December 26th

It's Dec. 26th, so I suppose it's acceptable at this point to reflect on the challenge I set myself to read 100 books this year. To cut right to the chase - I have not succeeded in doing this. I think I may be in the mid-90s, mind you, but I have not read 100 yet. WILL IT HAPPEN? Stay tuned.

Christmas this year is also strange. No tree (no room in our small apt.) no decorations (all still in storage) no family gatherings (Covid) and no 'usual things' like a Christmas eve service, an Advent wreath, or a walk to see the lights (mostly because I'm working so much that nothing else fits in our spare time) means that it felt just like every other day. I imagine it was an authentic 'non christian' Christmas, actually. All distilled to a dead bird and some wrapped sundries and the funny stories of our rude or elderly relatives.

We've added a hamster to the menangerie, which now consists of two adults, three children, an 18yo cat, a standard poodle, and a small, tyrannical rodent named Peaches. Peaches likes to poop on everything, and pee especially on me. Charming creature, really, and the absolute apple of his mistress' 7yo eye.

And finally, here are some pictures of the sky: