Christmas Past

December 28th:  Christmas 2014 passed in a rush of last minute shopping (Christmas Eve Day) and frantic wrapping.  The piles of presents all have been opened and put away,  cookies have been baked and eaten,   no more "to do" lists for a little while. The New Year is fast approaching and I can't say I ever look  forward to it--I never feel the excitement of new beginnings and resolutions  (who keeps them anyway?). Usually at this time of the year I feel a sadness that the rush is over, that the decorations will soon be coming down, that the last carols have been heard and life returns to normal. But for some reason this year it's not as bad--  Now I can take the time to sit and enjoy the Christmas trees (this year there are two), appreciate the vignettes of scenes I decorated my bookshelves with earlier in the month. Yes, Christmas is Past  for this year,  but there is Christmas Future to look forward to.