Streamers and confetti littered the floor.

Distant music throbbed in the background.

Bodies draped across chairs.

Make-up stained faces, smeared lipstick,

Dark eyes in shades of blue, purple and black.

Champagne glasses with barely a sip left.

She snuggled up to him after looking around.

A sly grin spread across her face.

Surprisingly, her face was still fresh,

Just her lips, plump pink, pressed to his cheek.

“Want to join me for the after party?”

She giggled and stood up, holding his hand.

He grinned and followed her to the balcony.

A brisk wind swept her hair as they embraced,

He guided her in a dance, then they kissed.

“Happy New Year!” He whispered in her ear.

And what a good year it will be, 2023.

Christmas is upon us and I’m not ready.

My frenzies of wrapping, ribbons and bows,

Has still not happened despite efforts.

Carefully selected gifts for family,

Substituted with a bevy of gift cards,

Still generous, but not my normal way.

Decorations were slow to go up,

And nowhere as full as I usually do.

Travel for a week interrupted my flow,

But before that, other strains and pain reigned.

The season’s light usually brings cheer

But for some reason, it alludes this year.

My heart isn’t in it, with days to go.

Christmas, I hope you find me soon.

A knock from the door echoed about,

Quiet tapping crescendos to a moderate banging

Slowly we crept the door open and soon see

Sweet cherub faces giggling and smiling.

They break out into a spirited song

In four part harmony of children’s voices

“Up on the house top….” And they continued.

We laughed and joined in with them,

They grinned and kept on singing too.

It was a touch of holiday cheer

On a warm Florida winter day.

That’s the first time I’ve ever been caroled!!

Filling my dreams full of hope;

Your smile inches from mine;

Hearts beating wildly, we embrace.

I could feel your warmth surround me;

Your cheek gently brushing against me.

How tempted I am to run to you,

If only it were time

and your arms were open.

Good night, sleep well, hold me tight;

Hope I’ll see you in my dreams tonight.

Today I paused

for a man I never knew.

I mourned his passing as

my eyes filled with tears.

My heart broke with the news;

He lost his battle against himself;

Suicide and now gone too soon.

I admired his talent, his skill;

It’s another reminder how

Someone can seem to have it all

And still be fighting a war so fierce.

Snow, glistening and white, sparkles in midday sun.

Fields with inches deep covered by glittery powder.

Douglas firs reach arms to the sky,

Their swaying arms holding clusters more of the chilled flakes.

As the heat of the day invades, the boughs give way,

And scatterings of snow falls to the earth below.

No birds or beasts to be found.

But the moments are quiet and soft,

Just piles of snow and trees galore.

On the road to Leavenworth.

Hi everyone! Thank you for reading my posts and following me as I wander through the little world inside my head.

I will be taking a break starting tomorrow through the holidays from blogging. I may jump on and share a tidbit or two now and then, but the dailies are going to fall away as the busyness of the season and travel take over.

I wish you all a beautiful season of merriment and joy. May the new year find you in good spirits, health, and company!

Marshmallows float in the sweater cup;

A wintery warm treat awaits inside.

Smooth and velvety, she swirls rich liquid.

Smells of chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon

And pleasant warmth of the cup in her hands.

Why do we wait until winter for such finery

Like this perfect cup of hot cocoa?

Rip, rip, rip. The seam was well hidden inside. But the dress needed altering; it must be done. The flowing red plaid skirt puffed about as she separated the black velvet top from the skirt.

She sighed. How she hated to pull a brand new garment apart. The top was a sloppy fit. But the skirt was too perfect. So stitch by stitch, she carefully separated the dress into two pieces.

Finally the dress fell into two parts. She looked at the black velvet top. There was no way to remake it to fit her, so she tossed it aside.

The crisp fabric of the plaid skirt surrounded her. Red, silver, white and black threads woven into a tartan pattern. Gently she removed the stray threads and checked the edges lined up all the way around the waist.

A few stitches would get the skirt ready to wear. Now the search was on for a black blouse fitting to wear with it. Finding two online, she ordered them with the hopes they would arrive on time.

A back up dress already hung in the closet; her trusty standby. However she wanted to shine this year in something new, something different. Christmas dinner was only a few weeks away. Here’s to holiday soirées!