FM 100.

One of my very favorite things about this time of year is the music.  There are two local radio stations that start playing Christmas carols the day after Halloween, which for me, even as much as I love it, is a little too early.  Why is it that retailers find the need to completely overlook Thanksgiving and jump right into Christmas?  (Okay, that is probably a rhetorical question.) 

But one of those radio stations, FM 100, also puts on a series of free Christmas Concerts at the mall a couple of times a week and my girls and I went to the first one of this season about a week ago and I will admit, it was a great way to get me into the Holly, Jolly spirit!  There are a lot of local artists who are incredible and play to sold out concerts here, so we are lucky that they take the time to fit in a free concert during the day too.

I have been going to these for years.  Some of the bigger name artists that have come before are Jim Brickman, an amazing composer, who I LOVE ... Collin Raye, who I also LOVE (and happens to sing one of my favorite Jim Brickman songs, The Gift ... and Donny Osmond, who has also happened to sing with Jim Brickman (here).

I went to see Collin Raye with my friend Shelley. After the concert, we headed to the drive thru line at McDonalds.  Collin Raye just happened to hop out of the car in front of us and walked inside the restaurant.  I might have freaked out a little bit and said, "SHELLEY!  Oh my gosh! When he comes back out, get out and ask him if he wouldn't mind taking a picture with me!  Tell him we just saw him at the FM100 concert and he was fabulous and your friend loves him.  He won't mind, he'll be flattered.  Just get out of the car when he comes back and they can just pull over until I get through the line!!!!"

Shelley didn't want to.  She said, "I'm not like that.  Here, switch seats with me and you do it."  I was boxed in next to the wall.  We would have had to climb over each other. I was doing my best to talk her into it but, meanwhile, Collin Raye walked back out, got into the car and off they went.  Photo opportunity missed.  BOO.

But when Donny was going to be performing, I thought ahead that day and took a Christmas card for him to sign for my friend Diane.  I took pictures of him signing it and put one in the card and sent it to her.  I even had a guy address the envelope so she would be completely surprised when she opened it up and found her Christmas card from Donny. Now that was a happy little thing.  It was so fun to do it for her because I don't know anyone else who would have appreciated it more.  :)

Let the CAROLS begin!