happy christmas

for me, the two words that define christmas are hope and peace.

there is something amazing about the silence outside today; yesterday the parking lots were full, the roads were busy, and people buzzed here and there. today is quite the opposite. on my morning run i saw not one other person out and about in the neighborhood. not a single dog ran out to bark at me. none of the gorilla dog's friends, not even the fox, came out to say merry christmas while we walked this morning. it was immensely peaceful. i loved it.

i can barely remember the last time i felt so good on christmas. it is the best gift i can ask for, and the best gift for my family, too, i think. we're happy for a lot of reasons. there's talk of a new dog for jimnerd and colee; next week will be full of friends for me; mom and dad have the chicks back in the nest today. the best we can do is hope for more to come.

what we have for sure is here today. a warm house, a beautiful tree, food filling the refrigerator and lining the counters, the dog to nap with on the couch. the mood of the day is light but nothing is taken lightly. a merry christmas is the absolute best we can do.

peace and hope to you and yours. love.