Christmas

For the first time in years I actually have a bit of the ol' Christmas Spirit! The weather has turned cold, the leaves have fallen off the trees, and it gets dark early! How odd that I should appreciate something so much which is so mundane! And this over Hawaii no less!
I got used to never-changing beauty, perfect weather every day, always leaving the windows open, day and night, 24/7. It became desperately monotonous and made the daily grind that much more difficult because it echoed the sameness of the sterile and generic office environment.
So much has the spirit returned to me that I have recently put up Christmas lights, a large stocking on the front door, and smaller ones on the fireplace mantle! For the first time in my life I can imagine Santa, someone in whom I was never permitted to believe in the first place, coming down my wee chimney and through my fireplace, ready to leave presents under my tiny rosemary tree I bought at Home Depot. I'll even leave cookies out for the jolly old figment of my retro-child imagination!
However, my real Christmas present has already arrived in the form of Tessie, whom we brought home a few days before Christmas. She's only a tiny thing, but she has so much energy and spark to her, so entirely different from the sad mope that Buster was at her age - and throughout his short life. It has only been a short while since we brought her home, but in this time I've already fallen deeply in love!
So here I am, 5 months into living in Willow Spring, NC, and I am quite well contented.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

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