How I'm Spending My New Year's Eve

 By watching this:

 Couldn't squeeze this in over Christmas so tonight's the night. With any luck, it'll be over by 10:30.

Interlude

A few more random photos from our Christmas Day. These were taken on our late afternoon walk, after our meal but before Pie Time...

Christmas Morning

A few random photos from our Christmas morning...

...And To All A Good Night

By the way, this is what the decorated banister looks like at 12:36 AM on Christmas morning...

This Year's Response

It's tough to write a response to a letter like Sam's... and not just because it was approaching 1:00 AM on Christmas morning. 

For better or worse, here is Santa's response to Sam's letter. And just like in previous years, below it is the translation - in case you can't decipher Santa's hieroglyphs (did I mention it was approaching 1:00 AM?)...

 Translation:

2/25/2024

Dear Sam,
Yes, another year has gone by quick and yes, I guess like most years, it had its share of ups and downs.
I understand your concern for the coming years and I expect they will be bumpy. I imagine, just like this past year, it will have more than its share of ups and downs. I expect there will be times of heartache but i also expect there will be moments of joy. We can help each other through the hard times but we can also share in the joy.
I also understand your concern for your neighbor, Nancy. And it is good of you to care so much. From what i understand, her cars and her house are doing ok and i think things win work out for her
But her loss is very real. Losing someone you love is never easy. It's hard to see someone you care about feel sad. But like every emotion, it's important to let it be expressed in a way that's right for them.
Often, the most we can do is let them know we are there for them if there is anything they need. And I have no doubt that she knows that about you.
I am glad to hear how well you all doing in your job. And I am glad that when you run into problems - as we all do at times, you don't give up. You look for solutions! Along with your deep empathy, that is another one of your great qualities.
You are such a fine young man. I am so proud of you. You are in my thoughts every day. I hope your Christmas is merry and I hope your new year is a happy one!

All My Love,
Santa!!

This Year's Letter

Sam wrote his annual letter to Santa tonight. 

Sometimes, the specific subjects Sam writes about will surprise me - but never the amount of his concern, empathy and compassion. 

I won't say much about the letter as it speaks for itself. The only thing I will say is, I hope that by sharing his thoughts, Sam sleeps peacefully tonight - as I hope he does every night.

The Snow-Covered Brook Road

It snowed last night and it was still coming down when Sam and I made a 'quick' run to the orchard to pick up pies and cider for tomorrow's Christmas meal. 

The road was slick but we took it slow and played Christmas music on the ride up and on the ride back. 

I love sharing moments like this with Sam (or any of my "kids").

Getting Ready (plus a tip)

In preparation of our traditional Christmas Eve cookie decorating extravaganza, today, Sam and I pre-made the cookie dough. 

(Note to whoever takes over cooking chores from me sometime in the hopefully far, far future - I always have Sam crack eggs one at a time into a separate measuring cup before adding them to the mixture. That way, if an egg shell gets in there, it's a lot easier to fish them out.)

Spotted on Tonight's Walk

 This would have made the flight to Egypt a heck of a lot easier...

A Few Nighttime Photos

Evening walks can be a little challenging this time of year. Sunset is around 4:30 with dusk arriving by 5:00. Even though Sam and I wear reflectors when we go out, we do our best to avoid areas with a lot of traffic - sometimes more successfully than others.

Here are a few photos from a couple of the quieter spots...

Spotted on Tonight's Walk

 

Does anybody reasonably expect that if they drag an old, used toilet out to the side of the road, someone will grab it? 

At least finish the job and put a "Free" sign on it.

A Full Day

Speaking of decorating (as I was here and here), Sam did even more decorating today, this time at Aunt Karen's house (after taking her on an exciting trip to the diner, the comic store and the co-op).

 

 

 

And if that wasn't enough, Sam and I for some reason decided to go on an evening walk into town. I'm thinking it was to look at the Christmas lights but my mind's kind of a blur...