I second Wendl's comment. May you have a joyous holiday!

Ronni - Come'on down! The Florida weather and water are warm. Our Pool and Spa will be a perfect place for you to spend these few holiday cheerful days before the New Years. We'll leave the light on. We're waiting for ya.

Thumbs up on all comments! May the new year bring us all something very good:):)Dee

Thank you Sylvia for your (and your husband's) efforts to give us,"Age Has Age's Pride"

It is new to me...wise in addition to lovely. It reminded me of a kindly Chinese gentleman and neighbor. When we were talking about all the vagaries of age and our now grown kids, he shared a maxim from his home country he left when it was still called "Formosa".

"Water always flows downhill" .
Then thinking about the river simply going to the sea, with all the changes, giving life, rapids, turns, falls, calm lakes, and beauty, just leading to where all life began and beginning again.

My wish for all is a line from a very old Christmas card I loved..."May all the 'loving gifts' we give away return to us on Christmas Day."

Ronni, I hope your time away is for fun stuff. Happy Holidays to all.

Wishing you deep peace during your time away, Ronni. For you and the other wonderful women on this blog, I give you my warmest Solstice wishes today as we share this shortest day of the year--the Winter Solstice:

Circle Women
in the Winter Solstice

Circle women, gather closer,
draw near, gain comfort.
On this eve of deep dark,
this night of velvet black
we push back the shadows

When daylight seems so slender,
and nightfall comes too swiftly
Draw this circle snug around you
Pull its compassion up to your chin
Chase away chill with our warmth

Soon, soon, comes again the warm light
Dry grass of brown sends new shoots
Thank you Mother for the tender green
Even the hard furled buds will flower
And so...circle women...will you

So Circle women, gather closer
Dream now deeply until Spring
Dream of your juices flowing
Your creativity gleaming
Your woman light shining.

--Patricia Frank

All the beautiful and meaningful word, thanks to each of you, beginning with Ronni. And best wishes to all for a sweet holiday with many rich and joyful moments.

Peace and love to you Ronni, wherever you go. :-)

Ronnie you give so much to us. Enjoy your retreat.

Beverly

I'm with Terri M. I really have nothing to add to what has already been said very well by so many. As far as old age is concerned, I offer up my old saw: it is what it is. Happy Holidays to all.

Thank you, everybody. Love the poetry too.

...or the preantepenultimate day before Christmas.

All these years, Ronnie, ever since you started this blog, I have felt included and welcome. And that's a lovely gift. Just want to say "thank you."

Ronni,

I hope you have a wonderful holiday break! And if possible, get some rest.
And since people have contributed some lovely poetry I feel I must do my part, in keeping with the holidays when most of us will eat more than we planned, much of it what the diet gurus tell us is not good for us at all. (sigh) We're having fruit for dessert.

Over 50 years ago I found a little rhyme in the Chicago Tribune about Methuselah and how he ate. It was only about six lines, and there was no attribution, but it so tickled my fancy that I worked it up into several verses that make me laugh every time I pull it out of the box. I hope it makes you laugh too.

For Those Whose Doctors Give “Dietary Advice”

Methuselah ate what he found on his plate
And never, as people do now
Did he ask the amount of the calorie count
He ate it because it was chow

Methuselah cheered as the platters appeared
Heaped high with pork chops and fries
He gobbled his food with a great attitude
And washed it all down with some rye

He wasn't disturbed as at dinner he sat,
Devouring fried chicken and pie
Or fret they’d been cooked with the wrong kind of fat,
Or might be a nutrient shy;

He cheerfully chewed every species of food,
He gorged without trouble or fear
That his health might be hurt by some fancy dessert,
Or by drinking the whole keg of beer.

Methuselah ate every bite on his plate
The greasy stuff ran down his chin
He left not a crumb then he finished with rum.
No diet gurus cried, "What a sin!"

Methuselah fed and went straight to bed
He snored till he woke up at nine
His stomach churned on from dusk until dawn
And his whole life he felt that was fine

Methuselah ate what he wanted to eat
He mourned not, nor shed any tears
He ate everything his good wife hauled in,
And he lived over 900 years!

Thank you to Wendl, Sylvia, etc. for all that you share. Thank you for all that you give us, Ronni. My heart is with you wherever you go. Happy Christmas and Merry Holidays to all here!