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