I got all the boxes in the mail — granted, the last two, to my aunt and my grandmother (who live together) didn’t go out until yesterday — but they celebrate Christmas on whichever day next week is most convenient — and well, my grandmother is 96, and while she still has most of her marbles, she’s old enough not to care if her chocolate truffles get there a day late.

I love making food presents for everyone — but next year I have to remember that it does actually take some time, and perhaps I should start sooner than the last weekend before Christmas. It would also help if we don’t have a big fire-drill crisis at the Big Corporation two days before we all leave for the holidays.

So, one more day of power-editing at my day job (nothing says fun like 12 hour days hunched over my monitor crisis-editing docs that missed an edit cycle and now have to go out the door next week) and then I ‘m done. I have all of next week off. I’m so looking forward to it …

I’m spending Christmas with my friends Nina and Elwood and their four kids — it’s always a fun holiday — there are lots of people I love, good food and fancy wines, the kids sing carols (including our Sophia-of-the-perfect-pitch), put on a play and there’s ribbon and wrapping paper and running around and all sorts of excitement.

Then four full days off with no plans and no event cooking on the horizon. Four days to walk with the dogs, hang out with my friends, ski if there’s some snow, read books and re-aqcuaint myself with my basement writing office.

I hope everyone out there has a great Christmas (or whichever holiday you celebrate). Eat, drink, be merry … Ho Ho Ho ….