Happy Holidays

After a too-short absence, the long underwear season has again crept up on those of us left in northern Michigan. We hardy souls who haven’t escaped the north woods for warmer climes, are now relegated to spending our time in front of our wood stoves except for those brief moments when it is necessary to leave our warm perches to fetch more firewood. Sitting in front of the fire is a good time for me to reflect on my accomplishments of the past year. Unlike the other loafers that I drink coffee with most mornings, I try to use winter’s downtime to accomplish something. Some of my coffee-drinking buddies would argue that they too spend their time wisely, especially if you count solving 500 piece puzzles as a worthwhile accomplishment.

I never liked puzzles. During numerous coffee hours, I have sat silently gritting my teeth while my friends wrestled with the little pieces searching for a fit to complete a picture. It wasn’t until recently that I attempted to complete a puzzle on my own in the privacy of my home office. Almost miraculously, I finished a puzzle on my first try! Not only did I finish, I completed an entire puzzle in a single day of hard work. This, despite the fact that the box said 2 to 3 years.

The puzzle was not my only victory of the year. This year Marjorie and I also learned how to play pickleball. In case you aren’t familiar with this relatively new game, pickleball is a racquet sport played on a court that is smaller than a tennis court – about the size of a badminton court, I’m told. Pickleball is a game like tennis, only easier and with smaller racquets and less running. I call it tennis for old folks. The game was named after a dog – an animal named Pickles. Not only did I learn the game, I also learned about sore hamstrings, tired abdominals, and sore shoulders while Marjorie is learning about sore knees. We have played pickleball often enough this year to understand that flexibility, stamina and strength are fond recollections from a misspent youth.

We had an enjoyable year of travel this past year with a 10-day wintertime venture to Florida and frequent camping trips during the warm weather months. Our last camping trip was around Lake Superior in late September. The scenery was outstanding and we were buoyed by the wonderful support of all the Canadians we met who universally offered their assurances that they would not build a wall to keep us out of their country no matter how foolish our politicians become. It seemed a kind sentiment

Marjorie and I want to wish you a happy holiday season; hoping that you will secure pleasure not only from the joys of Christmas, but also from the excitement of the changing season. We think winter is a time of beauty: snow blankets everything in the north woods and icicles grow to impossible lengths while nature takes a needed break to rejuvenate for springtime. We hope to follow suit by relaxing during the holidays and striving for inner peace that is both a prerequisite and result of a happy holiday.

Here’s to you and yours during this happy time. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR