Tidings of Great Joy

Oh what a lovely evening, filled with graham crackers, laughter, and an over abundance of Christmas candy.

You know the saying "you don't know what you've got till it's gone". Well that is totally true. I didn't realize - well I mean I guess I always knew, but I didn't fully realize how much I appreciate and love my friends and family until I was removed from them. I missed everyone and everything so dearly. Raise you're hand if you are a homebody. Because I am. I am one who likes the feeling of familiarity, safety, security. I don't handle change all too well. But I force myself to do it anyway cuz it's good for me. Like drinking that nasty cherry flavored cough syrup. You don't want to do it, you don't enjoy doing it, but you do it anyway cuz the end result it great.

But now I am back, if only for a short, fleeting moment. And it is good to wake up in the early morning and see the sun rising over those glorious mountains, and it feels good to drive around town, up and down through the lights of Main Street, checking to see the movies playing at the Sticky Shoe and ending up at the gas station for an ice cold beverage. Just like the old times.

And it feels especially good to be hugged by old friends who you haven't seen in a while and to laugh with them again.

And also to have your dad cook you delicious gourmet hamburgers and to listen to your mom laugh at her own jokes and to shake your head at your brother in disapproval as he runs around shirtless.

I seriously have some sentimentality issues. I would make a terrible drifter. I could never be a ramblin' woman. I mean I understand the whole "romance" of traveling from place to place, never staying too long anywhere. But come on. That would never actually work for me.

I am one heck of a grounded girl.

So that's why I'm forcing myself to move around right now, so I can hurry up and learn my lesson and then settle down and never leave home again.

Anyway. Merriest Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

I love these peeps.