*Christmas Part Dip* A recipe for attending Christmas parties. Features Steve Montoya on electric guitar, with Doug Garvey on bass, and Ron Gatzen percussion. *If You're Feeling Blue This Christmas Time* Suggestions for making this Christmas special. Features Doug Garvey on bass, with Grace Thomas on piano and Ron Gatzen percussion. *Christmas In Pueblo* Pueblo, Colorado, is well known for its ethnic diversity, but this shows up foremost at Christmas time. Features Dave Gouge on accordion and Jim Schafer on violin, with Doug Garvey on bass, and Ron Gatzen percussion. *She's Just A Little Girl At Christmas* Even big girls get excited at Christmas, and we love them year round. Just Ed on vocals with acoustic. *Christmas Carole* Hope and love at Christmas. Steve Montoya plays the blues, with Doug Garvey on bass, and Ron Gatzen on percussion. *Missing You This Christmas Day* This haunting arrangement gets to something that is often left unsaid at Christmas. Grace Thomas on piano. *Serial Samurai Santa Slayer* First of the "live" trilogy featuring Ed at vocals and acoustic guitar, serious sentiments of Christmas silliness. *Christmas Time Debate* Second of the "live" trilogy, this song debates the value of Christmas and how it has changed over time. How does he sing harmony and melody at the same time? *Oh These Christmas Times* Part three of the "live" trilogy, lamenting the sillier aspects of life at Christmas. All songs feature Ed Hill on vocals and acoustic guitar. Each song was recorded, mixed, engineered, and mastered by Steve Hobson and Tyler Hobson, the Hideout@Mace's Hole LLC, Beulah, Colorado. Graphic art assistance Tony Petree. Cover pups, Jacob and Charlotte. ALBUM LYRICS IF YOU'RE FEELING BLUE THIS CHRISTMAS TIME by Ed Hill If you're feeling blue this Christmas time Think about it maybe as if you were a child. With your eyes so full of candy canes You cannot see this whole wide world gone wild. And may the gift--the baby Jesus-- Be a love you can hold dear. And the joy that this releases Give you peace throughout the year. If you're feeling blue this Christmas time Think about it maybe as if you've grown old, With a mind just full of jolly Christmas memories Just waiting to be told. If you're feeling joy this Christmas time Be sure to share it with the young and the old, For we're all in need of hope these days Especially as this New Year will unfold. And may the gift--the baby Jesus-- Be a love you can hold dear. And the joy that this releases Give you peace throughout the year. OH! THESE CHRISTMAS TIMES by Ed Hill I guess I’ll add an inch to these love handles, these love handles. My belt will never cinch o’er these love handles, these love handles. These seven cookies I have for brunch Will be made flesh before after lunch. Oh! These Christmas times! I guess I lack the skill for this package wrapping, this package wrapping. And surely lost the will for this package wrapping, this package wrapping. This pretty paper, ribbon, and tape Will never let this present escape. Oh! These Christmas times! I think I’ve had enough of this mall crawling, this mall crawling. Things got a little rough with this mall crawling, mall crawling. Two silver bracelets fell in my sack Then morphed to handcuffs behind my back. Oh! These Christmas times! I guess I drank too much at the office party, the office party. Then had one extra schlep at the office party, the office party. Yes! I did slur my words to the boss To tell her I wasn't too drunk to unbutton her blouse. Oh! These Christmas times! Seems I’ll add a second inch to these love handles, these love handles. My pants will bind and pinch on these love handles, these love handles. This buttered muffin, just as a snack, Becomes a muffin top on me, both front and in back. Oh! These Christmas times! CHRISTMAS CAROL by Ed Hill With those sad Christmas blues, cold and alone, Just one more soldier on leave far from home, I had been searching, but no hope had I found, Till I heard a sweet Christmas sound. The sound of a carol my ears did meet, Stronger and sweeter, as I made my way up that street. Where so bright and inviting, like a dream coming true: My favorite colors of Christmas---red, white, and blue. There was music and there was laughter As I made my way through that door. And an angel, singing so sweetly, Met me there as I made my way 'cross the floor. I looked in her eyes. She took my hand, And said to me softly, “It seems that I’ve found my man”. And the world felt so happy, as Christmas should be, Since Carol, my Christmas Carol, came to me. Now there’s music and there's laughter As I make my way through that door. And an angel, singing so sweetly Meets me there as I make my way 'cross the floor. And this whole world is happy, like Christmas should be, And there’s two more little angels kneeling by my Christmas tree. No more of those sad and lonesome Christmas blues for me, Now since Carol, my sweet Christmas Carol, came to me. SHE’S JUST A LITTLE GIRL AT CHRISTMAS by Ed Hill She opens up her eyes, registers date and time, Then flies from bed like a 6-year-old in bliss. She beelines for the tree to mine the gold she expects from me. She’s just a little girl at Christmas. But in the summertime, don’t you know she’s a soccer mom, And a reason for Thanksgiving when Fall’s aglow. She’s in my arms at midnight to bring in the New Year, She’s a bright-eyed Easter bunny under the April snow. A critic when I drive. Jealous when I watch football games. The boss when doing chores, and my Mom when I’m remiss. And so I ask myself, “How can a full grown woman behave this way And be just a little girl at Christmas." MISSING YOU THIS CHRISTMAS DAY by Ed Hill The tree is fully lighted. Presents all are wrapped, The carols on the radio sublime. The kids are all excited, but I just can’t adapt, Because I’m missing you this Christmas time. In my mind I replay episodes cherished as a boy: Footballs games, and caroling, and sleighs. But now that I am older I recognize the joy Of just being together Christmas day. The Christmas banquet’s over. The guests have headed home. The china and the silver put away. The rest are off to bed now, while I sit here alone. I am missing you this Christmas day. Yes I am missing you this Christmas day. How I am missing you this Christmas day. CHRISTMAS PARTY DIP by Ed Hill Unleash a pint of sour cream into a party bowl. Add a cup of parmesan, grated, never whole. Add a pound of spinach, thawed and chopped up thin. Be sure to drain the spinach before you blend it in. Christmas party dip. Christmas party dip. Christmas party dip. You'll be well equipped with Xmas party dip. (Serve it up with chips.) Here's a shot of Gramma in her Christmas negligee And here's a shot of Grandpa, slipping her away. Here's a shot of Mom and Dad, full of Christmas glee. And here's that one of you and me beneath the Christmas tree. Christmas party clip. Christmas party clip. Christmas party clip. You'll we well equipped, with Christmas party clips. Never drink and travel. Don't be last to leave. Always thank the hostess, for putting out on Christmas Eve. Don't be shy and quiet, but don't get drunk and loud. Try hard to not embarrass us. Try to do us proud. Christmas party tip. Christmas party tip. Christmas party tip. You'll be well equipped with Christmas party tips. Christmas party dip. Christmas party clips. Christmas party tips. You'll be well equipped, you Christmas party dip. CHRISTMAS IN PUEBLO by Ed Hill Enjoy all the snowflakes while they're still around. They can't last forever in this "banana belt' town. Then crank up your spirits south side, north, west and east. It's Xmas in Pueblo. And hey! You're in for feast. First Christmas chile, in bright red and green, But save some tamales for this New Year's Eve, Panettone and baklava, with southwestern flare, Or maybe empanadas for a mince meat affair. We're last minute shopping down old Union Street, Then to some bojohn hangout for something to eat. Klobasi and progies, and sloppers are found Too bad there's no Walter's to wash it all down. But we're off to sing carols. But where? Suit yourself! There's more churches and taverns than anywhere else. And then for a cruise of those River Walk lights. Button up tightly, Posada's tonight. I'll crack open the Slivovich, and we'll do it up right. Or have a last slice of potica, if you have to take flight. We have tradition, both varied and bright It's Xmas in Pueblo, in this Town of Heroes tonight. It's Xmas in Pueblo, and may peace be with you's tonight. SERIAL SAMURAI SANTA SLAYER by Ed Hill I hate the lights and glitz that come at Christmas. I hate those freaky reindeer balloons. But the very worst of all is the blow-up Santa Claus, The kind when you walk by play Christmas tunes. So I'm a serial samurai Santa slayer. Slipping and a'sliding down your street. And if you're into pneumatic, think of me as veg-o-matic. Your blow-up Christmas Santa Claus is meat. CHRISTMASTIME DEBATE by Ed Hill While driving home for the holidays I met up with a ghost. He was headed down the interstate enroute to see his folks. I was headed east toward the Kansas plains. The weather turned to snow from rain, So I pulled off to try the truckers’ host. I slid into a booth and then I ordered coffee, black. It started getting crowded, people standing front to back. I saw his reflection in the mirror, Beckoned once to bring him near, And invited him to join me for a snack. He said he once loved Christmas back when I was just a boy, But nowadays this Christmas thing is treated like a toy That folks bring out just once a year With too much glitz and too much beer. A trend he was determined to destroy. He said we’d lost a purpose among the excess lights and toys, Among the pregnant teenaged girls, and smart-assed little boys. Too busy watching football To see the end result. A fact that all our enemies exalt. I argued. We had holidays so folks could get away And take a break from stressors just from living day to day. A time to draw the family near, To catch up with friends both far and near, To find the peace to rise above the fray. He spoke about the custom of sending Christmas cards to friends With diaries and updates full of lies that never end. A time to gloat and strut about. A time to draw the envy out. The sort of thing it takes a year to mend. Well I finished up my coffee and said I did not agree. Although he had his points he hadn’t sold them all to me. There were still those times, that I held dear, When miracles occurred each year, That it would take some time for us to see. He said I’d lost the argument if that had been my best, That each and every Christmas people just got more depressed. The season was a place to hide, A thin veneer to cast aside, Exposing all the nothing we invest. That’s when I took my Christmas thoughts and put them on the shelf. It made no sense to linger there and argue with myself. I could carry on this long debate Driving through the snow across the state. It doesn’t pay to argue with yourself. And somewhere in Missouri the snow began to ease. It had blanketed the hillocks and glistened in the trees. And as the sun rose Christmas day The great debate did melt away, And finally I had found some peace.