Merry Christmas

Greetings and Blessings to all on this bright Christmas morning in Missouri! Norm and I wish you joy, peace and above all, hope in what has been for many of us a stressful and trying season. The Love that came down at Christmas is with us always, if we will only take time to open our hearts and receive it.

On Christmas Eve we went to the candlelight service at our church, and while some braved the cold to go caroling, Norm and I spent a pleasant hour at the Kreuger's, visiting with Larry's 95-year-old mom Ruth and Dwayne, their son, helping a bit with getting out the goodies to come. The carolers arrived and we all enjoyed hot chocolate and an assortment of calories that would make any holiday host or hostess envious. We drove home on dry streets and then watched a broadcast of the midnight mass from Rome, topped off with the Christmas program of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Deciding we couldn't out wait St. Nick, we tumbled into bed around 2 a.m.

We are having our traditional Christmas pancake breakfast this morning, after which we'll open a present or two that Santa seems to have left, despite the fact that our chimney is sealed up. Later we'll have dinner and if it warms up enough (it's 21F now) we will walk around the block. Tonight we'll drive through neighborhoods admiring everyone's Christmas light displays. Oh, and this afternoon, we'll work on our Christmas/New Year's letter to go to family and friends.

In short, we give thanks for our health, for our loving family and dear friends, for the electronic miracle that brings greetings on this little laptop machine from far and near. As Tiny Tim says at the conclusion of Dickens' venerable A Christmas Carol, may God bless us, every one!