OK, I'll admit it, I still enjoy hearing Keith Partridge (nee David Cassidy, but he'll always be Keith Partridge to me) sing "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." One of my best Christmas presents was "A Partridge Family Christmas Card" album. I don't think I was old enough to work the stereo without adult supervision but that bright green album with the tiny red Christmas card slotted into the cover that you could take out and read was just too cool.

For a long time there was an open debate running about whether I liked the music or the packaging it came in because I was fascinated by that tiny Christmas card. It's still debatable. Last year I found a CD version of The Album - sadly sans tiny red Christmas card - and had to have it - and have suffered merciless teasing from friends for still crushing on Keith Partridge.

But Keith Partridge or not, what's not to love about Christmas tunes? I am a huge music lover and have more Christmas CDs than should be legal. And anything with a rendition of Carol of the Bells on it must be mine. Someday I'll get around to making myself a CD with nothing but different renditions of that on it. In the meantime, there's Celtic Christmas, bagpipe Christmas, steel drum Christmas, blues Christmas and Zydeco Christmas along with the more "normal" offerings like Mannheim Steamroller, Jewel, Enya, Vince Guaraldi (Charlie Brown composer), Jimmy Buffett, Dean Martin (yes, I am also a Dean Martin fan) and even Lynyrd Skynyrd - who knew they released a Christmas CD?!

There is music and hot chocolate in my house for a good month and a half while I hang the tree on the wall and wire on the ornaments and stuff stockings. Yes, that was hang the tree on the wall. Two big dogs and a collection of glass ornaments do not - repeat DO NOT - mix.

If those lethal-weapon tails aren't swishing them onto the hardwood floor then a certain black dog is trying to eat them. Who knew glitter was that irresistible? So I wired together several heavy wire coathangers with duct tape (with coathangers and duct tape I'm pretty sure I can fix anything), wrapped the shape with garland and lights and voila: Christmas tree.

I might not be able to rock around it but I sure can rock through the house without knocking anything off of it!

Sometimes even to the Partridge Family.

There's a lot of television Christmas, too, but music is much less distracting during tiny Christmas pursuits. Last year I created a tiny tree for my Victorian house using glass beads for the tree and ornaments. And then there's always playing with my Dad's tiny Christmas village. Although he would use another word than playing...

I set up an elaborate Halloween village every year while Dad goes all out for the Christmas scene. It really is spectacular. Mom has found people of all shapes and sizes and occupations to populate it as well as giving him houses and stores of all variety to stock it.

That's because it actually started out being her village. Until it became so large she needed help setting it up and he became fascinated with arranging streets and creating two different levels using paint cans and plywood boards (see, I come by this duct tape/coathanger thing honestly).

Mom likes to tell stories on me about when I was little and how her hearthside manger scene was never in the same position on a daily basis despite my being told not to touch it. A certain set of small hands simply couldn't keep from rearranging the little pieces. And she never caught me at it, but the sheep and camels and shepherds never stayed in the same place.

Now it's Dad's turn.

People move, Santa changes rooftops, decorations change position... One year when the folks went out of state for a Christmas visit and were naive enough to leave me alone with the house and its contents (oh heavenly day!) there was even an invasion by a flock of hot pink flamingoes. Almost every tiny yard sported at least one flamingo, some had two. There were even flamingoes wearing Santa hats!

The funnier thing? Neither one of them saw the multitude of birds for at least a week! I laughed every day. Sometimes I'd have to cover the mouthpiece of the phone to keep from giggling and giving it away.

Ya gotta love the holidays! Opportunities for fun are abundant.

From all of us at CDHM to all of you, may your hearths be warm, your goodies plentiful and your families together for many fun opportunities of your own. Happy holidays!

Editor