Merry Christmas. To celebrate so far, when I got up, I turned on the Christmas tree lights, and ate the last of the fruit cake. I then opened the shades onto a sun-filled yard which will be 75 degrees warm by mid-afternoon. I saw three large birds, a Great Blue Heron, a Snowy Egret, and an Anhinga. Yes we have "snow flowers" (Large Flower Pusley, a new alien species of ground cover) but I've been able to restrict them to one small patch in the back yard.

No, Virginia, we definitely are not in Wisconsin! But we are doing well. looking forward to being with friends later today and then having family later this week when we will celebrate the holiday together.

How blessed we are to be able to enjoy life, both where we are and with whom we are friends and family. And fellow apostles.

May your holidays bring you the sense of God being with us.