Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Peace on Earth; Good Will toward Men

It feels so close, I can almost touch it.











By dinner time on Christmas Eve, my two sons will be home, and with the rest of the family we'll gather round the table and eat dinner as a family. I'll try to make a toast--to us, to life, to happiness--but I'm sure my voice will catch in my throat, my eyes will fill, my younger son will laugh, my older son will smile, and my husband will finish the toast for me.

We're incredibly lucky and I know it.

Not that it's been an easy year, but it's been another year in our lives and that counts the most.

I spent Monday baking cookies and chex mix, finalizing my grocery lists, wrapping the last few presents, and thinking back on Christmases past.











This afternoon, I'll bake several batches of Christmas cut-out cookies, wrap the stocking stuffers, and settle down by the fire and read for awhile. Tomorrow, I'll worry until one old jeep pulls into the driveway and one airplane arrives from Seattle.



Then, all I'll have to do is enjoy having all of us under the same roof for a few days.

And we'll make memories that will carry me through until the next time.

And that's what I wish for all of you--warmth, family, memories. Sweet times. Hold tight to all of them.

All the best for 2010.

11 comments:

Sustenance Scout said...

Christmas blessings to you, too, Judy! Sounds like you'll be surrounded by them. :) Hugs, K.

essay said...

thank you for sharing, i like it worth reading.

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas, Judy! Enjoy your family time and can I just say, WOW! your cutout cookies look amazing. My son would love living in your house. I have zero patience for the art of that!!!

larramiefg said...

And that last small ornament will be hung on the tree! Cherish the joy...

Patry Francis said...

Peace and goodwill to you and your, Judy. I can almost smell the cookies baking in the oven. xo

Daisy said...

Your cookies look a lot like mine! It's a tradition I hope we never lose.

Sharon K. Mayhew said...

Hi, Judy--I noticed you haven't blogged for over a month??? I hope all is well.

Kathryn Magendie said...

I smiled when I saw our books were linked as "similar books" in a library in SC ... so was another author acquaintance of mine (sandra kring) . . .

Hope things are going well for you this new year.


Similar books
The lives they left behind : suitcases from a state hospital attic by Penney, Darby
Follow me : a novel by Scott, Joanna, 1960-
Thank you for all things by Kring, Sandra
Salt by Zuber, Isabel
All the numbers : a novel by Larsen, Judy Merrill

sarah pekkanen said...

Beautiful post! I look forward to having holidays like the one you describe...

Katie said...

Saw this in the New York Times today and of course I thought of you:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/books/11faulkner.html

Wichita Mirrors said...

Hi nice reading yourr post