#20: Clay is just so frickin' cute! Cute, cute, cute!

[keepingfaith]

The one with Clay reading, if you can still get it!

You can still get it, because I ordered it from Amazon just a few months ago. There are two audio versions. The unabridged audiobook is not read by Clay. He reads the one that is condensed. Therefore, I need both AND the hardcover book. Because it's the book I love most of all. As I'm reading from the printed page, I can hear Clay's voice clearly in my head -- and I love that! Also, the audiobooks don't have those priceless pictures.

I've bought many copies of that book to give away -- and I always think "Baby needs a new pair of shoes!"

[liney23]

Firstest... reading LTS is the best cause there is stuff in there that he didn't put in the audio version and it's a FAST book to read... 4 hours for me. I'll join in, too. I've read it several times, but it's been awhile.

ETA: I didn't know there was an unabridged version not read by Clay... that might work if you're not a reader.

Clay is a wonderful person from what I can see. I do respect his faith and even more so that he seems to walk the walk and talk the talk. But I stand by my belief that he would not respect my beliefs. He wouldn't condemn me for them. But I do believe he would pity me.

Claygasm... Maybe it's semantics, but I take issue with this statement of yours. Clay has NEVER, that I have seen, shown anything other than respect for other people's beliefs/non-beliefs. He has been totally accepting of those he has met from other countries/religions/races/gender/sexual orientation/etc.

His faith is such a bedrock for him that you are right, he might feel sorry for your not having that bedrock, but why is that not respecting your right to believe as you do? If he didn't respect your right to believe as you do, he would be trying to change your mind and get you to believe as he does. He doesn't preach salvation ever, he just lets it be known what he believes by the way he lives his life.

I loved the "vinegrettes" and I will love the stories cause they are Clay's way of varying his annual Christmas concerts. If he keeps to his pattern, next year will be only singing/bantering. I love that, too. I'm easy when it comes to Clay!

:F_05BL17blowkiss:

Moral of the story:

Before you drive off, ALWAYS TAKE INVENTORY!! Count the dogs. Count the children. Count the wives. Make sure all are present and accounted for!

The best thing about this is . . .

no matter how much I screw up - I believe I have a permanent Get Out of Jail Free Card!

Cotton... BWAH!!! Especially the bolded part!

Muski... crossing all my fingers/arms/legs/eyes that you can swing it!!!

[keepingfaith]

Now that I'm thinking about Clay's book -- hmmmm -- maybe I could donate some copies of Learning To Sing for Clay's birthday. That would be a win-win: the kids get books and Clay gets royalties! Also, have I mentioned lately that I love, love the Mykala book? I think I'll order some of those as well.

[cindilu2]

Clay is a wonderful person from what I can see. I do respect his faith and even more so that he seems to walk the walk and talk the talk. But I stand by my belief that he would not respect my beliefs. He wouldn't condemn me for them. But I do believe he would pity me.

Claygasm... Maybe it's semantics, but I take issue with this statement of yours. Clay has NEVER, that I have seen, shown anything other than respect for other people's beliefs/non-beliefs. He has been totally accepting of those he has met from other countries/religions/races/gender/sexual orientation/etc.

His faith is such a bedrock for him that you are right, he might feel sorry for your not having that bedrock, but why is that not respecting your right to believe as you do? If he didn't respect your right to believe as you do, he would be trying to change your mind and get you to believe as he does. He doesn't preach salvation ever, he just lets it be known what he believes by the way he lives his life.

Word to this, liney. And yes, Clay did proclaim not having 'any' faith to be incomprehensible to him in LTS. But in the days and months and years since then, I'd wager that he's grown and learned and maybe come to understand how a person can be agnostic, or simply just have their 'faith' beaten out of them. And even if he hasn't, he certainly hasn't shoved his beliefs down anybody's throat. I don't know a single person in my life more tolerant or compassionate than the man Clay has shown himself to be.

I think donating LTS to the book drive is an awesome idea. I'm in!!!

I have only read it once through, and listened once to the audio version (Clay reading). I just find some parts of it too difficult to read without wanting to do somebody an injury.

Your stories are terrific ladies, and I hope you ALL win.

[Claygasm]

Well....it's POSSIBLE that I might be able to do the Washington DC concert! I'm doing a business trip to Memphis and New Orleans the week right after that concert so am thinking of maybe flying first to Philly to hook up with CG before descending on our nation's capital....then on to Memphis, then on to New Orleans.

Since my airfare will be covered by work (well, except for my $99 one way to Philly) and I can stay wtih CG there and then will be given hotel rooms during my business travel after that, the concert ticket will be the biggest expense----I might be able to swing that, although I might be sitting in the cheap seats this time...

OOoooh.....I don't wanna get too excited in case it doesn't work out.....

Ooooooooooooooo! That would be so cool! Keep me posted!

As to the semantics.... I think when you pity someone for their beliefs that is not showing respect for their beliefs. I also believe YWT complete with those images was a form of proselytizing. The song alone with just him and a mic would have been close, but the images IMO put it over the top. Maybe that wasn't his intention, but that is how it came off to me - and many others. And, IMO, I think he should have known this is how it might come off.

But everything we are all sayin is just our opinions. We all can only conjecture what Clay really thinks. My opinion in this case has as much validity as anyone else's since none of us have sat down with him and discussed this.

Damn.

Listen, when so-called Christians tell you that your recently deceased grandmother is in hell because she was Jewish or that you are going to hell because you have never been baptised, you don't end up with warm and fuzzy feelings.

And that is enough said on that subject by me.

Stories? Its the concept I hate. I HOPE there will be some stories that I enjoy and I HOPE the person reading them does a good job doing so. I also suspect there will be some stories I think are stupid. But I promise I will not diss any particular story because I truly would not want to hurt the feelings of anyone.

[farouche]

Well, coming out of extreme lurkdom to say I've had mixed feelings about this Christmas idea of his for many reasons, but I really want it to work b/c he wants it to work. (Besides -- my having mixed feelings about it will not stop it from happening. He NEVER listens to me for some reason.) I actually broke down and sent him a story, although it's pretty farouchian. He might be scratching his head over it. lol

aikim: Your countdown is being missed at CV; just so you know.

muski: Do let me know if you are able to come to DC.

[soulsista4clay]

Just to let everyone know I feel much happier now. Afther crying and stuff and taking a lonng nap, I feel much better. Now to go watch some clack agian of the fifth grader show.

[Cotton]

Just to let everyone know I feel much happier now. Afther crying and stuff and taking a lonng nap, I feel much better. Now to go watch some clack agian of the fifth grader show.

I'm glad you feel better.

Crying is good for the Soul - and, apparently, soulsista!

I have been trimming my story.

Only - I don't have a show, so I don't know how to enter it.

No venue to enter - - - any ideas???

Are we sure it's not too late???

ETA:

KarenEh! You may have missed my question a day or so ago - I see you're online. Could you please tell me why you're moving to Baku? I missed that chapter of your life.

[Guest Toots]

Wandacleo lost her mom. She tells us about it over in the family matters thread.

[Couch Tomato]

Cotton, I think you figure out who you want to read it -- find out what show they are going to -- and enter it for that show. If you are selected, you just let them know who will be reading it instead of you. I think it's not to late but you should enter it today. It's probably too late for the earlier shows though.

[luckiest1]

You can enter it for any of the dates that have not passed their deadline. There are many people here who have offered to read stories for those that don't want to or are not attending. See if you can find a date that corresponds with one of their venues!

{{{wandacleo}}}

[playbiller]

Well, Cotton, if you enter today, you can get Fear to read it at Morristown. She will read anything.

CG, we all have to deal with prejudice, trust me people have weird ideas about other religions as well and I have had some Jewish friends over to my Christmas Eve dinners, since they knew I would just play carols and give people some gifts, but not talk to them about Jesus, unless they asked about the hay under the table cloth or something like that, they knew I was not trying to convert them. Heck, I even served kosher food on a new plate from a new pot from my non-Kosher kitchen, at one dinner to accomodate a relative's date. I think some things are what you make of them. If you are not comfortable in this society, I am sorry, perhaps it is easier for my friends because NYC is more of an ethnic mix than Philly.

Glad you are feeling better, soulsista4clay. May the force be with you.

[Ansamcw]

soulsistah...glad to hear you are feeling better....

((((Wandacleo))))

Great stories all around. I would like to submit a story too...but I am not a very good writer.

[lilyshine]

Apropos of nothing, Millionaire is having TV Week and the have one question each round on TV theme songs. Every one I've heard has been something from Clay's medley!

Do you think the producer is a Clay fan???

[liney23]

{{{{{{Wandacleo}}}}}} I'm very sorry about your mom!

As to the semantics.... I think when you pity someone for their beliefs that is not showing respect for their beliefs. I also believe YWT complete with those images was a form of proselytizing. The song alone with just him and a mic would have been close, but the images IMO put it over the top. Maybe that wasn't his intention, but that is how it came off to me - and many others. And, IMO, I think he should have known this is how it might come off.

Claygasm... I agree with you about the pictures. But, he has not done it since if you will notice. That is the only summer concert he has ended with a religious song.

Listen, when so-called Christians tell you that your recently deceased grandmother is in hell because she was Jewish or that you are going to hell because you have never been baptised, you don't end up with warm and fuzzy feelings.

Claygasm... that sort of thing, plus the accompanying judgementalism is what turned me from religion. I'm sorry you had to go thru that. HUG!!

Sorta related topic... I am in love with Listen from Sterling Hts. After he is finished, he exclaimed, "Jesus" like an exclamation. There was a stir in the audience and he quickly said, "Call His name." I laughed so hard... good save, Clay, I thought. I think he is not that innocent, ernest Baptist boy he was in the beginning anymore... I think he's been corrupted (hehe) just a bit.

[bottlecap]

I have only read it once through, and listened once to the audio version (Clay reading). I just find some parts of it too difficult to read without wanting to do somebody an injury.

I thought it was just me. There are some things that are pretty tough to think about in that book, and so far, reading it once has been enough.

I actually broke down and sent him a story, although it's pretty farouchian. He might be scratching his head over it. lol

Kewl! Does that mean the story starts at the end and winds back on itself via flashbacks and whatnot? Is there a coat pile?

(((((wandacleo and family)))))

ETA: laughn and I are just back from a highly successful shopping expedition for the Birthday Book project! :F_05BL17blowkiss: to rohdy for coming up with and organizing this wonderful project.

[aikim]

Well, coming out of extreme lurkdom to say I've had mixed feelings about this Christmas idea of his for many reasons, but I really want it to work b/c he wants it to work. (Besides -- my having mixed feelings about it will not stop it from happening. He NEVER listens to me for some reason.) I actually broke down and sent him a story, although it's pretty farouchian. He might be scratching his head over it. lol

aikim: Your countdown is being missed at CV; just so you know.

muski: Do let me know if you are able to come to DC.

Yes I know, Thank you for thinking of me.

Kim

[farouche]

I saw you were edited the other day for something (I wasn't sure what) and I thought oh, crap. I'm sorry it has gotten to the point where you don't feel comfortable posting your countdown (or anything else for that matter).

bottlecap: Nope, no coat piles. It's about the first time I ever "met" my father who died before I was born.

[jamar1700]

Hang in there, aikim. I had words that were bursting to get out of my fingertips last night elsewhere, but I knew there was no point in even trying to post them because of the green ink. I'm glad we can be freer with our exchange of opinions here.

Yep...me too. It was a hard habit to break but gets easier as time goes on. I still mutter a lot under my breath, but the dogs are pretty forgiving.

Hey I'm so excited some of you are going to revisit LTS! I always got something new every time I picked it up again. Of course, that was before I knew it by heart. Hee.

I'd be willing to start a thread but not sure where to put it.

[Kareneh]

{{{{{wandacleo}}}}}

Cotton, I did see you ask me that the other day but I haven't had time to do much the last few days besides get my husband ready to leave (he left a few hours ago) and do a lot of things that we had to do together before he was gone. I'm here until mid January and he'll be meeting me in Halifax for a couple of weeks over Christmas. We're moving to Baku as he has taken a job transfer there. The term is for two years and could be extend on a mutually agreeable basis. That's about it. I'm going to try and come back later and catch up. I fell for the story line and am in the middle of writing a story to submit. It sucks so far. He hasn't asked for any other type of submission from me in lieu of, so this is what he's getting.....whatever I can bang out at the end of my fingertips in a couple of hours. I'm amazed at how fast I can type under the circumstances. I don't know why I am doing this, I really don't. But whatever. It's the same darn story that came to mind when this whole thing first came up and it's still sticking in my head. I missed the deadline for my first three concerts and found out yesterday that the deadline for my last is today.

CRAP! He's on Eastern time isn't he? Is that going to matter?

OY!

[sheiladownunder]

Love your stories Play and Cotton

It was nice of Roger and his sister to take such good care of you. I also loved how your husband just wrapped you in a big ole hug when he found you. He was probably worried sick. If he gets good stories like these, it will probably work out well. I think I'll just hop on the boat with laughn.

Bring it Aiken! And if it turns out to be a total cheese boat I'm ready to sail with ya'!

I love this!!!!

And Toots, wanted to tell you what a great idea that you give to charity at Christmas. I thought about doing this and then chickened out because of the response I got when I mentioned it, but I like the idea. I think I spend way too much money at Christmas. I know why I do, I'm trying to make up for not being able to give my kids a good Christmas when they were little because we were so poor.

[merrieeee]

Playbiller many years ago my DH asked me if I would keep Holy Supper or Wiglia for him. I started the tradition even though we are not at all religious. I really don't like the food...sauerkaut & peas, herrings, bulbulki (bread in honey & poppy seed), pierogis and fish but I always make it! Over the years I have had a lot of people come and share it. I love to have folks that have never tried these dishes. One year I invited my husbands co-worker and his wife over and they brought her 85 year old Uncle. As we are eating the food he starts to cry and I'm thinking OMG is my food that bad. It turns out his background was Russian and he had eaten these foods before and the last time was at his Grandmother's when he was a little boy! It was one of the best memories I have of Christmas Eve.

Oh I just remembered something...we had been married about three months and were at my MIL for Christmas with numerous Aunts & Uncles. Every one was sleeping all over the place. We went to bed and were almost asleep when my DH's Uncle came into the room singing! Yes he was drunk! Well he thought it was his room and in the dark didn't notice that we were in the bed! I started to say something and my husband,who has the weirdest sense of humour, put his hand over my mouth. His uncle proceeded to take of his shirt and unzipped his pants. Just as he was about to take them off my husband coughs and his Uncle figures out he is in the wrong room. You have never seen anyone move as fast as that out of a room! By that time we were laughing so hard we woke up most of the house. That was the talk of the family for many years to come.

By the way if any one wants to meet some of the eHP for lunch on Saturday come on down! Well we don't havea time or place set yet but that's never stopped us before*g*

[Cotton]

merrieeee You should submit that story!

Thank y'all for the encouragement - I did it. I hit "submit", so to speak.

KarenEh, thanks! I can't believe you were in LV and I missed seeing you!!!

Good luck with your story!

Is there a place where all the stories have been gathered? I'd love to read the ones I've missed.

Okay - my supper already got cold once and I hear the microwave beeping so I think I'll go eat before it gets cold again!

[gbmifan]

Haved loved all of the stories today. Cotten, your story reminds me how when we traveled I was always taken count of children before we took off from the rest stop. On a smaller scale, my husband and I and all our children rode in many bike tours. My youngest was five and on the tandem bike with his dad. My husband was in such a hurry to leave a rest stop, he jumped on the bike and took off. My son was running after him, yelling, and flailing his arms. He just keep yelling, Daddy, Daddy you forgot me.

I sent in my story but it is not very long and I am not a great writer, so I do not feel I will be picked. That does not really bother me, I am sure there will be some other great ones.

Tomorrow is a day I hate every two years. I have to recertify my Pediatric Advance Life Support status. The written test is usually not to bad but the scenerios stations are nerve racking. No matter how much I prepare I am really nervous.

Read GAD report of Rewind this weekend. I really dislike Simon and even Randy more than I thought.

[Claygasm]

Well, coming out of extreme lurkdom to say I've had mixed feelings about this Christmas idea of his for many reasons, but I really want it to work b/c he wants it to work. (Besides -- my having mixed feelings about it will not stop it from happening. He NEVER listens to me for some reason.) I actually broke down and sent him a story, although it's pretty farouchian. He might be scratching his head over it. lol

aikim: Your countdown is being missed at CV; just so you know.

muski: Do let me know if you are able to come to DC.

A farouchian story? Now that is one I would like to hear read!

As to LTS - read it once. It was a nice read. Didn't rock my world. Don't have every passage memorized like some. Never heard the audio. When he said it was something you would read once and then use as a coaster - that's about what I did with it (although I don't want any rings on that lovely cover pic!).

But I am not adverse to reading it again and discussing it. It might be interesting to see how what he said then translates to what we know - or think we know - of him now.