"A year passed. Winter changed into Spring. Spring changed into Summer. Summer changed back into Winter. And Winter gave Spring and Summer a miss and went straight on into Autumn."

Today is October 5 which means yesterday was October 4.  The emphasis of that previous sentence is October.  I left the house yesterday morning wearing a sweater, a pashmina and my pea coat.  It was 41 degrees yesterday morning.  Brr.  Today I left the house in a long sleeved top and pashmina.  I opted not to wear my coat because my scarf didn't match, and I absolutely refused to wear my dressy, long, nice coat this early.  There have been frost warnings the past two nights.  This is absurd.

Now, I would understand if it was later in October, around Halloween, but this is positively too early for winter-wear. 

So while I was driving down the road yesterday morning, I cranked the heat in the car to warm my legs and feet.  The heater in my car has a very distinct smell, as many probably do, but the smell immediately transports me to the month of December and reminds me of all the wonderful things that happen in December.  

I lived with Katie for five years.  We were best friends in high school and when we enrolled at UT, we signed up to be suite mates.  Well, UT Housing didn't like that idea and decided to place us as roommates.  This is funny because Brandon and Leah went to LSU and rented a huge-ass apartment (designed for 4 people, but only had 2.)  It was a running joke with our friends that Ingrid and Katie would kill each other, but Brandon and Leah were going to get a long so well.  Well, the opposite thing happened.  Katie and I worked perfectly together.  We had about one huge fight each of the five years we lived together, but besides that, we got along like peas and carrots.

Katie and I shared many wonderful qualities, but one of these qualities was our love of Christmas!  Our freshman year, we had unlimited free access to Napster, with the exception that you couldn't burn cds.  So one day, probably in October, but possibly early November, we played a Christmas carol.  And one Christmas carol led to many Christmas carols.  Soon we were in full-fledged Christmas mode.  

Now, growing up, my mom was reluctant to decorate for Christmas until like 2 weeks after Thanksgiving.  I, on the other hand, LOVE decorating for Christmas and relentlessly begged her to let us decorate early like so many of my friends were allowed to do.  I was denied.

Once in college, the obsession of Christmas music led to early decorating and a strong passion for the Christmas spirit first in South Carrick 716, then Massey 514, then Massey 527, then 821 Luttrell, and then finally 6963 Sonya Drive.  I loved that Katie understood and embraced the passion for Christmas music in November...err October...err September.  

 So this year I made it to October 5.  Yesterday as I drove down the interstate with my heat warming my toesies, I yearned for Christmas music. 

Now, I have been trying to be a better driver since I got my second....alright third speeding ticket, so I was only able to search my nearby surroundings in my car for my Christmas cd case.  Yes, I'm that special that I have a specific travel case for my Christmas cds.  Sadly, I came to the conclusion that my Christmas case must be in the trunk of my car.  Sad face.

The same thing happened this morning because I was running too late for work to even remember that I wanted my Christmas cds, and especially too late to dig through all the shit..."I mean gunk"...in my trunk (hah, that rhymed.)  So then you must be wondering how I listened to Christmas music on October 5 if I was unable to do so this morning in the car. 

I am so happy to welcome the "Folk Christmas" Pandora playlist back into my life.  It makes me all warm and gooey.  There are a lot of Christmas songs I don't really care for (and don't worry, sometime in December I will let you know which Christmas carols are the best and which are the worst.)  The "Folk Christmas" playlist plays a lot of the ones I love, and the ones I don't love, receive a nice little click on the thumbs-down button.

I highly recommend it.  It's wonderful.  It will make you warm and gooey inside.  I said "Christmas" 21 times in this post.  Just wait until we're actually in the season of Advent. 

Glad tidings.  Hopefully it'll warm up soon and actually feel like fall instead of winter!