Of Jeans & Champagne

Crystalline.

That is the quality of the light today.  It's brilliant outside - sunshine for the first time in several days.  Illuminating the water and ice remaining from our first winter weather of the season earlier this week - there is a sparkle to the very air.  There is quite the breeze blowing - carrying away those water droplets while the meager warmth in the sun begins its bid to say good-bye to the ice.

In truth - I love the winter.  The cold air, the weak sunshine, the bleakness of the landscape...there is something soothing about it to me.  Bundling up to go outside or, even better, staying indoors in front of a cozy fire in the fireplace, watching a good movie in the better company of The Oracle.

Ah - my loving husband.  He sits across from me right now watching YouTube videos of chicken wing recipes.  We are going to a New Year's Eve open house this evening and he is planning to bring some kind of gooey chicken thing - wings & drumsticks bathed garlic & honey - or some-such.

Not my cup of tea but there will be several guests there who will, along with The Oracle, gather around the slow cooker and groan & moan with glee over the ooey, gooey goodness contained within.

Men - happy around food and drink in the company of like-minded souls.  When we gather with this group of friends it is one of my favorite things about them.  Men with facial hair (as most have some), dressed in jeans & flannel shirts.  A few cowboy boots in the mix, some LL Bean shoes and even a pair or two of slippers.  Talking and laughing.

No drama.  No, not even from the women.  :-)

We gather together in joy, friendship and love.  Everyone will bring something to complete the evening's food offerings.  There will be laughter, loudness and even times for quiet contemplation.  Small conversations between old friends.  Larger conversations that will ring out with the happiness of our gathering.

It's the perfect way to say good-bye to an extraordinarily difficult year and to welcome in a new one - filled with the promise of a blank slate on which to write a new history.

One that has peace, serenity and good health in equal measure.