Wednesday Musing

Well, we have successfully experienced the three "gatherings" we typically have between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.   A few highlights and lowlights:

Highlights 

1.  Seeing family and friends I have not seen in a while.

2.  Mass.

3.  Being more deeply together with my loving family.

4.  Running my five miles with my dog, very early on Christmas morning.  (Thankfully, the trails were clean and free of snow and ice so I could run outside.)

5.  Wonderfully tart, home-made cranberry sauce. 

6. The chance to drink a few bottles of a wonderful I.P.A. with beautifully heavy and bitter "hoppy" tones. 

Lowlights

1.  Eating too much food.... and too much RICH food to boot. 

2.  Two relatives who got into a heated political "discussion".

3.  Very loud, noisy television watching.


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Overall, it was a very nice two days.  I have to admit, though, that it felt a bit odd being without my pipe, especially on Christmas Eve.  It had always been a routine of mine for as long as I can recall, of standing outside, near midnight on Christmas Eve, my pipe in hand as I would look across the neighborhood at all the decorative lights on the houses, hearing the gentle quiet (always peace to my ears after the noise from the festivities inside), and I would gaze up into the sky thinking about family and life and faith.

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