I was very fortunate to have received a last minute invitation to join my niece and nephew, sister and b-i-l for dinner at my nieces home followed by the Christmas eve service at Central – our family church. Its a much loved and long lost tradition from my youth. Every Christmas eve we would visit my grandparents in that exact apartment building, where my niece lives now, followed by church. It was lovely. Although not as well attended as in my childhood. Nor did I find it as Christmasy. But I don’t find anything Christmasy so….

And then I got to sleep in this morning, which was lovely. I had coffee with some friends up the street and later today I will visit my friends the Barbers, because I won’t have a chance to see them before I move to the land of Berbers. Barbers before Berbers. Always.

I’m glad its over though. Its funny because the same mindset I had as a kid has once again set in. All the excitment, the bustle, the shopping, the prep, the work, the sweat, the wrapping, the fuss, the decorating. Then by 10 am on Christmas morning, its over. And you sit around for the rest of the day waiting for food to happen. I always found that part a little anti-climatic. Which part is the high point? What was all the prep for? I don’t know. Don’t get me started.

All I know is that its over. And now I move on to the next two weeks. Two weeks. HOLY SHIT! A friend called me the other day and said “let’s get together and do something on the 27th”. So we made some plans, and it all sounded good and distant and doable. And then I realized – thats the day after tomorrow. HOLY SHIT!

Really that’s all I have to say. HOLY SHIT.

Merry Christmas to all. May love be your guide as we enter the new year.

Peace out.