A few years ago I performed at the annual Christmas Expo (a convention of Christmas decorating enthusiasts) in the summer, and I met a gentleman named Mickey Baus. I'd met Mickey online before, as he had already commissioned a customized version of "The House on Christmas Street" for his display (I can't recall what year it was that we did that), but it was the first time I'd met him in person. He asked me to come to his display on the Sunday before Christmas, which is when he and his wife, Minnie (yes, that's her real name) hold their annual carnival. They have games and activities for kids and all the proceeds go to "Give Kids the World," which is a charity that brings ill children to Disney World. It didn't work out that I could come on my last tour, but when I was planning this tour I started with that date and worked everything else around it. That's how I wound up performing at their display last Sunday.
But first I have to tell you about earlier in the day. Several months ago, my friend Nancy told me that she was planning something extra special for her daughter's birthday. Her daughter, Christina, has been best friends with my daughter, Emma, and another girl named Jocelyn since they were in first grade. They are still thick as thieves even though Emma lives in New York, Christina lives in New Orleans and Jocelyn still lives in New Hampshire. Nancy's other daughter is my movie buddy, Megan. Nancy was planning a BIG TRIP to Florida for the birthday and she was going to bring Megan, Megan's friend Tessa, Christina, Jocelyn, Emma, and another friend of Christina's from college. AND IT JUST HAPPENED that the dates she was planning on would coincide with my dates of performing in Florida!!! So we made a plan to surprise Emma and I actually KEPT A SECRET for months about this, figuring that Emma is so busy she probably wouldn't check my calendar or know where I was on any given day. I was to meet them at their vacation condo Sunday morning and join them for a day at Sea World. We kept that secret for months and then NANCY spilled the beans THAT MORNING!!! Still, it was a great reunion and we had a WONDERFUL time at Sea World! It was so great to be with my daughter and everyone in the group and I even went on a ride and I just can't say enough how wonderful it was!!
Then I left them around five and headed for Mickey's home and was blown away by his amazing display. It's HUGE and beautiful and there were a bazillion people there plus a ton of teen volunteers and a very festive atmosphere! Plus Nancy and all the girls came to the concert too, along with my friend Ron Bunt, who is a Carpenters fan, and Ron took a lot of video and pictures and posted them on my facebook page. The audience was so hepped up and responsive that they even asked for an encore, which was a first on the tour. It made me super happy! I have to thank Mickey and Minnie for a wonderful time!
There was only one thing that was kind of a downer, and I feel I have to write about it. After the show Minnie said, "You did CHRISTMAS MUSIC!" like she was surprised. I was so confused. I didn't understand...of course I did Christmas music. But Mickey and Minnie told me they had not known what to expect from my concert because they had heard rumors from other decorators that because I am a children's musician that my concerts at decorator's houses were all just children's music and not Christmas music. NOT TRUE! It's a Christmas concert! I do a variety of original Christmas songs from my two Christmas albums plus Christmas standards, and this year I have added a sing along portion at the end of the show, before I sing "The House on Christmas Street." I know Mickey and Minnie didn't mean to upset me, they were just wonderful and so nice, but they were so surprised that I did all Christmas music and it really made me wonder how these rumors got started. They said some decorators were reluctant to invite me because they didn't think I was doing Christmas concerts. I do not get that. The only thing I can think of is that I've done my song "Candy" in the past on these tours and that's not exactly a Christmas song but I do it because it's about candy (and who doesn't love candy at Christmas?) and it's a good audience participation song. But even if you say that's just a kids' song that has nothing to do with Christmas, it's just one song out of a whole concert of Christmas songs. I know I shouldn't let this bother me but it does because they said decorators were saying they weren't going to invite me because of it. I mean, I work so hard on these tours to give a great, Christmassy experience to people all over the country, and to help raise donations for charity, and sometimes it's exhausting but I love it, and it's hurtful to think that people are saying negative things about it. Again, I want to point out that I am sure that Mickey and Minnie had no idea it was going to bother me so much when they told me that. They were so nice and happy and said they were pleased with the concert and it was a WONDERFUL evening for me aside from that one thing.
So in closing I just want to say a couple of things:
1: Don't start rumors if you don't know what you're talking about. There are many decorators who have invited me over and over again, and if you are wondering what my concerts are like just ASK them.
2. My Christmas concerts are filled with Christmas music!!!
3. THANK YOU Mickey and Minnie Baus for a wonderful evening. Your display a wonder and the event was everything you said it would be!! xoxoxo and Merry Christmas!!
And finally, the next day I started off the day visiting with my friend Jamie from NH and had a lovely time with her, and then I drove to my friend Maxine's house in Jacksonville and spend the rest of the day and night with her and it was homey and relaxing and we had a great time together. The next day, yesterday, my show in Alabama was cancelled due to rain.
Now I am in Clifty, KY with my friend Terri from NH who lives here now and we are about to go out and celebrate "A Clifty Christmas!" with Santa Claus, cookies, fun and a Judy Pancoast CHRISTMAS concert!!!!!
AND NOW I AM ALL CAUGHT UP!!!!
But first I have to tell you about earlier in the day. Several months ago, my friend Nancy told me that she was planning something extra special for her daughter's birthday. Her daughter, Christina, has been best friends with my daughter, Emma, and another girl named Jocelyn since they were in first grade. They are still thick as thieves even though Emma lives in New York, Christina lives in New Orleans and Jocelyn still lives in New Hampshire. Nancy's other daughter is my movie buddy, Megan. Nancy was planning a BIG TRIP to Florida for the birthday and she was going to bring Megan, Megan's friend Tessa, Christina, Jocelyn, Emma, and another friend of Christina's from college. AND IT JUST HAPPENED that the dates she was planning on would coincide with my dates of performing in Florida!!! So we made a plan to surprise Emma and I actually KEPT A SECRET for months about this, figuring that Emma is so busy she probably wouldn't check my calendar or know where I was on any given day. I was to meet them at their vacation condo Sunday morning and join them for a day at Sea World. We kept that secret for months and then NANCY spilled the beans THAT MORNING!!! Still, it was a great reunion and we had a WONDERFUL time at Sea World! It was so great to be with my daughter and everyone in the group and I even went on a ride and I just can't say enough how wonderful it was!!
Then I left them around five and headed for Mickey's home and was blown away by his amazing display. It's HUGE and beautiful and there were a bazillion people there plus a ton of teen volunteers and a very festive atmosphere! Plus Nancy and all the girls came to the concert too, along with my friend Ron Bunt, who is a Carpenters fan, and Ron took a lot of video and pictures and posted them on my facebook page. The audience was so hepped up and responsive that they even asked for an encore, which was a first on the tour. It made me super happy! I have to thank Mickey and Minnie for a wonderful time!
There was only one thing that was kind of a downer, and I feel I have to write about it. After the show Minnie said, "You did CHRISTMAS MUSIC!" like she was surprised. I was so confused. I didn't understand...of course I did Christmas music. But Mickey and Minnie told me they had not known what to expect from my concert because they had heard rumors from other decorators that because I am a children's musician that my concerts at decorator's houses were all just children's music and not Christmas music. NOT TRUE! It's a Christmas concert! I do a variety of original Christmas songs from my two Christmas albums plus Christmas standards, and this year I have added a sing along portion at the end of the show, before I sing "The House on Christmas Street." I know Mickey and Minnie didn't mean to upset me, they were just wonderful and so nice, but they were so surprised that I did all Christmas music and it really made me wonder how these rumors got started. They said some decorators were reluctant to invite me because they didn't think I was doing Christmas concerts. I do not get that. The only thing I can think of is that I've done my song "Candy" in the past on these tours and that's not exactly a Christmas song but I do it because it's about candy (and who doesn't love candy at Christmas?) and it's a good audience participation song. But even if you say that's just a kids' song that has nothing to do with Christmas, it's just one song out of a whole concert of Christmas songs. I know I shouldn't let this bother me but it does because they said decorators were saying they weren't going to invite me because of it. I mean, I work so hard on these tours to give a great, Christmassy experience to people all over the country, and to help raise donations for charity, and sometimes it's exhausting but I love it, and it's hurtful to think that people are saying negative things about it. Again, I want to point out that I am sure that Mickey and Minnie had no idea it was going to bother me so much when they told me that. They were so nice and happy and said they were pleased with the concert and it was a WONDERFUL evening for me aside from that one thing.
So in closing I just want to say a couple of things:
1: Don't start rumors if you don't know what you're talking about. There are many decorators who have invited me over and over again, and if you are wondering what my concerts are like just ASK them.
2. My Christmas concerts are filled with Christmas music!!!
3. THANK YOU Mickey and Minnie Baus for a wonderful evening. Your display a wonder and the event was everything you said it would be!! xoxoxo and Merry Christmas!!
And finally, the next day I started off the day visiting with my friend Jamie from NH and had a lovely time with her, and then I drove to my friend Maxine's house in Jacksonville and spend the rest of the day and night with her and it was homey and relaxing and we had a great time together. The next day, yesterday, my show in Alabama was cancelled due to rain.
Now I am in Clifty, KY with my friend Terri from NH who lives here now and we are about to go out and celebrate "A Clifty Christmas!" with Santa Claus, cookies, fun and a Judy Pancoast CHRISTMAS concert!!!!!
AND NOW I AM ALL CAUGHT UP!!!!
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