bliss on the longest night

Elephant Butte Lake, New Mexico
Copyright (c) 2006 Wendee Holtcamp

Right now, I feel bliss. It's 145 in the morning, and well I have just have a warm happy feeling. Bliss. I haven't been so good about blogging regularly and I have so much to say, but I'll just add a few thoughts and updates and then I'll try to write more later. Today I took the kids ice skating at the Galleria, which was fun though the skates are annoyingly hard and uncomfortable (they seem to get more so every time I go - do you think?). Doug and I went a year ago the first week we'd met, so it was special to go back there together. Savannah and Sam brought friends and we skated then went to Ninfas for lunch. Surprisingly, the Galleria was not that crowded, given it's the week of Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, doesn't it seem that every year the holiday season goes faster and faster? I am happy to say though that I really haven't stressed at all this season. Last year I didn't get my holiday letter out at all. I wrote it, I bought stamps, and then I never mailed anything. And writing a holiday letter and Christmas cards is a 15+ year tradition for me. Some people think newsletters are impersonal but I disagree. I truly love reading about my friends' years and seeing new pictures, and I know that it can be incredibly difficult to keep up with people on a more regular basis (this was even more true before blogging and Facebook came around). And I like writing one!

I am happy to report that I got my tree up and decorated relatively early in the season - and I LOVE the way my house looks with the tree and Christmas decorations. I got my holiday letters written and mostly sent. I have my Christmas shopping all done and presents wrapped. And we have some special things planned for this week.

I have the kids this Christmas (my ex and I alternate holidays, so if I have them on Thanksgiving he has them on Christmas and vice versa). I thought about going to Dallas to visit my mom and stepdad but it's my first Christmas with my kids and Doug here, so we decided to stay home and just do some fun stuff. Today was the ice skating part of the plan. We also plan to go to see that new flick Avatar, which looks awesome, probably on Wednesday. On Christmas Eve we'll go to church and have the kids open one gift each and watch It's a Wonderful Life. Have you seen that movie? Do you love it? Hate it? I've only watched it once or twice and it's so moving, and I'm trying to share with the kiddos some holiday traditions and things. They've never seen that movie, believe it or not. Last year or the year before I had them watch A Christmas Story which of course is a classic and they thought it was totally stupid and cheesy. Course it IS totally stupid and cheesy but that's part of the appeal. Christmas we open stockings, and then gifts and I plan to make a big Christmas dinner with Doug as my sous-chef.

Yesterday my best friend Daline came over and visited. She's been living here in Houston for several months and I've hardly seen her more than when she lived in Cali or Utah! Every year since I've known her she always came to visit me over the Christmas holiday when she'd come home to visit her family. That always meant so much to me since in my life I tend to be the one who keeps in touch with everyone from days past. Daline and I met in college, and have been friends since, and became very close after my divorce. She's been an incredible friend, listening to so much stuff I've rambled on about, and she is just a truly outstanding human being and I am blessed to call her friend. People are lucky to find just one friend like this in a lifetime. And she's an incredibly talented musician!! So we went to a meditation at Ekam Yoga, which is owned by my friend Maggie, and the meditation was led by my friend Linda. It was really neat and combined Qigong, sitting/meditation, chanting and breathing. Then we did a fun little gift exchange (I got a popcorn popper - oops I almost wrote popcorn pooper - ha ha!_, and then there was some absolutely delicious yummy food. Then Daline and I came home to my house and played Balderdash with my kids, and she and I drank some wine, and talked til past midnight!

So that's all the tidbits of info I have to share. I have more, but will keep it at this for now! Lots of love to you all this Christmas season. Tonight is the longest night, and tomorrow is the return to light.