It's the happ, happiest time of the year . . .

This December has been the busiest that I ever recall, and while I'm enjoying (almost) every moment of it, I wish it would slow down just a little bit, rather than buzzing by. The best news is that the third mammogram and ultrasound of the "suspicious area" in my left breast shows that there isn't any significant change so I don't have to go back for a year - yay!!
On December 6, my friend Carla took her mother, sister and niece, and my mother, my girls and I to see Trans Siberian Orchestra as our Christmas gift from her - it was an amazing show. We went to dinner beforehand and then to the concert. We were blown away by the sheer talent of the group. I would encourage anyone to see them.
Our office Christmas party was last Saturday and was great fun. We went to a restaurant called Doc Henderson's. It's in a huge, renovated brick home in a small, neighboring town which housed the medical practice of Doc Henderson, a civil war surgeon. Great food and, seeing how we all get along especially well in our office, great company, making for a fun evening.
Yesterday, Lindsay and I traveled to Cincinnati for lunch at the home of author Dianne Castell (photo above). There were 14 of us there - Dianne, her daughter Ann Marie, LuAnn McLane, Lori Foster, Toni Blake, Rosemary Laurey, Shiloh Walker, Jill ??, Barnes & Noble Mgr. Linda Keller, B. Dalton Mgr. Chris Slaughter, fellow readers Judy Flohr and Carolyn Dietsch, Lindsay and I, and even more great food and desserts. After the two hour drive home, we headed for the high school for Kelsey's concert band Christmas concert. It features the Jazz Band and the Concert Band and is always outstanding. These kids work so hard to put this show together, and it shows.
Next Wednesday I'm having a Christmas party at my home for about nine of us who work together or used to work together. We've been doing dinner and a gift exchange for about 25 years - I love these kinds of traditions! I'll be cleaning like a mad woman to get ready for it, my house is such a sty right now. I've been doing so much baking and candy making that cleaning has been put not on the back burner, but completely out of the room!
We have an ornament exchange/lunch at work on the 22nd, another long-standing tradition, and then my family and my brother's family will be getting together on the 23rd to celebrate. Christmas Eve will be spent with Tim's family and then we're home all day on Christmas Day with my mom joining us.
On top of all of that, we've been fostering two kittens for the Humane Society that we rescued from our parking lot at work - this makes four that my friend and I have rescued this fall/winter. One of the others we found a home for and Carla took another one. I'll be keeping one of these two - a little girl who appears to be the runt of the litter, that I've aptly named "Lottie" - the little boy - named "Parker" will be going to the Humane Society for adoption in the next week or two. It will be so hard to give him up, he's cute as can be, pudgy and stout like a little bear cub. Anyone want or need a little kitty, very light gray with blue/green eyes? He's a very handsome lad. There is another little one that we are still trying to catch, but he's proven himself to be pretty savvy at eluding us!
If you've stuck with me and read to this point, you'll be relieved to know that I'm closing now - with nothing but the most sincere wishes for the merriest Christmas ever for everyone. Please be careful if you're traveling this holiday season. God bless you, one and all.
Hugs and more hugs,
Laurie