2010

A prayer for peace, for health and hope, more joys than sorrows, strength to cope. For pluck, adventures full of fun, boats for floating, roads to run. For vision, vistas, brilliant insight, gentling evenings, dazzling daylight. For poise, for words to write and send, messages to bridge and mend. For smiles, for tears and friends to share them, for wrinkles, aches and grace to bear them.

A prayer that holds each dear one near,

and keeps each safe in the coming year.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Final Part

Choral selections of the Stanford glee club Christmas album floated through the loft, Laura adding a melodic contralto as she set yet another empty ornament box carefully into a plastic storage bin bought just for that purpose. Silent for a moment, she stepped back to survey the final effect.

A tree sparkling with tiny white lights and twined with deep-red wired ribbon filled the bay window of the loft. Ornaments danced on nearly every limb of the tree, matching those hanging on slender red ribbons from a line strung across the kitchen windows. The scent of the evergreen mingled with bayberry scented candles and dishes of striped peppermints. 

A white porcelain nativity set was artfully arranged on top of the piano, set off by the inky-coat of Nero standing guard over a delicate donkey and camel.