Winter Music Play List

As part of my very deliberate campaign to keep my seasonal affective disorder at bay, I have started assembling a play list of music to play for the darkest time of the year. These are songs picked because they celebrate this time of the year, reminding me of the season's coziest aspects, and reassuring me that this time of the year can be dark, but there is still warmth. I play it on my iPod when I got out on my walks, and it's working really, really well. I have included a few bits of Christmas-related music, but if so, they're tangential, sort of related to the whole winter season, or they're instrumental, and suggestive of a festive time of year as a whole. I want it to be a list I can listen to the whole winter long.

I love my play list and find it very comforting, and thought I'd display it here. Does anyone have ideas of songs to add, in the same vein? I'd particularly appreciate any good winter solstice songs you can name.

Christmas Time is Here (Instrumental) (A Charlie Brown Christmas)
Christmas at Hogwarts (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)
The Christmas Bells of Belfast (Heartland Holiday Concert - Peter Ostroushko)
In Praise of Christmas (To Drive the Cold Winter Away - Loreena McKennitt)
Let It Snow (Christmas with Dino - Dean Martin)
Medley: The Holly and the Ivy (Heartland Holiday Concert - Peter Ostroushko)
Green (Midwinter - Peter Mayer)
The Juniper Tree (Light - Sola)
Harry in Winter (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
Angel in the Snow (Straw House Down - Peter Mayer)
Skating (A Charlie Brown Christmas)
Mid Winter's Night (Past Times with Good Company - Blackmore's Night)
Ring Out, Solstice Bells (Songs from the Woods - Jethro Tull)
Carolyn's Party [Solstice song] (Through the Window - Ann Reed)
The Longest Night (Midwinter - Peter Mayer)
The Houses of Winter (Midwinter - Peter Mayer)
January Stars (Winter Into Spring - George Winston)
Snow (To Drive the Cold Winter Away - Loreena McKennitt)
Winter Woods (Earth Town Square - Peter Mayer)
The Hounds of Winter (Mercury Falling - Sting)
Winter (Tales of a Librarian - Tori Amos)
Where is the Light (Midwinter - Peter Mayer)

Edited to add: I probably should add Joni Mitchell's River and the song Hot Buttered Rum by Tommy Thompson -- what's the best recording of that one, anybody? Red Clay Ramblers? Oh, and definitely John Gorka's "Winter Cows."

Well, this is excellent news!

Despite previous reports of a break between New Line Cinema and Peter Jackson, and that The Hobbit would be directed by someone else, today film producer Saul Zaentz, who owns the screen rights to Tolkien Enterprises, said: "(The Hobbit) will definitely be shot by Peter Jackson.

I hope to see this story confirmed.

Happy dancing in the dressing room at Kohl's

I bought a pair of size 10 jeans today. For the first time in, what, years.

Go me.

And I got my shipment of Lord of the Rings The Two Towers The Complete Recordings.

Am happy Peg.