merry merrymaking!

just doing a quick check-in from my vacation. it's been nice to have a deliberate vacation from the computer for over a week...and it won't end until i go back to work next week. who cares if i have 1,000+ e-mails in my inboxes? vacation comes first!

i'm not looking forward to the flight back east, though, as flying was particularly tough for me this time around, what with swollen feet afterwards, and all. and who on earth doesn't get claustrophobic back in those cattle cars that united likes to call "coach class"? but being stuck in the heart of the plane in the middle seat in the middle section (five seats in a row) did NOT dampen my vacation. au contraire.

my holidays have been bright, sparkly and merry. christmas day couldn't have been better, and i've been having a (much-needed) wonderfully relaxing time out here. some highlights include: holiday baking (especially sugar cookies in holiday shapes & russian teacakes), shopping, wrapping gifts in pretty paper and ribbons on christmas eve, watching my loved ones' faces light up as they opened their gifts the next day, receiving the 40th-anniversary hard-back edition of "A Peanuts Christmas" from a friend, and pampering myself with new bath products (hello cranberry body butter!).

i also highly recommend you go see the movie, mystic india if it's at an imax theater near you. and the list of good things goes on....

on tap for this week: a trip to the botanic gardens to see the blossoms of light. OK. that's all for now! be good, have fun, steal a midnight kiss on the 31st, and i'll catch ya on the flip side of the new year! xoxo,