Merry Christmas!!

I wish I were organized enough to find people's actual physical address and use real cards and maybe a picture of my adorable daughter in sort of some Christmas themed package. I have great friends who are able to do this and I love, love, love getting their cards in the mail!!

I'm working towards this, and I think by Christmas 2008 I will be able to do it. I don't want to put too much pressure on myself though....

Anyway, in lieu of physical paper greetings, I set out my Christmas thoughts here.

I'm lucky. I have a nice family and I have wonderful friends. I have a job that I care about and work with people who are kind and thoughtful. So, this Christmas, I feel grateful.

As for the year in review- well, it was just one of those years....you know, you go to work, cook dinner, grocery shop, watch mindless television shows, do the laundry and wonder where in the hell the other socks go and why there are less and less pairs with each round of laundry. You pay bills, bang your shins on the furniture, take the car in for an oil change, help your kid with her homework, go to bed and wake up and do it all over again. Before you know it the year is over.

There were a few stand out moments. For me, it was walking the Portland Marathon (woo hoo!) Also, Allie joined orchestra and she has done four concerts. She's excelling in school. My husband solidered through another year at a job he hates working for a very loathsome character, but a creative project is about to be born from his suffering...he and a friend are creating a comic book about it. Loathsome boss is protrayed as a barfing hippo. Somehow if you knew about this guy, it would make total sense.

Now it is Christmas. As usual I'm starting really late on Christmas preparations and so I'm up at all sorts of odd hours wrapping gifts. Last night I tried to make divinity candy but screwed it up. I was left with an odd sort of goo that was like fighting the tar baby to clean up. My fudge was much more successful. I wrapped a few more presents and it was about 1:00 am and everyone was asleep except me. I turned off all the lights and looked at the tree- we have bubble lights and old ornaments and new ornaments and ornaments that Allie hand painted. We have a swan ornament with a pink ribbon that says "Baby's first Christmas 1994"

I kind of just finally sat still for a moment and enjoyed the bubble lights and the hodge podge of Christmas decor on our tree, and it finally felt like Christmas.