CHRISTMAS MORNING IN THE ARBORETUM

The denizens of this odd world of the ARBORETUM, wish all of our friends and readers a very capital Christmas Day.

Oh yes, it is Christmas Day for everyone on earth, even though many of us may not be Christians. We are fully aware that our readership and our circles of friends include people of many religious persuasions, and of many non-religious persuasions as well. We hug you all and wish you the very best day you can manage.

And, we hope you all got gifts, no matter what your traditions may embrace. We trust you all have too much to eat, and enjoy your day off. May we all have a spiritual moment!

Some of us are in Florida and will be coming home to Michigan later in the week. At the moment we're under a tornado watch and it's an enthusiastically rainy day. Last night I stood in the driveway in bare feet, t-shirt and shorts and enjoyed the passage of Santa Claus over The Villages. Earlier this week, we heard the space shuttle crack the sound barrier as it approached Cape Canaveral --- right overhead.

Steve is with us and he's suffering from a cultural shock. He cannot make up his mind whether or not this lifestyle of golf courses, small cookie-cutter houses, and small fenced-in nature preserves, is good or bad for the natural environment that he has a profound reverence for. (As do we all.)

This is the strangest Christmas we have ever spent.

However, we got a call from Paraguay. The Scotster and his Tdec are enjoying their stay. It has been very warm there, but last night the whole extended family gathered for a midnight feast. They have been made warmly welcome by a family they scarcely knew. For these young folks, this Christmas brings a gift of learning and exposure to new cultural and religious traditions. What a great gift is that!

Be at Peace!