Merry, merry

December calls for thoughtful days. It's so easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle. We are about to celebrate Christmas. We have parties to go to, with office mates and family and friends. Another year is about to come to a close.

Last year I spent most of this season in the hospital, with Dave. We cooked an entire Thanksgiving meal and carefully packed it into containers and lugged it to his hospital room (along with the family china, of course). It was not exactly hot, but it was delicious.

We bought a wreath for Christmas so the room smelled like pine and we brought stacks and stacks of cookies, coffee and food for the staff, and savory bread pudding for ourselves. We got permission to bring our feisty little terrier in for the day, so that Dave could see her for the first time in months. There were very few gifts, just a couple little things, a book here or there. There was no sea of wrapping paper, no endless rounds of opening and thanking. Just lots of food and coffee with real cream and our favorite Christmas music. Lots of teasing and laughing. We were so very grateful, awed by the amazing gift we had been given, that Dave was still with us, that we were all here together. There was no room for anything else.

This year we strive to bring that same joy and simplicity to the day. I will wake early, drink spiced tea, cook breakfast, open simple gifts and remember that we are all so very lucky in so many ways.

To those of you who are celebrating, Merry Christmas! We're heading down to be with our families. I haven't decided if posting will be regular or sporadic next week. We'll just have to wait and see.