Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Merry Christmas!

I wanted to wish each and every one of you the most wonderful Christmas greeting (or Hanukkah, or Kwanza, or just 25 of December, if the shoe fits!) I hope this finds you all surrounded by people you love and celebrating the best of life.

I also have a present for you: I have made a contribution in your honor to an organization called "Heifer". (Easy with the "fat lady" jokes, please!)

Heifer's Mission to End Hunger
Heifer envisions
A world of communities living together in peace and equitably sharing the resources of a healthy planet.

Heifer’s mission is…
To work with communities to end hunger and poverty and to care for the earth.

Heifer's strategy is…
To “pass on the gift.” As people share their animals’ offspring with others – along with their knowledge, resources, and skills – an expanding network of hope, dignity, and self-reliance is created that reaches around the globe.

Heifer’s History
This simple idea of giving families a source of food rather than short-term relief caught on and has continued for over 60 years. Today, millions of families in 128 countries have been given the gifts of self-reliance and hope.

Your gift is the DREAM BASKET:


Heifer's Dream Basket is filled with shares of a sheep, heifer, goat, rabbits, and a flock of ducks and chicks. These animals give families milk for nutrition and a source of income. And with additional income there is money for school supplies, medicine and doctor expenses, and improved quality of living. The Heifer Dream Basket offers the hope a family needs for a sustainable future.

If you like it, and you can, please pass it on!

Merry Christmas!

(photo c/o Heifer.org)

22 comments:

Ann said...

That's incredibly lovely! I just learned about Heifer and I really like its purpose, etc.

Because the thought counts, but when the thought helps someone in need as well, BONUS!

Happy holidays to you as well!! May you get all the well-deserved and earned rest!!

Oliver said...

Merry Christmas, and I'll resist the temptation to do any bovine related jokes!

Mei said...

How thoughful of you...!

Merry Christmas...!

John Kenneth Adams said...

Hi Joyce,
Merry Christmas and enjoy every moment of a well deserved rest after such a tremendous year in your career. I was so impressed with the article in The Guardian, and pleased you put it on your website. You are ever generous and delightful with your Yankeediva comments, and I enjoy reading all the responses from all over the world. Looking forward to hearing you in KC at that lovely Folly Theater..and pleased your fans will get a glimpse of it as well. Keep well and Enjoy the Music 2009.. Cheers..!

helenbop said...

What a fantastic idea!
I hope that you had a great Christmas and that you enjoy your much deserved break :-D

[Lilith] said...

Merry Christmas for you too! All the best for the new year ^^

Oodles of love,

Irene

Sibyl said...

I really thought your voice, artistry, and thoughts, so generously shared, were gift enow for me, but thank you so for the heifer gift! We will be passing this one on,indeed.

Operafan said...

Merci beaucoup, incredibly thoughtful:-)

Anonymous said...

Joyce, just saw your sched and why --oh why-- so many Rosinas???

In Paris everyone agrees that DiDonato was the best overall singer in 2008 (Romeo!!! + 2 fab recitals); in London your Donna Anna was enough for Rupert Christiansen to name you the Biggest Diva of 2008...

And then what we see is a LOAD of Rosinas in 2009 (April, May, June, July).
I mean, Rosina is OK and you sing it wonderfully, and I'm well aware that the sched was fixed long time in advance, but still some fine-tuning/reshuffling was possible :(

**END of RANT**



I shouldn't be complaining: in Paris we'll see you as Beatrice and esp. as Idamante ;)

BTW, all 8 shows of Idomeneo in Palais Garnier are sold out.


Other than that, Joyce and all of you bloggers

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH...

marcillac said...

Yes, Joyce, wonderful post and sentiments. Do hope you had a great Christmas and certainly wish you the very best in the new year.

However..., have to take serious issue with Dolcevita's coomplaint about the Rosinas. She is obviously and quite understandably in demand, I enjoyed her tremendously,look forward to doing so again in the future, and could hardly begrudge anyone the opportunity to do so. Very glad you are, so it seems, scheduled for more Rosinaing and Composing at the Met.

Having said that one would be hard pressed to call her a priority. These are, in ascending order of importance:
3. Angelina
2. Octavian
1. ELVIRA

Again, a very very Happy New Year.

Anonymous said...

OF COURSE it's Donna Elvira and NOT Donna Anna (what was I thinking!?)

LOL at your list of priorities, Marcillac. That's sweet! Never would I suggest a list of priorities to anyone but myself ;)

My rant was only about too many Rosina's in a row, now when Joyce is probably at her lifetime best. But then again, it gives her more time to work on the Lieberson project, other roles... Go figure.


Cheers

marcillac said...

Well, Dolcevita, a fellow can hope.

Speaking of the Lieberson project, one feels obliged to note that the NYPhil performances were scheduled with remarkable inconvenience, smack in the middle of the busiest opera/concert week of the year. A lot of unmissable stuff but in my experience that much music in so concentrated a space of time becomes disturbingly diluted. Oh, well, at least I'll be rested and ready for the Furore.

Happy New Year!!!

Sarah said...

Sigh. Joyce, I will try to see ANYTHING you do west of Pittsburgh. How wonderful for others that they get to see your expanding repertoire in Europe and NYC. Me, I've got a ticket for Wichita and Rosina is just fine! But I am looking forward to the next season's schedules being announced in January for most opera houses, especially the Lyric as you have hinted about it. Hopefully you will be doing more Stateside. I'll also be playing "Six Degrees of Joyce" - next month I'm seeing FAUST with Kyle Ketelsen and Paul Groves next month, both of whom you have sung with or will be singing with.

And may I add my thanks for your gift. Here's one for you, if you haven't already seen it - hilarious and touching at the same time.

http://www.youtube.com/CanalPointKECTV

Anonymous said...

Look under March 2009 guys :)

http://www.deutschegrammophon.eu/whatscoming/index.htms?ART_ID=

Ah! mio cor, schernito sei.


Less good news is that it will be expensive (~50 € or $70). Hopefully the mp3 version will be cheaper.

Sarah said...

Yay, thanks for the update, Dolcevita! Now, when can we obtain the DVD of the Liceu "Cenerentola" with that Peruvian guy?

Kenderina said...

Sooooo beautiful gift, Joyce , thank you !!!

Happy New Year 2009 !!

Rachel Budde said...

My family's been supporting the Heifer project for a while now. They're a great group and they do really great things.

I thought of you this week as I was photographing the Eiffel Tower on my Parisian vacation. My pictures aren't nearly as lovely as yours are, but it's quite a sight to see, I think, no matter whose camera you're looking through.

Bon annee! Hoping 2009 brings you lots of joy.

[Lilith] said...

Oi, did my message not get throught?

Well, anyway, I wish you a happy new year, full of Furore! So funny 2009 is Händel's year ^^

I just found out you'll give a recital in Barcelona next season! Ah, finally lol Any idea of what will you sing? I've read it would be Rossini and some Spanish songs.

All the best and lots of love,

Irene

Alixkovich said...

Merry christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

I'd really love to se you live!

Anonymous said...

With all that terrible wave of cold weather hitting the Midwest... zero updates of Yankeediva.blogspot.com, do we have to start to worry?

Hope "No news" still means "Good news". XO

Anonymous said...

Here is the link to "Alcina". The cover doesn't look all that great, but why do we care: Content matters the most. And there, we're in for a surprise. It appears that Joyce sings Alcina and NOT Ruggiero!

Operafan said...

We MIIIIIIIIISS you and your daily posts!! How was Marylin Horne's Celebration??? Or you're in Washington celebrating your President:-)) Cheers!!