I tell you, what a merry Christmas is:

• an operation well done, custom made hip joint in, with your mom not even in an ICU, but ok, waking up slowly. All done much faster than ever anticipated. (Of course also, without telling her kids, really, but this is another story…. what my mom lacks in communication skills, I seem to have too much of 🙂 )
• a phone not having sounded off with the news, that your dad passed away. Although his quality of life is so low now, that this might even be a blessing. But to me, every second I know him around is precious
• finally, a dear friend, who you know fell very ill just recently, still sends you Christmas greetings and little notes of concerns about your minor trouble
• you get to spend Chrismas Eve with your sweetheart and his mom and it turns out really nice, with loving company, good food and a nice looking tree. With all your gifts well liked by the presented. Same goes for the gifts I got : just everything I wished for was there. Well, everything I wished for and was on offer to be acquired. Care for a list? I got a new fine bone china tea pot (as I broke my much used Bodum one) – it looks perfect! Then I got a fictile pot and a wooden masher for producing my own sauerkraut (ha,ha, Germans) or Kim Chi (I am all nosy, how this experiment will turn out). And a voucher for a professional, thorough car clean inside and out (this is great – now I don’t even have to go for my own, bi-annual attempts of cleaning my tiny car, their professionality lasts for a full year). Plus the cuttlery I wished for to complement the stock in use. Along with a box of chocolates and some fine single malt – what more could one wish for?

I tell you, what more one could wish for: just as I wrote this, my friend (mentioned above) called, and we had a long talk. Needless to say, that even my ill friends are always there for me, to console me. I am blessed. It was one fine Christmas. I dearly hope the same is true for you. Merry Christmas, ya ‘ll!

And since it is Friday today, here a reminiscence to the Friday Funnies usually due here: