Fridays, Year 3, Week 6, Christmas Eve

Here it is, Christmas Eve! We have a lot of snow on the ground and the streets are pretty clean of snow and ice. This morning, Mother Nature treated us to a gorgeous display of icy fog composed of crystal diamonds as light came through and the sun and blue sky emerged. It was a Christmas wonder...the trees were all encrusted with rainbows and diamond-like ice crystals as the sun gained a little altitude. Cold, but magnificently scenic...something my family in Phoenix are missing out on! They will being enjoying the holidays though, the whole family will converge on Disneyland between Christmas and New Year's to explore that man made wonder together. My granddaughter promised to plant a big wet one on Goofy for me, hope she gets a picture!

I baked a cheesecake earlier and made a fruit compote to serve on top of it with apples, pears and figs cooked in butter...of course to be topped in freshly whipped cream. I know how to celebrate! I plan to rotisserie a whole filet mignon for dinner along with asparagus, pan-fried red potatoes with pasilla peppers and onions. Can't beat that for a treat...us old folks do love our food!

The week between Christmas and New Year's day, I will get down to the business of closing out 2010 and getting prepared for 2011 by storing all this years records and making a fresh start on filing the old man's taxes. It never fails to get my enthusiasm for a new year jump started...if you keep all your monthly bills and such nice and straight, it just makes you feel so well organized that you realize you have a lot of time to enjoy life and prepare for new projects!

The girls and I had a nice lunch at Wonderful House last Wednesday and exchanged our gifts for the holidays. They are probably the best gift I have ever received...loving friends and all the visiting we do sure makes my life a joy. Add to that a mostly sweet old man and an occasionally cranky kitty who both need and crave my attention and love and it all comes out to one fortunate old woman...to be loved and necessary is a great gift...indeed, a blessing! Winter in Rock Springs can be a touch depressing since it limits your movements, but if you count your blessings, it takes the sting out of it!

My wish for all the people who inhabit this world is peace, love and someone who needs and loves you. I just doesn't get any better than that! Merry Christmas to you all.