My Bro has a CD...that is perfect for this time of year.

Andrew J. Shelden
On Christmas Night
© 2002 Andrew J. Shelden (783707634722)

CD price: $9.99
CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.


An eclectic blending of traditional holiday tunes with jazz/new age improvisational stylings. Alternating between moments of playful whimsy and ethereal beauty, between somber majesty to exuberant joytracks


1 God Rest You Merry, Gents
2 Light Snow
3 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing Away in a Manger
4 O Come, O Come Immanuel
5 On Christmas Night
6 The First Noel
7 What Child Is This?
8 Jingle Bells
9 Here We Come A-Wassailing
10 Deck the Hall
11 Of The Father's Love Begotten
12 We Three Kingstry this

Andrew J. Shelden is a classically trained, jazz-influenced pianist, organist and composer. He also plays double bass, percussion, tin whistles and bagpipes. He began serving as organist for local churches at the age of twelve. Andrew studied music at the College of the Siskiyous and at the University of the Pacific's Conservatory of Music before completing his Bachelor of the Arts at Southern Oregon University. Andrew has been guest organist in churches from Ventura to Seattle and as far east as Denver and has played by invitation at the Governor's Mansion in Sacramento, CA and has toured northern Europe, performing in Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Russia as well as Scotland and Ireland. He has been composing music since before he could play. His compositions range from jazz and new age arrangements of Christmas carols and other piano solos to full orchestral pieces in Classical, Romantic and Baroque mode, as well as his own blend of Neo-Classical, Jazz and 20th Century styles. Andrew's work includes organ concert pieces, a Christmas cantata, a piano concerto and a Concerto for Irish Pennywhistle and Chamber Orchestra, in addition to dozens of pieces for solo piano and Celtic-flavored pieces and a musical comedy-adventure about pirates. Andrew serves as Director of Music Ministries and Organist at First United Methodist Church in Charlottesville, Virginia and has served as Staff Accompanist at the College of the Siskiyous in Weed, CA, where he taught and created courses in Music.

To read why Andrew Shelden is "George Winston on steroids," check out a review of this CD on ChristmasReviews.com.

What the papers have said about Andrew and his performances:

"emotionally charged....incredible depth and breadth of tone and color... ...subtleties and power.......substantial classical chops and...a heaping helping of jazz and improvisational skills. The result is a blending of classical and jazz elements for interesting arrangements, complete with a wink and a smile...."
Siskiyou Daily News

"...haunting...sentimental....fiery...original...fun....delightful selections....a real crowd pleaser...."
Pioneer Press

".... accomplished...."
Medford Mail Tribune

"..free and open....Shelden's arrangements evoke a diverse range of tone, texture and emotion. ...rollicking...haunting...a delight to the ear."
Mt. Shasta Herald


YOU TOO can hear samples of this CD here...

a few things Kade

Well, as you may know, there is this reaper of souls called 'death'. Every once in a while a visit to the costume box will allow you to personally change into the reaper. Today, Kade decided this would be fun. Soon he was finding us in the kitchen. He asked me to step aside so he could approached Jeff.
"Are you Jeff?", the reaper asks.
"No!" Jeff answers as he points at me. "She is."
"I don't believe you." says the reaper. "Come with me."
So they go into the next room. The reaper asks Jeff to lay down and prepare himself for the worst. The reaper proceeds to take Jeff's soul. Then, the reaper sews Jeff back up and says he can go back into the kitchen and get the reaper some food.

Playtime lasts most of the day. Kade is especially good at creating games. Today, in the fort they made in the closet that houses all the toy bins, Kade made up a dice game he called 'Dice of power'. In this game each player has a die. On their turn they toss the die against the second tier of toy bins. If it falls into a bin, it's the next players turn. If the die falls to the floor and is a 1, 2, 3 or 4, the player gets the correlating number of points. If the die falls to the floor and is a 5 or a 6, the player gets to have another turn. The first person to get to 20 wins. Today, Kade was keeping track of the score by comparing numbers. So at one point he had 4 points and Jeff had 1. Kade noted that he was 3 ahead...until Jeff rolled a 2. Then Kade figured out he was only 1 ahead. The next turn, Kade rolled a 3, at which point he added up his own score to 7 and was pleased when Jeff only rolled a 3. This meant the score was Kade 7, Jeff 6. This went on until Kade won.

This is only two snippets from the day...it's like this a lot.

Fun times at the park!!

We have such a great time at the park days. Thankfully we have some great photographers in our group! I am constantly thankful they take the pictures while we are out there having fun! Here is the latest park day compilation of pictures taken by Mandy. Many are of the fun time the kids had playing a game called elbow tag. It's like tag, only there is only one chaser and one chasee at one time. Everyone had so much fun playing...hope you get the feeling of how much fun they all had!


Park Day 1 Dec 08 from Beachbum on Vimeo.

Kade is getting ready!

We started decorating today. In honor of that, Kade built some Legos! Then, he asked us to see a show he was putting on. Here it is! Don't forget to turn off the music on the side bar before you start the video...


Kade's Christmas tale from Beachbum on Vimeo.

Monopoly

Kai enjoys this game very much. Kade gets about 4 or 5 turns into it and is done. I don't mind the game, but Jeff is not fond of it.

Jeff's thoughts continually go to the feelings that the game goes on forever. In light of this, he has now started to play where all the properties are divided amongst the players, an extra $1,000.00 goes to each player and then the game goes on as usual. This does speed up the game.

Even though this satisfies Jeff's need for a quicker game with an end, I have a harder time playing this way. I have never been really graceful at losing Monopoly in particular, for two reasons...I don't like the feeling of having everything taken away from me...second, I don't like the feeling of taking everything away from another person, either...so I am hurt when someone is enjoying the winning. I try to remember just to think of the fun of playing with someone. I do. Most times I can save myself from diving into that nasty place where I get upset about it, but sometimes I don't catch myself soon enough.

I still ask myself, though, why is it that I can play Shoots and Ladders and laugh at my ability to make it so close to the top and still take the longest slide down at the very last minute. It is comical the number of times I get so close. Same with games like Candy Land. I love gingerbread...think that might be why I seem to get that Gingerbread card when I am but a few squares from the rainbow end? I also love to play card games and generally do not have trouble playing them when I am on the losing side. So what is it about that Monopoly game that gets me so?

I was much happier when we could play from the beginning so we started with nothing and then finished the game when we were on our way to acquiring property and money. This seems so much happier to me...getting things...rather than taking things. I don't mind the time it takes. Eventually we all tire of sitting and acquiring and decide to do something new. Sometimes we even keep the game up and play the next day...and that is good for me, too, since we are still gaining rather than losing or taking.

However, open ended games are not something Jeff does well. So how do I find the balance of what he can do and what I can do? I'm still not sure. What I think I'll try next time is to see if we can't play the game two ways...one way with Jeff and one way with me. This will have to do for now...until I can figure out how to resolve my inner thoughts and make the seemingly win/lose situation seem more like a win/win.

I think it wont matter much to the boys...they still will want to play...and I'll still want to spend my time with them.

Odetta...another voice I shall miss

First, put the music on the side bar on pause. Then come back and listen...



I'm sure you'd recognize her as the one who recorded "This Little Light of Mine".

Thank you, Odetta, for letting your light shine for us.

She's here!

With her cool kids. I was able to enjoy a few hours...and then will have to wait till she comes back! Check out Shannon's website and her blog.

Get ready for some raw food fun!!!

This is what happens...

When you leave the camera around. Our sweet boy, Kade, loves to use it! I love going through the pictures at the end of the day and seeing what part of life he was interested in...

First we have the self portrait.


Then we have the salt light through the magnifying glass.


And not through the magnifying glass.


And these he loved making with his alien as his model.

Alien by Kade from Beachbum on Vimeo.

Then you have the candid shots of family that is ok with him taking pictures...

Gratitude

I had meant to post this picture a long time ago. It is of my Grams and Gramps. Every day I give thanks I was able to spend time with them. They were (are in our hearts) wonderful people I strive to be more like every day. Miss them much.

For my friend, Frank.

I just took this off of Franks blog...and thought I'd do it, even though I don't have much to add...

Join in if you feel moved to do so.

A) Four places that I go to over and over:
1. beach
2. beach
3. Yarn shop
4. parks

B) Four people who e-mail me regularly:
Four is also pushing the whole of my friends that keep in regular touch.
1. Jeff
2. Gardenia
3. UnschoolSanDiego Yahoo group!
4. did I already say Jeff?

C) Four of my favorite places to eat:
1. Stoke's Adobe, Monterey, CA
2. Naked Cafe, Carlsbad, CA
3. Tarpy's Roadhouse, Monterey, CA
4. Japanese Cafe, Vista, CA

D) Four other places I would rather be right now:
1. with extended "family"
2. Mt. Shasta, CA
3. State College, PA
4. at a Non-con

E) Four people I think will respond:
Hopefully someone!

F) Four TV shows I watch:
I'm going to say this is for someone else to answer...cause I find that I'm watching things with the kids... This is mainly due to my inability to not take on the troubles of the world via that nice contraption that can bring it directly to me.

1. Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (my favorite cartoon!)
2. can veg at any of the HGTV shows.
3. I love movies!
4. Countdown (Keith Olbermann) and Rachael Maddow during the election times...


Thanks, Frank, for posting when you do! I do read ya.