I love the Christmas season! Even though we are in our typical 70+ degree weather, I feel Christmas-y. My roses and hibiscus are blooming, Steven and his buddies next door are flipping and turning on their skateboards in the driveway, and I’m still passing folks running errands in top-down convertibles. I’ve always said someone is going to get rich designing a line of summer weight Christmas clothing. We had a party here this evening for the entire staff of one of the clinics where I work. Nothing better than family and friends spilling over in the house, food and drink everywhere, candles glowing and tree lights twinkling. Right in the middle of the gathering time-wise, the doorbell rang. The doorbell that plays We Wish You a Merry Christmas. It was high-schoolers collecting money for their band, complete with most of the band marching down the middle of the street. Our guests hovered over each other at the front windows and door to get a look at the band marching down our street undeterred by the dark. Back to the clothes issue, friend Charlie showed up at the party tonight in a Christmas shirt that bore a striking resemblance to a Hawaiian shirt. Except it had little Santa’s all over it. See. I knew someone would do this!

It’s been a busy week. Sunday was our annual delivery of Christmas presents to the families in need adopted by our church. We love doing this. It is maybe the most rewarding and clarifying effort of the year for me. Shifts everything back into perspective. We went to another party last night, one of my annual favorites. Afterward, I went to my first rehearsal for the church play scheduled for January. Tad nervous here. The other night we went to the performance of It’s A Wonderful Life at Hobby Center. It’s not the same as the movie (which I watch every year without fail) but it was excellent for a stage effort. The actor who portrayed Clarence the Angel did a terrific job of being bumbling, determined, sincere and fairly incompetent all at the same time. He made it to my Fav 5 re holiday moments of 2007.

Lots of work, sad to say. The mostly self-imposed stress of the season takes a toll on those already under pressure. But after my last client tomorrow, I’m taking some time off…a whole week I’m hoping…or nearly anyway.