{ A confession }

I have a rule about listening to Christmas music. This is my rule: You do not listen to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving.

I broke my own rule today!

I'm pretty sure this is a record for the earliest in the season that I've busted out the carols. Here's how it happened:

Last night it snowed. I mean hailed. It hailed so hard and fast that it accumulated on the ground, giving the appearance of snow, which is why traffic slowed to a crawl on my way home from work...the roadways were actually clear, but apparently that white skiff on the shoulder is reason enough to drive 20 mph. Anyway, it was all crispy-crunchy last night when Husband and I went out for burgers...the air was wintry-sharp, and coming back home to make mulled cider and watch LOST and eat popcorn whilst snuggled under blankets with the heater blasting was so cozy. Then today while grocery shopping, Fred Meyer accosted me with all sorts of festive decorations and rows of eggnog in the refrigerator case (why didn't I buy any?!). As I carried sacks of groceries from car to condo, a few hailstones still bright white between the yellow leaves coating the parking lot, the realization came: I want to listen to Christmas music.

So this afternoon found me cooking and doing laundry to the sound of Big Band Christmas tunes, thanks to Pandora. Although my homemade macaroni and cheese still doesn't taste as good as Mom's--why is that always the case, with anything Mom makes?--I had a jolly good time making it, with Bing and Frank and a host of others for company.

{The ominous cloud, from whence cometh the hail, that I saw when I left work on Friday. Isn't it apocalyptic-looking?}

{It was an enormous cloud, with separate clouds visible in front of it...this was one of those situations where I wish I carried my camera with me at all times, but this isn't bad for a camera phone!}