Holiday Greetings...

I love Christmas.....the build-up to it, the presents, the tree, the food. Traditions all of them. But my favorite is the tradition around New Years that I started 8 years ago.

While single and with no family home at Christmas, I decided to do for myself a special season...after the gift-giving with family scattered around the continent. But the biggest and best gift of all arrived on New Years. Having a relatively large apartment at the time, I decided to host a New Year's levee. So I walked for 3 city blocks putting handmade invitations in everyone's mailboxes and delivering to all my friends. New Years Eve I cooked pots of chili, chowder, made dips, chopped veggies. The wine I had made months before.

For every guest/household invited I made an origami crane with their street number. Then I took all of the Christmas ornaments and lights from my tree and hung all of the cranes....250 of them on an 8 foot pine tree. 200 people came to my house for drinks, nibblies...many of whom I hadn't met yet. It was a wonderful feeling; I met my partner of 8 years that day...we now have a 7 year old son, who helps me make the cranes to cover the Christmas tree for this year.

Blessings to all for a special holiday season full of wonderful gifts from the heart.