Episode 403 || Kids' Table: Winter
This week on From the Front Porch, Annie is joined by friend, cousin and former colleague, Ashley Sherlock. Annie and Ashley share what they’re reading, watching, listening to and buying.
To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, visit our website:
Annie’s holiday reading:
Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh
The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer
10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston
Ashley’s holiday reading:
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Other books mentioned in this episode:
Moonrise Over New Jessup by Jamila Minnicks (releases 1/10/23)
Have I Told You This Already? by Lauren Graham
Annie’s holiday watching:
Home Alone
The Family Stone
White Christmas
Miracle on 34th Street
#Xmas (Clare Bowen and Brant Daugherty)
Ashley’s holiday watching:
White Christmas
Miracle on 34th Street
Elf
It’s a Wonderful Life
Annie’s holiday listening:
My First Popsicle edited by Zosia Mamet
Taste by Stanley Tucci
Ashley’s buying:
Zabar’s
From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com.
A full transcript of today’s episode can be found below.
Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
Thank you again to this week’s sponsor, Visit Thomasville. Spend Christmas in Thomasville! There is something truly special about the holiday season in Thomasville. From shopping for those must-have presents for everyone on your list, to the twinkling lights, sparkling window displays, and tempting smells wafting from restaurants all add to the festive feeling of the season. From downtown hotels, to delightful vacation rentals, book your getaway to Thomasville and add a little more sparkle to your holidays! Learn more and plan your trip at www.thomasvillega.com or @thomasvillega on Instagram.
If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter and follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch.
We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week.
Our Executive Producers are... Donna Hetchler, Cammy Tidwell, Chantalle C, Kate O’Connell, Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins, Laurie Johnson and Kate Johnston Tucker.
Transcript:
Annie Jones [00:00:01] Welcome to From the Front Porch, a conversational podcast about books, small business and life in the South.
[00:00:25] "Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas time." Laura Ingalls Wilder. These Happy Golden Years.
[00:00:42] I'm Annie Jones, owner of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in beautiful downtown Thomasville, Georgia. And this week, I'm back chatting around the kids table with my cousin, Ashley Sherlock. Some pretty exciting news over here. We are well on our way to meeting our 2022 goal of reaching 10,000 downloads per episode of From the Front Porch. I truly cannot believe it. As we close out this very long, hard, beautiful year, I'm grateful for your reviews of our podcast and the way those reviews have helped us grow and reach new listeners. This week I wanted to feature this review from IWUDIVA.
[00:01:18] "I started as an occasional listener to this podcast, but quickly became enamored with Annie and The Bookshelf crew. My favorite episodes are the new releases each month and Annie's monthly review. The warm, friendly spirit of The Bookshelf comes through every episode. In fact, I just booked a trip to Thomasville with my mom for next month. I just have to see it for myself. Reading is so much better with friends and this podcast has become my virtual book club.".
[00:01:43] This has been exactly my hope for From the Front Porch for a very long time that it would help inspire readers, build community and help folks discover our independent bookstore and our wonderful town. What a joy to know that this mission is being met. To leave your own review of our show, open up the podcast app on your phone. Look for From the Front Porch, scroll down until you see. 'Write a Review' and then tell us what you think. Thank you to IWUDIVA and all the other listeners who have helped our show grow in this way. Now back to the show.
[00:02:16] This week, we are gathered around the metaphorical kids table. That's right: We're not talking kid lit. We're talking about the kinds of conversations you have around your family's holiday kid's table. 'Tis the season for literal kids table gathering. And now I am joined by my friend and literal family member Ashley Sherlock to talk about what we've been reading, watching and listening to lately. Hi, Ashley.
Ashley [00:02:38] Hey. Hey.
Annie Jones [00:02:39] Welcome back to the show.
Ashley [00:02:40] Thanks.
Annie Jones [00:02:41] Are you ready to discuss holiday things?
Ashley [00:02:44] Yes. I did not prepare for this to be a holiday episode. I don't know why. And then you said, "Are you still good to record the holiday episode i.e, books, movies, music, etc.?" And I was, like, absolutely, piece of cake. And then I forgot to write the holiday books. So, yeah, I'm good for it.
Annie Jones [00:03:05] That's okay. I have some good holiday books, I think, to discuss today. And I thought we would talk about some holiday movies, some holiday TV watching, listening, etc.. So let's start with books. Do you have any or shall I go in?
Ashley [00:03:21] No, I only have one regular book.
Annie Jones [00:03:23] Talk about your regular book and then I'll talk about my holiday books.
Ashley [00:03:26] Okay. My regular book I believe you have also read. I just finished the audiobook while I was traveling over Thanksgiving and it's called Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Taylor Jenkins Reid strikes again. It was wonderful. Who knew you could love tennis so much? It was wonderful.
Annie Jones [00:03:43] I've seen some recent reviews, particularly not enjoying the tennis aspects of it all, and I just disagree. I mean, this is funny. I'm about to say it. I think it's funny. Is it 100% true? I'm not sure. We both played sports in middle school. I don't know how much sports you played after middle school, but you consider yourself to be an athletic person.
Ashley [00:04:06] Oh, I played in high school, college intramurals, baby. Phi lambda softball champions. Four years in a row.
Annie Jones [00:04:13] I love you for that. I also played in Phi Lambda and it just doesn't mean what we think it means.
Ashley [00:04:20] I don't care. I pitched us to four championships. No, I don't want to be one of those people that can't stop living the glory days.
Annie Jones [00:04:32] Living the glory days of your Christian social club life.
Ashley [00:04:37] Whatever. I want people to know I can play sports.
Annie Jones [00:04:40] Okay, there you go.
Ashley [00:04:41] My [Inaudible] apparently.
Annie Jones [00:04:43] Yes, but that's exactly it, right? You, I think, love playing sports or at least did at some point. I think you still do, yeah?
Ashley [00:04:53] Yeah, I do. I'll play anything.
Annie Jones [00:04:55] But do you love watching or reading about sports?
Ashley [00:04:59] No. I will play any sport all day, every day, but I do not care about watching them on T.V..
Annie Jones [00:05:04] So that is what I think is funny, which is that I am probably definitely the lesser athletic of the two of us and also played intramurals. Softball was not mine, but flag football was definitely a starter on the [Inaudible] to flag football team. It means nothing. [Crosstalk] but did not ride that bench and it means nothing. But I do love reading about sports and I love watching sports and I think that that is ironic. It's like whatever that saying is about those who cannot do teach, sometimes I think it's those who cannot do read.
Ashley [00:05:46] Yeah.
Annie Jones [00:05:46] So that is my personal journey. And so I love a book that deals with sports, even sports that I am not super familiar with. And I can't play tennis. I can't play tennis at all. I don't even watch that much tennis. But, boy, did I love reading about Carrie Soto and her tennis matches. I was hooked. I was absolutely hooked.
Ashley [00:06:04] It was lovely.
Annie Jones [00:06:05] Was the audio book good?
Ashley [00:06:07] I wouldn't recommend the audiobook version. It wasn't bad, but it had different characters that threw me off.
Annie Jones [00:06:13] Okay, that's helpful to know. I do have three holiday book recommendations. This has been on my mind because I just finished one. So I just finished a book called Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh, which is definitely one of the holiday rom-coms. And probably it is a lowball to guess that there are 12 new holiday rom-coms every year. I feel like there are far more than that, but I narrowed it down to three. My book club picked one for our upcoming book club together, and the one that they picked and voted on was Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh. And I don't know what my book club will think about this book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and I don't like every rom-com. I for sure do not like every holiday romance romcom, but I thought this was very enjoyable. It's about a couple of people, a guy and a girl who every year they travel from Chicago to Ireland to go back to be with their families. And it just so happens that they land on the same flight. They do not know each other until they start realizing, oh, they're on this flight and they have mutual friends and acquaintances like they know each other as roommates or something like that. And so the first couple of trips, they don't really like each other, they kind of hate each other because-- of course. And then the more they travel together, they develop this really lovely friendship where they just see each other about once a year when they make this very large trip across the Atlantic. And the book kind of goes back and forth between the different holiday trips that they take, holiday commutes that they take, and then culminates in the present where the trip is kind of a disaster. And like they are trying to get from Chicago to Ireland and their flight is canceled. And so it's this kind of Planes, Trains and Automobiles kind of story. So it's definitely a rom-com and fully a rom-com. I thought about this, I was like, is this a romance or is this a romantic comedy? It is a romantic comedy because of all the mishaps and the travel issues. There were parts of it that I thought were very endearing and funny, and then the relationship between the two of them I found to be quite believable and lovely. And the Chicago and then Ireland setting, I also found fun. There was toward the end where I thought, oh, maybe this book could've ended already. But then I really-- I don't know-- I found it to be charming. Some people on Instagram asked me if it was wholesome, and I do find it to mostly be PG, PG 13. There might have been a scene or two toward the end that I just kind of skimmed through, but because most of it is just like a will there, won't they? There's a lot of tension and build up. I thought it was good and I had a good time with it. I don't know. How are you about rom-coms? I never know. How are you about the occasional rom-com book?
Ashley [00:09:02] I like a good rom-com.
Annie Jones [00:09:03] Do you read holiday books, christmas books? Are you big into seasonal reading?
Ashley [00:09:08] I wish I could be that person and I'm not- not that person intentionally. I just never really make it a point to read seasonally. Kind of my chaos.
Annie Jones [00:09:20] I think what is a little bit hard, at least from a booksellers perspective, about reading seasonally is we then would have to read it on the off season, so I would have to read these holiday books in August or September and that is not a good time to me. [Crosstalk] I don't want to read a Christmas book when it's 100 degrees outside and I'm sweating. So I wind up often just kind of picking one. And last year I am pretty sure the holiday books I read were duds just all the way around. But this year I read this holiday romance book and guess what, that will be it for me. I feel good about that. I don't need to read any more. It can check off my list. I will mention two backlist holiday reads. Oh, one of them was from last year. Okay. I did have a winner from last year, which is The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer. What a delight!
Ashley [00:10:13] That sounds fun.
Annie Jones [00:10:14] It was so fun about a Jewish party planner in New York who is trying to plan a like Jewish singles mingles thing called the matzah ball. And of course, she kind of has to deal with a childhood nemesis from, like, Jewish summer camp. And I just found it to be delightful. And then kind of an unexpected aspect of it was that the main character deals with chronic illness, but so does the author. And so I found it to be all very well handled and well done and added a little bit of depth maybe to a book that I perhaps wasn't expecting depth from. So I really liked that one and highly recommend it. I'm just waiting. I don't know if Hallmark does film adaptations, but if they did that one could be a Hallmark film. And then my probably longtime favorite, like I've read it a couple of times and really liked it every time, is 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston. This is Young Adult, so soundly PG. But it's young adult without making me feel like an old crone. And for that I am grateful. About a young woman who's back-- I think I'd say back home. She's like a senior in high school or something, but she's at home with her family, her very large extended family, which feels very familiar to me. And she works at her grandmother's garden shop and her large extended family decides to set her up on 10 blind dates. And I found it to be-- because of the extended family of it all-- just delightful. And I may read it again this year because I love the people so much. And I don't know that I would ever want a sequel or anything, but I just like these people and I like reading about them at Christmas time.
Ashley [00:11:52] Nice.
Annie Jones [00:11:53] Okay, so we're going to move into holiday watching, which I would like to launch this by giving the question that I am 90% sure I asked at our literal kids table. But now I'm like, did I do that or did I do that in my dreams? I saw this on the Internet. If you could only pick three holiday movies forever, what are your three?
Ashley [00:12:18] Okay, I know this. This is something I can answer. White Christmas. Elf. Oh, no. Do I want Miracle on 34th Street or do I want It's a Wonderful Life? Probably Miracle on 34th Street.
Annie Jones [00:12:33] The old version.
Ashley [00:12:34] Oh, 100%. Black and white all the way.
Annie Jones [00:12:37] Okay. I can give two immediately. And then I, like you, struggle with the third and the fourth. Mine are, The Family Stone...
Ashley [00:12:45] Knew it.
Annie Jones [00:12:46] Home alone. And then I can't decide between White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street. I can't decide. Miracle on 34th Street is my favorite from childhood. White Christmas I discovered in adulthood and have really come to love it quite a bit.
Ashley [00:13:03] Well, you pick one and I'll share the other one with you because they're both on that list.
Annie Jones [00:13:08] Thank you so much. I'll pick White Christmas so that we can share Miracle on 34th Street.
Ashley [00:13:13] Okay. Can I ask a follow up question?
Annie Jones [00:13:15] Yes.
Ashley [00:13:16] If you could be a character from any Christmas movie, which Christmas movie, which character and why?
Annie Jones [00:13:24] Is this aspirational or is this who am I in my heart?
Ashley [00:13:30] Both. Originally, I asked with aspirational intentions.
Annie Jones [00:13:33] Okay, I'll tell you who I am and then I'll try to think aspirationally. Who I am in my heart is the oldest sister in the Family Stone, who is massively pregnant the entire time. But she makes the occasional jokes. She brings the temperature down, which I appreciate. And she loves her dad. There's a scene where, like, her dad comes in to tell her goodnight while she's watching an old movie. And I love it so very much. And her younger sister, the Rachel McAdams character, is obviously very touchy, meaning intense, then she lays down in this sister's lap and the sister strokes her hair. And I'm like, oh, that's so lovely. And I just think of all the Stone siblings, I am the older, pregnant sibling with the husband who's been around forever. Like the family just is like, hey-- it feels accurate. So that's who I am. Who am aspirationally? I'm trying to think. Okay, I either want to be Maureen O'Hara from Miracle on 34th Street because, man, what a boss. She runs that parade like a machine. She makes last-minute substitutions. She's practical. She's no nonsense. But she'll fall in love if she needs to.
Ashley [00:14:58] She needs to.
Annie Jones [00:15:00] And so I think that's really accurate. I'm going to name a movie that I don't think you've seen, but let me recommend it to you and to your mom because I know your mom likes a black and white movie. She's who introduced me to It's Wonderful Life. Have you seen Christmas in Connecticut?
Ashley [00:15:13] No, but I feel like I've heard her talk about it before. That feels like a Waltons movie.
Annie Jones [00:15:19] It is charming. It's a black and white movie where the actress-- the whole premise is that she writes a column. You'll love this. She writes a home and garden column for a magazine, and she writes about living on this farm and how much fun it is and all the beautiful meals she creates. But she's just a single woman living in a New York apartment who's just pretending to be those things. And then a soldier comes home from the war and has loved these magazine newspaper columns forever. And he gets the opportunity to "visit her farm" and eat one of her "home cooked meals". But she doesn't have a farm, nor does she know how to cook home cooked meals. And so she borrows a friend's farm in Connecticut and pretends to be this person that she's been. I'm surprised nobody has modernized this, because as I'm saying it out loud, I'm like, she's basically a social media influencer who's not really a social-- like, none of her life is real. It's delightful, but I find her to be hilarious and charming. Like her holding the baby and her trying to cook is all very relatable and funny. And so I think those could also be who I am.
Ashley [00:16:34] I feel like in real life I'm that girl, too.
Annie Jones [00:16:37] Yeah, I think you could be. It's so funny. You guys should watch that movie. I think you'd really like it. Before I say Christmas in Connecticut, did you have an answer to this question?
Ashley [00:16:46] No. I am racking my brain and I only know my aspirational character. I have no idea who I actually am in a Christmas movie. I can't think of a single character.
Annie Jones [00:16:56] Who is your aspirational?
Ashley [00:16:58] The younger sister from White Christmas.
Annie Jones [00:17:02] She's an amazing dancer.
Ashley [00:17:05] [Crosstalk] And, man, can she dance? Oh, I just want a chance to dance. Why didn't my parents put me in tap dancing lessons? I could have been in White Christmas.
Annie Jones [00:17:16] The modern reenactment. You know in Friends where Chandler Bing is afraid of Lord of the Dance because the legs flail as if separate from the right. The way she dances, it's almost like her legs are a different part. They're separate from her body.
Ashley [00:17:32] Oh, she's insane. It's beautiful.
Annie Jones [00:17:35] It is beautiful. The dancing in that movie is unparalleled. Have you watched Singing in the Rain before? Because it's pretty good too, but it's not seasonal.
Ashley [00:17:42] I think I watched that in elementary school and then never again. I'm not sure why.
Annie Jones [00:17:47] I do love, I will say, I love a Christmas movie. I would like to briefly digress into the status of the Hallmark movie and perhaps in 2023, your sister, my cousin Caroline Sherlock, can come on here for a brief moment and talk to us about her favorite Hallmark films, because Caroline unabashedly loves Hallmark movies. They're her favorite genre of film year round. How do you feel about the Hallmark movie?
Ashley [00:18:17] Okay. In my old age, I understand where people are coming from because a lot of people really like Hallmark movies.
Annie Jones [00:18:27] They do.
Ashley [00:18:28] And I think I get it because it's not tense. You know exactly what's going to happen. I saw somebody post on the Internet saying that, like, this many minutes in the conflict happens. And then this many minutes later they kiss and then everything is resolved with like 5 minutes to go. Like, it's the same for every single movie. So I get it. They're not interesting to me.
Annie Jones [00:18:52] Jordan and I have started to have a theory. Well, we have several Hallmark movie theories. One of them is that every Hallmark movie features actors and actresses who are like the lesser known versions of the Hollywood actor or actress who they could not get for the film.
Ashley [00:19:08] Yes.
Annie Jones [00:19:08] I feel like that's a common belief. But this year because I understand the role the Hallmark movie plays in our culture, I get it. They're reliable. There's no surprises. They're exactly what they are. But for every five Hallmark movie-- I think it's five. I was going to say between three and six, but I think the number is five. For every five Hallmark films you watch, one is good. That's how I feel.
Ashley [00:19:34] Yeah, that's fair.
Annie Jones [00:19:35] What that means, is you keep trying them. Because I keep thinking, well, I liked this one. Like, I genuinely liked this one. So let me watch another one. And then I watch another one and can't even make it 10 minutes before I throw the remote at Jordan and I'm, like, change this channel.
Ashley [00:19:50] Get me out of here.
Annie Jones [00:19:51] Yeah. Like, I cannot do it. And I love a romantic comedy, but there is something about most Hallmark movies that I just do not have the patience for. That being said, I texted on our cousin group text this past weekend because I found one-- not only that I enjoy, but I found a male lead who I did not want to shudder at. And the movie is # Xmas. Have you and Caroline watched this yet?
Ashley [00:20:21] Oh, I don't think so. There's a few that have been on rotation that I've seen like three times now in the last month, but I don't think that's one of them.
Annie Jones [00:20:30] #Xmas just released a couple of weeks ago, maybe even this past week. I don't know. But it looks ridiculous. Now as I'm about to tell the premise out loud, I'm realizing perhaps it is supposed to be a modern adaptation of Christmas in Connecticut, and I didn't even realize it. But basically this woman owns a small business which often happens, but often it is unrealistic and that is partly why I want to throw the remote control. But this one feels realistic. Where she's an interior designer, she started the small business and she has a small Instagram following, but she's not getting any traction. Her store isn't super busy. And her sister, who's like older and wiser, keeps telling her, "We got to get an endorsement. We need to grow our numbers." She's a marketing guru. And so they wind up entering this contest that it looks like Chip and Joanna Gaines wannabes, you know, kind of like these big influencers put on. And in order to kind of win the contest, this young woman pretends to be married with a little kid. And she's not married. She doesn't have a little kid. And the person who pretends with her is her best childhood friend who is blandly handsome. And I think most people think that Hallmark actors are blandly handsome. I would disagree. They look like underwear models, PG rated underwear models, and that is not blandly handsome, folks. That is handsome. And that is a different category that I personally, as I've discussed many times, find unattractive. And so watching a Hallmark movie is very difficult because I find the male leads to be unattractive because of their handsomeness.
Ashley [00:22:08] Too handsome to look at.
Annie Jones [00:22:10] That's right. This handsome, I was like, oh, I like this guy. He's attractive. Turns out he's been in several Hallmark movies. As Jordan and I are learning, many of these actors kind of make the rounds. But I think his name is Brandt. That feels right. Brandt Doherty. Anyway, I'm just saying, if you are like me and you're a reticent Hallmark movie watcher, then I would say hashtag xmas might be worth trying.
Ashley [00:22:37] Interesting. I think I figured out who my actual Christmas movie character is because of that.
Annie Jones [00:22:43] Oh, good! Who?
Ashley [00:22:44] I think I'm the female Hallmark Christmas movie lead. I work in marketing and slightly workaholic. I don't have time for love. I don't want to be a scrooge, but maybe sometimes I am only because I don't have time.
Annie Jones [00:23:02] And that's exactly what a Hallmark heroine would say.
Ashley [00:23:05] And there we are. I'm not proud, but we're here.
Annie Jones [00:23:08] Wow, that was beautiful. I have one final holiday watch question for you, which is what Christmas movie do you hate or would you strike from the record? Like, which one do you not want to ever sit down and watch?
Ashley [00:23:22] Okay, that's a good question. Normally it's the Hallmark Christmas movie. But another one I don't really need to see is the Homecoming. My mom loves that movie. It's the [Crosstalk].
Annie Jones [00:23:39] What is that?
Ashley [00:23:43] It's a classic in the Sherlock house. Growing up, I was made to watch this movie and my mom wants to watch it every year, and I don't want to. Like, there's a list of movies that my mom and my sister will watch together that I do not need to be present for. And there are a handful that I would actually like to be present for and then another handful that I can take away. The Homecoming. As an Enneagram nine, I'll watch anything, right? [Inaudible] secretly play on my phone. But one that I could do without is The Homecoming.
Annie Jones [00:24:18] Okay.
Ashley [00:24:19] Interested to know if any listeners have ever watched that before.
Annie Jones [00:24:23] I was about to say that's not the direction I thought we were going because that feels slightly obscure, but I bet that will resonate with some.
Ashley [00:24:31] Well, I can't think of anything else.
Annie Jones [00:24:34] No, that's a good answer. I like it. It was a surprise. Okay, I'm going to name two. I never want to watch The Holiday. Never.
Ashley [00:24:50] Is that the one with Bing Crosby?
Annie Jones [00:24:52] No. That's Holiday Inn.
Ashley [00:24:53] That's Holiday Inn.
Annie Jones [00:24:55] No, The Holiday is Cameron Diaz, Jude Law. My mom loves The Holiday so much. Jack Black. Kate Winslet. That's who's in it. And I think I just think about it a lot because I don't understand why I don't like it. It feels like a movie that I should enjoy and I do not enjoy it on any level. And then the one that I could also do without but I understand that it's a classic and I respect it for what it is, it's just not my vibe, is Christmas Vacation.
Ashley [00:25:30] That's what I was about to say. I remembered. I don't understand Christmas vacation. I also don't super love A Christmas Story.
Annie Jones [00:25:38] The Christmas Story I think I will just watch because like everybody else it's on TBS all day long on Christmas Day or something. But I don't ever need to sit and watch that whole thing. I can just watch the snippets on TBS whenever.
Ashley [00:25:51] Just the quotable parts.
Annie Jones [00:25:53] Yeah, and it's fine. And those are some of Jordan's favorites. Christmas Vacation is not my vibe. And it was not a Butterworth family staple really, ever.
Ashley [00:26:07] It's just a lot of people's favorite movie. And I don't understand. I guess it's my Christmas version of The Princess Bride.
Annie Jones [00:26:14] That's true. That's accurate.
Ashley [00:26:16] That's why I don't like it. I just don't.
Annie Jones [00:26:19] Okay, let's move on to Ashley's holiday listening. What are you listening to? Where do you get your Christmas playlists? What song do you have to sing? That belies our church background. Which Christmas song do you love to sing? Which Christmas song do you love to play in your car, etc.?
Ashley [00:26:39] Okay, first let me lead off by telling you the Christmas song that I will turn the radio off for immediately, that is Christmas shoes. Absolutely not. No, ma'am. Never. I refuse. There are few things I refuse, and I refuse the Christmas song.
Annie Jones [00:26:59] That is a fair opinion.
Ashley [00:27:01] Okay. First, I guess my must listen, I have two. Two hype Christmas hype songs. One is All I Want for Christmas by Mariah Carey, obviously, but it has to be in the car probably on my way to do something Christmasy. Turn it up, dance, do whatever. Secondly, this is new, but I think it's the Christmas Canon because you and I can duet the mess out of that song.
Annie Jones [00:27:30] It's so true. We're so good at it.
Ashley [00:27:31] Somewhere a video exists that we will not be putting on the internet.
Annie Jones [00:27:36] Never. Some things are just meant for family and that's one of them. Speaking of that, I think this is family law now. So our grandfather, our mutual grandfather, was German and I'm pretty sure there exists somewhere some kind of Christmas record album that includes a song I will not sing for you here. But to my very American English ears, it has always sounded like Kling, Glockchen, Klingelingeling.
Ashley [00:28:06] I know exactly what you're talking about. Yes.
Annie Jones [00:28:08] Of course, you do. I will sing that around my home and Jordan thought I had made that up, like made that melody up or something. And I found it for him on the Internet and he was blown away. He had no idea it was a real song. He would not believe me that it was a real song and it is definitely a real song.
Ashley [00:28:30] Wait, now who sings that? It bothers me. Like some boys choir.
Annie Jones [00:28:34] Yeah, some boys choir. Very high pitched little boys singing. It's very pretty, but I cannot remember it. Maybe you can help me remember the name of it. I literally text your mother this time every year to remember the name of it. But one of my favorite Christmas songs/New Year songs is Celebrate Me Home by Kenny Loggins. I only love that because of your parents, I am sure. And then there's another song about somebody who's home and it's like Auld Lang Syne.
Ashley [00:29:07] I met my lover in a grocery store. I met my old lover in a grocery store or something like that.
Annie Jones [00:29:13] Hold on. I'm looking it up right now. Same Auld Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg.
Ashley [00:29:18] I remember you asking this every year.
Annie Jones [00:29:20] I asked it every year. I can't remember the name of that dang song. I love this song.
Ashley [00:29:25] Good song, but not good enough to remember.
Annie Jones [00:29:28] I guess not. I love those two songs so very much. Something about me that sometimes makes me feel I'm an Enneagram five wing four-- I really don't know my wing. I struggle with it all the time, but sometimes I think I'm a wing four because I love melancholy Christmas music. I love sad Christmas music. And then churchy Christmas music, our grandfather loved O Holy Night. And so that is one of my favorites. I love O Come All Ye Faithful.
Ashley [00:29:57] That's one of my favorites non secular. And. O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
Annie Jones [00:30:05] And, look, I love Mariah Carey just like the next person. I love in sync. Don't get me wrong. Like I love a Christmas jam. I especially love listening to Christmas music with some hot chocolate while I'm driving around looking at lights or I'm driving around going to get Christmas presents. I love all of that, but I also love I'm alone in my car, I'm feeling depressed, but not really. It's like fake depressed. And how can I lean into that feeling? Well, I can lean into it by listening to Same Old Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg.
Ashley [00:30:35] Oh my goodness. Fake depressed. Do you like the Christmas Shoe song?.
Annie Jones [00:30:43] I do not. There's a cheese factor there that I cannot handle
Ashley [00:30:46] Yes.
Annie Jones [00:30:47] Okay. I do have two other kind of listenings and one I really think you would love. So I want to throw this out there. I love foodie books around this time of year and I love reading food essay collections, things like that. I think this time last year I listened to Taste by Stanley Tucci. So there's precedent for this. This year, I just finished listening to My First Popsicle. It's edited by Zosia Mamet. And it is a collection where like-- I'm trying to think of some names you would know, but it's like actors, artists, authors. She basically asked a bunch of people, "Hey, what is your best food memory? Or What do you think about when you think about food?" And they each wrote an essay. And in many cases in the audiobook they narrated it themselves. So like Ted Danson narrates his own essay. Zoshia Mamet narrates her own essay. Billy Philipps narrates her own essay. It is delightful. I'll give the same content warning that I gave on a previous episode, which is because she just kind of left the door open to write whatever you wanted, some people did have memories and talked a lot about disordered eating. So there's a couple of essays that are maybe a little heavier than some, but some of them are bittersweet. Some of them are sad memories. Some of them are delightful memories of their grandparents. There's a really funny essay about a guy who gets broken up with by his boyfriend over a meatball. Like several of the stories had me laughing out loud. Some of them had me near tears. And I love that it's all these different narrators. It was very fun to listen. I listened to it all during and after Thanksgiving week, and I think it'd be really fun leading up to Christmas to read about all these food memories.
Ashley [00:32:34] Actually, I already had that in [Inaudible] and I'm downloading it now.
Annie Jones [00:32:39] Yeah, it's great. I think you'd like it. And I really love most of the essays are just 5 to 8 minutes long.
Ashley [00:32:47] Nice.
Annie Jones [00:32:48] There are a couple that are 13, but so you're never bored. And it's easy to listen to. And right now I feel like that's crucial because my brain is at capacity.
Ashley [00:32:59] A hundred percent.
Annie Jones [00:33:00] Okay. And then the last thing I've also listen to is the podcast. I love the Ringer Dish podcast. I've mentioned them before. But Juliette Litman and Amanda Dobbins just released their gift guide for Christmas. I love them so much and I love the things they recommended on their gift guide and it's just a fun listen. So the Ringer Dish, Juliet Litman and Amanda Dobbins, their episode about their gift guide is just thoroughly enjoyable. Really liked it.
Ashley [00:33:25] Okay. Can I do one more watching?
Annie Jones [00:33:28] Yes.
Ashley [00:33:28] It's not Christmasy, but it gave me the warm Christmasy vibes. Did you watch the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Annie Jones [00:33:36] No.
Ashley [00:33:37] Okay. There is a 27 minute YouTube clip of Dolly Parton's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. It's a few minutes of Pink giving a little speech about her. It's beautiful. I think I really like Pink now. I also think I really like Brandi Carlile. It's people saying wonderful things about wonderful Dolly Parton and then performing her songs. And then they all perform Jolene together. First of all, is there anybody in the world who doesn't like Dolly Parton? Show me who it is. Because I don't think they exist. But Dolly Parton, because she's Dolly Parton, said if she was going to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, she needed to earn it. Which, lol, but she wrote a rock and roll song specifically for this. And it was just so cute talking about how-- oh, geez! I can remember. But had mentioned cows and there was some kind of farm analogy, but rock and roll. I'm butchering it. I'm trying to make a mental note of it and now I can't remember what it was, but it's a very cute song. It was a very lovely way to spend half an hour.
Annie Jones [00:34:47] Oh, I love that kind of stuff because I love the Kennedy Center Honors. I love that kind of stuff. So I will go find that clip for sure. I'll probably watch it as soon as we're done.
Ashley [00:34:53] Yeah, you're going to like it.
Annie Jones [00:34:55] Also, just as an aside, you know who loves Pink? Jordan Jones.
Ashley [00:34:59] Really?
Annie Jones [00:35:00] Jordan Jones thinks Pink has one of the best voices of her generation.
Ashley [00:35:04] I also think she just seems like a really cool person. She just seems really nice.
Annie Jones [00:35:09] Yeah,very fun. Okay, anything else? Did I leave anything off? I did not do buying because I cannot think. I'm too busy selling, quite frankly.
Ashley [00:35:19] Okay. I have one buying that I think is worth mentioning because did you know you can order Zabar's online? Because you can, and that is what I have been doing. I have been ordering these tiny little pastries. I brought some home after we were there. And I can't remember the color, but they're tiny little pastries and you can get them in a little bag of like 24 or something and they have chocolate kind and a cinnamon kind. I do grab two for breakfast if I'm like running late or something and it's perfect. I love it so much. Gives me a taste of New York every time. Go to Zabars.com. They have a very robust online store.
Annie Jones [00:35:57] Okay. I'm going to do that after we hang up as well. Because not to depress you or anything, but we bought our hotel tickets on Black Friday this last year.
Ashley [00:36:09] You said not to depress me, but you did it anyway.
Annie Jones [00:36:14] Maybe in the new year we could look at our calendars and pick a New York time.
Ashley [00:36:18] I always have time for New York.
Annie Jones [00:36:21] How are you feeling heading into the holiday season? Are you exhausted? Are you hopeful? Are you happy, enthusiastic? Where are you at? Let's do a check in before we hang up.
Ashley [00:36:32] I have never felt this way. Well, I don't know if that's true, but normally I'm extremely excited for the holidays. I love gifts. I do like getting into the spirit of things. I do not feel very in the spirit. I feel busy. Feel like I'm crawling to the finish line that is never going to get here. I haven't bought a single Christmas gift yet. Normally I'm doing pretty well by now, so it's a little bit of a struggle leading up to Christmas this year. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to try to be happy. We're still going to maybe decorate some cookies. We're still going to buy bomb gifts for everybody. I don't know what they're going to be, but they're going to be great.
Annie Jones [00:37:09] Yeah. I think always around this time of year, I'm feeling a little on the tired side and I maybe filled this particular week (the week we are recording) with too many things. And each day has been approximately six major items on the to do list. Not minor items, like six major items. And by the end of the day I'm, like, well I did it all, but I also now feel like I could collapse. And this coming weekend there's a lot on my calendar. So I don't want to be that Internet meme, but I really am just trying to make it to the next week, which happens to be Victorian Christmas. But I honestly think once I can get past some of these things and just focus on Bookshelf, that might actually be easier. Right now I'm still trying to do From the Front Porch podcast stuff, but I'm trying to like backlog episodes, you know what I mean? So I can just work at the Bookshelf.
Ashley [00:38:06] That's smart.
Annie Jones [00:38:07] And so it is smart, but it results in--
Ashley [00:38:13] A lot of tiredness upfront.
Annie Jones [00:38:14] Yeah. But I hope it'll be worth it. And I always look forward. I love the holiday season. I also love the winter season. I really love winter, which I know it's not everybody, but it's a nice time of recovery for me.
Ashley [00:38:27] Yeah, now it makes sense.
Annie Jones [00:38:30] Okay, well, thank you so much. This is our last episode of Kids Table until the New Year. So thank you so much.
Ashley [00:38:36] As well.
Annie Jones [00:38:40] This week, what I am reading is brought to you by visit Thomasville. Spend Christmas in Thomasville. There is something truly special about the holiday season in Thomasville. From shopping for those must have presents for everyone on your list, to the twinkling lights, sparkling window displays and tempting smells wafting from restaurants all add to the festive feeling of the season. From downtown hotels to delightful vacation rentals, book your getaway to Thomasville and add a little more sparkle to your holidays. If you are still looking for a place to stay or a reason to come, visit downtown Thomasville, I would love to recommend to you our holiday sippin shops. This is a fun time to spend-- it feels ever so slightly more wintry when it's dark outside to me. And so come downtown. Our shops and restaurants downtown are open late on Fridays and Saturdays in December. Most shops are open till eight, restaurants are open even later, and all of the Christmas lights in the trees are sparkling and lovely and it feels wintry. They pipe in some Christmas music. They even have some live music kind of throughout the downtown, almost like Gilmore Girls and their troubadours. And it is just a lovely holiday shopping vibe. If you're like me, and there is a part of you where you don't want to say it, but you do kind of miss the nostalgic atmosphere of a mall, which, like, who doesn't? You know what's better than the nostalgic feeling of a mall? Is a quaint downtown full of small businesses, small restaurants owned by people you know, by people you're familiar with. And so as much as I love the nostalgia of a shopping mall experience, there is something even more special about parking your car and walking the brick streets and peeping in and out of shops and looking at window displays. It just is, I think, the very best. And if you love Hallmark movies, Jordan and I, in all of our trying to find the good Hallmark movies this holiday season, we have looked at each other multiple times and said, "Oh, and Thomasville really is a Hallmark movie just without the snow." And so if you're looking for a snow globe environment minus the snow, I cannot recommend Thomasville, Georgia enough.
[00:40:52] This week, I'm reading Moonrise Over New Jessup by Jamilah Minnicks. Ashley, what are you reading?
Ashley [00:40:58] I'm reading, Have I Told You This Already? by Lauren Graham.
Annie Jones [00:41:02] Thank you again to our sponsor Visit Thomasville. To find out more about how you can visit Thomasville, go to Thomasvillega.com.
[00:41:11] From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in Thomasville, Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf's daily happenings on Instagram @Bookshelftville and all the books from today's episode can be purchased online through our store website: Bookshelfthomasville.com.
[00:41:27] A full transcript of today's episode can be found at: fromthefrontporchpodcast.com.
[00:41:32] Special thanks to Studio D Podcast Production for production of From the Front Porch and for our theme music which sets the perfect, warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
[00:41:41] Our executive producers of today's episode are Donna Hechler, Angie Erickson, Cammy Tidwell, Kate O'Connell.
Executive Producers (Read their own names) [00:41:47] Nicole Marsee. Wendi Jenkins. Laurie Johnson.
Annie Jones [00:41:53] Thank you all for your support of From the Front Porch. If you'd like to support From the Front Porch, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your input helps us make the show even better and reach new listeners. All you have to do is open up the podcast app on your phone, look for From the Front Porch, scroll down until you see, 'Write a Review' and tell us what you think.
[00:42:11] Or, if you're so inclined, you can support us over on Patreon where we have three levels of support. Front Porch Friends, Book Club Companions and Bookshelf Benefactors. Each level has an amazing number of benefits, like bonus content, access to live events, discounts and giveaways. Just go to: Patreon.fromthefrontporch.
[00:42:31] We're so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week.