Christmas of 2008 has come and gone. The kids were all home, including the newest member of our family...a little boy of 8 months...the luminaria were lit along the streets of our neighborhood on Christmas Eve, the turkey and duck and prime rib were greedily consumed by family and friends, the tree was splendid. All in all - a very satisfactory Christmas was had by all. It is a time of year I usually dread, much prefering Halloween and Thanksgiving. Or at least I say I dread it. Nevertheless, as much as I humbug about, there is something about the season that captures and redeems my pesky nature, and I am able to glance up at the tree on Christmas Eve and remember what it is really all about. This year I made a list of Books To Be Read. I received several this Christmas, the first on the reading list will be Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen. Since I also got a Teavana tea brewer for Christmas, I can hardly wait to begin!