Holiday greetings!

December 25, 2006 at 4:59 AM

Happy holidays to everyone at V.com!

We are enjoying Christmas with Robert's family in Celebration, Florida, where we have experienced snow. Actually, we experience the nightly showering of “Disney snow” in the downtown area of this Disney-made town. As the kids learned quickly, Disney snow is warm, and made out of soap bubbles. A shirt soaked in soap-bubble snow gets very itchy!

Christmas away from home does involve some compromising, some improvising, and for me, some music-stand devising.

It's a shoebox music stand. Go to a strange city, buy shoes, and you get a music stand, free! (Robert calls this “chick logic.”)

Though I knew my entire schedule would be thrown out of wack, I did bring a fiddle to Orlando so that I could practice. I'm learning Pag Caprice No. 4, and I'm considering that deal with the devil. Does anyone know the devil's e-mail address? If I take the deal, will I really be able to whip up and down the fingerboard in a perfect sequence of tenths? How did Nicolo work this?

But I digress; the topic here is Christmas, and here I am contemplating a potentially fiery future.

Christmas is about babies, and traveling enormous distances to see them. That is what we are doing this year; we flew from LA to Orlando to meet a baby:

Hannah!

She is my new niece; Robert's sister's new baby and my children's only cousin. We brought her little clothes and drawings from the kids, a stuffed Pooh bear, etc. We love her madly, just because she exists.

And that is all I shall say about Christmas, other than have a great day today, whatever you celebrate!

From Sydney M.
Posted on December 25, 2006 at 6:22 AM

Awwww, your neice is so cute!

Haha, I like your music stand. I had to do something similar in Germany except instead of a shoe box, I used plastic tubs and a basket!

Happy holidays :-)

From Jim W. Miller
Posted on December 25, 2006 at 9:44 AM

devil@hell.com is his business address. Ten years ago I posted this topic on another site - worth it to sell soul to devil? People there were like you don't even want to joke about that...
Open cases make good music stands. This year I'm staying up for Santa. I'm going to...ah, what's that! Sleeping gas! Foiled again zzzzzz.

From parmeeta bhogal
Posted on December 25, 2006 at 12:57 PM

She is so cute!!!

merry holidays everyone

From Tom Holzman
Posted on December 25, 2006 at 4:33 PM

It looks as if you forgot to get her a v.com shirt for Christmas. For shame! Have a Merry X-mas and Happy New Year!

From Maura Gerety
Posted on December 25, 2006 at 8:59 PM

Aaawwwwww.....Hannah is adorable! :)

As for shoebox music stands, I've never done that but I've found that an open violin case works just as well.

From Ray Randall
Posted on December 25, 2006 at 9:17 PM

Cute baby. Agree, she need a V.Com shirt.
If you already have one a case is cheaper than shoes, unless you need the shoes.
Have a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a great New Year everyone.

Ray

From Laurie Niles
Posted on December 26, 2006 at 12:04 AM

You guys are right! I think we'll have to custom make a shirt small enough for Hannah, though! Somehow my music always falls down when I use my case. As for the reasonableness and economic sense of buying new shoes, well...

From Clare Chu
Posted on December 26, 2006 at 1:15 AM

Paganini #4 is for the brave! Finger gymnastics, think of it like that.

Hannah is so adorable and sweet. You ought to have a miniature violin for her too, and yes, a violinis.com t-shirt or one-sie. Merrrry Christmas!!!

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on December 26, 2006 at 2:29 AM

This is for your beautiful niece:

May you grow up big and strong
May your life be rich and long
May your nights be filled with song
Welcome to the world.

Thanks again to you and Robert for bringing us v.com. Merry Xmas and a very happy New Year to all.

From Karin Lin
Posted on December 26, 2006 at 4:04 AM

Merry Christmas, Laurie and Robert! Love the chick logic. ;) And yes, Hannah is beautiful! Many blessings to you all.

From Neil Cameron
Posted on December 26, 2006 at 4:45 AM

Woohoo! A baby and a babe. :)

Neil