I love the holidays. Starting in November, I begin to get in the mood. I want the smell, the lights, the trees, the decorations, the music. I don’t want it before about mid-November, but after that, I’m like a child.

The last few years, the holidays though have depressed me some. My grandfather passed away from a ten plus year battle with cancer right after the holidays almost four years ago and it’s still very, very hard for me. That same year, we moved to North Carolina from Florida, where I’d lived my entire life. It was a huge transition and in some ways I am still getting used it.

I don’t bake as much at the holidays as I used to. We don’t see family usually. We don’t travel to see family because DH doesn’t always have the choice of time off. Family doesn’t travel here much either, so we spend most quietly with our own little family here in our house.

One thing that I love most about the holidays is the music. I adore Christmas music. I love the traditional songs, the new songs… There are some versions of classics that I can’t let go of, most of which are huge orchestral pieces. When I was involved in church years and years ago, I played in the orchestra. One years we had gospel singer, Larnelle Harris come for a huge production. He did a version of O Holy Night that gave me chills then and still does today. The music score wasn’t all that easy to play either (grins)… But I was thrilled and honored to be one of those providing music for him.

Another that I love is Elvis Presley’s version of O’ Come All Ye Faithful. Of course his Blue Christmas and On a Snowy Christmas Night are ones I can’t live without. Then there’s Burl Ives and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Andy Williams’ It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year. And what would Christmas be without Jimmy Buffett singing Ho Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rhum!

This morning as I’ve been creating blog posts, working on Forever In Blue Jeans, tweeting, drinking coffee, cleaning the kitchen, etc… I’ve been listening to the holiday playlist on my mp3 player. It doesn’t get played any other time of year, but I was very much in the mood for it this morning.

It has a variety of artists and genres of music…

(My mother had this on 8 Track and I think she still has it)

And these are just a few on my holiday playlist. What’s on yours and what’s your favorite holiday song?

~lissa