My Christmas Clock Just Keeps on Chiming

So we have this lovely little Christmas clock (thanks, Ruth!) that plays a little Christmas tune every hour on the hour. I take it out December 1 because I have this THING about not listening to Christmas music until then. And then I put it away on December 31.

However!

It you walk into my house at 2:00 these days, you'll hear strains of "O Come All Ye Faithful." Or if you saunter in around 9:00, you'll be favored with a bit of "Deck the Halls." Or if you sit down for dinner at 6:00 you'll enjoy the opening bars of (my favorite) "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen."

Given my feelings about Christmas music and how we've ruined too many great songs by starting up with the holiday repertoire before we even do Halloween, I think it's interesting I haven't put this clock away yet. Here's what I've figured out: I'm enjoying now what I didn't in December. (For a variety of reasons, Christmas 2011 was the holiday that wasn't.) Also, the chiming carols act as an unexpected (also weird) little reminder to me to enjoy the season I'm in--SPRING!--before the last of the blossoms fade into summer.

I know. I'm so damn philosophical these days.

A holiday recommendation for you . . .

because I have your back this Christmas.

Anyhoo! I just bought myself (on impulse!) the new Annie Lennox Christmas cd because I do love me some Annie with her strange and wonderful voice that runs the gamut from torchy to lilting to vaguely sinister. And all of those vocal qualities are on display in her new collection of traditional carols. There's a rough beauty about her arrangements, amplified by an African children's choir singing backup. Really, it's just a great cd.

Christmas songs you hate

Let's just agree right now that Christmas is one of those times when we're allowed to be uber sentimental and to freely exercise questionable aesthetic taste. To that end I have my "Creepy Singing Christmas Things" sitting here on the corner of my desk--a snowman that sings "Winter Wonderland," a Scooby-Doo that sings "Reck the Ralls with Roughs of Rolly" and an anxious-looking doll that sings "O Tannenbaum."

No wonder I have a Therapy Fund for all my kids. It was JUST SO SCARY TO GROW UP IN THIS HOUSE!

That said, let me know what holiday songs you hate. And don't feel judged if someone lists one of your secret favorites. I'll get started with one of my sister-in-law's faves--that one about the little boy who wants to buy his mom red shoes for Christmas because she's gonna meet Jesus soon.

Every time I hear it I go REALLY?

Violating another one of my own rules

LIFE RULE # 1225: Do not listen to Christmas music before December lst.

Except yesterday I did. And I liked it.