"Tis The Season...

Advent has begun, which means we start getting ready for Christmas.  In our worship, in our music, around the house, and hopefully in our hearts as well.
Around our house that means putting the decorations up a little at a time, and listening to Christmas music again.  I have uploaded some of our Christmas cds to the Amazon Cloud, I also have purchased a couple of new ones, since the  old ones get cloying after awhile, even though I love them.

The music now on the cloud, the computer, and my mobile devices for the season includes:

 40 Most Beautiful Carols.  Lots of Anglican sounds here, also some by Chanticleer.  Good, traditional carols.

Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra  One like some of the ones Mom used to play.  Classics.

The Andy Williams Christmas Album
One of the several my Mom ALWAYS played.  I grew up on this one, know all the songs by heart, still love it.

Another of Mom's favorites that I also love.  The one I downloaded is not EXACTLY like this, but has all the same songs.

Have owned a copy of this album in one form or another since the year they did the TV special and the album came out. LOVE it! Little Saint Nick has to be one of my all-time favorites.  Sung by Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem!

Pink Martini Joy To The World

This is one of my new finds.  Love it.  All kinds of holiday songs, including a Hanukkah song that sounds like it's mostly in Spanish.  Immediately thought of the best man at our wedding, Paul Londynsky, who grew up Jewish in the middle of Panama.  (The Canal Zone.)

The Statler Brothers Christmas    One Mom played a lot the last few years I lived at home.  Kinda corny and very Country, but I still like it.

Silver Bells, A Bing Crosby Christmas Anthology
This has more on it than the one my Mom always listened to, but is familiar enough to make up for it.  It just isn't Christmas without Bing!  (Or Frank, or Andy, or Doris!)  Not at our house, anyway.








I also put the indoor lights up in the windows this evening, since I was home.  I have to go to work tomorrow, supposedly from 9 to 1, but they have already said the earliest we would open would be 10, and it's going to be determined in the morning whether we open at all.  Guess I'll be awaiting a phone call...

Anyway, here's a picture of the lights, and one of the driveway covered with sleet that is frozen into a nice hard crust.

Since that phone call that tells me whether I work in the morning or not is going to come awfully early in the morning, I guess I better start preparing for going to sleep. 
Sure am thankful for electricity, natural gas, a sturdy house, and the means to keep it warm!