Happy Holidays To All My Blogging Friends

We leave tomorrow morning for our Christmas visit to Kerry's family in Burlington, WA. We are driving, which is actually a good thing. We get to bring our pillows. The airports are so stressful this time of year that I don't mind taking two days to get somewhere. At least at the end of the trip we are not stressed out. Plus there is a great fabric shop in Portland we are going to visit on our way.

We have chains for Kerry's Honda Element (it's four-wheel drive); it has better clearance than the Prius. Kerry even practiced putting the chains on. My job has been to check the weather, which up until a few hours ago was pretty rotten. We have to go through the Cascade/Siskiyou Mountains at the California/Oregon border. They have had some snow.

This Christmas feels different from others. First, Mark will not be home until Jan. 7th. I had one other Christmas when he wasn't here. He came home earlier in December; we went to Yosemite and had dinner at the Ahwahnee Lodge. That was really nice.

But this year, Mark is engaged (something I've wanted for so long for him); that certainly makes it different. That really is the best Christmas present I could get; my son has found someone who makes him very happy. Today I looked at a picture of me holding him in the hospital when he was just a day old and am amazed at how time has passed. It has been a joyous journey. I love being his mother.

My family, with the exception of my sister (she shops early so we have presents from her; it's not genetic because my brother and I don't) had what my brother refers to as our humanitarian Christmas. We gave money to charities designated by the person receiving the gift. I really liked doing that. None of us really need anything. Next year my sister will do the same with us.

That also meant that I never went to the mall; in fact, never set foot in a store to buy anything. Gift cards are the greatest invention and ordering them over the Internet is even better.

This week has been devoted to cutting, piecing and quilting as much as possible, because I won't be able to do it for 10 days. Yikes, I get nervous just thinking about it. I now have finished seven preemie quilts. I think all of this is somehow related to geometry; it was the only math class in high school that made sense to me. Quilting is all about putting shapes together. I'm looking forward to the classes I have in January, especially the one on applique.

Well Bloggers, it has been a joy to read about your lives during 2007. I am richer for the experience. We share a community that is far flung and diverse. Maybe someday we will all meet. Dykewife's graduation in June 2008 might be the right time to do it. We could sit in the front row, knit and cheer her on. Happy Holidays to you all.