The happiest times in my life were on Christ-mas Day as a child. Mom went out of her way to make it special for all of us. It was the one time a year when I knew my Dad would be home for more than just a two-day weekend, rather than racing/training harness horses in Toledo (Raceway Park) or Detroit (Northville Downs). One year, one of our dogs - Shaver - smelled some food under the tree. We came home to find several presents had been torn open. I think the dog chowed down on some chocolate-covered cherries. Kind of reminds me of you, Mar…a chocolate hound….I can just picture you doing that! Nah, just kidding. One thing I miss is the Christ-mas carolers who used to come ‘round the neighborhood and sing on Christ-mas Eve. And now, I miss my late parents and my beloved Jude. Mom used to really deck the halls at home, with a tree, window lights, etc. My father got choked up just prior to Christ-mas 2001, saying that, “It won’t seem like Christmas without her here.” He never showed up at my sister Kim’s house that Christ-mas. He’d died in the wee hours of the morning. So, I haven’t put up anything - a tree, a light, any of it - in the intervening years. But this year, I did put up a tiny two-foot-tall lighted tree in the picture window. Such memories: incredibly painful, incredibly wonderful. God Bless.

Thanks, Rock! Hope you will be with friends & family this holiday season. I’m going to try to knock off my holiday shopping this weekend. I really don’t have any free time with my new schedule during the work week, so it’ll have to be the weekend. I enjoy getting my sister, nephews, great-nephews, great-niece and friends stuff. But the gift-wrapping is time-consuming.