Holiday Cheer

It is a new year.

I don't make New Year's resolutions. I seem to resolute all through the year. Sometimes I am successful with my all-thru-the-year resolutions; sometimes not.

2013.

To me 2013 sounds very futuristic. More so than 2010 or 2011 or 2012. Maybe it is the "thirteen" that gives it that feel.

Thirteen...the magic age of the teenager.

One of my fears when raising my two children is that they would become teenage parents. I just didn't want them or us to have that responsibility. Is that selfish? Perhaps it is.

My children are in their 20s now. Only my daughter is a parent...to her beloved dog, my grandpup.

I had a heavy workload this holiday season, both at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I put up no decorations and wrapped no gifts. I've not decorated going on three(?) years now. This was the first season I didn't feel guilty about not decorating. I didn't even feel guilty about not wrapping.

I didn't really plan a family get-together, because of my workload.

But, magically, as the universe or God or whatever would have it...it was one of our best holiday years in recent memory.

On Thanksgiving, my daughter ended up spontaneously visiting and cooking for the family and a guest. It was absolutely wonderful.

We did a repeat at Christmas, with the addition of her boyfriend in the kitchen cooking up some Portugal family recipes. We had two guests join the family...guests that have no local family.

A few days after Christmas, my mother-in-law came into town along with my brother-in-law and his children. Again, I had to work...but still, the time we had together was pleasant. Calm. No big to do.

I didn't get my house cleaned up before anyone arrived. And...it didn't matter.