My holiday epistle

Okay, yes, I know I meant to actually send out cards or at least a newsletter this year and yes, I understand the disappointment of those of you who counted on receiving my card as evidence of your continued residency on the A List.

Get over it.

And I mean that in only the most loving way. In my defense, I have been busy basically since the surprise visit for Thanksgiving of Daughters One and Also Two. I just never got revved up on lots of things I’d meant to do. So you see, card-writing is not the only holiday activity that sort of fell by the wayside. We got the outdoor lights up in true Griswold fashion and the tree up and trimmed, but we never set out the rest of the Christmas deco and went through the big day with green and red storage bins still sitting in the front room.

You might say we just sorta ran out of steam. Which is not the same as saying that we didn’t enjoy the season. With One and Two here - a BIG surprise for moi – Thanksgiving was the best one we’ve ever had. Since the visit was a surprise, we hadn’t lined up a lot of planned activities. So as I said in an earlier post, it was just a lovely, relaxed visit.

Mary and I spent a week in the Boston area and really enjoyed walked, talking, and gawking – the three awks of relaxed tourism. I did a PILE of location research for my writing, we saw Two’s a capella group sing and attended her senior design project presentation. Met or refreshed our acquaintance with a number of her friends and enjoyed being a couple on vacation.

Then Two came home again for a week between end of classes and departing for Orlando and Miami, where she is now just finishing visits with One and also with their respective boyfriends.

Odin the Large and Lazy had a couple of office procedures and finally major surgery, his recovery from which required us to operate a doggie sick room for a spell. Thankfully, Two was home to help nurse her boy and just today, we were able to take off his cone, for which our home furnishings and door jambs are thankful. On a more somber note, the surgery did not remove his malignancy, so there will come a time for a tough decision. But not today. Today, he’s back to being his usual, dumb-as-a-post-but-lovable-as-a-… well, as a big galumphy Great Dane, I guess, self.

Zoey is Zoey. Eager, fun, annoying, loving, frightened of fireworks and thunder, and absolutely a wonderful companion.

Mary’s new job seems to be a great match and she’s really enjoying it. I’m enjoying having a second salary in the household after a lo-o-o-ong stretch of decidedly lean times.

My book project has really taken off and I’m having a wonderful time with it. Sublime torture, writing is. And I truly love it!

Life is good and I hope that is also true for each and all of you!

Happy New Year! And I’ll try to do better next year.