Good cheer

I took a ride down to see my sister Deb's elite choir perform a holiday concert. What a lovely evening and a wonderfully talented group they are. I always marvel at how excellent these kids are and have to forever remind myself that these young people are still only in high school. Deb manages to get a beautiful sound from these young voices, excellent singing with great passion and emotion. I really never tire of listening to her choirs (my beat up old CDs are proof positive of this), and even drove all the way back to southern New Jersey just to hear them. I picked up my friends Tom and Dolores on the way down and we delivered four dozen decorated Christmas cookies for the refreshments part of the evening. They were a big hit. If you want to impress, check out the internet for Martha Stewart's Royal Icing recipe and its accompanying cookie recipe. Delicious. Of course, including some Collies, Dachshunds, Scotties and Westies decorated with their Christmas colored collars along with the trees, bells and other holiday-themed cookies goes a long way in spreading Christmas cheer. I also got to drive through that crazy ice wonderland through the Saratoga Springs area. Wow. Just beautiful, in spite of the danger the ice was to the trees and the power outages left in the ice storm's wake. And the stay overnight at Tom and Dolores' - their million dollar view of Manhattan from Guttenberg - was thrilling, as it always is. It's truly breathtaking walking into their place, every time. Thanks for the hospitality, friends.