Cold morning here - thermometer got into the high teens over night. At least that isn't below zero like the west is getting. I heard Florida was colder than usual at least a day or two recently, but I had this message from Ray and Cyndy Rouleau this morning - they make it sound like paradise.

Hi Jane---Joe's Pond Looks cold when I read your blog.Venice Fl. is a bit of heaven since our weather has been in the 70 to 80 degree range. Last night we watched a wonderful boat parade. The Venice Boat Club had 33 boats all decorated with beautiful lights and parading in front of thousands of people that were lined up on the intra-coastal water way. A GREAT show! It is a yearly event and what a fun evening to kick off the Christmas Spirit.

Merry Christmas,

Ray and Cyndy

Fred has posted an interesting article on the "Center Stage" section on our home page. It's titled, "Ways Conventional Wisdom Can Waste Money." I found it really interesting. There are other articles there you may want to read, too, in case you don't make that ever-changing section of the web site a regular stop.

I'm determined to get started today decorating the house for Christmas. As some of you may know, in our family we rotate hosting Christmas, so it isn't a case of "Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house," every year. I did it last year - Bill and Monika were in Africa to pick up daughter, Jo-Ann, and this year it's Jamie and Marie's turn. No matter which place we go, the food and fun is always delightful, and because we each get a food assignment from the hosting family, nobody has to labor too hard to get it together. For us, there's an added bonus because we are just down the hill from them and we always walk, no matter what the weather, so sometimes it's a sparkling star-lit Christmas Eve of story books, and other times we've had to bundle up and brave a cruel wind and biting cold. There's something special about that walk in the elements on Christmas Eve - as though Santa might show up any minute and direct his reindeer across the hillside onto Henretta's rooftop before sailing down to the pond and out of sight.

We look forward to our first Christmas with our grand daughter, Jo-Ann, who is 12 and full of energy. She arrived last year in early January, but immediately took to the snow and right away learned to ski. This year she will play basketball at Waterford School, and is busy with dance lessons, swimming and sleep-overs with her friends. She was inspired to bake a cake about a week ago, so I sent her a recipe for a simple white one-layer cake and she had great success. Maybe she will contribute to the family Christmas Eve feast this year.

Thank you, Cyndy and Ray - you've successfully put me in Christmas mode!!