yarn.  You’ll unknowingly be reading the unwritten message on the back of the package.  You can’t see the words, but with Braille-like finesse you’ll be reading them:

“Herein lies a book.  It may or may not be one from your wish list.  It may have been especially selected because the giver spied it on a shelf or a bin in a bookstore and lovingly perused the contents and thought it would be the perfect one for you.  As your imagination grapples to get its bearings, picture yourself reading this book – a Mystery for now – cuddled up in that overstuffed chair in the dimly lit corner opposite the twinkling, fragrant tree.  While everyone else is at the kitchen table destroying one another in a raucous game of Skip-Bo, you’ll be lost in your own little world – whatever world that is – whatever world you are holding in your hands right now.  You’ll sense the presence of your loved ones and that will comfort you and embolden you to unreservedly strike out on a new journey through pristine, unsullied pages – or perhaps through pages a little yellowed, a little musty, a little marked with a mysterious stranger’s inky scribbles.  No, you can’t precisely judge it by its wrapping.  Its size and feel have told you enough to hook you.  Like every good story, you won’t really know where it will take you until you unwrap it.  That will happen soon enough, but for now just keep rereading this teaser, this prologue to hours of happiness.  The more you do, the more you’ll wonder and the more enthralling will be that moment when you finally know to which world you’re headed.“