Immeasurably More

Dear Reader, They are lighting firecrackers outside my window. (The police have just driven by, so this must be legal.) I have drunk a glass of bubbly wine (after shooting the cork across the room). I am going to put away my 2009 journal and get out the new one for 2010. And before I go to bed, I will pray that for each of us, 2010 will be a year full of peace, joy and the goodness of God. Yours, ~~ LeAn

Dear Reader, My 2010 New Year's letter is available now! Request your digital copy today or endure the long wait while I dig out your address and stick the stamp on the envelope. (And remember to drop the letter in the mailbox. Such an important step.) Best wishes for the New Year! ~~LeAn

Dear Reader, I have visited with my parents, opened gifts, listened to Christmas songs on the radio, and celebrated the day with old family friends. But before I go to bed, I will sit by myself and sing one of my favorite Christmas songs. The words by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow are below. Christmas, despite its Santa-suited secularization, is my Holy-day, and I will celebrate. Love, Joy, Peace and Hope were born tonight. ~~LeAn Christmas Bells I HEARD the bells on Christmas Day Their old, familiar carols play, And wild and sweet The words repeat Of peace on earth, good-will to men! And thought how, as the day had come, The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along The unbroken song Of peace on earth, good-will to men! Till ringing, singing on its way, The world revolved from night to day, A voice, a chime, A chant sublime Of peace...

This morning over breakfast I read a section of the paper dedicated to an overview of the last decade. They referred repeatedly to the Noughties , and I thought, "who are these people?" I googled it. Noughties as in nought as in zero as in 00,01,02,etc. Somehow, I can not picture myself on Dec. 31 popping the cork on a bottle of champagne and cheering "I survived the noughties !" Everyone will just think I have rambunctious and undisciplined toddlers at home. What's the decade going by in the states?

I'm hosting a party on Saturday afternoon, to which you are invited. It's a Christmas cookie party, which means the primary food will be Christmas cookies. (I had to explain this to a co-worker today. He didn't quite seem to understand the point, but is going to come anyway.) I intend to serve four varieties of cookies at my party. The chocolate chip are done. The sugar cookie dough is chilling. I have what I need for linzer tarts. It's only the gingerbread which remains an open question. Christmas cookies are an important part of my Christmas traditions. There is a cupboard in my Mom's kitchen which, come Christmas time, always had sprinkles (chocolate, rainbow and colored sugar), those crunchy silver balls, food coloring, and assorted tubes of colored frosting with a variety of decorating tips. All this so that my gingerbread men would be indentifiable from my brother's, and our sugar cookie trees and reindeer would have appropriate ornaments. My local g...