Blessed

Feeling at peace this Christmas Eve evening. Spent a few days in beautiful Maryland with B. and his family. Came home, kissed my godchild, ate chocolate-covered Ritz cracker peanut butter sandwiches, had my friend wish me Merry Christmas in Hawaiian, and spent the evening with my family over turkey and sausage gumbo, my dad reading the Christmas story from the book of Luke, telling stories and laughing. My pets are healthy and seem happy. The heater in my car is broken. It looks like Santa is bringing me a ticket to the national championship. I have the whole week off from work. All seems pretty good.

I read three books, Welcome to Vietnam and Hill 568 by Ellen Emerson White, both good, and Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, which I am torn between liking and hating.

I got to see the beautiful beach, which always makes my soul happy.

B.'s mom knitted me a scarf made out of bamboo thread. It pleased me.

They have a very nice orange cat, who let me squeeze his purry self for a quick cat nap.

I saw amazing paintings by Edward Hopper and an exhibit I loved that showed how people have taken pictures over the decades. I stood in front of the Capitol during an impromptu stop before the airport in the mist like a dork with semi-crazy eyes.

And I think that is enough pictures of me for tonight. Mostly I just want to say that I love my family, I love my boyfriend, and I love my friends. I do not need any presents. Even though there are totally rats in my backyard and I have no idea what to do about them, I am blessed to a disgusting degree, and I never want to forget it.