Baby, it's cold outside!

Oh, the weather outside may be frightful, but it's still delightful inside. I can stay indoors, sip a cup of coffee, and listen to Christmas music.

Yes, the truth comes out. I Like Christmas Music. I could listen to it all year round. When the stores start playing songs of the season, my family will listen closely and identify our favorite songs, artists, and arrangements. My (our) collection of Christmas music is quite, um, varied. Some might say eclectic. It leans toward acappella groups and jazz/blues artists, but not entirely. Some are contemporary, some traditional, some old, some new. Some names you'd recognize, some you wouldn't. Many of the unfamiliar artists' albums are my favorites.

I've been playing Gloria Estefan's "Christmas in your Eyes" when I get to school in the morning. I wave my ID card in front of the locked entrance, come in, start the coffee, and get myself settled at my desk. As soon as I'm ready to work, I push play. The heat's not on yet when I arrive, so I depend on the music to warm me up. Gloria's music comes through for me every time. She sings a luscious arrangement of "Have yourself a merry little Christmas" with the back-up of Singers Unlimited. Her "Silver Bells" makes me want to stand up and dance. My favorite on this album has to be the simple yet lovely Silent Night, sung in both English and Spanish. I can't sing along with this one; I need to sit back and listen.

While the thermometers may read below zero, and I need my fingerless gloves to type when I arrive, inside my classroom it's all warmth -- the warmth that comes from good tunes and a good mood, a warm heart and warm thoughts.

Stumble It!