The past few weeks were a colorful blur of activity, like when you adjust a kaleidescope and all the colors are shifting and falling onto one another and they suddenly become sharp and beautiful images. Blur. Click. Choosing a 7 ft Fraser Fir (Sweets first live tree) and bringing it home to lovingly decorate. I'm mad for ornaments. Unpacking the boxes and cooing over them is something I look forward to all year. It was so much fun to watch Sweets choose his favorites. As I watched my fella climb up to afix a huge blue jay treetopper, I remembered for a fleeting moment how sad I was last year to not have someone to love. Then he turned to me and opened his arms and I fell into them along with a flurry of kisses. Blur. Click. Wearing an apron in the kitchen, baking biscotti and decadent Rocky Road Ledge bars from Martha's Holiday Cookies issue. Humming along to Christmas music. I adjusted my peppermint bark recipe this year and it came out better than ever. I switched to Wilton white candy melts instead of working with white chocolate chips as in the past and added peppermint extract to both the white and dark layer. Everything came out delish. Blur. Click. Shopping excursions with Cyndemouse. We tooled around downtown Point Pleasant and power shopped at Kohl's together. Taking breaks for tea and chat. Blur. Click. Filling the mantle with cards, taking the time to think about each person that sent one or telling Sweets an anecdote about those that he hasn't yet met. Or pointing out ones that came addressed to us both. I used to be a fan of writing a personal note to each card receipient. Now I get my cards done faster, if I keep the greeting shorter. I find most people just sign them. But some are old fashioned and keep writing little notes with their holiday tidings. My favorite personal greeting this year was from Tess. "Wishing you the most precious gifts- peace, love, joy and hope - now and always." That one line put the holiday season in perspective for me. This year, I received ALL those gifts. So, I am a lucky girl, indeed.