Merry Christmas to all

Christmas 1969

It is a wonderful day.  Our savior is born and we now have the choice of eternal life.  Lord, may we accept your grace, love and guidance as we live this life for you and look forward to our life with you when we leave this earth.
I went for a short bike ride this morning, something that would not have happen most of my life.  Why?--because it would have been too cold or too much snow.  Today, in Naples, it will be sunny and near 80.  A different Christmas than most family is having.
I have been thinking about Christmas a lot during Advent.  I ALWAYS thought of Christmas in terms of cold and snow.  Way back in 1985 we drove to CA to spend Christmas with Grandpa and Grandma Saunders and it was not a lot of fun.  It was warm and so very different than we were used to.  BUT now I realize that perhaps most of the people in the world do NOT think of snow or cold when Christmas comes around and for sure baby Jesus did not experience it.  So now, as I think of it, I have a different mind set and I feel that whatever the weather I can experience Christmas for what it is, not for external things.
My thoughts this morning turn to the grand children.  I am sure they are so excited today.  I do not know if they open presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Day but whatever they do it has to be an exciting time.  I can still hear the screams when the kids opened several packages that contained computer equipment in about 1987--it was fun.
Terry and I had a nice Christmas Eve.  We had a delicious meal, no lutefisk, and then opened some gifts.  I am so excited to now have two great tennis racquets and a super nice tennis bag.  Also got a history DVD and a very nice cold cup for playing tennis.
This afternoon we will be with friends which should be fun.
We are already putting things on the bed in the guest bedroom, things that will go to South Bend on Friday.  I am a bit concerned about Terry traveling that far but if she brings some pain pills (if needed) she will be fine.
We had an interesting thing two days ago when we went for the boat ride.  As we stepped out of the car we were in the middle of a fire ant colony.  I would say in a nanosecond my left foot had a hundred ants and before I could get them off there were at least a dozen bits.  Terry had the same so now we have bites and swollen feet  but it too will pass.  That was the second time I have encountered fire ants and they have won both times.
As I sip the last drops of FP and sign off I, again, wish everyone a VERY merry Christmas.