Merry Christmas!

My home at Christmas, 2003

I expect today will be the quietest day here at the yuleblog. So if you're reading this on Christmas Day, thanks for looking in and we wish you a very Merry Christmas! We hope Santa brought you everything on your list this year!

We won't be open tomorrow for exchanges or returns. Nope. Not even open for business. We're taking the rest of the year off.

It's going to take more than a week to sort through the massive amount of downloaded material we've compiled here at the yuleblog.

At last count, we have over 160 complete albums we've downloaded through the sharity network. Add in the 50 odd Christmas comps sent to the yuleblog via our PO Box or downloaded on the net, and all of the Christmas CDs I purchased during this month and the ones I'll receive as Christmas gifts... There's only so many days on the calendar!

Adding this to the pile doesn't count:


This is my Christmas gift to you. Not exactly a "best of" but these are some of my favorites songs from the many albums, singles, and the occasional MP3s from all the Christmas music I've shared this year.

A few people (you know who you are) received earlier rough cuts of this sampler with a totally different lineup of songs. This is all NEW so you might want to get this new version while its being shared!

We've shared a-plenty. Over 3200 downloads since Thanksgiving. Counter that number with this one: just over 70 comments left here. This is partially my fault. I've never allowed "anonymous" comments to be allowed on the yuleblog.

Until now.

Starting today, anonymous comments will be allowed. This is your chance. If you've read something here, if you've downloaded something here, if you're going to download the sampler, please take one moment to leave a comment.

I will try to answer as many comments as time will allow me this upcoming week. General questions about the albums I've reviewed here are encouraged. Christmas wishes from family, friends, and readers like you will take precedent.

If you have requests for specific long-lost Christmas songs, I will try to point you in the right direction. I won't be posting any new shares to start next year - just reviews. Requests for an upload of an album I've never offered will remain unanswered. Any unsolicited link to other web sites will be immediately zapped like a bug.

In closing, I want to send my very best wishes to everyone along the sharity network. Thanks for all the work you've done this year to brighten the holiday with the gift of music.

This was my first year within that network. It was a lot of hard work, sacrifice, and sometimes it was a pain in the ______ (you have your word, I have mine). But its worth it when you get a comment or letter thanking you for helping someone grab those Christmas memories.

Will I be a member next year? Only time will tell...

It's time. The kids are coming downstairs to open their presents. Time for me to put the first year of my online diary of additions to my Christmas music collection to bed.

We'll open gifts, have a hearty breakfast, and spend the rest of the day with family. Some time today, I will get the final tracks from FaLaLaLaLa's ADVENTure In Carols 2006 and Ernie's 25 Days Of Christmas, burn them, and listen to each of them for the first time. I can't think of a better way to end my Christmas!

Thanks for stopping by (as you have) and hope you'll continue to visit us at the yuleblog throughout 2007!

A Christmas Yuleblog Sampler - 2006


Happy listening... and Happy Holidays!


Capt




NOTE: At the same time the giant ball drops in Times Square
(January 1, 2007 at midnight EST),
every link at the yuleblog will drop as well.
If you haven't clicked, get going!