Category Archives: seasons

Christmas Play List

resources, seasons, , ,

Back in the day, I used to enjoy making Christmas Mix Tapes or CDs for family and friends. Today’s equivalent I guess is the Play List. So I made one. You can listen here.

Christmas Play List graphic

Susan Rose’s 2020 Christmas Play List on YouTube

It’s a mix of old favorites by favorite artists, some newer songs and some new-to me artists, starting with three of my own prayer videos set to music. And yes, some songs are repeated! It’s 2020. All rules are flexible.

Enjoy! and Blessings of Peace!

Song list:

As Joseph was a Walking – Annie Lenox
Only at Christmas Time – Sufjan Stevens
Joy to the World – Sufjan Stevens
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Sara Groves
Did I Make You Cry on Christmas Day? – Sufjan Stevens
Christmas (Baby Please Come HOme) – Darlene Love
The Christmas Song – Aimee Mann
Winter Wonderland – She & Him
Jingle Bells – Ella Fitzgerald
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Phoebe Bridgers
All I Want for Christmas – THe Yeah Yeah Yeahs
O Come All Ye Faithful – Weezer
What are You Doing New Year’s Eve? – The Head and the Heart
Are You Coming Over for Christmas? – Belle & Sebastian
Winter Wonderland – Radio Head
The FIrst Noel – Weezer
O Little Town of Bethlehem – Belle & Sebastian
Jingle Bell Rock – Arcade Fire
Donna & Blitzen – Badly Drawn Boy
Last Christmas – Jimme Eat World
Blue Christmas – Bright Eyes
The Christmas Song – The Raveonettes
Baby It’s Cold Outside – John Legend feat. Kelly Clarkson
Frost the Snowman – Fiona Apple
It’s Beginning to Look a lot LIke Christmas – Bing Crosby
Skating – Vince Guaraldi
7 O’Clock News/Silent Night – Pheobe Bridgers (feat. Fiona Apple and Matt Berniger)
Wonderful Christmastime – The Shins
Little Drummer Boy – The Dandy Warhols
Xmas Time is Here Again – My Morning Jacket
O Holy Night – Weezer
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Albin Lee Meldau
I Heard the Bless on Christmas Day – The Civil Wars
Happy Xmas (War is Over) – The Polyphonic Spree
Santa bring my baby back to me – Belle & Sebastian
I Want an Alien for Christmas – Fountains of Wayne
Good King Wenceslas – The Irish Rovers
The Christians & The Pagans – Dar Williams
Christmas in Hollis – Run DMC
Last Christmas – Wham!
O Holy Night – Tracy Chapman
Santa Claus is Coming to Town – Frank Sinatra
O Christmas Tree – Aretha Franklin
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – U2
On Christmas Day – Spiers & Boden
The First Good Joy Our Mary Had – Fraser Freda Boyes
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer – Nowell Sing We Clear
Christmas in Killarney – The Irish Rovers
Let Us the Infant Greet – Loreena McKennitt
Tracks in the Snow – The Civil Wars
All My Christmases – Julian Edwards
Christmas Song – Phoebe Bridgers
Someday at Christmas – Jack Johnson
I Saw Three Ships – Th Irish Rovers
God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman/We Three Kings – Bare Naked Ladies Feat. Sarah McLachlan
I Wonder as I Wander – Audrey Assad






Movement and colors

Chicago, seasons, ,

Given that the main focus of my life (studying & writing) involves sedentary tasks, I have made myself a promise to get moving everyday. Sometimes this involves going to the gym where I move on the elliptical machine with music in my ears (of my own choosing, not the gym music mix!). Other times like today this means a brisk walk in the neighborhood.

I have chosen the neighborhood walk most non rainy days this fall, because of the colors! 

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This is my third autumn in Chicago,  and while I will be lamenting the bare branches and lack of anything green soon enough, the fall colors are lovely! They also serve as added motivation for me to get outside and get moving.

First soup of the season

cooking, seasons,

First soup of the season
veggie soup in progress

I just put my first soup of the year in the crockpot. Yesterday in Chicago it was close to 80 degrees. This morning as I walked to the grocery store to stock up on soup ingredients, it was in the 50s and just a wee bit overcast with a hint of precipitation to come. I will admit, my inner Pacific Northwesterner is happy with this turn of events.

Hopefully, autumn is here for a bit. Really it’s my favorite season. As a kid, it meant the start of the new school year. It’s a chance to wear that new red sweater you bought at the thrift store over the summer. To go for a long walk and crunch some leaves. And to make the first pot of soup before heading to the library.

It’s nice to know that as I hunker down to get serious about finishing up the first chapter of my thesis, a simple vegetable soup is simmering away.

Sometimes, it’s the simple things in life that are the best.