So it’s close enough to Thanksgiving now that we can listen to Christmas music with impunity, right? Because I LOVE George Winston’s CD December. In high school I used to listen to it in bed at night, falling asleep to the piano sounds of snow. Now I haul it up on Pandora, turn it up on the Christmas stations, and even play some of it on my dulcimer.

December is what the Christmas season SHOULD sound like – even when it’s moving fast, it’s got a relaxed feel to it, and a sense of holistic purpose. It untangles the inner knots of your stomach. It lets you remember that yes, this too shall pass, and there’s more than one way to see a situation, resolve an argument, and play “Greensleeves.”

DEFINITELY more than one way to play “Greensleeves.”

I look forward to this CD all year – it’s one of those seasonal treats, like strawberries, that should only be played during the time period. (Although I did once haul the CD out during an August heat wave, as a kind of reminder that this too would pass.)

Yes, I recognize this CD is not a book, but you know, if you listen to it start to end, you actually hear the story of December passing. It’s kinda cool that way.