Holiday Greetings!!

"We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!"

When I walked out of Pottery Barn this afternoon at 4, I immediately switched to holiday time. First I headed to Whole Foods, where I spent almost two hours at the store picking up the first of the groceries needed to provide festive sustenance for a family group that will ultimately swell to 10. I will finish the rest of the shopping on Friday before our first guests arrive. This evening I will work on setting the table, finishing the last minute wrapping, and simply relaxing after a busy day as Santa makes his official rounds. He won't stop here tonight (and he is probably breathing a small sigh of relief that he can skip at least one house) because he will pop down our "chimney" on Dec. 26th.

Yes, we are doing Christmas a little differently this year. Instead of celebrating Christmas Eve on the usual 24th and Christmas Day on the usual 25th, we will simply push it all forward two days. Jeff and Courtney will leave Suffolk on the morning of the 26th after spending Christmas with the Flemings. They plan to drive to Richmond and pick up "Annie". Those three will then arrive here in time for a festive "Christmas Eve" dinner. I will finish my shopping and start cooking while they are enroute. Before bed, we will hang the stockings with care and await the Dec. 27th arrival of my brother and sister-in-law, Julian and Rene, from Brooklyn, and my brother, Will, and my nieces Laura and Julia, from Seattle. As soon as they arrive, out will come the festive Christmas Brunch and special bubbly beverage, and the gift opening, story sharing, laughing, and warmth of family will naturally follow. This house will be very lively, to say the least, and we simply cannot wait! We will miss the rest of our extended family and friends, and especially Ashley, Jason and Catherine H., but you are all in our thoughts this holiday season, With Love!