Happy New Year

Photo "Happy 2010" - courtesy of H.Ue
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I don't know who is the author of the verses below. I received them in one forwarded email and knew right away that this is the one I will share with all of you.
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My Wish for You 

in 2010

May peace break into your home 
and may thieves come 
to steal your debts. 

May the pockets of your jeans 
become a magnet for $100 bills. 

May love stick to your face like Vaseline 
and may laughter assault your lips!

May happiness slap you across the face 
and may your tears be that of joy

May the problems you had, 
forget your home address! 

In simple words ............

May 2010 be 

the best year 

of your life!!!
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Joey Tomsick

Polkas International  

2009 Annual Achievement Awards Show

By many who participated the  XXII Awards Show at Slovenian National Home in Cleveland, Ohio, on November 28, 2009 - it was nicknamed "The Year of Joey Tomsick" - due to many awards Joey and his Orchestra won:

• Best Musician - Individual: Joey Tomsick
  
• Best Musician - Sideman: Hank Guzel and Phil Hrvatin (both from Joey Tomsick Orchestra - out of 3 selected)
• Best New Original Polka or Waltz: "Polka Funhouse" - Joey Tomsick / Frank Doblekar
• Recording of the Year: "Polka Funhouse" - Joey Tomsick
• Band of the Year:  Joey Tomsick Orchestra

Joey Tomsick and other musicians at the Jam Session at Tony Petkovsek's Thanksgiving Polka Party in Cleveland, Ohio - November 27, 2009

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And since there are a lot of current pictures and videos of Joey Tomsick and Orchestra around, I chose to add this video from Joey's early beginnings, when he was only 13 years old, playing his button box for about a year, learning from Frank Yankovic and Joey Miskulin.

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Joey Tomsick at age 13 (button box) - playing Joey's Polka on Polka Variety Show, with Frankie Yankovic, Joey Miskulin.

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Ron Likovic

Polkas International  

2009 Annual Achievement Award

Nominees in the category  

Button Box - Individual/Duo were:

• Ron Likovic
• Joe Grkman Jr.
• Joe Novak
• Ron Pivovar
• Fred Ziwich

and voted best was Ron Likovic, one of the musicians that surely won't be forgotten any time soon by anyone who saw him playing at Marriott in Downtown Cleveland this Thanksgiving.

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Ron Likovic playing at Tony Petkovsek's 48th Annual Cleveland-Style Polka Extravaganza in the Grand Ballroom of the Downtown Cleveland Marriott Hotel - after being awarded The Best Button Box Individual Achievement Award for 2009

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"Playing with Passion" middle name would fit Ron perfectly - I am very much convinced about that, even though I've never seen him playing before. No wonder Ron Likovic received the biggest number of votes by polka fans.

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Ron Likovic playing in the Grand Ballroom of the Downtown Cleveland Marriott Hotel on November 28, 2009 - winner of The Best Button Box Individual Achievement Award for 2009

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Ron Likovic playing at the the Downtown Cleveland Marriott Hotel on November 28, 2009 - winner of The Best Button Box Individual Achievement Award for 2009

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Button Box Player of the Year 2009 Ron Likovic playing Grandpa's Polka with the Eddie Rodick Orchestra at the Annual Thanksgiving Dance put on by Tony Petkovsek from WELW and 24/7 Polka Heaven at the Marriott in Cleveland Ohio .

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Yodeling - listen

We probably all agree that yodeling is not the easiest thing to do, this 11 year-old girl in the video below sure mastered it to perfection and all by herself - with a yodeling track and an instruction book - one summer when she was only 7 years old and had nothing better to do. Yodeling - listen to Taylor Ware...

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Taylor Ware yodeling.

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Waltz Christmas songs

While most of the waltz Christmas songs I've been listening to for the past couple of weeks, came from the Home for Christmas CD by (well known to all of us) Canada's Polka King and 3 time Grammy winner Walter Ostanek - I've also been on a mission, searching Internet for some waltz Christmas songs to share with you. I have to say, polka Christmas tunes were much easier to find, though... :)

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♪♫ The Christmas Waltz ♪♫.

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We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Waltz Version.

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Alpski Kvintet - Sveta Noč - Silent Night.

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Alpski Kvintet - Bel Božič - White Christmas.

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Polka Christmas utube

This morning I asked mine and Nick's good friend Phillip from Australia to play a cheerful Christmas Polka for all of us - and this is what he came up with... enjoy!! :)

German Christmas song: "Kling Kling Glockchen Klingelingeling" or in Slovenian: "Zvončki na saneh" 

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Then I discovered "The Merry Christmas Polka" by Freddy Martin and information that This classic 3-part CD set From the 1984 Reader's Digest collection, "Christmas Through the Years" - is no longer sold anywhere and used copies from Amazon or eBay can fetch up to $100 or more. But of course you're more than welcome to enjoy this one song below for free... :)

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The Merry Christmas Polka by Freddy Martin - from "Christmas Through the Years" album.

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Let me wrap this post up with another Christmas classic in polka version, played on accordion by Phillip.

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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Instrumental - One of the most well known Christmas songs out there..

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