In preparing to write this month's column, I took a little time to meander back through the CT archives. It's been a while since I wrote a Holiday column. Last year, I wrote a piece lambasting the merchandisers for trying to dupe us into all kinds of dubious Barack Obama kitsch, and the two years previous to that, I wrote concerning NaNoWriMo. While I just finished my fourth NaNoWriMo with "Empty Threats" for my fourth straight win, I'm not going to write about WriMo this month. If you don't know what NaNoWriMo is, and want to ask, feel free to drop me an e-mail, and I'll be thrilled to share about this annual insanity with you. For now, I'm going to do a Holiday Column. It's easy to find reasons in our world right now to not get into the Holiday Spirit. I won't go into all those, frankly, because CT doesn't have enough bandwidth to cover them all. If, however, despite all the reasons to grump out this December, you're trying to find some of that Holiday Spirit, I'd like to offer some suggestions from my favorite Holiday Mood Boosters, arranged by categories.   MUSIC

Many of us are feeling rather burned out by Christmas music before Thanksgiving is even over, because we've already started hearing it in the stores. The kind of Christmas music that I look forward to breaking out each December, however, isn't the typical arrangements you hear ad nauseum in department stores and elevators. I enjoy different takes on some of the classic stuff, and here are my favorites (in no particular order). Trans-Siberian Orchestra. With their rock-infused adaptations of classic songs, coupled with ample new material, TSO produces some awesome Christmas albums. Additionally, they tend to follow a story which carries the listener along from song to song in a more logical progression than just random tracks on a CD, and offers a good message to boot. Cherish the Ladies. This all-female Celtic band has long been at the top of my favorite music, and their "On Christmas Night" CD mixes some not-well-known old Celtic holiday tunes with the more familiar. The talented musicians of CTL are always a joy to listen to (and particularly to see in concert), and their Holiday release is no exception. Frank Hart. Most of you may not have heard of Frank, but this contemporary Christian musician is worth knowing. His art-rock band, Atomic Opera, is terrific, but for this column, I'm going to mention his solo (literally) Christmas album, "Being Christmas". Most of the album's tracks are traditional carols, but Frank's arrangements and performances of them are delightfully different. You can find it at Frank's website, www.frankhart.com.   MOVIES

The Holiday season seems to beget movies like crazy, and while far too many are at best forgettable (at worst, regrettable), there are some good ones out there that I truly enjoy over and over. How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Not the live action remake, but the Chuck Jones cartoon from the 1960s. I could close my eyes and just listen to Boris Karloff read the incredible Seuss poetry, but coupled with Jones' animated interpretations of the Seussian characters, it's a gem. A Charlie Brown Christmas. Another gem from the sixties, and it shares a solid theme with the Grinch, that Christmas isn't really about the stuff, and that the true joy isn't in the commercialized crap, but in looking past all that to the real spirit of the season. The Ghosts of Christmas Eve. This is the DVD production of one of Trans-Siberian Orchestra's concert stories. If you can't make it to a TSO concert, this is a good way to get a feel for their music and the way they tell the story. That it's also a solid story with a good message is a bonus. A Christmas Carol. This is actually a three-fold listing, because I have three favorite versions of the classic Dickens story. The oldest of the three is "Scrooge," a musical adaptation starring Albert Finney. I saw it in the theater as a boy, and have loved it ever since. The second is the 1984 film version starring George C. Scott. This is, IMNSHO, the best portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge I have ever seen, for Scott plays the old miser with an acerbic humor intact that makes the character far more believably human. I've seen loads of "played the same old way" Scrooges that don't stand out from each other. This one shines. The third is the Muppet Christmas Carol, just because I love the Muppets, and enjoy their take on classic stories. The Bishop's Wife. This monochromatic film from 1948, starring Cary Grant, David Niven, and Loretta Young, is an oft-overlooked holiday treasure. Though sixty years old, the themes and concerns of the characters in the story closely parallel those of families in 2009, and the message is as applicable today as in 1948. The 1996 remake by Penny Marshall was okay, but it pales in comparison to the original (as do most remakes of classics).   ACTIVITIES

Our old Rabbi would often quote a Jewish adage that deeds lead thoughts. The logic is that it is very difficult to harbor negative thoughts when we set out to do positive things for people, and this principle can certainly be applied to Holiday spirit. Toys for Tots. TfT is one of the most well-known of the programs purposing to bring presents for kids that might otherwise not receive any, but there are many other programs as well. Many of these see a decrease in donations when economic times aren't so good, but the need is greater at these times. My advice is to not just buy any old toy to donate, but to go out and actually shop for something to give away. Some of these programs offer slips with the age and interests of the child, and taking the time to find something that truly fits the description becomes not only an investment in a total stranger's Christmas, but in our own as well. While you're at it, grab an extra toy or two and drop them in the Toys for Tots collection box. Caroling. While we traditionally think of the group wandering through the neighborhood singing Christmas songs at various homes, I believe there is a better application of this practice. Go to nursing homes and hospitals. Trust me; I've been in the hospital at Christmas, and you cannot believe just how depressing it is to have to rely on the television for the Holiday experience. Many patients truly yearn for anyone to care enough to bring some Holiday spirit to them, and it's difficult to not feel your own spirit lifting as you help lift someone else's. Whether you're singing, or playing an instrument in an ensemble, the performance will be appreciated. Volunteer. Many organizations see their workload increase at the Holiday season, but their staffing levels don't. Check your local listings for opportunities to get out and help others, instead of sitting around the house and continuing to be bombarded by the Christmas commercials telling you that how much you love someone will be determined by how much you spend. Forget that hype; how much you love is shown by how much you invest of yourself, regardless of the dollar value of the gift or the service. Whatever Holidays you may celebrate, remember that the secret is that joy doesn't just come and find us. Joy is something we find because we choose to go seek it out, and we open ourselves to it. More often than not, the best way to find it is to seek to give it to someone else. May you find this season truly joyful.

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