Talk of the Town: All I want for Christmas and more

“All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth,

My two front teeth, see my two front teeth.

Gee, if I could only have my two front teeth,

Then I could wish you “Merry Christmas.”

Ah, when I sang that little seasonal jingle several centuries ago in grade school, little did I realize how important those words really are.

Today, more than anything I want my two front teeth, as well as my incisors, canines and molars and all those other enameled mouth pearls that make it possible for me to chew more than cream of wheat as I get older.

When pondering what to give me for Christmas this year, my husband surprised me with a choice — jewelry or teeth.

Hmm? Some may tell me to go for the gold, but I chose pearly whites instead.

I’m a realist, for goodness sake.

I need my teeth and good dental work is not cheap these days, even with dental insurance.

My husband never promised me the London Bridge when we got married, but he’s given me something more valuable — a new dental bridge.

Don’t chuckle, folks! Look, we love each other but I wouldn’t exactly call us romantics.

We give each other practical gifts. (Although, I wouldn’t call his stocking-stuffer sleeve of golf balls that I’ll put under the tree “practical.”)

Anyway, now every time I chomp down on a carrot stick or something crunchy, I’ll think of him.

Oh, and I haven’t stopped there.

Dr. Jim, the dentist, is a whiz with other dental miracles and I’m looking at a whole new whiter and brighter smile this coming year.

Let’s just say that it’s like a face lift for your mouth.

It’s amazing what cosmetic dentistry can do.

Instead of diamonds, I’ll be wearing a tiara of glittering choppers.

Smile and say, “cheese!”

And now for a little Christmas trivia:

“All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth,” is a Christmas song that was written by Donald Yetter Gardner who wrote the song in 1944 while teaching music at public schools in Smithtown, N.Y.

Gardner asked his class what they wanted for Christmas, and noticed that almost all of them had at least one front tooth missing as they answered in a lisp.

He wrote the song in 30 minutes.

In a 1995 interview, Gardner said, “I was amazed at the way that silly little song was picked up by the whole country.”

The song was originally recorded Dec. 6, 1948, by Spike Jones and The City Slickers. (That version reached the top of the charts in early 1949).

The song has also been recorded by numerous other singers and performers, including George Strait, Danny Kaye with the Andrews Sisters, the Platters, Nat King Cole, the Chipmunks, the Hampton String Quartet, Amanda Sollum and the cast of Sesame Street.

Country music parodist Cledus T. Judd parodied the song on his 2002 Christmas album “Cledus Navidad.”

Titled “All I Want For Christmas Is Two Gold Front Teef,” Judd’s parody is performed in rap.

What a treat for anyone attending the 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services this Sunday, Dec. 22, at Valley Presbyterian Church, 2800 S. Camino del Sol.

The Valley Presbyterian Church Choir, under the direction of Kay Albrecht, will be singing “Echo Carol” by Hugh S. Livingston Jr.

The anthem features the choir plus two quartets in the back of the sanctuary who sing the “echo” part of the anthem.

There will also be a special vocal addition to the program by Susan B. Anthony who will be singing “Rejoice Greatly” from Handel’s “Messiah.”

Michigan-born Susan B. Anthony has established a reputation as one of the world’s leading sopranos and her proud mother Betty Hughes, visited the newspaper last week to inform me of her daughter’s appearance at the church for this week’s service.

Betty and her husband Stuart Hughes reside in La Posada.

I had the great pleasure of interviewing Susan several years ago, and she is not only an outstanding and gifted performer, she is as down-to-earth and witty as they come, with a tremendous sense of humor. I like her!

Twice named “Singer of the Year” by Opernwelt for her performance of Maria in Strauss’ “Friedenstag” in Dresden, and for her interpretation of Genievre in the seldom performed Chausson opera, “Le Roi Artus,” she is a much sought-after guest artist in the world’s major opera houses, including Paris National Opera, La Scala Milan, Bavarian State Opera, Vienna State Opera, Berlin State Opera, Dresden Semperoper, Tokyo New National Theater, and New York City Opera.

The central focus of her repertoire is in the young dramatic, and she has won acclaim with critics and audiences alike for her sensitive and technically assured performances of roles such as Salome, Sieglinde, Leonore (Fidelio), the Kaiserin, Ariadne, and Senta.

Equally at home on the concert stage, she has performed with such notable Maestri as James Conlon, Daniel Barenboim, Sir Colin Davis, Zubin Mehta, Ricardo Muti, Giuseppi Sinoppoli, and Wolfgang Sawallisch.

Appearances this season have included an “intensely dramatic” Marietta in New York City Opera’s staging of “Die Tote Stadt,” and a “glowing” Senta in Barcelona.

“Salome” in Amsterdam garnered rave reviews and her interpretation of Die Liebe der Danae during the recent Strauss festival in Dresdenimpressed international audiences and critics.

Between engagements, she conducts master classes at both Indiana University and Western Michigan University where she was recently awarded an honorary doctorate degree.

Upcoming 2008 engagements for the talented soprano include performances of “Cassandra” at Deutsche Opera Berlin; “Der Zwerg” at the Los Angeles Opera; Frau Ohne Schatten at Hamburg State Theater; “Orpheus und Eurydike” in Madrid and “Der Fliegende HollŠnder,” as well as diverse concert appearances.

A total of 483 La Posada employees received “thank you” gifts in the form of checks from residents at the retirement community during a holiday party on Dec. 14.

According to resident Joyce Patterson, this is the way La Posada residents thank employees for services they provide throughout the year.

The Holiday Gift Fund was begun by La Posada residents in 1988 and has continued every year since then.

All employees except six in top management receive gift checks.

The amount each employee receives is based on the number of hours they worked during the year.

Residents contributed a total of $287,000 to the gift fund this year.

The party where the gift checks were distributed included music, refreshments and much merriment.

rford@gvnews.com | 547-9740