During a last minute excursion to Bergner's last week I exited the store and heard the security alarm trigger. The lady making an exit next to me states with conviction:

"It wasn't me. I didn't buy anything..."

Well, I'm thinking that just might be our problem...

and scene...

I should probably just skip this part, be thankful I finally mailed my Christmas cards and call it a year. It is after all: over. [Besides, now that the Lowery’s have entered the realm of Christmas letters, mine (and yours) will be shamelessly tossed aside when theirs arrives.] Still, I finish my ration of peppermint ice cream and settle in at the computer. Some years I suppose wouldn’t merit mention but this one wasn’t one of them. And so I mention in no particular order:

• My baby turned 21 this year.
• My hubby turned 50.
• I turned 48. Or thought so. Figured out last week I’m only 47.
• We experienced our first major trip out of the country. (Israel/Rome)
  Highlights: Dislodging a 2000- year -old step at Caiaphas’ house; Seeing terrorists laying face down in the dirt in their underwear en route from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv our last day in Israel; And pretty much every other moment we were there…
• We survived mother/father of the bride in May. More than survived; it was amazing.
• I went back to work and love it. Note to self: Never say never. Ever.
• I let Shawna cut my hair. Short. Insert afore mentioned note to self.
• Kevin let Shawna color his hair. And wax his uni-brow. Shhh…
• I bit the apple. I now own a MacBook Pro. Kevin and I have never been closer.
• I surprised Kevin with a Hoffner bass last Christmas. He’s still recovering/indebted. He followed it up with an Esteban guitar and a gazillion instructional CDs. The hills are alive...
• Originally planning to enshrine Shawna’s room and preserve it for all eternity, we spent November giving it an extreme makeover. Had Shawna stuffed instead.
• Unofficially entered the maintenance stage of WW for the last several months. Preparing to go another round.

And in other news: John and Shawna have been Mr. & Mrs. for 7 months. She’ll turn 22 in a couple weeks and another year will once again be off and running. Kevin and I are adjusting nicely to this “just you and I” phase and have become regulars at Sprout’s unintentionally. My heart is full and I’m in a good place. A really good place. I’ve added some pretty awesome silver friends to my life this year and managed to stay in touch with a few gold ones. We continue to miss dad and are ready to dig in and settle the rest of his estate that has been hanging over our sibling heads. Given the 2005 holiday season, the trip, wedding and busy summer and fall, we decided to wait through one more holiday season and finish things up. Shouldn’t be too bad: just a shop full of a century of tenor trade materials and a house full of memories. Piece. of. cake.

Praying your Christmas was blessed. I just don’t think short of locking myself in a closet, there’s any possible way of slowing the process. We had five worship services in a 24- hour period. Our last one didn’t end until 9:00 Sunday night so by the time we wrapped up and headed home to begin our traditional Christmas Eve with John, Shawna and the Fey five, it was all of 11:00 before we opened the first of the presents. Made for a later night than usual and inspite of hitting a wall an hour before we ended, fun was had by all.

Christmas day began with some caramel rolls in the oven and a fresh pot of coffee for Kev and me (our first one “solo” since Shawna was born…) followed by the preparation of my carry-in contribution for lunch at my aunt’s house. We spent a couple hours there with the few cousins who were around as well as John and Shawna and the Fey five. We scooted back across town around 3:30 in time for John to tally up the apparent shortage of gifts on “his” side of the tree. (I adore the boy but Shawna will always win that race…) I helped Shawna prepare dinner for an evening at their house with John’s family and us, and so ended Christmas 2006. We celebrated a good friend's 50th last night and enjoyed another visit from the Lowery’s. T’was the second visit in a few months that book-ended a visit from the Gilchrist’s so my cup overfloweth. One of these days they need to surprise me and visit at the same time :)

I have two funerals in the next two days. One in celebration of a long life well lived; the other well lived and much too short. Both will speak to me of how very temporary this life we are given. A life full of prayers breathed for those awaiting test results, for those with uncertain futures, for those with babies on the way. For blessings and health, for direction, for salvation. For peace that passeth and joy that cometh. Inhaled with refined faith, exhaled with matured thanksgiving and looking more and more like the unceasing exhortation of Paul. I love my family and friends. Know that you’re prayed for. Know that it gives me joy to think of you as I pray. Know that it gives me joy to know you pray for me. What a treasure this faith we share. A little heaven on earth in the process. Love you all. May God blow your socks off in 2007. And should you discover you could use a serious pedicure, be sure to give Shawna a call…

Merry Christmas and A Joy-filled New Year!

dtc: 23...

So in the last 48 hours I have nearly completed the annual indoor/outdoor holiday makeover. After I hang the ornaments on the foyer tree/garland, I'll be done despite the fact that:

• As I carefully studied the Jim Shore Santa & reindeer figurines my dad gave me a couple Christmases ago, trying to figure out why they looked awkward on my dining room table, I realized I had the sleigh in the front. I'll let you do the math.

• I spent close to 30 minutes searching through my wreck of a basement for my angel tree skirt that circles beneath my music room tree, only to discover it was already under the music room tree.

• First thing this morning, weary of all that is red & green, yet resolved to run the final stretch with grace, the umpteenth set of lights I arranged didn't work. Just seconds from swearing right there in front of the Holy Family I realized they work more efficiently with the extension cord plugged into the wall socket.

One more tree. Wish me luck...