The holidays were wonderful. I had simple goals: Make some great memories, try to think about how much exercise each holiday treat would mean BEFORE I ate it, get all knitting projects ON needles finished, read as much as I can and wrap my head around the concept that the holiday card is just as lovely coming out as a New Year's card as it is at Christmas. I'm happy to report that the family told me the memories were made; many photos were taken; I only slightly overdid the treats; Jeanne and Brittany at Knitting Addiction in Southern Shores were true elves, giving me advice on all my knitting projects, thus all lingering ones are off needles and new ones are underway; a number of great books were read (more on that in a bit) and the New Year's card with the photo we shot on Christmas Day at the beach will go out this weekend.

I love that "great" and "eight" rhyme; anyone else noticed that? It makes for such a nice greeting. I am poised for the start of the year with a calendar where the spine has not yet been cracked. For all my electronic devices --- cell phone, BlackBerry, iPod, laptop, desktop, swim headphones --- I still carry a paper calendar and scrawl notes in it for advance planning. By the end of the year it's stuffed with notes, receipts and papers. I keep the old calendars in a stack at the house; they tell their own story of me and where I was these past years.