I have spent what may have been the only peaceful Christmas morning I ever experienced, after a magical Christmas Eve, and it has been good. I've always thought I should envy those with houses full to the lintels with children and relatives. Those holidays have their blessings too, and usually we travel to share one as close to that as we can get. But I have loved this slow and quiet time: a few gifts, music and coffee and time to spare, time for me. Candles burning and a day for nothing in excess, except love. I went out for the newspaper in my robe with my Christmas wreath still in my hair, breathing in the bite of the air and glad for it. The berries on the bushes profligate red, and somewhere, faint, in a distance I couldn't identify, the fairy sound of wind chimes.

By the way, we went to West TN for a couple of days, and my sister gave me a mink scarf and a Gucci bag from Neiman Marcus. My mother gave me underwear and hose. I love them for wanting me to have what for each are the ideal kinds of gifts.

May God bless you with whatever makes Christmas best for you and with even half as happy a New Year as 2002 has been for me.
posted by Sandy at 7:52 AM