I love November.
Growing up in the mountains, November (or sometimes half-way through October) was when we started getting snow in earnest. Here in Virginia, it’s when the heat and humidity finally admit that they will not be making a return until spring. (Or February, at least. Because it seems like there’s always a few days in February when we get this random heat wave and I remember why I hate summer.)
Yesterday, when I woke up, the thermometer said it was 34 outside, and my heart did a little dance of joy. I love the cold. If I could convince my family to move to Alaska, I totally would.
Hubby has already started the Christmas music. He says November 1st is the day that it’s acceptable. I feel like we need to wait until Thanksgiving for that. (I mean, he can do what he wants in his car, but if we’re talking the music in the house, let’s just slow down a bit!) We had a friend who used to listen year-round, so I mean, I guess it takes all kinds.
Where do you fall on the Christmas music debate?
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Last Week on Inspy Romance
Monday: Angela Ruth Strong shared about her second chance at romance.
Tuesday: Liwen Ho talked about the value of Christian romance.
Wednesday: Ginger Solomon shared pictures from her real life.
Thursday: Deb Kastner gave us a peek at her kitty adventure.
Friday: Sally Bayless talked about planning a wedding.
Saturday: Narelle Atkins shared about her recent weekend of refreshment.
Next Week on Inspy Romance
Monday: Laurie Larsen
Tuesday: Julie Arduini
Wednesday: Jan Thompson
Thursday: Elizabeth Maddrey
Friday: Shannon Vannatter
Saturday: Valerie Bodden
New Releases
November 2019
A Heart Reconsidered (Peacock Hill 6) by Elizabeth Maddrey
The Cowboy’s Belated Discovery (Saddle Springs Romance 5) by Valerie Comer
A Place to Find Love (Front Porch Promises 6) by Merrillee Whren
Always (Imagination 7) by Staci Stallings
Southern Hearts 1-4 by Janet W. Ferguson
Restoring Christmas by Julie Arduini
October 2019
The Texan’s surprise Return (the Cowboys of Diamondback Ranch) by Jolene Navarro
Sara’s Gift (Small-Town Christmas Wishes) by Kimberly Rose Johnson
Valerie’s Verdict (The Dixon Brothers 2) by Hallee Bridgeman
Nate’s Gift (Small-Town Christmas Wishes) by Jackie Castle
Once Upon a Christmas: Contemporary Retellings of Timeless Tales by Toni Shiloh, Angela Ruth Strong, Jaycee Weaver, and 2 others
Saddle Springs Romance 1-3 by Valerie Comer
A complete list of Inspy Romance books by our authors is always available on our BOOKS tab. Find our audiobooks, our permanently free e-books, and our thank-you gifts for newsletter subscribers there as well!
Wemble says
Hi Elizabeth, glad you are getting some cooler weather, I hope it stays that way for you.
Hmm, I hold off on the Christmas music until December 1st. I’m worse with the tree- that does not go up until school finishes (and then, only if we are staying home that year!!)
Blessings:)
Ausjenny says
Hi Elizabeth We have our Christmas pageant in the Capital of my state the second Saturday of November normally and then its starting to feel more like Christmas is coming. I normally start Christmas music by the beginning of Dec. I try to get the tree up the beginning of Dec although with two monsters I mean cats this year not sure how its going to go. Last year I babysat 2 cats that were ok with the tree but these two are into everything.
One things that surprises me about America is how so much of the country is humid in Summer. Here normally south of Sydney is a dryer heat and the western Coast is basically dry heat. The interior of the country is a dryer heat also but the coast more on the east coast from parts of New South Wales to the top of Australia and across the top end can be very humid.
I am use to a dryer heat. We get hot northerly winds and we get a little humidly but nothing like I notice when I was in America. The day we were in Williamsburg it wasn’t overly hot but I could already feel the humidity and knew if I visited in Summer I would suffer. (besides not being use to it I get migraines from humidity).
Renate says
Hi Elizabeth! In Michigan the weather is finally in the lower 40s. Unfortunately due to the rain and high wind the trees are stripped of their fall foliage. Even though I am reading Christmas stories and watching Hallmark Christmas movies, as a German Christmas begins with Advent – 4 Sundays before Christmas, which this year is December 1. That is when I begin listening to Christmas carols and decorating the house for Christmas. Best wishes. Stay warm and dry.
Brenda Day says
I’ll like your friend can listen to Christmas music all year long ❤️
Elizabeth Maddrey says
Good for you! I have these dreams of waiting longer but my family won’t stand for it. ;)
Paula Marie says
Hi, Elizabeth! We hit the 50s for lows this weekend and I am enjoying it while I can, will get hot again during the week. I like to start the Christmas music going full time on the day after Thanksgiving, but never mind listening to it all year round in small doses, lol!
Elizabeth Maddrey says
Oh man. Maybe I need to move to Australia instead. I don’t mind drier heat as much – the Southwest (with the exception of Texas — they get humid too) tends toward drier heat. California, too. But yeah, Williamsburg in the summer is nearly unbearable.
Cats and trees are such a problem! I hope you’re able to figure something out.
Elizabeth Maddrey says
I try to push for waiting until Advent but always lose. :)
We had a big storm on Halloween and it took out most of our leaves as well. We have two maples that held on to maybe 40% of their leaves but just about everything else is bare.
Elizabeth Maddrey says
Nice! You don’t get tired of it?
Elizabeth Maddrey says
That’s cold for Florida!
Maybe my Christmas music preference is the weird one :)
Jackie Smith says
After Thanksgiving is time for Christmas music…to me! I am, however, already reading Christmas stories! Live in GA, and we are beginning to get temps in 30’s….so much better than awful hot temps we had too long!
Elizabeth Maddrey says
Yay for cooler weather! And I read Christmas stories all year…it really is just the music for me.
Paula Marie says
We all have our preferences, lol! I wold totally move to Alaska, too!!
Elizabeth Maddrey says
Ha. True.
We can be Alaska buddies! :)
Valerie Comer says
We had a cat take the tree all the way to the floor and break some fragile ornaments. Since then, we have always tied our tree to a hook in the ceiling with monofilament! That same cat helped himself to ornaments at night and played soccer with them. On hardwood floors. Noisily. Above our basement bedroom. I miss that cat!!!! But not at Christmas so much.
Valerie Comer says
I started reading Christmas stories this week, as I’d collected quite a few of them on my Kindle since December. We usually cut a tree from the forest about two weeks before Christmas and it goes out before the new year – long enough to vacuum up needles in a small house with cats…
Christmas music starts December first for me. Unless I’m writing a Christmas romance in March. Or July. Or September. Then anything goes.
Linda Hogue says
Now I know why I love you so much, we are truly kindred spirits. I also hate!!!! hot weather with a passion and love cold weather. I also completely agree with you about Christmas music as well as the stores already displaying Christmas decorations and toys before November.
Patty says
I am not ready for Christmas music yet! Someone told me that one of the local radio stations had started playing it already, so I will be avoiding that station for now.
Toni Shiloh says
I’m with you, no Christmas music before Thanksgiving. However, I’ve already started watching Christmas movies. :)
Margaret Nelson says
My birthday is in early January, so when I was young, we didn’t put up our Christmas tree until about the middle of December, and then it would stay up until my birthday! Now my husband and I wait until after Thanksgiving for sure. Last year we never did put up a tree because we weren’t home for Christmas. I like to wait until after Thanksgiving to start the Christmas music, but don’t mind hearing it in stores earlier (unless it’s songs like “I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus.”)
Trudy says
So not fair, Paula!!!! We’ve stayed in the 70’s!!! The coolest in Central FL was Ocala and Palm Coast, both in the low 50’s. Hopefully, another front comes through and cools us off!! Daddy had a chance to go TDY to Alaska, and all four us girls were all for it. Mom, however, was NOT. We didn’t go. I’d still love to go!!
Trudy says
I’m with you, Elizabeth!! Christmas music doesn’t start here until Thanksgiving. I’d totally like to move somewhere cooler than FL!! Alaska is definitely on my bucket list!!
Elizabeth Maddrey says
We took an Alaskan cruise 8 years ago and it was so lovely. I definitely want to at least go back to visit .
Elizabeth Maddrey says
I miss cutting out own tree. It’s not really feasible where we are, so ours is in a box in the shed until the day after Thanksgiving.
December 1 sounds about right. :)
Elizabeth Maddrey says
We are definitely twins of the heart!
Elizabeth Maddrey says
Oh wow. Yeah it’s too soon for the radio for sure!
Elizabeth Maddrey says
I am much less regimented about books and movies. I actually almost put on While You Were Sleeping yesterday because I was in the mood. But I ran out of time.
Elizabeth Maddrey says
If we were not going to be home I don’t think I’d put up a tree either. And yes! Some of the secular songs really grate.
Elizabeth Maddrey says
Florida is on my “please don’t make me ever live there” list. But hubby has a lot of family down there so I don’t think it can ever be completely out of the running.
Susan P says
I would live with you in Alaska! I adore colder weather and can’t stand heat. I’m in Michigan and Renate is right, we lost all our leaves in the wind recently, too. As for Christmas music it can’t be before Nov 1, but then only sparingly until Thanksgiving and then FULL on!! This year is different though because we didn’t get to decorate or celebrate Christmas last year, so we are in full swing of making a full celebration this year. Starting now!
Merrillee Whren says
I hate cold weather. We are in NJ right now, and we’re headed home today. I’m so looking forward to 83 degrees tomorrow!
Lila Diller says
I’m normally singing Christmas music in September, as our choir begins practicing for our big Christmas play. But this year, I’m not in the choir, and I am still enjoying the late fall. We had such a late summer that I am not ready for Christmas quite yet, though we have a family tradition to put up the Christmas tree on Election Day. That won’t happen this year, as I still need to make one more trip to the mission store to get rid of the bikes and other broken electronics where we put the tree up. My mother-in-law has started watching Christmas movies on Hallmark, and I have watched snippets when we go over there every week. And my husband put on his Charlie Brown Christmas CD this week, but it’s really more jazz than Christmas. I will most likely start reading Christmas books before Thanksgiving, though, so it will be soon. Now that the time has changed, it will feel colder and shorter days and begin to feel more Christmas-y.
Elizabeth Maddrey says
Ooh. We should have an Alaskan reader retreat! Then we could all experience it at least for a while!
Elizabeth Maddrey says
Oh gosh, Merrillee, better you than me! :)
Elizabeth Maddrey says
The time change helps me get in the spirit too – even though I think daylight savings is dumb :)
Judy says
I listen to Christmas music all year, especially if I need to feel uplifted. I have a list of favorites and the links on YouTube. I’ll play one and let YouTube autoplay whatever comes next. Bring on the cold! Of course, cold here means it’s in the 70s. LOL! I’ve often considered Alaska, but the whole mostly dark for months is a drawback. :)
Elizabeth Maddrey says
The dark thing is a definite drawback
Ellie says
I feel like Christmas should wait until after Thanksgiving. I think doing some Christmas prep work prior to Thanksgiving is fine (shopping, baking cookies that can be frozen, getting cards ready), but wait until after Tgiving to show anything Christmas.
Elizabeth Maddrey says
Prep work does have to start a little earlier that’s true.
Lila Diller says
I agree. They should stick with one or the other all year instead of making us switch back and forth. Oh, well, I can’t do much about it.
Linda Hogue says
For sure sister!!
Ausjenny says
My first couple of cats never went near the tree. Horse would lie under it but only once reached for something and got a swat, that was it. The two I looked after would walk under it but never tried to attack it. But these two well I think I could be in trouble. I have 12 feet ceilings and rent so cant put in a hook. I will put up the tree but again not the breakable ornaments. Will also not put then on the bottom branches.
My friend lives in Alaska (moved from New Mexico to Alaska) They still get hot weather around 90 but its a dry heat. I would struggle with the lack of light in winter. But would love to visit. Where we are we get it hot in summer we can get it over 100 but our humidity is normally around the 10% – 20% We can get it higher when we get a change and get the thunderstorms etc.
Diana says
I like Christmas music near Thanksgiving.
We used to have a rabbit who would nibble on our fake tree and low ornaments. I also had daycare little kids in our house. So the bottom third of our tree had to be rabbit and kid proof. No lights or breakable ornaments.
Elizabeth Maddrey says
Ha! The first couple of years we had kids, we left the bottom two layers of our fake tree blank because of little hands. We just didn’t know what else to do. It’s nice that they’re older now and I don’t worry as much.
Lelia (Lucy) Reynolds says
I dread the cold as it makes me hurt. Give me warm sunshine. It’s 30 out right now and I’m watching a Christmas movie.
Elizabeth Maddrey says
Oh no! If it hurts then cold is definitely not good. That’s kind of how I feel about hot/humid. I always feel a little sick when it’s super hot.
Trixi says
Hi Elizabeth! I’m a day late but I love lazy Sundays with the family (except church of course!).
Here on the Oregon coast you can tell the weather has changed! It’s gotten much colder at night and our day temps are still a bit nippy at times. I’m a wimp when it come to cold, I don’t like anything below 40 degrees, lol! I think I would take an even 60-70 degree everyday over fluctuating temps.
As far as Christmas, I’m definitely not ready for that until after Thanksgiving. It seems it gets overlooked more & more every year! Our tree goes up about 2 weeks before and comes down the day after New Years, and NO Christmas music in November (thank you very much, lol)! Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas time because it reminds me of WHY we celebrate….Christs birth. What I hate, is all the commercialization and need to buy, buy, buy. I like simple family traditions, spending the day with each other, watching old Christmas movies, eating a good meal and reflecting on God’s love in sending His Son to save us. :-)
Trixi says
What I meant in my first sentence….was I love the lazy day with the family, aside from going to church in the morning. They way I worded it sounded like I didn’t like to go to church, which is not true! I hope that makes sense :-)
Priscila says
I love Christmas music, but this is way too soon to start listening to them. I need at least the impression that the year is not over by the time Christmas roles in I feel like there’s no way to accomplish anything.
Btw, thanks for the gift card. I got the email and replied. If I didn’t mention this before, I appreciate the gifts from your team since it can get quite expensive to buy books.