…When you’re Andy Williams (totally stole that from a grumpy cat meme) no judgement.
I stayed with my Grandparents for a few days earlier this month and had a rock awesome time watching shows, cooking, looking through 1960’s and 70’s photos of my parents, here are a few gems (he he he)
In addition Grandmother and I gorged ourselves on holiday television programming. The all-time highlight was a Christmas Special on PBS, The Best of Andy Williams Christmas.
Now when I told my dear Mother that I was watching this, eyes unblinking like a child at the mantle waiting on Santa Christmas Eve, I could literally hear her roll her eyes, much to my surprise she asked, “Cara, it’s so campy, how can you handle it?” to which I replied “That’s the beauty of it! It’s so saccharin sweet that it’s authentic, Andy Williams literally believed everything he was singing! To Andy it was the most wonderful time of the year and it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas! His smile and cheese was authentic, how can I handle it, I love it because it is truly felt, and that warms my heart”.
The other thing is, it’s all being seen with new eyes. I didn’t have this on a B&W in the background of my childhood. The show ended practically a decade before I was born. I didn’t even know Andy Williams was the one singing about Christmas on the radio starting the day after Thanksgiving till the New Year. Watching him talk about the show, his family and the memories they had making it, was a treat.
The sets were as plastic as they come, the costumes over the top, and did I mention his array of matching outfits with his brothers! Hilarious! I am personally fond of the white turtle neck combo.
But that’s the glory of it. I think there’s something in me, maybe even in all the millennial kids that lived through the recession, to want to know it’s going to be ok, that our family will surround us and sing and laugh and dance, that the world isn’t such a scary place, with no jobs and people taking advantage of each other and these awful wars. Maybe if we all watched a little more Andy Williams we’d appreciate it (sorry about the speech, I’ll come down off my soap box now).
Blessings to you and your loved ones this Holiday Season, hold them tight, tell them you love them and sing a few carols for good cheer.
Merry Christmas to you and a Happy New Year!
Peace and Love,
Carazona
P.S. And I know it wasn’t all easy for Andy and his wife apparently she was…well wild, “ran away with that professional skier!” Oh my! Well that’s what Grandmother said anyway 😉
Chantilly Lace 