Just continuing to bask in all the joys of love with family and friends in this lovely season and must admit, I got some lovely pieces of Jewelery to add to the sparkle!

Today is a day that I look to the year 2009 and start outlining some plans to look forward to. A time to move on.

Just here at work…while the rest of my family is home, resting. Hubby goes back for a second CT Scan of his head from his work accident the other week to make sure all is well!

a day of contemplation…

A day to write thank you notes. I was brought up to believe I would be a total failure and outcast if they were not written and mailed before New Year’s Day, so this is the day to do them and avert THAT disaster!

The entire state us under a sheet of ice. We couldn’t go anywhere if we wanted to. Another day to hang out and play games with the kids.

Somehow, somehow, there is just joy and less pressure - we understand pressure, don’t we? when your Christmas is going to be on Saturday and Sunday instead — holidays are wonderful for long distance driving - roads about empty and clean of snow - and then a day to fool around with the funny things we plan. It has always been a wild and laughing day — and each is unique so that the family will never have one the same as another. And then hours of games that get very competitive so we are all standing in anticipation — and it is every person for themselves — even if they are 8. So we are having a WOW time in luxury here — and the untouched snow and frozen lake outside simply gorgeous - as the woodpeckers stand on the tree trunks and pretend to not be sensational real ornaments that blow us away. Love it, love it, love it!!!!

To me, today is and always will be a good old English Boxing Day - the second day of Christmas. Today we enjoy a rest, write some thank you letters, watch movies and - if we can find some friends who don’t have to go to work, we enjoy good company and some Christmas dinner leftovers. (OK - it’s all in my dreams - in reality we’ve taken out the trash and recycling, cleaned the house and nagged the kids to clean up too, and then shopping for a new TV because ours ceased to function as soon as the new Wii was plugged in!)

Like Lorraine above, I’m in Chicago and no one should even be allowed to leave their homes today, but, alas, I am the new kid on the block on my job at a hospital, and was expected at work this morning. Not surprisingly, none of the patients have shown up as yet. Apparently, as it warms up later in the day, heavy downpours are expected and massive flooding. The weather reports lately sound more like epic bible stories.