The end of 2005

Okay. Wonderful holiday season, really, one of the best I can remember. I enjoyed it start to finish. Despite our loss, we had a delightful Thanksgiving, and then a very nice run-up to Christmas. A couple of great afternoons spent shopping with my girls, out with that special purpose of finding just the right gift for their mom, followed by hot chocolate in the easy happy surroundings of Stuyvesant Plaza. A couple of nice ski days. Christmas concerts. The Nutcracker. Lazy decorating. Planning a feast. Much, much strenuous cleaning, cleaning so good we decided to entertain twice, more than doubling our annual average. All the home projects that come with such cleaning, like a new bathroom cabinet, shelving, hardware. A warm, happy Christmas with our family. A beef tenderloin like you wouldn’t believe. Bread pudding made from panettone. (Thank you, Rachael Ray.)

Then, First Night, always a delight. Although a little cold, it was snowing and pretty out, there were many many people, and Hannah had a nice performance with the ballet. Plus, we got to hear bagpipes, which is never a bad thing. A New Year’s open house for friends, too much food but a surprising amount was eaten, and a day to recover. What could be better?

Know how some songs can just be there for years and years and never really mean anything special to you, and then all of a sudden they hit you between the ears? “Let It Be.” For some reason, after years of just being another Beatles song, it kills me. Grief? Exhaustion? Or just middle age? I don’t know, but suddenly Paul’s voice washes over me and the song means things it never meant before.