Christmas Eve musings...

There is definitely something to be said for marathon baking sessions. Not the stressed-out, flour covered kind, but the semi-organized, kid-free ones. (Although I do miss the ankle biters helping, it's getting done MUCH faster without them.)

I have seen so much cookie dough that I no longer wish to sample any, nor do I want to ensure that the batches I'm making for the first time (most of them) are edible and suitable for giving away. Maybe if I do this enough, I'll be cured of my sweet cravings.

Nah.

OK, just heard Witless Houston's version of The Christmas Song. Some people just shouldn't sing some songs. And some Christmas songs are inviolate. NO ONE should sing The Christmas Song besides Nat King Cole.
Especially if you're going to add "Happy Hannukka & Happy Kwanzaa" at the end. For crying out loud, it's The CHRISTMAS Song. Not The Kwanzaa Song. Not The Hannukka Song.
To think the release date on that (according to Music Choice, our digital cable music connection) was 2003 - before the current asinine controversy of what to call the holiday season. This from a pagan who's just jealous we haven't got the really cool songs to go with the Solstice (or if we do, I haven't discovered them yet), so I'll just happily sing along with Christmas songs.

Anyway, equus_sb & I are currently compiling our list of The Official Versions of Christmas Songs. Suggestions are welcome, but may not change our minds. So far, the list is thus (I know I've forgotten some - refresh my memory, please):

Nat King Cole: The Christmas Song
Aaron Neville: Please Come Home for Christmas
Andy Williams: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Silver Bells
Burl Ives: Frosty the Snowman
Brenda Lee: Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Gene Autry: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Ella Fitzgerald's is a close second)
Elvis: Blue Christmas (other people just shouldn't even try to sing this like he does... there WAS a decent country version where the guy sounded like himself, and it was good)
Roy Orbison: Pretty Paper
The Carpenters: I'll Be Home for Christmas, Merry Christmas Darling
Irish Rovers: Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
Etta James: Merry Christmas, Baby
Eartha Kitt: Santa Baby
Bing Crosby: White Christmas
Stevie Wonder: Someday at Christmas
Dionne Warwick: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
Judy Garland: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Pavarotti: Cantique de Noel (Josh Groban is second on this one)
Harry Connick, Jr.: Let it Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

There are some other songs the holiday season just wouldn't be the same without, but we haven't decided which ones are THE versions yet.


Then there's the list of songs I could happily do without.
Paul McCartney & Wings: Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time - What were they thinking?????
John Lennon & Yoko the Screech: This Is Christmas (War Is Over) - love the song, hate Yoko. 'nuf said.
Barbra Streisand: Jingle Bells - someone should shoot the arranger of this one.

This year's most overplayed song: This Christmas. I didn't know how many people recorded the darn song until I started listening to our Christmas Music Choice channel. Could be worse, but it's bad enough.