Over the Backyard Fence

It's Boxing Day, one of my favorite days of the year. Boxing Day is not an American holiday, but I'm happy to celebrate it with the Commonwealth Nations who do. It's always felt like a special holiday to me, and I love the special designation.

The house feels warmed and blessed by yet another holiday with loved ones, and the joy of Christmas lingers in the quiet. There are no plans for today, except to go where the spirit moves us. This morning I'm going to sort through piles on my desk while sipping a latte made with one of the new flavored syrups I got in my stocking, and drink it from a new mug.

Our Christmas began on Friday, celebrating with our grandchildren. On Christmas Eve my niece arrived with some new board games, bottles of wine, and all the fixings for Christmas breakfast. That night we played games and watched White Christmas. Yesterday, after a breakfast of homemade waffles with fruit and sausage, my dad and Carol arrived for appetizers, more board games, and we ordered Chinese for dinner. Topped off with pecan pie, it was a really nice, low-key afternoon with lots of laughter, FaceTiming with the rest of the family, and just savoring the warmth of being together.

I mentioned in my last post that we had a special visitor on Friday. Lo and behold, look who showed up!

Aunt Kathy's connections made for a lot of excitement for Brooklynn and Bentley. We were sorry that Uncle Steve missed all the excitement, but he joined us for the evening after Santa left.

So, today we'll soak up the calm that follows a big holiday. There are half-full tins of treats from our neighbors, a couple of new books for us to read, and we'll probably catch up on segments of our favorite shows. Outside the sun reflects off the snow, and the warmth of yet another Christmas lingers in our hearts.

🎄