I didn’t learn how to play the piano until I was an adult. When Amanda started taking lessons when she was 6 years old, I decided that I would take them with her. I felt it would encourage her, and it was always something I had wanted to do.

Through an interesting series of events, and a stroke of luck, I got introduced to Pauline, who taught lessons out of her house. When I first met her, I knew she was older. Based on her mannerisms, movements, mental acuity, and piano playing ability, I figured she was probably in her later 60’s, maybe early 70’s. It would be a few years of taking lessons from her before I found out she was much closer to 90 than she was 70.

She lived a simple life. Outside of the lovely Steinway that I played during my lessons, her house and the possessions within were simple and unassuming. Her car was nothing special, but it provided a means of transportation that allowed her to get around town. In other words, she had everything she needed to meet her basic necessities.

My lessons were scheduled for 45 minutes, but they would usually last closer to an hour and a half, and sometimes up to two hours. We would get sidetracked on in depth discussions of music theory, or she would start telling stories about her experiences around music. Whether it was about her student experiences at Syracuse University, teaching at the University of North Carolina, playing piano for radio programs in Hollywood, or her music writing, the stories were always interesting. While she may not have had a wealth of money and material possessions, she was rich with experiences and memories.

This is undoubtedly my favorite time of the year. I love the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have fond memories of this time period growing up, especially while I was away at college. I always looked forward to finishing up the semester, getting home a couple of days before Christmas, and doing my last minute shopping for gifts.

There are so many things that make this time special – family, celebrations, decorations, anticipation, and the music. Oh yes, the music.

To the dismay of my family, I am a serious Christmas music addict. It starts the evening of Thanksgiving and lasts through the end of the year. With relatively few exceptions, I listen to a steady diet of Christmas tunes this time of year. And why not? It’s really the only time you can get away with playing it throughout the day and not risk being committed.

Five years ago, I posted a list of my 50 favorite Christmas songs. Since then, the list has grown. While I have a playlist with over 170 songs on it, below are the 65 that I could shuffle and put on endless repeat. So here’s the updated, refreshed list (new additions are in bold).