I Must Be Living Right

I must be living right.

I was outside yesterday, blowing the drifts of leaves that had accumulated on our end of the cul-de-sac off the street when my neighbor walks up with a box of Partagas cigars. I had actually just finished a cigar, so there was a certain amount of serendipity to his arrival. To add icing on the cake, so to speak, I reminded him that I'd just had a birthday the day before. The timing of it all seemed to make him smile even harder as he handed me that beautiful yellow box.

Turkey, wine and talk filled the rest of the day. Everyone at the table seemed to be very upset about the breach of security at the White House earlier in the week, but other than that, we successfully stuck to good old homegrown gossip and personal milestones for the rest of the day. In the interests of maintaining the holiday spirit for another day or so, I will save all comments about the reality show gate crashers who waltzed into the state dinner at the White House on Tuesday night for another day.

Unless something big happens, I think I'm going to stay off the internet for a day or two and see what else is happening in the world. Some of my neighbors have been busy putting up Christmas decorations all week, as if they have been looking forward to escaping from the economy and politics and war for a little while.

The thanks has been given.

The bread has been broken.

And in a little while, when it warms up, I will light one of these cigars.

Let the season of good cheer and good tidings begin.