Feeling peaceful as the Christmas rush sets in

The neighbors behind me have hung hammocks fairly high in the trees for their kids. There’s even a Styrofoam cooler hanging from one tree. Today I looked out and a young boy was sitting in one of the hammocks, staring into space, gently pushing off the stone wall with his feet so that he was swinging back and forth. He looked completely at peace, and I wondered where his child’s mind had gone at that time.

But that’s sort of the way I feel tonight. At peace and not rushed or harried. Most of that euphoria, I’m sure, is because today I finished and sent off the bare-bones skeleton of my Alamo book. I sent it to the editor primarily because she serves as an extra back-up for me but also in hopes she might make a suggestion or two. I think I’m ahead of schedule, although I now must dig into the humongous box of clippings, articles, photocopies, etc. that I inherited with the project. They are in no order at all, so when I didn’t know where I was going, there was no way to make sense of them. Now that I have the outline of the story, I can sort out what I need. Then comes editing and, finally, picture selection and requests. Still a lot to do, but I feel good about it.

So today I wrapped Christmas presents. Don’t scorn me, but my shopping is done and most of my presents wrapped. And I finished the dense mystery I was reading—spellbinding, and I couldn’t figure out how past and present were connected. Where Memories Lie is another well-done Scotland Yard story from Deborah Crombie, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. But it was always there, calling to me to put everything else down and read. I’ve turned to a light cozy that isn’t that demanding.

I join with people of all political stripes tonight in mourning George Herbert Walker Bush and extending condolences to his family. I did not often agree with his politics, but I always thought he took public service seriously and was a politician with integrity and truly that oxymoron, a compassionate conservative—pretty rare these days. And I greatly admired him for admitting publicly that he voted for Hilary Clinton. As sort of the grandfather of the Republican Party, that took courage. The most touching thing I saw today was a cartoon that showed Barbara Bush holding a young girl by the hand—Robin, the daughter they lost in childhood—and President Bush walking toward them. The caption says, “We waited for you.” RIP, sir, with your wife and daughter. You served honorably and were a role model as a public servant and as a family man.

I’m off to write a cooking blog for http://www.gourmetonahotplate.blogspot.com – the lament of a frustrated cook and a recipe for a quick baked fruit dessert. Yum. I’m hungry.