Hi, Kim! I'm Susan, and it's cold and rainy outside. I would love to hear anything off the "James Taylor at Christmas" CD, especially his "Baby It's Cold Outside." It's a duet with Natalie Cole. Getting ready to wrap my gift for the gift swap. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjK-BcJ3E7c

Hi Susan. I do love James Taylor as well and I did enjoy the tracks you posted. I am technologically challenged so haven't mastered posting links or music, so thanks for that.

Thanks for sharing about the Faith Hill song. It’s beautiful. I’ll link it in case anyone wants to hear it. :)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt3Y3HJpXQs

Hi Kim, Im Bill in Fenton Mo tonight just outside St. louis cross county lines.
I heard on tv tonight consumer reports found four of six brands of hot cocoa have lead in them. I will have eggnogg I brought. Much music has been playing on my satellite radio with lots of jazzy christmas songs. But I want dolly parton Christmas shoes I think its called.

I also made popcorn and have needles and thread to make garland of popcorn for tree and there is plenty to eat too

Yikes! My favorite, Trader Joe’s Organic Hot Cocoa,” is on that Naughty list.

Nice. I love threading popcorn! Just soft Christmas jazz for me. I wouldn't mind a little Frank Sinatra too.

Bill, did ya have to ruin our cocoa? lol I can go for eggnog too I guess. I haven't had that forever. They actually made a movie about that song Dolly did and I think Kimberly Williams Paisley played the mom. I bawled when I watched that and I DO love that song.

Susan, thanks for posting the link for That song. I am going to listen now.

PS Bill I used to string the popcorn too.( Tried it one year with fake beads to look like cranberries). I'd help you stringing it tonight but my poor paws have been so stiff and I have either carpal tunnel acting up or simply neuropathy so I believe I'd be sticking me as much as the popcorn. [ol

Christmas jazz and Frank are a good addition to our playlist.

You know what drives me nuts is the barking dogs and years back I had to listen to South Park Christmas. ( Those I can do without. .)

Anybody ready to do a gift swap?

I am!

I think you should pick one from under the tree and tell us what you got. (Something you would definitely love but not necessarily buy for yourself)

Well I think everybody fell asleep. Back when I still had a church to go to, I went for Christmas eve services and at midnight at the close of service we would pass our candles and leave to the beautiful sound of silent night.

Merry Christmas ! See ya at brunch in the morning. (maybe we can do a gift exchange then. )

HI all! Sorry I'm late for the party!

Fairly sure everyone here knows who I am but for the newbies who haven't formally met me yet, I'm Tess and I'm from not-so-upstate upstate New York where it is a little less chilly today than it was over the weekend when it was brutally cold and we got some snow yesterday and so long as it's still on the ground when the sun comes up, we officially have a white Christmas for the first time since like 2009 or something like that.

The great thing about virtual parties is that we have all the best snacks and drinks so I'll happily take some of that hot cocoa because unlike real life virtual hot cocoa is sure to be lead-free! Since virtual party cookies have no calories either, you can find me hovering over the table you've got those cookies on, Kim because I'm going to want to sample every type of cookie you put out!

I feel a bit awkward being the first to pick a present since I just got here so I'll let ya'll have a go first while I drink my cocoa and check out the Christmas records to decide what to play next... perhaps a bit of Wham!...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8gmARGvPlI