What if someone had a blog and no one read it? I guess that's what this is. If I died tonight in my sleep, these words would just be out there forever I guess without anyone knowing that they were ever written. What's the point? On the other hand, somehow the thought that some part of me that no one knows about will live on forever is kind of exhilarating! Christmas is fast approaching. We are having a different Christmas this year in the sunny southwest with Jessie and Lizzie and her husband Tony and our brand new granddaughter, Grace Ann. We will fly to Las Vegas on Christmas Day and then go to our condo in Palm Springs the next day for 10 days and then back to Vegas before flying home. We decided not to have a real tree. Emil found an old artificial one that we used to use in the basement in the garage and put that up while I was in Vegas helping Liz with the baby. I put up lights but that is about as far as it's gotten. I guess I don't see the point in pulling out all the boxes of decoration for a few days only to have to put it away again. Lazy. So we are paying the price by not feeling like it's a "real" Christmas. So what is a real Christmas? It certainly isn't found in all those boxes of ornaments and decorations. They are steeped in tradition and we always smile and remember Christmases gone by when we dig in and start decorating, but that's not Christmas. Not really. Christmas is family and we are having Christmas together and it most certainly is real. I have to remind myself of this when I feel sad that we don't have the fragrance of a real tree that we cut ourselves as we have done the past 30 years. I have to remind myself of this when I look on my mantel and don't find my creche. It's fine. We will be together and that's real and exciting and I can't wait!