Ahh. I do so love me some Christmastime. This year, it's anything but unhappy — I'm spending it with the people I love most, except for my daughter and brother, who couldn't be here — yet it does seem a little "off" in some crucial ways. My mom has suffered the loss of more than one of her closest friends quite recently, which makes the holiday for her bittersweet. I have been experiencing a few medical issues that are uncomfortable, to say the least, and that will require some further testing. Kimberly's dad was recently in the hospital undergoing major surgery (fortunately, he has come through with flying colors). For me, even when things have been otherwise rough, Christmas has generally been an oasis of happiness amid the storm. Somehow, everything seems a bit more fragile this year, and it's mainly due to the fact that some of us — no names mentioned — are just plain getting older and dealing with those inevitable age issues. I gotta tell you, as some of my mom's friends are fond of saying, getting old isn't for sissies. Still, today's company and setting couldn't be better. I've gotten in some caching. Kimberly and I just had a fabulous Mexican lunch, and we're heading out to see Skyfall (again) in just a little bit. All in all, for today, it would be hard to ask for anything more satisfying, so I guess I won't. How about this: I'm just going to wish blessings on the lot of you who come round this place now and again, and perhaps on even a few of you who don't. May you have the merriest of Christmases, or whatever holiday you celebrate, if any. Y'all be good, you hear?