*I really shouldn’t have taken a two week break from writing. I might have enjoyed not thinking about my blog just a tad too much.

*I just went through three weeks worth of mail and realized that I hadn’t opened a single Christmas card prior to the big day. I also realized that I hadn’t mailed a single Christmas card. Epic fail, that!

*I hate glitter. Feeling the grit of glitter inside an envelope gives me a panic attack. I will never intentionally wear glitter but after opening Christmas cards, I am covered.

*Something you didn’t know about me: I am a glitter magnet. If I am within a mile of glitter, my body hoovers it up. I can shower, exfoliate, and rinse, and still be wearing glitter after drying off.

*I suspect one friend of pouring extra glitter into the envelope of my Christmas card. A whole bottle of the stuff. Why else would a 4” x 6” card require extra postage and two sweeper bags?

*I make my kids a Christmas ornament every year. After they admire my creativity, the ornaments are taken upstairs and stored in the boxes where the other ornaments dwell in purgatory. If I’ve taught them anything, it’s how to not decorate for the holidays.

*I keep thinking about little angel ornaments praying for a chance to hang on a tree, about little bells wanting to ding-a-ling, and about golden stars yearning to shine. Hmmm….I see the makings of a broadway production, perhaps The Little Ornament that Could? Or an Ornament Opera? Or Dance of the Dangling Doodad?

*As the new year begins, I find myself extremely grateful that my kids all made it safely in for Christmas, that my whole family still gathers together to celebrate, that the electric stayed on through the entire frigid weekend, and that the food and firewood were plentiful.

*I am also grateful for those of you who take the time from your busy day to read my rambling posts. I wish you all a joyous, jubilant, peaceful, pleasant, healthy and happy new year. Most of all, I wish you a new year that’s just a few steps beyond normal!