I am not the least bit ashamed over how much Christmas music I own. I’m also not the least bit ashamed over how early I start pulling it out and cranking it up.

For quite a few years now, I’ve made a little tradition of adding to my music collection each holiday season. The recent death of country music queen Loretta Lynn jolted me into realizing that despite being quite an avid fan, I didn’t own ANY Christmas music by this talented icon. Now I do.

“White Christmas Blue,” released in 2016, is quite a delightful holiday treat. Three of the songs were written by Loretta herself: “Country Christmas,” “To Heck with Ole Santa Claus” and the title track, “White Christmas Blue.”

All three are great examples of Loretta’s inimitable rich voice and Kentucky twang. The latter, a new one specifically for the album, is my favorite and a real gem, in my opinion. With lyrics like “Oh Santa Claus would not want you to break my heart in two, you’re turning my white Christmas blue,” well, you’ve got a pure Loretta-style song if ever there was one. Sharing vocals on that tune is musician Shawn Camp, who, at least in my mind, sounds amazingly like Loretta’s longtime duet partner, Conway Twitty. It’s like the icing on an already delicious gingerbread cookie.

All the other songs are traditional favorites like “Away in a Manger,” “Winter Wonderland” and “Jingle Bells,” but, trust me, you’ve never heard them like this. The last track is a vocal reading of “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” and again, done as only Loretta can.

The CD paperwork includes a few past and recent seasonal photos of Loretta — one with her late husband, Dolittle — and a couple of handwritten holiday wishes.

I was intrigued to learn the album was a collaborative production by Loretta’s daughter, Patsy Lynn Russell and John Carter Cash — yep, Johnny and June’s son. It was recorded at both the Cash Cabin and Loretta’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter” studios.

This was the first Christmas album by Loretta Lynn in 50 years, since her “Country Christmas” one in 1966. Most of the same songs are on both, but I still might need to buy it, too.

So, if you’re a Loretta Lynn fan, or even if you’re not, I highly recommend adding this one to your Christmas music collection. Your white Christmas will be anything but blue.