The gentle sounds of a piano plays in the distance. The sounds were barely audible from the lobby of the hotel. A tall tree, decorated in creamy white twinkling lights and large red poinsettias adorns the sitting area, surrounded by luxurious lounge chairs. Opposite the tree, a roaring fire casts a warm glow against the dark mahogany wood which lines the walls.

Sally sits in one of the chairs, her legs curled up under her. She faces the fire, while her hand caresses a cup of hot tea. She can see through a window the snow is picking up, ensuring snowy surroundings at least another day. No matter, she enjoys the peace and solitude the weather delays afford her.

The concierge works steadily behind the counter. A young couple, barely in their twenties bound up to the counter. “Do you have towels? We want to hit the hot tubs,” the man all of about twenty asks as the young woman beside him giggles.

Sally recognizes the look of innocence, of elated happiness, of complete adoration. She hopes the girl standing before her gets her happy ever after. Memories she thought she’d relegated to the furthest corners of her mind flow back for an instant. Sally shifts her gaze back to the fire, a short wave of sadness flows through her as a single tear falls into her cup. It doesn’t matter now, her mind refocuses. She puts the cup down and picks back up her computer from the table. Time to check on work.

Oh, the wonder of the internet and instant connectivity to anywhere. Even hundreds of miles away, work never stops. She was thankful for this welcomed distraction from her thoughts. The stats all look good. All robots are running, and no errors with any interfaces. Throughput for the past two days were steady, especially going into the holiday. If things held up, she could shift focus to planning for next year tomorrow.

Dan walked up and tapped Sally on her shoulder. She jumped. “Done with work? I’m starving.”

Sally looked up at Dan. He’s a good partner and companion. His crooked smile and exaggerated gestures signaled to her it was time to close up work. “Sure, let me log off.” Sally disconnected and closed her laptop, then slipped it into her bag. She slipped her stockinged feet back into her shoes and they made their way to the lodge’s restaurant for dinner.

Fuzzy socks on my feet and Lindor truffles just out of reach,

Curled up on the sofa with plaid jammies and a fluffy throw,

Sparkling lights on the tree sitting in the corner,

And all the lights out and an electric ‘fireplace’ making it cozy,

Along with a fan blowing on high, just to make it feel like winter.

Settling in for the evening, another Hallmark movie on play,

My guilty pleasure this time of year; they make me smile.

Here’s to finding what makes you calm and happy,

Even if it is only for a little while.

The last time I mounted a horse, I was just a child of eleven or twelve. My cousin and I went out to our uncle’s field where he kept the horses and they ran wild and free. The horses were broken of course, familiar with a saddle.

We had to first get one of the four-legged beauties over to my dad. He waited there by the truck for us to find our steed. Imagine two tweens running around a field in search for a friendly horse.

One finally relented and sauntered over. He knew what was up, but we’d be light loads. Dad cinched on the saddle and my cousin climbed up.

Off he went…well, okay, my dad actually led him. After a few minutes they circled back. He laughed and scrambled down.

Next it was my turn. I clambered up a top the saddle and off we went. The saddle seemed loose, but what did I know. I was just a kid. We walked a little further up the hillside.

Dad then turned the horse, and the saddle shifted, tumbling me onto the graveled ground. My spine just missed a jagged rock. He fixed the saddle and I climbed back up, but my fear was set. The bruise lasted for a few weeks.

I still love these stately animals; maybe one day I will ride again. But for now, I settle for feeding them apples and giving them a nice little pat on the head should I have the chance.

Popsicle toes and a cold nose,

Strike an angel’s pose,

Swing your limbs to and fro.

Watch the dusting fly, all that snow.

Giggle and laugh with delight,

Under a star and moon lit night.

Paper, tape, ribbons and bows

Pens with which to write,

Cardboard boxes of various sizes too,

It’s gift wrapping night!

Unrolling, measuring, cutting away,

Taping and labeling, so many to go,

Shipping needs to be done another day,

The holly and plaid are perfect with that bow.

Hope these packages make family smile,

And bring some joy for a little while.

What once flowed freely,

thickens and becomes sticky.

Now it drips out

in long drawn-out drops,

slow, oozing, darkened

from its once golden state.

Still sweet, but now concentrated.

Push it much further,

it will become bitter,

burnt, unrecognizable

and no longer enjoyable.

Stop, before it is overdone.

Her heart races, unwilling to slow down.

There is no reason for it. She doesn’t know why.

Pulling up the blankets, a slight chill fills the air.

She forces her breath to slow, hoping it helps.

The beating is loud to her ears in the silence of the room.

It is almost going at double time.

She closes her eyes and tries to calm down.

Finally, her exhaustion takes over,

drifting to sleep, as her heart slows.

Ever have one of those nights where you are so tired yet so wound up at the same time?