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<h6>Christmas Balloon</h6>
Written by Sue Young and Chrissie Natoli April 6, 2013<br />
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The story behind this song, and its recording, is very special.<br />
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Chrissie loves holiday music and is always keeping an ear out for stories and ideas for new creations.  One year, she was reading the little blurbs of Christmas miracles in a holiday edition of Reader's Digest.  She read this story about how a little girl's family in Seattle wasn't going to be able to afford Christmas one year.  The little girl's class in school sent out balloons with their names on them in an exercise to see how from how far they would get responses.  Apparently, the little girl's balloon, which also happened to mention that she wished someone would be able to give her family Christmas that year, made it all the way to a ranch in northern California where a kind man happened to find it.  He tracked down the family and surprised them on Christmas Day with presents for all.<br />
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Just reading the short paragraph about this brought tears to Chrissie's eyes.  Anything that makes her cry always goes down in her little notebook as a possibility for a song someday.<br />
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Later the next year, Chrissie was doing a songwriting challenge with several other Austin songwriters.  Inspired by Pat Pattison workshops, the challenge was to write 14 songs in 14 days, and upload the songs to a common page to keep everyone motivated and accountable.  Some of the participants liked to do a co-write for one of the days.  Chrissie and Sue decided to collaborate together on Day Eleven.<br />
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They were brainstorming song ideas when Chrissie came upon her notes about this story from Reader's Digest.  Sue liked the idea, and between the two women, the song seemed to write itself. They fabricated the details but stayed true to the general story.  <br />
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Since it was a Christmas song, it didn't get much play in either of their regular repertoires, but Chrissie knew that if her dream of recording a Christmas album came true, this would be included.<br />
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When Jimmy Joe and Chrissie decided it was finally time to make the Christmas CD, Chrissie contacted Sue to see if she'd like to sing on it.  Sue was excited and her vocals began to add to the magic of the track. Of course, Dr. Sick's fiddle always makes any song more beautiful!<br />
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But Chrissie's idea was to have a child sinng Helen's part.  After a month of trying to find someone, Ellie Slate was recommended by one of Chrissie's vocal instructors.  Ellie came into the studio and knocked it out of the park!  <br />
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The final magic was having Tommy Byrd, the engineer and co-producer of all four of the Better Halves' CDs, sing the part of the stranger who saved Christmas!<br />
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Guitars:  Chrissie and Jimmy Joe Natoli<br />
Fiddle:  Dr. Sick<br />
Lead Vocals:  Chrissie Natoli<br />
Harmony Vocals:  Sue Young<br />
Helen's vocals:  Ellie Slate<br />
The Stranger Who Saved Christmas:  Tommy Byrd<br />
Bass:  Carl LoSchiavo<br />
Drums:  Tommy Byrd<br />
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