Christmas Day, 2005 A.D.

Having been dragged kicking and screaming to this event, I find myself relieved that it's over.

And I apologize to and thank all of those who put up with my bah-humbug attitude. That I was not done away with during this jolly season is a tribute to the better angels of all those who had to deal with me. You know who you are and I promise I'll get unguents, ointments and soothing balms for all of you. But for the moment I need to lie here in wonder that we made it.

Thanks for the Christmas tree that I could not bear to get or put up. Isn't it handy to live in the woods so you could just walk a few hundred yards and cut one down? Thanks for the ornaments since I seem to have misplaced mine. Thanks for the presents I certainly didn't deserve.

Thanks for the carols at the Christmas Eve service. Thanks for the priest who showed up to preside (even if I do suspect she's a liberal. That was a lovely homily). Thanks for the congregation which showed up to share cookies and cider. Thanks for the very ancient father of the priest. His name is Noel and he served in the South Pacific.

Thanks for showing up for dinner and sharing the Yorkshire pudding. Thanks for just hanging out. It gave new dimensions to just being there.

Who knows what next year will bring? Will there be a next year? If there is, at least I have a long time to prepare for it....and all of you have a year to recover.

I would promise to be normal next year, but I think I promised that last year so let's just go with the flow, huh, guys?


Oh, yeah...and thank you, Lord, that all you sent was lots of rain without the least speck of ice.