Edge-WOOD Lights, Anderson, IN Dec. 16

I've been trying to get caught up on the blog, but tonight I want to write about today while it's fresh in my mind and then I'll go back and recap the weekend.  I'm sitting here in my motel room reflecting on the day and I can't help but smile.  During the drive here to Indiana I felt sad most of the time. It was rainy, I was thinking about what happened in CT at that school, and for part of the time I was on the phone talking with my brother about my mother, who is 86 years old and in failing health.  It wasn't a happy day.
But tonight, during the show, I was filled with happiness and I thank God for that.  Paul and Jo Wood greeted me in the driveway of their home, where they had a beautiful display and had set up a stage surrounded by poinsettias for me, with lighting and even a space heater on the stage. They had thought of everything.  They had the street blocked off and over a hundred people came to the concert, dancing in the street with their kids....and during "Christmas Every Day," when I always say "If you came here tonight with someone who makes it Christmas every day of the year for you I want you to hold that person close during this song," I saw several elderly couples holding hands, and parents holding their children close.  It is an amazing feeling to witness all of that from where I stand during a concert, and it filled up all that empty space inside of me.  The sweet girl who got up to sing Frosty, Audie Kate, was just the cutest thing you ever saw...five years old and a little darling....and after the show she came up to see me and tell me that she had seen Justin Beiber in concert and that "Call Me Maybe girl" too, but she thought I was great too!  I said, "Really, as good as Justin Beiber?" and she said, "I have Beiber Fever!"  Only she couldn't pronounce the "r"s very well, so it came out sounding like "Beiboh Fevoh" and I'm chuckling still now as I sit here thinking about it.
I may get cranky and discouraged, but I wouldn't trade what I do for anything in the world. To be able to interact with beautiful little children like that makes my life Christmas every day!  And the grown-ups are a pretty okay bunch too!
The one older gentleman who got up to sing "Candy" did not hesitate to join me on-stage, and when he did he sidled right up next to me and clamped his arm around me. I was a little taken aback, to be honest!! But he turned out to be alright, and the real kicker was when his beautiful blonde grown-up daughter got up to dance during the song.  She had all the moves and it was great entertainment!
Oh..I want to mention that, before the show, I got the grand tour of the den with all of Paul and Jo's "Star Trek" memorabilia and it was incredible.  They had autographed photos and posters and even dolls of the original cast.  What fun!  And I learned that Paul and Jo were introduced to each other by mutual acquaintances who both knew that each of them had a thing for Star Trek. It was a match made in the final frontier!!
I also want to mention that Joanna has made the loveliest setting for her lighted Christmas village...it appeared to utilize those papier mache "mountains" that are used with model trains and it was very unique and sweet.
Speaking of Christmas villages, in addition to "The House on Christmas Street,"  Paul and Jo had sequenced a song from my new CD called "The Little Christmas Village," so I had the pleasure of doing two songs while they ran their light show sequences with the songs (for the uninitiated, a sequence is a program that makes the lights dance to the specific piece of music.  Usually during my concerts the displays are left on, or "static" until I do "The House on Christmas Street" as the last song, when the decorators run their sequences to show what they have done with the song and I sing along.)
Here are some photos from Paul and Joanna's display:

Here's the stage. Doesn't it look pretty?

I would like to have stuck around after the show, but it was after nine by the time we got everything packed up and I've got a ten hour drive to Lincoln, Nebraska tomorrow, so I had to leave. But Paul and Jo sent me off with a container of  delicious home-made chili and so I had a hearty meal to enjoy when I got to the motel here.  Again, my decorator hosts have taken good care of me, and I am so grateful.
Paul and Jo, hope to see you again this summer in Gatlinburg, and THANK YOU so much for a GREAT evening that really lifted my spirits. God bless you guys and have a wonderful Christmas! LIVE LONG AND PROSPER!!!

The Lights on Jeater Bend in Celebration, Florida, December 12

It was 12-12-12 but I hardly knew it.  I woke up bright and early and left my room at La Quinta and headed for Celebration, FL...the town that Disney built.  It's a beautiful little town where my host, Calvin Slater, had arranged for me to do two assemblies at the elementary school. I was greeted by Mrs. Cassano, the Assistant Principal, and she was just a joy to work with.  What a wonderful and fun lady who immediately made me feel like a welcomed guest.  The first assembly was Reading Our Way Across the USA for K-2 at 9:30 am.  I was really thrilled by how responsive the kids were and I just got a great feeling as we were going along that all was going really well. The second assembly was Judy Pancoast Speaks Out on Bullying, for 3-5 graders, in the afternoon.    That assembly is the one I feel the most strongly about, because after a half hour of music I get down to the nitty gritty and tell the kids a story about a girl who was teased and bullied from a very young age.  Their reactions are always interesting as I tell the true story of some of the rotten things that were done to this girl, but I love to see the looks on their faces when, toward the end, they figure out that the girl I'm talking about is me.  It's a great program, if I do say so myself, with a positive message for all kids. I wish more schools would book it, because telling my story, if it helps other kids to feel more positive about their lives, is my way of making lemonade out of lemons.
Anyway, Calvin met me at the school and attended the first assembly, and we met later for lunch at the Celebration Town Tavern.  He told me about all the many things he'd done to prepare for the concert, including arranging for the student jazz band to join me for a couple of numbers that night, which sounded like a lot of fun.
The forecast was for rain that day, but the morning had been fine so far.  However, after the second assembly, when I went to check in to the Celebration Hotel, a torrential DOWNPOUR broke through!  It only lasted a little while, however, and things were okay for the concert that night.
Calvin and his neighbors had collaborated on decorating, and as their houses are all pretty close together, I sang on the front porch of one of them.  The street was closed off and the kids from the Celebration Jazz Band were set up on the sidewalk. They played three songs before my concert began and they were great. Then I did my thing.
There was a big crowd...I think many of them were friends and relatives of the kids in the band..and they were great. More dancing in the street, more wonderful looks on the faces of the children. And, of course, singing at these houses gives me the best concert sets anyone could hope for.  But the highlight for me was, once again, when I did "Candy."  When I asked for someone with a "great big deep manly-man voice" several girls from the band practically shoved this one kid named Kevin on stage. He was a riot.  Not only did he do a great job on the "oh yeahs", but his dancing was fantastic! Plus, four or five of the girls from the band got up and danced with him. It was really entertaining and lots of fun for me to be a part of.  Later, Calvin told me that the band director said the young man was typically very shy and soft-spoken, and that he shocked everyone that night with his performance.  Honestly, I would never have though he was shy!
I was happy to see some of my friends in the audience....Lori and Paul..thank you so much for coming! I'm sorry we didn't get to visit this time as we did a couple of years ago. Regina, thank you for making the trip...it was really great for me that you enjoyed the concert.  And Ron Lister, another decorator from the area, came over and it was really a treat to see him again, especially since he was wearing his tour tee shirt from 2010!  Thanks, Ron!!  And thanks also for pitching in to help me get my gear packed up.
After the concert, Calvin introduced me to his next door neighbor,Brad, who was one of the members of the 90's band LFO.   Philip and I had taken the girls to the "All That Music and More" Festival concert tour show when they were the headliners, and I told Brad, who was very congenial, that story. Then, like a moron, I turned to his little girl and jokingly said, "Does Chinese food make you sick?" which was one of the lines of their signature song, "Summer Girls."  She just said, "What????"  and her Dad laughed. But I felt ridiculous for doing something so foolish on the spur of the moment, so I gave her a CD.    As it turned out, she had been in the group of students for the first assembly that day, and her Mom said she had come home talking about the concert, so I hope she liked the CD!
Calvin, all of your hard work paid off. It was a great concert, the lighting was super, performing with the band was fun and I think everyone had a great time. My only regret is that I left my cell phone charging in the hotel room so did not get any pictures of Calvin's display. 
Calvin, I think it is safe to say that all of your hard work paid off with a good time for all and a lot of fun for me in Celebration. Thank you so very much!

Cross Christmas in Orlando December 11

Tuesday, December 11, I arose after sleeping like the dead and headed for sunny Florida. Well, I was looking for sunshine, anyway!  I had a nice drive through the panhandle and made it to the Orlando area unscathed. For those keeping track, I finished The Bone Bed by Patricia Cornwell and started listening to the latest Dean Koontz "Odd Thomas" book.

In general, I'm not really a Koontz fan, although I've read or listened to countless of his books. He creates interesting plots, but his tendency to leave the story and wax philosophical every few pages really grates on me. As in, "Judy cowered in the closet, holding her breath as the crazed murderer rampaged through the house. Judy considered herself a Christian, but perhaps she didn't pray as much as she should. The power of prayer is an extraordinary thing. On any given day, even under the most mundane of circumstances, any ordinary and small human being can reach out and connect to the magnificent power that is God. This truly is an every day miracle that many people don't consider, and should in more situations than merely when they find themselves in danger..... Blah blah blah. ....
Get back to the story already!!
But Koontz's series about "Odd Thomas," the ordinary fry cook who can see, and help, the spirits of the "lingering dead," is original and fun. It's told in first person, and the title character is a deep, self-examining young man who is trying to discern his purpose in life in spite of the strange occurrances and unusual circumstances in which he often finds himself.  Koontz's style of writing works perfectly in this character.  In addition, "Odd Thomas" has a wonderful sense of humor and sometimes the things that happen, and his observations, are quite amusing.
It's a terrific bonus that the audiobook reader is perfect.  This is much more entertaining audiobook than the Patricia Cornwell one, and if this guy reads the whole series then I highly recommend it (I've read the other books in the series the old-fashioned way).

Now, on to Orlando.

It was Daneen Cross who contacted me to ask me to come to their display and all the time I have been communicating with her I thought she was one of the rare female "extreme" decorators.  I was totally knocked breathless when I drove up to her house and saw how bright it is!

But it turns out that this is the work of her husband, Scott...who is the shyer one of the pair.  Daneen calls herself the publicity person, and she has such a wonderful and fun, outgoing personality that this is a very good thing.  The Cross' live on a cul-de-sac and they had a boatload of people come to the concert. Daneen also gave me the grand tour of the inside of the house, which has one entire tree just decorated in blue and orange and dedicated to the Florida Gators.  Wish I'd gotten a photo of that!

She had gone out of her way to put out a lovely spread before the show, but because I did not arrive early enough to eat, I only had one deviled egg, but it was very tasty!

It was hard for me to judge, but I think there were at least 100 people out there for the concert, which was a nice crowd, and everyone was ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the display, which was just jam-packed with characters for the kids' enjoyment.  Here are some of the photos I took:

The charity is "Autism Speaks"

Sorry my photos are kind of blurry. It was impossible to get everything in!

The gorgeous white tree is the centerpiece of it all, and that lifesize Santa and Elves are really gorgeous. Plus there's a train going around the base of the tree!

A Florida Gator?

I was very happy to see two other decorators at this concert as well.  Bob Walker and his son, who hosted me in Winter Park, FL in 2010, and Michael Beason, a decorator who had also attended the 2010 concert at Bob's house.  After the show, Michael and his lovely daughter Katie treated me to dinner, and Daneen came along as well.  I think I managed to get her intrigued enough about the network of decorators in Florida that she and Scott may be inclined to join them for some of their mini workshops and events.  That's me, making matches and spreading Christmas cheer wherever I go!!

Thank you, Cross Family, for the chance to perform at your magnificent display and meet another wonderful and fun Christmas family!!

Christmas in Alabama Dec. 10

Every tour has its ups and downs, and this day was a challenge in many ways.  First of all, it was a ten hour drive in the rain.  All rain...not one bit of sunshine.  I left Tennessee early in the morning and made my way south, going through Georgia for about five minutes before I hit

and then there was still a lot more driving to do as I was headed for Grand Bay, in the very southwest corner of the state.
A few weeks ago my host, Michael, contacted me and said he had decided to move the concert location from his house to a small strip mall in town where his friend had an insurance office.  He was concerned about traffic on his small street and thought this would be a better location.  He did his best to publicize the concert and when I arrived he and six members of his extended family had been busy decorating the performance area. But alas, the best laid plans......well, as I said, every tour has its challenges. It continued to drizzle lightly throughout the show and no one came to the concert except the seven people who were there at the start.  Still, I put on the best show I could, although (and I didn't tell them this!) every time I touched the mic with my lips I got a shock! I thought I was gonna buy it right there!  But there were two kids among the family members, and everyone seemed to be having fun so I gave it my all.  I did feel bad for Michael, though, because he kept apologizing for the lack of turnout.
But you know what?  Michael did all that he could, and sometimes these things happen. And because of him and his efforts, I ended up on the ten o'clock news in Mobile!

http://video.wkrg.com/v/67878948/concert-for-toys.htm?q=Judy+Pancoast 

So there's sunshine behind the clouds after all. That was a wonderful piece which is still up on their website and even though I look sort of like a drowned weasel. 

After the show we all went back to Michael's home, where he and his mom put up the display together.  Ironically, there were a lot of cars there watching his show!!  So we went from car to car as "The House on Christmas Street" was playing and I talked to the folks and gave out autographed photos.  Most of them seemed surprised and delighted to meet "The girl on the radio" and that was really nice.  

Once we'd talked to everyone we all went inside and had pizza and chatted.  They are a very nice family and they love working together to put up the display, especially Michael's Mom, who evidently gets a real charge out of doing it every year.  Here are some of the photos.  Thank you, everybody, for a great time in "Sweet Home Alabama!"

This is an animated feature. The snowman on the left picks up a snowball, throws it in the tube, where it comes out as a teddy bear that you can see falling into the box, and then the second snowman throws it into the train. Michael and his Mom built this!

 

Forbes Family Christmas in Elizabethton, TN Dec. 9

Sunday, December 9th I was sad to leave my hubby in our hotel room...where he would shortly be picked up by our Christmas host, Keith Shaw, and taken to breakfast and then the train station to go to NYC, and then home.  I left on my nine -and-a-half hour drive to Elizabethton, Tennessee.
The ride was rainy most of the time, but I passed the time listening to the rest of the new Patricia Cornwell "Kay Scarpetta" mystery, Bone Bed.  It was only okay;  I think one of the reasons I really didn't like it is that the reader was very annoying!  She sounded very stiff and I didn't like her voice characterizations...and she pronounced several words incorrectly!  Frustrating!
Anyhow, I was very eager to meet Mary and Roger Forbes, my hosts for the evening.  Roger first made contact with me four or five years ago to talk about "The House on Christmas Street," and since then he has become a friend, but I had never met him in person.  It was so nice to finally be able to put a face to the voice, and to meet his lovely wife Mary also.  It was just fascinating to talk to Roger and hear about the many things that he has done in his lifetime, including being a cryptologist in the US Army, and developing a laser light company that, among other things, presents shows in amusement parks and at concerts....he's even worked with NASA to bounce a laser off the moon!!!  As you can imagine, his display is beautiful...with Santa and Mrs. Claus  in residence.  Roger started the concert by showing a video he made called "Here's to the Heroes" which paid tribute to our Service Men and Women and was very moving.
I sang from high up on a deck and all the people were on the street so it was kind of weird to be so far away from everybody, but I went down into the street often to sing directly to the folks.  The two teen girls who got up to sing "Frosty the Snowman" with me were hilarious, and so funny and natural. I really enjoyed them!  Roger estimated that we had an audience of about 250 people, and they were spread out all over the grass and under the tents that Roger had provided.
One of the things that is really nice to see, traveling from display to display, is how family members, friends and neighbors pull together to get involved in putting up a display and who also come to help out on the night of the concert.  These displays are humongous...there is no way any one person could put them up without help, and when I get to meet the folks who help they are always just happy to be involved.  It must be kind of like how barn raisings used to be, back in the old days.
After the show I met a lot of nice people, signed a lot of autographs, and met a woman who said she was from New Hampshire!!  Just a few towns over from where we live! Small world!
I also want to give a shout out to the manager of Fatz Cafe, who, with his magnificent wife, was giving out cookies and hot chocolate at the show.  I'm having a hard time remembering with so much going on, but I think her name was Cheryl?  Anyhow, when I asked for someone with a "Great big manly-man voice" to do "Candy" with me, she volunteered.  She got up on the deck with me and she DID have a deep voice! She did a bang-up job on the song, too! I told her she reminded me of "Rizzo" from Grease.
Her husband called the restaurant and asked them to get dinner ready from the Forbes' and me, and we went over and had a nice meal after everything was packed up.  I really can't say enough how much I enjoyed Roger and Mary's company.
Roger and Mary, thank you so much for hosting me, and for the fun and conversation and everything.  I'm so glad I finally got to meet you in person.  Take good care of each other and I hope to see you again soon!  Merry Christmas!!

Zig Zag weekend, PLUS The 2nd Annual Most Funnest Christmas Concert E-V-E-R!

I am now in a hotel room in Orlando, FL...and I have vowed to get caught up on the blog tonight!!  So when I last left you, I was in Woodinville, WA on December 5th.  The next day I got up bright and early and got on the first plane to fly back at 7:10am West Coast Time. I landed in Boston around 9pm East Coast Time and I was pooped, but OH SO HAPPY to be greeted by my husband, who spent the next couple of days with me.  We spent that night at our friend Debbie's house in CT, then got up the next morning and made the 8-hour drive to Gloucester, VA for XTRA 99.1's 2nd Annual Most Funnest Christmas Concert E-V-E-R!  Last year, of course, was the first and that was a blast so we had to do it again.  It's been scheduled for Dec. 9th for nearly a year, so I had to work everything else on the tour around that.  Neal Steele, the morning host there, has been a huge supporter of my music for several years and this was the FOURTH time that I've gone down to do a concert there for XTRA 99.1 listeners.  Neal has built up a big fan base for me there by playing my music and having me as a phone in guest on his show, so I knew it would be a great time and  I was so excited!  There were over 500 people there at the Lighthouse Christmas Church and I was but one of several acts who performed that night, including the wonderful Nate Sparks and Ralph Motley.
I recently donated a song to a CD that has been put together to benefit the Children's Education Program at Children's Hospital of Richmond, and the CDs were on sale at the show that night. I wanted them to sell a lot so I offered my CD at a discount to anyone who bought the hospital CD, and that worked out great.
I actually wore a DRESS to perform at the concert...a special red, sparkly one that I picked up at Macy's a few weeks ago just for this event...and I felt really good in it. It's the first fancy dress I've purchased since losing weight, and I felt great wearing it.  Unfortunately, I can't find ANY photos from the concert! I've asked some of the people who were there to send me some, but so far no luck!  If I get any I will be sure to post them here so you can tell me if you thought the dress was a good choice!

It was my shortest trip to Gloucester ever because as soon as all the autographing and stuff were done we had to start driving north. We actually drove until 3am and then stopped somewhere in Maryland...I can't even remember where it was. We were only there for about three hours because then we had to get up and go again to Hyde Park, NY...where I'd been hired to perform at the Breault Family Christmas Party.  That was different....but still fun!  It was great to be part of a family's special Christmas event!
Philip took a little nap in the van while the party was going on, and then we drove a couple of hours more to Cranbury, NJ to the home of Keith Shaw and family. Last year I performed at Keith's on the mini tour but it was pouring rain that night. This year it was a beautiful night and I think there were a couple of hundred people there.  Keith's display is just beautiful...it's all lights...no figures or anything, but he's got a "fountain" of light and a light wall, stars shooting out over the roof and lights ALL OVER the lawn!  You can see some of it in this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG5vGGwyMi8&feature=plcp

It was great to be there with Philip, because so many times I get to these magnificent displays and I think, "Wow, I wish Philip could see this."  He was clearly impressed. Still, I don't think I'm gonna get him up on the roof to put Santa up there anytime soon.  :(

My autograph table was right next to the donation box, so I got to see a lot people put in donations for Keith's charity, "He Cares so We Care" which is a community outreach program run by a church.  I hope they made a lot that night!

One of the things I really like about Keith is how proud he is of his town.  He clearly knows a lot about its history and I find it very interesting to be able to learn that much about the places I'm visiting.  Cranbury was an important site during the Revolutionary War, and George Washington even had headquarters there!  It's just a beautiful little town and Keith's display makes it even more so.

Something funny...just up the street from Keith there's a little "Charlie Brown" display with a sign that says something like "Christmas un-spectacular" or something like that. I wish I'd gotten a photo of that. It's pretty funny!

Keith, you are a true gentleman and I thank you for once again hosting me on the tour. God bless you and your family and have a wonderful Christmas!!

Woodinville Wonderland

December 4th was an easy drive from Fruitland, ID up to Woodinville, Washington.  The weather through Snoqualmie Pass wasn't too bad...I remember the last time I went through there, in 2010, I was really gripping that steering wheel hard...but this time it was mostly rainy with just a few flurries.  I got into town in time to go over and have a nice dinner with Mark and Tracy Zembruski, my hosts for the next night's concert.  Their house is so beautiful. Mark has one of the biggest displays I've ever seen and he's put together a great program.

 This year he had his Peanuts characters up on the roof...last time i was there, in 2010, they were out on the lawn...but up on the roof is better....you can really see them and the Angel Sally looks awesome up there.  Mark has the soundtrack from part of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" playing during part of the show and he has the lights set to show on each character as they "speak." It's lots of fun to watch and you can see the awe on the kids' faces as they watch it.

The inside of the house is also beautifully decorated with lots of animated decorations and several things that Tracy Zembruski has created.  It's clear these two are a match made in heaven when it comes to the love of Christmas!  Like lots of the other decorators I've met, they have more than one Christmas tree, and the one in the main room is GIGANTIC. Tracy has so many ornaments packed on her trees I don't know how she got them all on there, and yet when I was there she was opening up a package of more lights that she intends to put on next year!
The next day was another good day to get caught up on stuff before heading over to the Zembruski's house.  I actually took some R&R time and went over to Barnes and Noble, where I found the new Christmas CD by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.  I'd been eagerly awaiting that so I was just happy as a clam to get it and listen.  I'm a dedicated JT fan...have been since I first saw him on "Welcome Back, Kotter" when I was just 16.  I had both of his record albums back then, and I love to hear him sing.  He's not the best singer, but he puts a lot of pizazz into it so he's fun to listen to.
Mark and Tracy had another good dinner waiting for me when I arrived at their house, and also another Decorator with a capital D, Keith Thomas of "Christmas in Kent" Washington. Keith took on the job of videographer for the evening, which was difficult because it was kind of rainy.  Nonetheless, a crowd of hardy souls came out for the fun, including a fellow children's musician, and JUNO Award winner (the JUNOs are the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys), Charlie Hope.  I only had a short time to chat with her, but it was nice and I'm grateful that she came put to support a fellow musical road warrior :).
I was also delighted to see a bunch of the Special Olympic athletes from the North Shore Wranglers team that Mark's display supports. I hope you guys all had a good time!
As you can see from the videos, I sure had a good time!

http://youtu.be/QrCmywCPVFY   (Mrs. Santa Claus)

http://youtu.be/uAV4ddFkvSw  ( Blessed be God)

http://youtu.be/BShh3j87gNs (Candy)

One last thing...Mark and Tracy had a rough year plagued with the illness and loss of Mark's beloved mother, Tracy's mother's illness and Tracy's horrific accident when she broke her arm and ankle.  I'm sure they are glad to see 2012 go.  Mark probably didn't even feel like putting up the display this year, but he did anyway and also created a special tribute to his mom within it that was very beautiful and heartfelt.  I think that's a wonderful expletive of strength through adversity and I truly admire it.  Mark and Tracy, thank you for making the young and young-at-heart happy in spite of your difficulties.  God bless you both ... And thank you for once again allowing me to be part of the magic of Woodinville Wonderland!!