Ho, Ho... Hum

This week, my sister Susie is hosting a holiday open house, and if you're visiting me because of it, the first thing I should do is apologize for the mess. I haven't been home here for a long time and it's all dusty and cobwebby... sorry.

The second thing I should do is apologize for the lack of touching holiday photos. I am completely to blame. But I ask you, did you ever take your camera with you to events you consider important to photograph, and then never even pull the camera out until you returned home and remembered you forgot to take any pictures? Or, when watching your children unwrap their Christmas gifts, did you ever get so involved in their enjoyment that you simply didn't reach across the desk to grab the camera?

No? It's just me? *sigh* I was afraid of that.

Instead, I give you a couple of really lousy snapshots I took on the fly; one while we were baking and decorating our annual chocolate-peppermint cookies:



and the others on Christmas Day itself while we were getting ready to go skiing:



(Notice the complete absence of holiday cheer and/or enthusiasm in each and every snapshot. This, I prefer to believe, is merely poor photography.)



Despite my best intentions, I did NOT manage to take the camera out of my coat pocket even once while we were actually on the slopes, though I DID dutifully carry the camera both days. I'm an optimist, obviously.

And hey, isn't optimism the very hallmark of the holidays??

Anyway, I hope you've all enjoyed (and photographed!) your holiday experiences & traditions, whatever they may be. And in the New Year ahead, I hope that your men are strong & handsome, your women intelligent & beautiful, and your children all above average.

(Apologies to Prairie Home Companion for the paraphrased plagiarism.)