‘Twas the day before the day before Christmas

The semester ended almost two weeks ago, my marks have been submitted, my shopping is done, and life is good. I’ve gone a little Martha for the holidays – the other day I painted the bathtub, baked gingerbread, made cranberry gravy, and to complete the package, did a little insider trading. It’s a good thing.
The world’s greatest mother-in-law has gone home, Colin has been to his first concert (David Bowie, who was great, and flu-free), and so far the cat has not destroyed the tree. More good things.
The season also means catching up with old friends. Yesterday was a banner day for such contacts – in the morning, while I made cranberry jelly (which (a) is not the same as the cranberry gravy and (b) turned out perfectly, thank you very much), I had a nice chat with my New Jersey connection. Later, my Haligonian buddy called to say hi and officially announce her engagement (once her divorce is final, of course). We ended the day with a very cozy evening of port and spinach dip with my former boss/current good friend. The good things continue to pile up.
We’re looking forward to a nice family Christmas chez the ‘rents, with my brother and sister and various add-ons, as well as a few more visits with the long-lost. And just to ice the cake, I don’t go back to the classroom ‘til January 12th – when I’ll be teaching a full load! My colleague has received her itinerary for her trip to Belgrade, so it looks pretty official at this point. I sincerely hope that all of you have as much to celebrate this season.
Happy Christmas, kick ass in 2004, … and… to all a good night.