THIS AND THAT--CHRISTMAS--FAMILY--OLD FRIENDS--FINGERNAILS--FATNESS

First of all, I apologize for the length of this post especially with NO pictures. You don't have to read it. Go fix yourself some hot buttered popcorn and watch a good movie.

Christmas is officially over when the last of the kids drove away. I stood in the driveway with ONE of the new cameras, taking pictures of their car until it was out of sight. It's was wise to keep my hands busy so I didn't cry. Until later.

I haven't read the many paged camera booklet yet and so don't know how to download photos. L. Bumhampton took pictures of every step of food preparation and everything else, including someones nose hair, and so there are about 500 photos to download. Goodbye computer memory.

Christmas Day was absolutely perfect. I hope yours was too. The kids laughed until I thought someone was going to need surgery for busted guts. ("Guts" is such a crass word but no other word works. "Intestines" just doesn't carry the same punch.) The food was divine. The house looked good. N. Giggleswitch and Phil decorated the tree on Christmas Eve while L. Bumhampton and I wrapped the never ending supply of gifts. We shopped late this year--what else is new--and so by the time Christmas was here we were exhausted and the house was undone. That's not all. I had the stuffing bread in the oven, drying on a low temp. and then I forgot about it for two days. Christmas Eve I turned the oven on and...burned bread. Black. The house did not smell like cinnamon and spruce! So, Stove Top Stuffing it was and I forgot to make mashed potatoes but the new yam casserole was divine.

I learned something on Christmas Day that is more precious than rubies. My children love me. Long story short: Gilmore Girl organized the kids to buy me a camera. She started this project in October. She was so excited to have me open it because she knew I would be so happy and so suprised. Trouble is, Phil didn't know about her plans so he got me one too. Then she felt their gift wasn't perfect even though it was perfect. Because of her sadness I learned something. She loves me more than I would ever have guessed. I learned what every mother wants to learn, but their kids usually don't even know how much they love their parents until the parents are dead ten years. I am so lucky to know this now. I cannot express this like I feel it. This knowledge is absolutely priceless.

An old high school friend of L. Bumhampton came the other night and visited for almost three hours. He said, "I can't believe I'm almost thirty and still in school and have a ton of school loans." And then he said, "But it doesn't matter, I am in school now and that's all that's important." And he's right. It isn't a competition. We aren't in competition with anyone else. Not even ourselves. We need to stop freaking out about our lack. Instead we should celebrate our wholeness. If we want to change something about ourselves, our behavior, our lives, we can, but I think we should be happy with who we are right now.

We went to a wedding reception tonight at Thanksgiving point and after we got home I looked at my newly painted fingernails--OPI's Dutch Tulips--red--and found nine nails polished, one totally naked. I am so proud.

At the reception there were only sweets, nothing savory; we sampled one of everything. Why? Because we're stupid. The pre-Christmas, Christmas and post-Christmas gluttony has me looking like the Goodyear blimp. Time for some responsible eating.

Next year I will be finished with Christmas preparations before December 20th. Hopefully before December 1st.

All right. Who is laughing in such an insane and disrespectful way?

I almost made my goal of writing 100 letters. I only made it by about half. Every letter I did write I loved writing. I wanted people to know how much they were loved and appreciated by me. I hope I can do the same this year. There are a lot of people who are on my list I want to write to.

I hope everyone is filled with good memories of Christmas and looking forward to a fantastic new year.

Write a letter. Or do something else. Laugh and love and serve happily. You enrich my life with your blogs and your comments. Thank you for taking the time to do both.

May God bless you,
Lynne