Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it!

I’m utterly wiped out, so here are the two commemorative ornaments I bought this year. I bought the first one because Macy’s had a sale for 75% off Christmas decor and I wanted something with the year on it. I’m not wild about it—the perfectionist in me wants a matching one for the other hand so I could hang them side by side in a true pair—but I wasn’t sure if I would find anything else in time.

After I bought the mitten ornament and a few others, plus a star for next year’s tree, I went to CVS to pick up a few things and they had this one. I like it better. It’s more me. But hey, 2023 was extra hard, so why not get two ornaments to add some cheer to the holidays?

And now for the final state Christmas tree, Washington. Love the Big Foot near the top! This one goes out to my dear friend Kari and her husband Dave. I “met” Kari through my online private journal 21 years ago, and then we met for real in 2004 when she and Dave rented a place in Manhattan for a month. My ex-hub and I went up to meet them and a few other folks I’ve since fallen out of touch with. Right away I was struck by how much style they both had, and how truly in love with one another they were. I’m SUPER cynical about marriage (my own was limping along at the time and that weekend was the final straw for me in ways I won’t get into here), but those two are just so right for each other.

But beyond that, Kari just gets me in a way only a few other people do. She understands my introvert moments, my ironically ambivalent pride in being a member of Generation X, and my appreciation of a good ghost story. She’s one of those people that you can have an entire conversation with using just quotes from a TV series or a movie (actually, so is Dave), and we’ve had running jokes for years about the weather based on a YouTuber’s famous “It’s Hot As Hell” rant and Cathy Ladman’s Christmas routine about the Three Wise Men. In fact, Kari sent me a little bottle of myrrh that I keep on my desk, along with some peppermint headache balm that I often use on weekdays. So, here’s to the bestest couple ever! I’m due for a visit out your way. Say when.