A Hallmark Epiphany

I couldn't sleep, so channel-surfing in bed I stopped at the sight of a beautiful life-size carousel.  Horrified to be challenging my distain for schmaltzy movies, I began watching A Christmas Carousel on (gulp) the Hallmark Channel (HC).

Pal Vickie at TX State Fair

Who doesn't love a merry-go-round but I'm not a chick-flick kinda gal, thus the conflict raging within was painful at first.  But once I squashed my stubborness and got over not being 30-something anymore, I began to enjoy the film (despite silly details accompanying the storyline).

It begins with a phone call from the King of Ancadia requesting an American father/daughter carousel restoration team come to his kingdom to refurbish an aging carousel in time for Christmas, as a special gift.

Carousel Museum, Albany, OR

Stay with me.  The storyline was what I imagine most HC movies to be: quirky meetings leading to blossoming romances; with a wicked wannabe-girlfriend, cute kid and sideline stories (here, the Prince doesn't want the same things as stuffy old Dad; while widowed American Dad and the Mistress of the Royal Household discover their own attraction).  Let's not forget the obligatory cranky old person and possibly an animal or two.  The picturesque setting of Ancadia reminded me of Germany, and the Gluhwein stands in the Christmas market made me salivate.

So yada, yada, they get to the point where the Stars desperately need a solution to their central dilemma:  the Prince wants to be the recipient of some Duke's 'cottage' in order to open an arts center for Ancadia (watch the movie yourself if you need this to make sense).  Turns out the Prince was more of an artist than a Royal; and the gal was an art teacher plus expert event planner. They come up with the idea of having cute-kid sing the Duke's favorite Christmas carol at their upcoming Christmas Eve promotional event; but which the Duke had long forgotten (divulged by wicked wanna-be GF).  Commercial break.

What drama!  I made another cup of coffee and wondered which carol I'd answer if asked.  I suddenly felt very inadequate.  Jingle Bells and O Come, All Ye Faithful missed the mark so I tried remembering others; when a long-forgotten carol rang a few notes inside my head.

"Yes, that one, but I need to hear more.  What's it called?!"  It seemed like the word Rejoice was in it so I tried Googling that, but it wasn't correct.   I'll try later, since the movie was coming back on.

The Stars searched through dusty leatherbound books in the Palace Library until they happened upon The Coventry Carol, beautifully penned and with a colorful illustration.  Female Star hummed a few bars and declared without reason,"This must be it!"

"That sounds like it," I thought to myself but assumed I was delusional.  Sure enough, once she and the kid started practicing I started tearing up when I realized their carol was my carol:  The Coventry Carol.

What'r the odds?  Not exactly the kind of song carolers sing on doorsteps for cookies and cocoa, but that wasn't the question.

In the end, the Prince got his building and his father's approval.  Girl Star got a full-time job at the future Art Institute and an implied wedding. Everyone else got their happy endings, too.  It is, after all, Hallmark.

I wondered whether I'd become Hooked on Hallmark, but I haven't been able to last more than 2 minutes the couple times I've tried since.  There were one or two messages poignant to me in the Carousel movie, but which I'll keep to myself.

Point is, those kind of 'epiphanies' don't happen very often, I'm sure you know exactly what I mean.  It can't always be chance coincidence.  In any event, I'm going to pay attention to mine and see what happens.